Who, What, When, Where, Why, and HOW?

Something the LOST show did was constantly keep its audience guessing. Whether it was a mysterious monster that sounded like a subway, or a random polar bear, LOST's apparent mission was to keep viewers on their toes.

So skilled were they at this that many fans began to doubt the writers' ability to close off all the mysteries they presented. According to the article written by Askwith, fans started to leave LOST during it's second season due to the fear that the writers had no plans of clearing up all the confusion and ultimately were just making it up as they went.

One argument that arises is that LOST presents too many questions than it does answers and the most frustrating things for fans is that the show answers questions with questions. It is this maddening logic that scared some away from LOST.

The 'Smoke Monster' from LOST. (Spoiler Alert!)

Another thing that the show does is present flashbacks (or what we are led to believe are flashbacks) in order to explain certain characters. Fans argued that at times these flashbacks were redundant and showed that the writers were stalling for time.

A third argument is that at times things happen in the show that are refused an explanation. Characters who were thrust into some new mystery refuse to tell other characters and the audience what happened.

The mysterious 'hatch'.

And finally a fourth argument is that LOST presented too much symbolism in its episodes that really didn't mean anything or would ultimately mean nothing.

Despite LOST losing some viewers for the reasons above, most viewers stayed with the show because they realized that one should watch this show with different factors in mind. Askwith lists four factors in his article: LOST is structured and written more like a novel, LOST insists that 'everything happens for a reason', LOST's non-linear chronology creates unique expectations, and LOST is a serial narrative being developed in a time of transition.

Despite it's relentless mystery, LOST still managed to keep a loyal fan base for the reasons above. LOST cannot be watched like an episode of HOUSE. It requires your undivided attention.

JJ Abrams wants you to drink the Kool-Aid.

JJ Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, composer, and founder of Bad Robot Productions.

He is the master at creating cult television: Felicity, Alias, Lost, and his latest project, Fringe. Lost is the biggest television cult phenomenon to date gaining an average of 13 million views per season. It lasted from 2004-2010 with 6 seasons.

The term "Cult Blockbuster" is a term created with two opposing meanings. The basic definition of blockbuster is, one (movie) that is notably expensive, effective, successful, large, or extravagant.
The term cult in media refers to a relatively small but devoted audience of a film or television show.

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In the article, How Lost Found its Audience: The Making of a Cult Blockbuster, Stacey Abbott states,

"In this light, Lost can be read as a form of 'event television': aiming for a large and diverse audience while simultaneously fostering the interactive engagement with the series that is often associated with cult, and in so doing courting the niche demographics of loyal and interactive cult TV fans as well as inviting viewers who might not normally engage in fan practices to commit to the show on a cult level."

He uses transmedia to gain his shows' and movies' popularity. For example, the Lost website allows fans to explore certain incites on the show, play games related to the show, and keep up on fan controversy and theories. It is because of transmedia that television and film can gain cult status.

Youtube

I want to expand on my last post. There is something else about the Internet that is having an effect on Television. That something is Youtube.

Youtube celebrated it's 5th birthday this year. Five years, that's how old Youtube is and it is one of the most lucrative business ventures in history. In 2006, just one year after it's founding, Google bought Youtube for 1.65 billion dollars. Three men who worked at Paypal were the creators of this new phenomenon.

Youtube provides users with the ability to upload videos they create.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

The Youtube community is massive! Some videos, like the one above, have gotten millions of views.

Youtube is also important because it has given us the ability to access world events in moments. People who capture riots, government violence, police abuse, public speeches, news on wars, etc put these videos up on Youtube. What would have never been seen in our news is now uploaded for the world to see. For example,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F18X2ARcHXk   (Graphic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25EWUUBjPMo (Graphic)

There was also a case where Youtube helped spread awareness of the crookedness of the Iranian Presidential Elections in 2009.
This Youtube video explains it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXN_yCSbUYk

Youtube has also brought a new form of entertainment to the Internet and media in general. Youtube has paved the way for what is called "vlogging" a new form of blogging. Many people have become famous due to this new form of communication.

Charles Trippy is a Youtuber who has become famous in his own right with a fan base of about 500,000 people.

Youtubers with extremely high subscribers and channel views actually get paid by Youtube.

