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3 Reasons Hulu is Helping Disney

Hulu is going to be owned by Disney soon. Good news for Disney, if they're okay with losing $1 billion. Yet, Hulu is actually helping them. Here's how...

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3 Reasons Hulu is Helping Disney
Hulu, one of the big three streaming services, is going to be owned by Disney soon. Well, 60% of it will be owned by Disney. And this will happen after Disney completes its purchase of Fox Entertainments assets. Good news for Disney. Except when Hulu costs them about 1.3 to 1.6 billion in losses. Yet, this isn’t a bad thing. Maybe not at first. Disney, like any company, wants to make money on its assets and not have those assets lose them money. Especially when that amount starts with a ‘b.’ The positive here is that Disney is going to be enjoying the returns on Hulu’s efforts. Sure, in the short term, Disney is going to lose some money. Some. It’s a big amount, no doubt about it. I’ve never owned $1 billion. I doubt I will ever be worth that much in my lifetime. Disney, on the other hand, is dealing in multiple assets and properties across the globe. A billion here, a billion there is an acceptable loss for them. At least, it is from my perspective. They’ll most likely earn that $1 billion back in a month from all the merchandise they sell. What’s really happening here is a training or an upgrade montage.

The Upgrade Montage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBGGEZSAfyY Nearly every action movie has a training or an upgrade montage. Sometimes both. This montage is a series of clips of the hero, or team of heroes (as in the case of the Big Hero 6 clip above), get some new trinket, ability, or skill. Then they figure out how to use it and use it well. If Big Hero 6 isn’t your type of movie, then check out others on the streaming service of your choice. Or on cable. But first, save yourself some time and money by checking out the best internet deals and packages. Now go watch an action movie right up to when the hero gets the upgrade. Then stop. It’s not enough to get the upgrade, the hero(es) in question must use it and in the right way. Time is at a premium when it comes to movies, however. Audiences are not going to sit and watch hours upon hours of training, mistakes, learning, mistakes, frustration, mistakes, more frustration, learning, mistakes, and on and on. That’s real life. People who are training themselves want a break from the monotony of training. They don’t want to watch it in a movie. To get around this issue, producers put all that training and upgrading into a quick montage. Little scenes with quick action, one-liners, some slapstick comedy, and then show the little wins. Once the little wins are established, they show bigger and bigger wins. By the end of the montage, the hero(es) are proficient in said new skill/ability/talent/technology. A big part of the training montage is the song. Sometimes it’s an instrumental piece, written to highlight the difficulty of the training and/or upgrading. As the montage progresses the keys change to a higher key, signaling an emotional uplift. This comes right as there’s a small win. The music then builds as there are bigger and bigger wins. Once the hero(es) manage to reach a predetermined level of aptitude, the music crescendos, and the montage is over. Case in point; Fallout Boy’s “Immortals” is edited down to fit the montage for Big Hero 6. The key changes are kept in to signify when there’s a small win, and on and on until all six members of Big Hero 6 reach the appropriate level of aptitude. Fallout Boy was a good choice for the film, playing to the younger audiences and the hip feel of the movie. If they went with a different band or sound, it would have taken away from the overall feel of the movie. In real life, unfortunately, there are no training montages. It’s a day-in, day-out grind to train and keep training. As people work towards a goal, there’s no background music. If there was an option to have a full orchestra playing while I worked, I think I would take it. Nothing like hearing music firsthand to really stoke the creative fires. For Hulu, they’re in the middle of their training montage. There’s no music, no short clips. But we are past the hard part.

Small Win

The Handmaid’s Tale won Golden Globes and Emmy’s this year, making it Hulu’s first original content to take home such honors. To capitalize on this, Hulu has begun to put money and effort into more and more original content. Endeavors such as these take time and money to pull off. About $1.3 to 1.6 billion in money to be exact. But it’s not a bad thing for Disney.

Long-Term Gains Over Short-Term Revenue Goals

Any new endeavor takes time. The Handmaid’s Tale is a signifier that Hulu is onto something that works. It may not be perfect, but it’s successful. And successful is better than perfect. What the drama has done is show Hulu what to do, how to do it, and where to improve the formula. Sure, Disney has their revenue goals, as all companies do. But to enjoy bigger revenues in the future, maybe taking a $1 billion loss will be worth it? From the lowly perspective of a content manager, that makes sense. Of course, we’re talking about large sums of money in the abstract. I can’t begin to understand how the accountants involved in dealing with the real money feel right now.

