Off the Lot
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
I speculated a few posts ago on what I thought would be a poor showing for the new FOX reality TV series On The Lot. Well, so far I was right but even I didn't think it would be this bad. In it's debut after a lead in by American Idol the show drew a 3.9, then it's 2nd episode airing 3 days later fell to a 2.1 and finally airing in it's regular time slot with no American Idol lead in it fell even further to a 1.3.
I said that I would be interested in the show primarily since I am a filmmaker but thought as a general viewing audience, people just wouldn't care. Being a filmmaker is not something everything thinks than can do but more specifically they don't dream of doing it. It's expensive, it's time consuming, all and all it is very hard! Anyone can go to a bar and sing karaoke or grab a hairbrush, prance in front of a mirror and sing along to their favorite music. No one grabs a fake movie camera and pretends to shoot, edit, direct and distribute a film. Only people like me, the 50 who made it on the reality show and the thousands that entered the competition do. I know that sounds like a lot and there are millions more who have the same dream as all aspiring filmmakers. So there are a lot of us out there but we are not the norm.
Look, I work in an office environment and for the same company for close to seven years. Everyone here knows I aspire to be the next Steven Spielberg but quite honestly no one cares and nor should they. Sure, many find it fascinating that I make movies but that's about it. No one wants to watch me do it and even fewer will actually take the time and effort to come see my movies once their finished. Even if I send them a link to a movie of mine on the web do they watch. If I give them free tickets to come to the premiere screening at the local movie theater I have rented for one showing of a finished movie do very many show up.
Initially, it is fascinating but quickly it deteriorates into, "Can it really be that good if he did this with local talent?, or I don't have the 7 minutes it takes to watch your film online," and mainly they find it cute that I make movies. "Good job!" "That's awesome!" "I'll watch it as soon as I get a chance." I'll even give them a free professionally packaged and produced DVD. Rarely do they actually watch it. Sounds like a lot of bellyaching from me I know but really it's not. It's OK, I get that and I expect it as well. The fact is, I may just be a terrible filmmaker.
The reality is that no matter how well produced, shot, edited and acted until you are Steven Speilberg no one really looks at you like a filmmaker or honestly even cares. They look at you as a hobbyist, a very enthusiastic movie lover and nothing more. You are not one of the "big boys" so how could you possibly make a movie that's as good as something I would see in the multiplex?
This is why On The Lot, has done so poorly. American loves the singer, the athlete and the movie star, everyone can envision themselves as one of them. However, they don't love the director, the producer or the editor. They don't even know who they are or what they do, so how can they relate? I have been on local TV several times, been in the paper, interviewed time and time again, but until I am the Kentuckian who is in front of the camera such as Ashley Judd, George Clooney, Johnny Depp or even Chuck Woolery, media coverage of my exploits as a filmmaker will always draw poor ratings and so will On The Lot.
I said that I would be interested in the show primarily since I am a filmmaker but thought as a general viewing audience, people just wouldn't care. Being a filmmaker is not something everything thinks than can do but more specifically they don't dream of doing it. It's expensive, it's time consuming, all and all it is very hard! Anyone can go to a bar and sing karaoke or grab a hairbrush, prance in front of a mirror and sing along to their favorite music. No one grabs a fake movie camera and pretends to shoot, edit, direct and distribute a film. Only people like me, the 50 who made it on the reality show and the thousands that entered the competition do. I know that sounds like a lot and there are millions more who have the same dream as all aspiring filmmakers. So there are a lot of us out there but we are not the norm.
Look, I work in an office environment and for the same company for close to seven years. Everyone here knows I aspire to be the next Steven Spielberg but quite honestly no one cares and nor should they. Sure, many find it fascinating that I make movies but that's about it. No one wants to watch me do it and even fewer will actually take the time and effort to come see my movies once their finished. Even if I send them a link to a movie of mine on the web do they watch. If I give them free tickets to come to the premiere screening at the local movie theater I have rented for one showing of a finished movie do very many show up.
Initially, it is fascinating but quickly it deteriorates into, "Can it really be that good if he did this with local talent?, or I don't have the 7 minutes it takes to watch your film online," and mainly they find it cute that I make movies. "Good job!" "That's awesome!" "I'll watch it as soon as I get a chance." I'll even give them a free professionally packaged and produced DVD. Rarely do they actually watch it. Sounds like a lot of bellyaching from me I know but really it's not. It's OK, I get that and I expect it as well. The fact is, I may just be a terrible filmmaker.
The reality is that no matter how well produced, shot, edited and acted until you are Steven Speilberg no one really looks at you like a filmmaker or honestly even cares. They look at you as a hobbyist, a very enthusiastic movie lover and nothing more. You are not one of the "big boys" so how could you possibly make a movie that's as good as something I would see in the multiplex?
This is why On The Lot, has done so poorly. American loves the singer, the athlete and the movie star, everyone can envision themselves as one of them. However, they don't love the director, the producer or the editor. They don't even know who they are or what they do, so how can they relate? I have been on local TV several times, been in the paper, interviewed time and time again, but until I am the Kentuckian who is in front of the camera such as Ashley Judd, George Clooney, Johnny Depp or even Chuck Woolery, media coverage of my exploits as a filmmaker will always draw poor ratings and so will On The Lot.
Labels: filmmaker, movies, On The Lot, Steven Speilberg
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