The "Shaytards" channel stats.

 

The Shaytards make enough money with their daily vlog that, Shay the father of this family, doesn't need to work. His vlog is his work. He makes enough money to support a family of six. It is all done with the ads that are placed on his channel.

With this influx of Youtube viewers the question has to be raised, Are more people attracted to the entertainments of the Internet? Is television becoming old technology?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube

Help or Hindrance: How the Internet is effecting television

Since the birth of the Internet, the television industry has had to make some adjustments and adaptations in order to keep it's audience. Many changes, in not just television but in all forms of media, have occurred due to the Internet. Newspapers and other print media have either moved to online editions of their publications or shut their doors. CD sales in the music industry have plummeted as a result of download-able music and television has had to adapt as well.

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Many people have said that their biggest reason for not watching as much television as they used to is due to their desire to watch their favorite shows at their own convenience, not waiting until a program comes on in it's specific time slot. People have to work and run errands. Therefore they may not be able to catch their favorite show during the day. In one way, the invention of the DVR or Tivo has helped out with this predicament, but in another way many people state that they prefer to watch their programs on the Internet due to it's ease of use. There are many sites where one can view his or her favorite show, Hulu for example, but in trying to adapt, most television networks have created websites where individuals can stream their favorite programs from the networks' own site. Which ensures that the network still makes money if only a fraction of what they would make on the air. (Ads on websites still generate some revenue depending on how many people visit a given site, or how many 'hits' a site gets.)

Sites like Hulu offer a collection of hit shows from different networks.

Some scholars and researchers believe the newly formed link between the Internet and television has created or increased what some are calling, "tele-participation." The idea is that the role of the Internet has extended the television experience beyond the weekly or daily shows. It has given fans a place to go and interact with their favorite programs. An example would be the show Mad Men. On it's site, one can "Mad Men Yourself" in order to see what one would look like in the 60's as a cartoon. It is little things like this that really stand out to fans. Using online tools like this, researchers can better understand the impact of fandom on a specific show and how to better engage the fans.

Hit shows, such as It's Always Sunny..., generally provide bonus content on their websites for fans.

What do you think of the relationship between the Internet and television? Do you believe it to be a symbiotic bond? Bad for television?

Peter Hirshberg discussing TV and the web

Formula vs. Genre

There is Bram Stoker's Dracula and then there is Twilight.

One is a critically acclaimed vampire film co-written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

The other,

a shitty tale of hormonal, love-starved teens who, oh ya, happen to be vampires.

The vampire genre is nothing new. It has been around as long and as far back as the original Dracula starring Bela Lugosi in 1931. Technically as far back as Nosferatu even two years before that. Many creative and enjoyable films spawned from this love affair with vampires. Some are, Fright Night, The Lost Boys, 30 Days of Night, and The Blade Trilogy. All of these adaptations on the vampire genre are well thought out and well executed movies.

There does come a time, however, when profit, not quality, dictates the media world. Ever since Twilight came out, only two years ago, the media world has jumped on the vampire bandwagon and shouted, "Yee-Ha!" Specifically television. The vampire genre has become the vampire formula. A formula able to solve any financial burdens of television studios. Any sort of decent production value is tossed out the window. I'm speaking of the new drama series, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.

Now some may point out, "Hey man. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is probably one of the most lucrative shows of the late 90's and early 2000's. And it was spawned from the movie of the same name released in 1992."

Noted.

But, depending on who you talk to of course, this series was actually good.

Not like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries which are so obvious in their attempts to follow the new formula of the vampire genre, set by Twilight, that their production quality such as their script suffers. Think Laguna Beach with vampires. Whiny, emotional young adults who spend more time screwing each other that attending to important vampire business.

This formulaic result of the vampire genre is not the first time this has happened. The idea of formula vs. genre can be applied to numerous genres throughout film and television history. Westerns, Gangster flicks, the Space Race: These all have had a period in time when they have been churned out like there is no tomorrow.

In my opinion, I hope the Twilight craze dies soon. However, when that happens it will be interesting to see which genre will get 'formu-lized' next. Hopefully it is something better than vampires. Sorry, let me rephrase that,

hormonal, teen vampires.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844441/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_%281992_film%29