Better Strategy

Making money for the sake of making money is a bad strategy. I’ve taken jobs before simply for the money. Sometimes it was because I had to. There were bills to pay and children to feed. So I took a job I hated because it meant my children wouldn’t starve. Then there were the jobs that I took because I thought “Hey, more money, should be fun, right?” But I was wrong. So, very, wrong. This “more money” type of job came with a boss who had unrealistic expectations of me, not to mention he wasn’t completely honest with the requirements of the job. It also didn’t help that other people within the company were incompetent and that just made more work for me too. But I’d be making more money, right? That didn’t matter. After all the time I spent on the job, I barely had time, or energy, to enjoy the fruits of my labor. So I quit. Hulu is doing it differently. They’re focusing on what works and improving that than just focusing on what makes money. This comes back around for them. By focusing on what works, they will be making more money. And more efficiently too.

Calculated Risk

Everybody must take risks in life. Otherwise, life would be very boring. Companies must take risks too. Yet, companies need to be wise in the risks that they are taking. For now, Hulu is risking billions of dollars in losses for Disney to fill out it’s stable of original programming. They aren’t doing this recklessly though. As stated before, they know what works and they’re using that as a guide for further endeavors.

Montage Ends

Hulu has their small wins and as they continue to duplicate them, there’ll be more mistakes. It’s easy to say, “mistakes will happen, learn from them.” But for those who make mistakes, and must pick up the pieces afterward, it’s not so easy. Mistakes can be demoralizing. Learning from them isn’t always fun either. Hulu is doing just that, making their mistakes, picking themselves up, learning from them, and trying again. Maybe when it’s all over they can make their own movie about it and have their own upgrade montage to show the process. Should be interesting.

3 Reasons Walmart is NOT the Little Shop Around the Corner

Walmart is ramping up its arsenal against Amazon by launching an eBook store. Walmart, and its partners, are proving they're big contenders.

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3 Reasons Walmart is NOT the Little Shop Around the Corner
Walmart is continuing to ramp up its arsenal against Amazon. The most recent advance in this ongoing contest is Walmart’s partnership with Kobo. By partnering with Rakuten, and it’s e-reader brand Kobo, Walmart has launched its own online bookstore. While Amazon is the reigning power in that space, Walmart isn’t exactly a small contender either.

The Little Shop Around the Corner

In 1998, just as the internet was exploding, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan stared in a cute remake of “Little Shop Around the Corner.” Titled “You’ve Got Mail” this took the basic premise of the 1940 film and reworked for a more contemporary setting. This time, instead of pen-pals, Hanks and Ryan were the instant messaging each other. Trust me, instant messaging was a big thing back in the day. And the alert was the pre-recorded “You’ve Got Mail.” Hence, the title of the movie. In the original “Little Shop Around the Corner,” the setting was a gift shop. For the 1998 version, Hanks is the corporate executive who’s in charge of development for a behemoth book chain store. Kind of like Amazon is today. Ryan is the owner of a small-time bookshop that’s a neighborhood institution. Ryan’s “Little Shop Around the Corner” can’t compete with Hanks “Fox Books.” And she knows it. When the newest location opens down the street from her store, the days of “Little Shop Around the Corner” are numbered. Though she attempts to fight it, Ryan’s little bookshop goes out of business. Let’s reimagine the story this way. Hanks, and by extension Fox Books, is Amazon. They’re established, they’ve run out the little stores, and things are going well. Fox Books, AKA Amazon, accounts for about 80% of all digital eBook readers and eReading apps. Ryan steps onto the scene. But not with a Little Shop Around the Corner. This time she’s Walmart. She may be entering a tough field, but she’s no newbie. And here’s why.

Walmart is a Retail Giant

Walmart has over 5,000 locations nationwide. These brick and mortar stores have been promising “always low prices” and discounts for decades. Walk into any Walmart and you’ll find clothes, food, automotive products, and much, much more. Where they’re lacking is the digital sphere. They do have online ordering, but it’s a far cry from Amazon’s presence. Amazon, however, got its start with books. And books are still a major part of Amazon’s annual revenue. They have eReader apps and the Kindle. They’ve built up a digital empire, and even their books and eReading platforms are an empire in and of themselves. It makes sense for Walmart to go after the book market. While Amazon does have a strong presence there, they haven’t been working to develop and adapt.

