Really? Again?

I thought we talked about this, you know about how much you destroy people’s dreams of what a good show should be. Now this is in no way meant to be a review of television but seriously someone must stop these people, not the show, just the people.

What’s The Big Deal?

It may seem that the show is drab, pedestrian, esoteric at times but the foolishness must stop. It was painful to watch video played on a screen: run, stop, and run again from the same position as time had obviously moved forward on a surveillance mission, then to see that same footage later in the show as a on-scene location shot made me want to drown myself.

Then KITT has all these feelings, office staff go into the field, three of the bad guys look alike, they stole missiles from Knight Industries, they can’t track them…….I was searching for sharp object, heck, I would have settled for blunt objects to put myself out of that misery.

But Wait I Forgot!

The opening scene, if you had any respect for this franchise you might want to stop reading or you may form a healthy addiction from sheer distraught and angst. There is an intruder at Knight Industries, near where KITT is located, the scene is dark, you see the feet of the intruder for a second, cut to Michael who knows the intruder is present, cut to more feet, cut back to Michael turning a corner, slouching behind a tool cart, cut to more feet (ugly boots by the way), cut to tool cart moving and creaking in a complete silent room, cut to feet moving down the stairs (we get it, there’s bloody feet there and there going to attempt to kill Michael or the emotional, morose KITT), cut to wide squirt guns spray crossing over KITT.

Seriously!?!?!?!?

No one at this seemingly fictional government contracted business has any friends to see, family to meet, bar to drink at, crimes to commit. Nothing! No, of course they would rather frolic around Knight Industries playing with squirt guns around the most advanced quasi-military war-machine turned emo-punk. I’m not saying we should see something as serious as West Wing or The Unit but a little respect for subject and the franchise would be nice.

Whatever!

Oh Knight Rider, you and I have quite a checkered past but I like a mistreated lover come back because I know it’ll get better, you can change right? I hope you all learn something from this!

Two-Cent Lesson

• When it feels wrong, it is, just stop and hire writers
• If you’re going to act like you have a badass war-machine, have one

How It Started

I awoke early in the morning, stumbled to my espresso machine, pulled a few shots of sweet nectar from the gods, slouched to my couch sipping hot goodness and expected good things to happen when I turned on the second season of Knight Rider. As usual, I watch TV off my DVR so I can watch many episodes of one show back to back, especially season openers because at times they can be intense to wait an entire week for the next installment.

What Happened

The title appeared, the producer credits ran and I awaited redemption. Hoping something new would come this season, surely they wouldn’t let this viable franchise die or make it into a larger advertisement like last season. Well, let me save you, no let me crush you, your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. Ok, so maybe you and me are a little different but still I’m sure you’re wondering what happened. Not only does the miserable advertisement come back strong, it gets worse.

How Could It Get Worse?

Well, it’s easy, first you start with horrible dialogue, not a horrible concept, just bad, cheesy dialogue. Then you add in the fact that KITT now is Transformer, yeah, it’s true, but Michael Bay is no where to be seen. KITT can now turn into a Ford F-150 (a sad attempt to push more units in this type of economy given current gas prices) enabling the driver to instantaneously be transported to the bed of the truck only to jump out of it moving without any kinetic energy. Third, KITT now has feelings, him and Michael are friends, best friends, buds, learning the ever-confusing dynamics of human relationships. It’s not a lack of letting the impossible reign free, it is the lack of plausibility, the lack of caution given to this franchise. Oh, yeah, KITT jumps too, you know, like a rabbit with a jet on it’s back.

What’s To Be Learned By This Nonsense?

• Great concept doesn’t equal great product or execution
• Stop forcing Ad-Placement that don’t make sense to the story
• Just because someone else did it doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to
• Sometimes tried and true are the best thing you can do
• If you think it’s cool, ask a friend who doesn’t know about the project, they’ll have a different opinion
• Sometimes when you fail the first time, you should just walk away from it
• Don’t repeat your mistakes and call it innovative

How do rockstars engage with their audiences better than websites?

