More Info than Brains

This post is to prove how easily swayed I am. Someone posted a comment about how this anti-blog-blog doesn’t blog enough (what?), then I read a post on the only blog I read about something remotely relevant and, kapow, a new post.

So fickle am I (no, this whole thing isn’t in Yoda).

Jasper linked to this WIRED article by Frank Rose talking about how the Film/TV industries are making the same mistakes that Music did (strangely, he’s not referring to the Maroon 5). Specifically, that mistake is failing to recognize that the content-consumer will acquire content in the most convenient way. Whether that method is legal or illegal is less important than now, now, fucking right now man. (picture masses of pop-culture inundated grad-students frothilly awaiting another episode of South Park).

Aside from the fact that taking all your content now, now, give it to me right now godammit I need it right now will inevitably lead to lower, and lower quality content as there’s only so-much good stuff out there (just look how 900 channels begat shows about the trials and tribulations of the American Meter Maid); Frank fails to see how this is all his fault.

Primarily, Frank blames the producers, the studios, for not having their shit together – and claims the reason for not making things digitally available is due to the complex digital rights structures involved in a production. Now, yes, that is all very complicated, but there is something else involved here, and it’s not the studio’s fault … it’s Frank’s (or his kind, if you will).

For simplicity’s sake, let’s take the time from Theatrical Release to DVD release of a hollywood motion picture. Frank is suggesting that the studio should make that release available for download, legally, as soon as humanly possible after theatrical release, or perhaps even simultaneously, seeing as some super-rope-munching usher is going to cam-cord it and have it online by the end of the first week.

The lead-time on DVD releases, however, has as much to do with the Press (guys like Frank) as it does the studios. If a studio is going to release content, they’re going to want as much press as possible. They want their stars booked on Late Night TV, they want a write-up in MAXIM and Wired. WIRED’s pre-release deadline for content is 90 days.

So, Frank, and I’m sorry to pick on just you, I know you’re just following orders, but if you want your content now, now, omg, now then as a producer I want my press on a 24-hour turnaround. Sure, magazines take a while to print, but …

… it’s not like you don’t have digital press.
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::::UPDATE::::

I’ve just gotten reliable word that Pitchfork is running Three Months (there’s that 90 days again) lead, or in their case, behind on reviews currently. Let’s collectively whisper sexily into the Internet’s ear, “hey Internet, you’re so much better than print media, you’re so now, you’re so next, print media wishes it could be as hip and current as you, Internet.”