Large and Dedicated Client Base

The reason Walmart is a retail giant is thanks to its large and dedicated client base. On the book front, part of the reason Walmart may be losing customers is that they don’t have viable options for them. Now, by partnering with Rakuten and selling Kobo products in the store, they will. As easy as it is for someone to buy something off Amazon, buying it in a store has a much stronger appeal. Getting to hold and test out a product is an advantage. Those who test out a product are more likely to buy it. They get a chance to see themselves using it, thus, they can see themselves owning it. This is a similar phenomenon with books and telling stories, but we’ll get to that later. For Walmart to sell the Kobo Aura in its stores, it’ll be a huge plus for them. Not to mention Walmart is also rolling out an audiobook service. While Amazon already has Audible, Walmart is going to make theirs more affordable. And Walmart’s biggest draw has always been its prices. For a monthly Audible subscription, it’s $14.99. Walmart’s will be only $9.99 per month. Those shoppers who are always looking for a cheaper price, they’ll eagerly switch from Audible to Walmart eBooks.

A Physical Means to Buy Digital Products

With Kobo Aura’s on sale in the store, Walmart is making it easier for their customers to get their hands on it. Sure, you can order it online and have it sent to you. But you’re gambling that way. Reviews of a product can only provide so much insight. Walmart will also “sell” digital books in its stores as well. This is accomplished by provided cards. Like a gift card, customers can pick up a card that will allow them to buy the digital book they want. Maybe it’s Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One”, or Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects”. The customer will take the card to the register and pay for it there. Then they’ll activate the book by inputting the code found on the card. Personally, I’d like that experience. I know it sounds weird, but something about picking up a book and thumbing through it is so appealing to me. Then again, I love reading. Thus, a card that acts as a placeholder for the book is intriguing to me. It won’t take the place of a book. It will, however, fell more involved than just clicking “buy now” online.

Would It Have Been Different?

“You’ve Got Mail” was one of a series of romantic comedies that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The two had chemistry on screen and worked well together. They didn’t get together in real life, but that’s okay. Tom Hanks has Rita Wilson and they’re perfect for each other. Don’t know what’s going on with Meg Ryan though. Anyway, had Meg Ryan’s character gotten the help of Walmart to take on Fox Books, the movie would have had a completely different ending. For one, Ryan’s “Little Shop Around the Corner” wouldn’t have been shuttered. She would have had a large inventory to work from. Her little bookshop would have been put into a much bigger network and supply chain. Fox Books would have had a harder time forcing her out. For another, Fox Books was really more like Barnes and Noble. And while they had their heyday, shutting down the poor independent bookstores, they’re now dealing with the consequences of not establishing an online presence. They’re fighting Amazon as well. Lastly, had Ryan had the support of a Walmart, then the story wouldn’t have ended with Hanks and Ryan falling in love. They would have fought bitterly for dominance in their region. Marketing teams would have been called in. At one point in the movie, Ryan is advised to “go to the mattresses.” With an army of marketers behind her, she would have gone a much better job this time. The Little Shop Around the Corner would have gone toe-to-toe with Fox Books, and most likely won. It wouldn’t have been a very romantic movie. Oh well.

Find a Book

Romances, mysteries, action, now you can find a book you like through Walmart. To download the title onto your favorite eReader or eBook app, make sure you’ve got the best Spectrum internet deals. This way you’ll save more money. And with all that money you’ve saved, you can go out and buy more books. And really, that’s what’s most important here.

4 Things to Know About Data Science

Data science is a growing field with rich opportunity. But what is it? And how can it be applied to nearly eveyr industry?

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4 Things to Know About Data Science
Back in 2011, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill starred in the superb and underappreciated film, Moneyball. Based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same name, Moneyball explained how the poorest team in Major League Baseball, the Oakland Athletics, used data science to create a team. And not just any team, a team that went on a win streak of 20 games. The method to their madness, dubbed Sabermetrics, was a unique approach to analyzing data. Sabermetrics, at its heart, was taking large data sets and deciphering meaning from them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBcwGOvO80 This is data science. For the longest time, Sabermetrics was looked down upon by the baseball elite. After the 2005 Boston Red Sox and the 2018 Houston Astros incorporated it into their strategies, it’s now considered a legitimate method for constructing a team. It’s not localized to the MLB though. Industries, far and wide, are opting to delve into data analysis. Through the thoughtful interpretation of these large numbers, data scientists are helping companies run more efficiently and solve problems. There’s more to data science than just looking at numbers.