First off, if you measure your level of engagement by how many unique visitors you have at your site then I think you might misunderstand what I’m saying.

Does a rockstar care how many people showed up to the concert?

Of course.

But what do they really want from their audience?

Engagement!

When they begin to vocalize the lyrics they want their fans to join the party, to sing, to shout, to jump, maybe even start a riot. They thrive off their audience getting involved, as they pour out themselves through their talent of song and music they eagerly await the audience to jump in at any point.

This is engagement!

It are these moments and moments like these that help keep the rockstar doing what they do everyday. Sure they like to travel and meet new people but anyone can do that, they want the thrill of standing in front of thousands of people and having them interact with them. That is a feeling that cannot be replicated.

So why do websites, bloggers, podcaster, content creators, and creative people lack this vital aspect?

I believe that more often than not most of us forget that we need to involve ourselves in the conversation. Or we simply don’t know how. If you remember the rockstar begins by singing first which then the crowd leaps in to create a completely unique song and experience. It’s hard sometimes to remember that we need to be moving forward and always creating and attempting to involve ourselves with our audience.

Ask anyone who has community involvement what it feels like when they get a flood of comments on their blog and they respond. Does the real rewarding work happen in the original content or in the augmented, aggregated content that follows? This is an important question to ask. Does a rockstar get more satisfaction from writing the song once or performing it a thousand times?

My father once told me that what good is it to be innovative and creative if no one gets to experience what you created. Not just see, touch, smell, hear, taste but to interact with those who have similar interests or even opposing interest but nonetheless still be involved with one another in some sort of utopian community that is effortless and free from manipulation. Isn’t this what being a creative of any sort is about?

Sure you have talent and sure many can partake in your genius but does your audience play a part in your creation? Should they? Does community involvement in the creation process help or detour?

Overall, I think that rockstars definiately have a pulse on something that many creatives don’t, allowing everyone to get involved. It’s not only exciting but it helps fuel you to keep following your dream.

What do you think?

Do you let your audience get involved?

How much product placement is too much?

I’m sure many of you saw the NBC remake “made-for-TV” movie of Knight Rider and I’m sure like me many of you were hoping and excited by the possibilities of KITT stopping international crime again and again. I watched with anticipation and baited breath. With the start of the show my love for the series was slowly shattered and I say it wasn’t because the new remake was cheesy (although it was a bit) it was because of the overt, loud, in-your-face advertisement for Ford.

For starters KITT is a Ford Mustang Shelby Edition, of which, I’m actually happy about, it looks good. But moving beyond that every vehicle is a Ford which wouldn’t be the first time Ford or any other advertiser overstayed their welcome in television or films. However, there were so many action shots of every vehicle it begins to make you sick, it began to look like a horrible, ugly, exasperating commercial that would never get to the story. The only non-Ford vehicle that was shown was a GMC Yukon (with all the signage removed) and it was only in the show for a few moments right before it was in a crash, which the Mustang (KITT) was not harmed.

The show is not miserable or unbearable but the bad tact used by Ford WOULD make me stop watching. I actually believe in embedded advertising as it can be effective and help move units if executed correctly.

Here’s a few ideas how not to be ridiculous in your embedded (product placement) advertising:

1. Don’t say the name of the product over and over
2. Don’t show the product out of place of the story or show
3. Don’t let your advertiser dictate to you what to do (Your audience loves you for a reason, don’t betray them)
4. Don’t always show the product features (Use it yourself, you know your audience, let them engage)
5. Consider practical use (In Knight Rider the bad guys drove a Ford Edge, nice car but highly unlikely for a goons vehicle)
6. Advertisers don’t care how your audience views you (You do, or should, treat them accordingly, they made you who you are)
7. Don’t be afraid to be daring with the product (The advertiser wants results, if you can bring it, they don’t care how you do it)

A new series is going to be coming out produced by the guys over at Big Fantastic. Eisner is really pushing this online video series, this is great for our industry!

Studio Daily has a great, short article about shooting U2 concerts all with HD and in 3D stereo. Pretty interesting article.