Is Scripted Web Video Failing?
The LA Times reported last week that many striking Hollywood writers are in negotiations with funders to set up production studios that would create content exclusively for the web, bypassing the Hollywood system completely. Maybe, though, they should put those plans on hold for a little while -- highly touted scripted web shows aren't doing so hot.
The New York Times writes today about Marshall Herskovitz's scripted web show "Quarterlife." Herskovitz's is the Oscar-nominated producer behind last year's critically acclaimed "Blood Diamond," and has a pair of primetime Emmy's to his credit as well -- hardly a greenhorn when it comes to the film and television industry. The Internet, however, is uncharted territory, and so far things are not going so well for scripted shows online, says the New York Times.
"Some episodes of 'Quarterlife,' a drama about a group of good-looking people in their 20s, have yet to attract 100,000 video views, according to combined view counts from MySpace’s video site and YouTube," writes Brian Stelter. "The low traffic numbers are significant because the series has been touted as the first television-quality production for the Web, as well as the first to be introduced online as a warm-up for its network debut." We reported in November that NBC was in talks with Herskovitz about "Quarterlife," and the network will begin broadcasting the show as a one-hour drama starting in February.
Earlier this year, Mediaweek reported on the success of Michael Eisner's high-profile scripted web show, "Prom Queen." Halfway into its 80-day run, the show had racked up 5.2 million views -- 3.7 million on MySpace, which was promoting the show. But its 90-second length doesn't leave much time for advertising on a traditionally ad-support medium.
Even Herskovitz wasn't impressed by Prom Queen: "'Prom Queen,' at its top, was doing 300,000 views per episode," he told the New York Times. "Three hundred thousand views on television would be quick death, but that’s just the way the world is right now for scripted content on the Internet. We’re trying to change that." But can he?
Everything needn't look so gloomy for scripted shows on the web. Clips of scripted bits from television are some of the most popular videos on the Internet. Before NBC moved it's famous "Dick in a Box" to Hulu, it racked up millions of views on YouTube and TVGuide even called it the funniest video online. Amateur parodies and live performances of it on YouTube are still getting more views than shows like "Quarterlife."
That indicates that scripted material can perform well on the web (further, look at the success of early scripted web shows like Ninjai or Homestarr Runner). However, just like not every show will do well on the TV (how many did NBC cancel last year?), not every scripted web show will be a hit. But due to shorter formats, quicker response times, and smaller production budgets, not every failed show need be a studio-sinking disaster, either. That means studios can feel more free to experiment with more radical formats and ideas on the web and see what sticks. I think the future is bright for original, professionally-produced web video content.
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There is a great web show called We Need Girlfriends that was bought by CBS a couple of months ago. I'm friends with the producers and writers of the show and because of the writer's strike, the show got basically canceled. The strike is definitely hurting the little guys most.
Of COURSE the future is bright for original, well-produced content on the web. What did not get mentioned is that Quarterlife is just safe, boring content that was not really optimized to take advantage of its web-ness. The laser focus on STATS leaves out the critically important part of the equation: is it any good???
I worked for over 10 years in the cable business in Latin America and I saw an analogous mistake repeated countless times by network after network. They would take their US created content, dub it into Spanish or Portuguese and throw it at the Latin market, and then wonder why it didn't have the same kind of success it had here. No research was done on how to make the programming more culturally relevant or palatable to a different audience. Millions of dollars wasted, lesson learned.
Web content created by professionals will work when we all take the lessons of what works online, and apply them to new content. It can be episodic, but it cannot strictly be repurposed for the web. That's just old TV wine in a new bottle.
I strongly endorse Matthew's comment: "is it any good???"
And wonder if, now the studios seem ready to produce web-based material, they'll try to learn how to get us to watch it.
Y'know, like engagement, investment and conversation?
Just a thought...
Your numbers are way old brother. Prom Queen ended a long time ago and has racked well over 15 million views by now. Also - you've said nothing of the cost-to-viewer relationship. Is it cheaper to reach an audience online? Absolutely. Are the audiences smaller. Absolutely. But cheaper usually wins in the marketplace. Give it some time.
I think in a few years you'll find this article to be narrow in vision and scope. It's pretty bold to suggest that scripted content (which has flourished in every medium so far) will not survive on the web. This article reminds me of a few I read years back about whether anybody would ever be willing to shop online. Hundreds of billions of dollars later, those predictions look pretty silly.
I have to take issue with one of your points - a series like "Prom Queen" actually has MORE room for advertising than even a traditional network television series. Every single episode had a 3-second pre-roll and a 15-second post-roll attached to it - meaning that for roughly 120 minutes of programming, the audience had the potential to be served with EIGHTY advertisements, way more than one would get on broadcast TV.
Now, in this instance they had a single sponsor (the movie "Hairspray") - but if they had capitalized on the sheer volume of advertisement, imagine how many sponsors there could have been???
I think the key, in the future, will be the creation of short, entertaining commercials tailor made to go with the content. Budweiser is a good example of this - they have 2-3 second spots which run at the head of some MySpace clips, and they never get old. What if the guys who made "Prom Queen" had created specialized 2-3 second and 10-15 second clips to be attached to the episodes? Seems like the time is now to get ahead of the curve.
@The Guy Who Knows: You write, "It's pretty bold to suggest that scripted content (which has flourished in every medium so far) will not survive on the web."
But did you actually read my article? I'm guessing no.
I wrote, "I think the future is bright for original, professionally-produced web video content."
I also specifically mentioned some of the things you chided me for leaving out. Thanks for the comment, but it would be nice if you could read the article entirely before putting words in my mouth. ;)
@Fred: I think a typical half hour of television has what, about fifteen 30-second commercials? So 120 minutes would have about 28 minutes of advertising... but I see your point. Thanks for the comment.
In a completely different league, I am doing a travel videoblog in Spanish, with basically no video editing and daily 3 minutes shows that is not doing too bad ... :D:
http://hombrelobo.tv/
Scripting is non-existing. I simply get a camera an start shooting in places as I see them. In most cases, the camera records places at the same time I see them for the first time. An some people tend to like it ...