It’s an Effective Means of Creating Positive Impact

In 2008 the housing bubble burst. This crisis expanded out beyond those in real estate. Marketing companies to restaurants felt the pinch here. The US economy, as a whole, went into a downturn. The Austin Technology Council, a peer group representative of technology companies in and around Austin, TX, was struggling. In 2009 there came a moment. The board was on the fence over whether to continue their mission or to dissolve the council itself. It was decided to put the vote on hold while the council performed an Economic Impact Study. The goal of the study was to find out if technology companies in the area were having any real effect at all. If the effect minimal, then the choice was clear. Through surveys, research, and of course, analysis, data was collected and handed over to data scientists. The data scientists were tasked with digging through the numbers and determining which pieces were relevant and which were not. They were crunching numbers in order to answer a question; can you measure the impact of a specific industry, like technology, in a given area. The answer was yes. To the tune of roughly $19,000,000,000. That’s $19 billion. Billion with a B. Thanks to the hard work of these data scientists, the ATC decided to remain in business and to focus its efforts on growing the tech community in Austin. This Economic Impact Study was part of the reason Austin has become known as the burgeoning center for technology. If other areas, say San Antonio, was to perform similar economic impact studies, it could set off a rebranding in that area as well. To do this, however, there is a need for data scientists who are qualified to figure out the data.

Data Science is a Reliable Field

Data science has been around for a long time. The reason it’s growing now is that of all the ways companies can capture data. With this uptick in data acquisition, there’s more data to analyze than there are people to analyze it. Companies will never stop gathering data. The practices and procedures may change, but there will always be data. And where there’s data, there is a need for a data scientist.

It’s a Growing Field

Every month LinkedIn reports on the state of the US workforce. It’s a monthly report that explains trends in hiring and retention, as well as providing the numbers to back it up. For August 2018, the Workforce Report stated a skills gap when it came to data scientists. In 2015, there were more data scientists available than there were jobs for them to fill. Now there’s a deficit in the United States of qualified data scientists. A deficit of 151,717, according to LinkedIn. Other sources state the field of data science will grow by as much as 20% by 2020. Good news for those who are interested in collecting data.

More Industries are Getting into Data Analytics

With companies growing and striving to compete in a more digital world, data is the main tool they focus on. This is where data scientists come in. It doesn’t matter if the company sells shoes, baseball bats or software, there will be data to analyze. Thus, a data scientist could enter almost any industry and find a place to apply their skills. Companies need to be able to look at all the numbers they’ve collected and make meaning out of it. Thus, the hard skills of knowing how to think critically, code, and math are a key advantage when it comes to finding a job. Just as important as the hard skills are the soft skills. Being able to communicate is always a deciding factor. Communicating the data in a meaningful way for those who may understand it is difficult. Those who can do it without alienating others will find their jobs secure and a certain degree of prestige. One could argue that knowing how to analyze data is enough. But think of it this way; Steve Jobs was brilliant. He was also exceptionally hard to work with. We don’t need another Steve Jobs. We do need brilliant people though.

The Benefits of Data Science

Applying data science is another difficult aspect of the job. Just being able to analyze the numbers and break down what they mean is not enough. A good data scientist applies that knowledge to solving the problem. They may even be able to spot a problem before it becomes too big of an issue. Most of the time, however, data science is the steady application of analyzing data. Then adjusting to changes in the industry. When its done right, and consistently maintained, amazing things can happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK1jtVhimPA

