Creators as Branding

We've already seen situations where a network's continued a doomed show up through 13 episodes so that the box set will recoup some expenses for the studio. Whedon's Angel very much died because the WB realized they were just advertising for 20th Century Fox's box sets. Although the network in theory has final say on what shows they pick up, there are stories in recent years about one network where the network execs weren't even allowed in the room while the studio suits did the fall schedule.

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Remember, television as it exists is the tail end of government-leased invisible space. Network television is executive welfare.

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The natural aggregation points will be branded creative entities, individual creators or otherwise, who engender personal loyalty. We may well see "schools" of like-minded entertainers evolving in television, the way we had in art, or even in film in the 60's and 70's. Different (and probably unpredictable) models will evolve, but those will be the seeds.

-- John Rogers on Nobody Getting Rich But Everyone Getting Paid

Its funny. I've been thinking about this a lot recently - though I'm not sure I realised it until I read this.

Australia is in a peculiar position. We don't have the population density to support an indigenous film industry economically; nor we do we have a "language barrier" to encourage (or at least ring fence) audiences into seeing Australian films. We may be the world's greatest pirates of TV per capita but we're leeches - we tap into the swarms grown from the generous folk in the UK and the US. Have you ever tried to BitTorrent an Australian TV show? (Cough Love My Way Cough*) Painfully slow. Swarms being swarms crushes the insignificant (e.g. Australian Media) into invisibility.

The local Australian TV Networks will growing increasingly flummoxed as their asynchronous US imports rate alarmingly less than they should -- because everyone who cares has seen the episodes already. (e.g. Heroes). This will force them to pick up shows whose target audiences aren't into watching cutting edge TV -- basically turning all commerical free to air into into Channel 9. The channels certainly won't fail any time soon but shows like Battlestar Galactica or Heroes** or even Lost will only work economically in Australia on DVD. This trend will only get worse as TV-piracy grows more and more mainstream (my parents bought a Divx capable player last year... and they're both in their 60s)

Meanwhile, local content will have less budgets and be less "interesting" as the networks become more risk averse in this hostile environment. For a local content creator, especially one trying to get a foot in the door, this isn't a healthy environment to get a show up or even just get paid.

While I'm still trying to work out what would be a solution, I'd suggest [in no particular order (a) make it cheap; (b) approach a national broadcaster whose economics/politics of creative choice are rather different; and (c) create an online following... build momentum around you and get people interested in seeing it... THEN work out how to make money from them.

Anyway, my random thoughts...

* Season 2 is now on DVD... and my (now ex) flatmate bought it. Frankly, I'm not going to subscribe to Foxtel just to get a TV show when I can buy the same show on DVD for $40.
** I'm really curious to see how this goes in Australia. I've already seen the first 10 episodes and so have a lot of people I know... including my rather non-technical familly.