More than Just Baseball

While it’s easy to point to Sabermetrics, and Moneyball, data science has applications far beyond baseball. And not just to the business world either. Data scientists do the hard job of culling useful stuff from dense information. Even here, at Bundle Your Internet, we’re analyzing data to find the best internet deals. There is someone always checking spreadsheets to make sure we’re not missing something. It’s not easy. If it were, then this writer would have probably gone into data science. Given my father did heavy research, which involved statistics, it wouldn’t be hard to see me going into some data-rich field. I didn’t do well with math though. There was always something to trip me up and I would get increasingly frustrated when it came to anything involving numbers. The issues only got worse when I got to high school. There, in the first semester of my freshman year, I flunked Algebra I. I had to work overtime to pull out a B for the second semester and average out the year to a C. Now I have a healthy respect for math. Better than that, I understand something about myself- I ain’t good at the maths. When I made it to college and majored in Art, I assumed I would be free of my own nemesis. Come to find out, however, that I still had to pass one college-level math course to complete my degree. Knowing that math was not a friend of mine, I went to the tutoring center every day to make sure I understood what I was supposed to do. And when finals came around, I studied for two days before my college algebra final. And I passed with a B! Now I can’t recall a single equation I learned. I just passed it. That’s all I care about. So I’ll stick to my words and leave the hard math to those who are interested in such endeavors. If math is something you enjoy, and not words, then look at data science. It’s sure to be a rewarding career. But you do have to ask yourself, what’s better; working with words or working with numbers?

Has Disney Lost the Streaming War?

As Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu continue to expand their streaming services, other players are getting involved too. But where, oh where, is Disney’s?

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Has Disney Lost the Streaming War?

As Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu continue to expand their streaming services, other players are getting involved too. Walmart’s pumping up Vudu to compete and even Vizio has launched a streaming service of their own. But where, oh where, is Disney’s?

The official word has been that Disney will launch their streaming service sometime next year.

In the meantime, other forces—ahem—other streaming companies are allowed to expand and amass subscribers. Moreover, Disney is still working on getting entertainment assets from Fox. Add to this the fact their Star Wars spin-offs came to a grinding halt following the flop-better-known-as-Solo.

Will we ever get to see a streaming service put on by Disney?

This slow reaction is vaguely reminiscent of history.

General George McClellan

On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter was fired upon.

Historians have set this as the official date the Civil War started in the United States.

Abraham Lincoln, the president at the time, called up Union forces to head south and quell the rebellion. Unfortunately, most of the generals at the top of his list decided to fight for the newly-formed Confederacy.

Lincoln found himself with few options.

Though not the first one he chose, General George McClellan was put in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia. McClellan assumed command after the previous two commanders either performed poorly in battle or retired.

McClellan, who saw himself as a “Young Napoleon,” took his time to train and organize his men. He also complained that he didn’t have enough weapons and ammunition to supply his troops with.

While he waited for the extra supplied, he drilled and trained his men.

Training men for battle was a good idea, but the Confederates weren’t going to sit around and wait for someone to come to them.

It would take an executive order from Lincoln himself to get McClellan to move.

Kind of sounds like what Disney’s doing now.

History Repeating Itself?

The Empire that is Walt Disney seems to be moving slowly.

Sure, they’re creating movies, TV shows, and other content. Don’t forget their parks, cruises, and merchandise.

However, it doesn’t seem to be moving quickly.

Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, however, are putting out new content almost daily.

Walmart, through subsidiary Vudu, is getting into the streaming game as well.

Moreover, now Visio has a new streaming service too.

It’s not anywhere near Hulu or Amazon, but it is a start. Vizio has taken a selection of OTT (over-the-top) channels and made them free through their TVs. A bold move. Sooner rather than later, they’ll probably have a channel with original content on it.

Yet, Disney has done nothing.

Much like McClellan, they’re sitting there doing the same thing day in and day out. While McClellan drilled and trained, Disney is rebooting movies and turning movies into shows.

A good plan, no doubt, but it’s not groundbreaking. At. All.

It appears they think they’ll be able to ride their name brand until the sun dies out.

But history proves that to be a foolish idea.

Disney’s Late to the Party

Netflix does have a lot of Disney content, as well as Disney-owned properties available.

Moreover, that seems to be working for them.

Rumors were circulating years ago that Disney would launch a streaming service. Those rumors have been proven correct. However, it’s still been years.

Had Disney committed to the new streaming service even two years ago, it would have happened by now. Instead, they seem content with trying to get most of Fox’s entertainment assets and create Star Wars spin-offs.

 While I can’t speak with much authority on the first item, I can speak about the second.

The Dark Side

When I first saw Star Wars, I thought it was awesome. And what seven-year-old, growing up in the early nineties, wouldn’t love Star Wars?

Then the special editions came out, and I thought those were cool. Episode I was next, and I was sure we were on the cusp of a new era in movies.

It turned out that we weren’t.

The prequels didn’t do too well, and even in my young age, I got a feeling that these movies weren’t all that they could be. Looking back now, maybe I was too harsh.

Think about it for a minute.

A young man, going through the awkward years of his life, looks to the heroes of yesteryear to inspire him. That inspiration doesn't come.

Instead, we got a whiny Anakin, and Jar Jar Binks.

It was as if Hollywood reached down from their stacks of money and slapped me across the face. “The force is not going to be with you, ever!”

Well, you learn to live with it and move on.

When Disney bought Star Wars, I had a little hope.

Then they hired JJ Abrams.

All hope was lost again.

When they started producing spin-offs, I thought they might have some merit to them. By that time I had kids to take care of and going to the movies wasn’t high on my priority list.

When Solo debuted, I was curious…then I saw the headlines. I couldn't help myself when I read what they had to say, and I laughed.

The film didn’t perform as expected. As a result, the future spin-offs found themselves on pause.

I guess the force wasn’t strong with them?

What Disney Can Do

Derek Thompson of the Atlantic Monthly pointed out how Disney could rise up and become the dominant entertainment company once again.

In his article, “Disneyflix is Coming. And Netflix Should Be Scared.” Thompson detailed how the behemoth could indeed show its size.

Instead of launching just another streaming service, Disney could pull all of its content off of the other streaming services, as well as it’s cable channels, and put it all onto one big streaming service. Add in their original movies and the Star Wars, and they’d have a unique offering.

Netflix and Amazon might lose about 10% each from their subscriber base, but both companies don’t seem to be worried about this.

Thompson takes it a step further.

Make merchandise available through the streaming service. Do you want tickets to a Disney park or a cruise? Put that on the streaming service as well.

Now Disney wouldn’t have just another streaming service. It would be everything under one roof.

Thompson has dubbed it “Disneyflix.” I call it “Disney on Steroids.”

While such an endeavor would be a boon for the company, there could still be problems. Putting everything under one roof may work for Netflix, but Disney hasn’t operated like that.

To pull their content off other streaming services would mean consolidating. To make it work, Disney would have to market it as they’ve never marketed before.

However, what am I saying? Disney’s a huge company, they should be able to pull off a move like this and make it work.

That is if they decide to do it.

The streaming service has been set to launch in “late 2019.” A lot can happen between now and then. People could change their minds, and Disney may decide not to go through with the plan.

Whether Disney launches a streaming service or not, you at least have the option of finding the best internet and cable bundles. This way you save some cash and cut down on the number of bills you have.

Eventually, just like McClellan, Disney will be forced to move.

By then, hopefully, they’ll have a solid plan in place.

 

 

3 Ways the Writers' Room is Changing

When it comes to television, the success of a show hinges on writers in the writers' room. And these wrtiers' rooms are getting smaller.

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3 Ways the Writers' Room is Changing
When it comes to television, the success of a show doesn’t hinge on the actors, the producers, or even the network. It’s the writers' room. The actors, the producers, and the network do contribute a great deal to a show dying a horrible death though. The last one on that list contributes the most. Anyone remember Firefly? The point is, writers are what give the show it’s meat. The dialogue, the scenes, the action, the emotions, all of that is produced by the writers' room. The producers provide the money, and the director gives the whole production a goal. And the network makes the “smart decisions.” These smart decisions usually end a show. Anyone remember Almost Human? It’s the writers that provide all the important parts that make a show a show. The funny one-liners, the jokes, the turns of phrase, the speeches, and the list goes on. Without a writers' room, the show wouldn’t exist. Ironically, it’s the writers who get the least amount of credit. This team of creatives sit down day after day and do the hard work of writing. While writing is seen as a creative endeavor, make no mistake, it involves hard work. I speak from experience. And it’s so frustrating to see all the hard work of the writers get thrown away when a network decides a show “just isn’t right.” Anyone remember Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip?

Studio 60

It starts with a well-loved sketch comedy show, Studio 60, getting shaken up. To fix the public relations disaster, the showrunner hires a well-known producer-writer duo. Played by Matthew Perry, Matt Albie is the writer. He’s got awards, he’s proven himself, he’s what the producers think will save their show. Albie, like most writers, is always battling his creative demons. The first Monday after being hired, Albie is tasked with writing his first episode. Walking into the head writer’s office, he sees the previous occupant put up a neon sign. Turning it on, he finds a famous quote there. “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” On top of it is a running clock, letting him know how much time he has until the next episode airs. And the rest of the episode all his creative demons and writing problems are summed up with that running clock.

Should Have Gone With a Writer’s Room

The ironic part is this doesn’t accurately portray how a real television production works. And yet, it’s on television. In a real studio, Albie would have leaned on his writers' room. It was more dramatic to have him go it alone. But in real life, the less drama there is the better. This writers' room would have already had ideas they were working on and getting ready for them to test out. Ideas would have been bouncing around as multiple writers thought of different ways to convey an idea. Or how to make an idea better. The writers' room is an integral part of the production process. Possibly the most integral part. But it’s changing. In this era of Peak TV, more and more shows are being produced. The vast majority of these shows are short and sometimes don’t last long. Until recently, an idea would be pitched to a producer. If the producer liked the idea, that person would put together a budget and pull in writers to help write a pilot. The pilot would get produced and pitched to a network. If the network liked it, they’d order a set of shows along with the pilot and air it for the next season. If the show did well, it’d get picked up. There’s a lot of “ifs” in that last paragraph. Anywhere along the way, a show could have gotten derailed or canceled. This meant the loss of money and time invested to create it. This was called the “pilot-model.” Now shows are being created with more than just a pilot shot. Sometimes there is no pilot at all. The choice for many production companies is to go with a mini-room.

Mini-Room?

Writers’ Rooms usually had a lot of writers in them. Now the common trend is to have a room with four or five writers working on a single project to come up with possible scripts for episodes. Sometimes they hash out an overall arc. Other times its coming up with ideas to build upon for more shows and possibly later seasons. Other times a mini-room means a group of writers will only be employed for a short time as they work to write out multiple scripts for a show so the producer has an idea of what the show will look like beyond a pilot. Sometimes it means both. The major complaint here is that mini-rooms do not provide a stable income for writers. By their nature, they will only last for a short time. Another complaint is that the process doesn’t work for some producers. Either they’re used to the old way, or they’re not liking what’s coming out of the room. On the upside, mini-rooms have their advantages.

Writers’ Rooms are Getting Smaller

An obvious point, but it bears mentioning. With fewer writers in the room, the most common praise is “greater intimacy.” Meaning, they feel comfortable talking about heavy-subject matter. When writers feel comfortable with each other, they can get to some very deep issues and ideas. This isn’t as common with a large room of writers. It also helps when a smaller group is hashing out ideas as it’s easier to manage. A cohesive storyline can form faster and work can pick up. What may have taken a season to write may take half or a quarter of the time.

More Writing Opportunities

With more writers' rooms popping up, more writers are needed to fill them. The pool of chances just got bigger. Aspiring writers without the right connections would have a better shot of getting their work in front of a producer. And believe me, having connections in the business makes a world of difference when it comes to getting started. Why do you think Miley Cyrus became famous? It couldn’t have been because her dad was Billy Ray Cyrus, right?

More Chances for Marginalized Voices

The push for more voices from different backgrounds is gaining steam. Yet, there women and minorities are still only accounting for about a quarter of the content coming out of Hollywood. With more writing opportunities available, through mini-rooms, more writers from these backgrounds have a chance. A chance to get their writing in front of producers. Maybe the industry will finally shift? We can hope.

Mini-Rooms Becoming the Norm

With any change in the industry, there are those who love it and those who hate it. The biggest argument against mini-rooms is they’re turning the industry into a gig economy. There is some truth to that, but as more and more companies outsource and get leaner, it makes sense this would happen. On the upside, there are more chances for aspiring writers to make an impact. And that’s not a bad thing at all. With the wave of content still rolling strong, there will be a need for more and more writers. As well as people who will want to watch them. So make sure you have a reliable connection and decent download speed. Check out the best internet deals to save you some time and money. As for Matt Albie of Studio 60, he did manage to pull off the show. Though unrealistic, the ending had a touch of cosmic fate. As he watches the audience applause and the cast bow, he smiles and walks away from the window. Only to hear the sign click. He looks back. The timer has rolled over and it’s counting down to next week’s episode.