As one may/may not know, there are a lot of factors that affect the content that we consume. From the audience to the story, everything adds up, and if one factor is not being as effective for the particular content, then it’s up to the executives and the production team to make those needed corrections so the audience will have better, improved content.

Firstly, before a creator of a particular piece of content displays his/her work, that individual must have a clear, concise vision. What kind of story do you wish to tell? Is there any meaning to this piece of visual art? What kind of audience are you aiming to please? How old is that audience? These are the questions that the creator(s) must ask him/herself.

Greg Weissman, known for the cult classic cartoon, Gargoyles, and hit DC animated show, Young Justice, knows what he’s doing. Cartoon Network, one of the three major children’s cable channels (the other two being Disney Channel and Nickelodeon), has a partnership with DC Comics, which explains why Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and Beware the Batman aired there (this group of cartoons was under CN’s DC Nation, a Saturday morning block airing only DC related content). Seasons 1 and 2 of Young Justice did very well, but the show was cancelled for numerous speculated reasons:

1. Toy Sales: An odd way to do business, but one of Cartoon Network’s ways of making such heavy decisions is through toy sales. Since the show’s toy sales did not meet their demands, the network cut the cord.

Screenshot from https://io9.gizmodo.com/paul-dini-superhero-cartoon-execs-dont-want-largely-f-1483758317

2. Grabbed the wrong audience: Another reason which was reported was that too many girls were watching the show. Young Justice was originally targeting boys, but it actually managed to hook young girls. Statistics showed that there were more girls watching it than boys, and executives weren’t happy with that. This particular reason offended not only women, but also the fans who adored the show, since the comic book community is more inclusive and at least acknowledges the women who help make the comic book industry better (i.e. Gail Simone).

Swiftly after the show’s cancellation, fans rallied and rioted for the show to return back to Cartoon Network, especially since the second season ended on a cliffhanger. As much as they petitioned, tweeted, and Instagrammed, it seemed like their efforts were going nowhere, However, it wasn’t until November of 2018 where Weissman proudly announced that the young heroes and heroines will return for season 3 that following year, but not on Cartoon Network, but on DC’s new streaming service, DC Universe. During this year’s San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), it was announced that the hit show would be getting a fourth season due to its massive success and support from the fans.

As previously listed above, audience is one of the many factors that can determine if content will thrive or not. On average, most shows aim to last 10 seasons (with exceptions of Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons, Supernatural, and many more who’ve lasted longer), and they tend to shoot for the 18-49 audience age group. The reason for this particular age group is because they are coveted with televised ads and most of the stars of those shows (especially the leading actors) are within that particular age group. People want not only actors that look and can play the role, but also look like them. Represent them. Since Hollywood’s track record of representation amongst the stars and characters, in addition to taking characters from other forms of media (i.e. video games) into account, hasn’t been so great, but they are making this correction at a very slow rate.

With that being said, once the creator(s) have completed the film production process, it is time for him/her to display his/her work to the audience. If it’s a show aimed to please children, then adults will more than likely not like it or watch it. If it’s a show or film made for adults, most grown-ups will prevent their kids from viewing such content. If it’s content that’s made to catch the eye of people of a specific demographic, but doesn’t meet their expectations, then both creative and production teams must be prepared to face the backlash. Teen Titans Go! for instance, is noted as one of the most hated television shows of all time. Prior to this show airing, it started as a rumor of the original 2003 Teen Titans show possibly returning for a sixth season, which the incredibly strong fanbase rallied and cried for, but their efforts and pleas fell deaf to Cartoon Network’s ears. Once the network announced that Teen Titans will return, but as a reboot and a different project entirely, fans of the original work were very displeased. After the flash animated show aired its pilot, fans lashed out at everyone who was part of the production team (with the exception being the actors since they voiced the characters in the original show) all over social media, disappointed in the network’s decision to go through with this reboot of a classic 2000s cartoon. Despite the heavy backlash, the reboot is a smash hit amongst children, who was their target audience all along.

Story is another crucial element in what makes content so good. The formula to a story is relatively simple. A beginning, middle, and end. However, displaying that story leaves one with many choices pertaining to how to do so. Whether the person wants to tell that story within a certain amount of episodes, or within a specific amount of time in a movie, the options of storytelling are seemingly endless. For movies, they usually tend to follow the three act play formula. the beginning introduces the audience to the characters and lets them get to know the characters for a limited amount of time, then it moves on to introducing the protagonist’s conflict. At this point, the audiences knows what the protagonist is going through and knows what obstacles he/she is facing, leaving them wondering how is she/he going to overcome them. In the middle, or second act, the protagonist takes on that conflict, and for the final act, the conflict is now resolved, or so we think if the creator(s) decide to leave the film/tv season on a cliffhanger. Usually in television, the writing team, director(s) and creators have complete control over the story and the direction it takes, while in filmmaking, it can get quite tricky.

Zack Snyder, for instance, known for directing Shaun of the Dead and the box office flop, Justice League, had a concise vision for his Justice League film. Unfortunately for him, Warner Bros. at that time, gave him little to no freedom to execute his vision the way he wanted to, thus infuriating comic book fans at the product they were given. Two years later after the film’s release, WB confirmed that the “Snyder Cut” (the original version of the Justice League film without the interference of the WB executives and their edits) does exists, fans and audiences demanded for the film studio to release it (again). Still to this day, the major film studio continues to ignore the complaints and demands from their audience.

Unlike the unfortunate events that happened to Snyder, Ryan Coogler, director of last year’s smash and critically acclaimed hit, Black Panther, was fortunate to work on the Wakandan king’s story without any creative constraints from executives. With the trust already established with both fans and general audiences who are unfamiliar with the Marvel Comics properties, both audience groups can see their directors’ work shine because they allow them to experiment and get creative with the material they are given to work with. This has been proven to be true through the film’s multiple Oscar win back in February, including Ruth Carter’s 2019 Oscar win in Best Costume Design for the flick.

Looking back at the televised side, there is more creative freedom available to be applied. In Justice league, Justice League Unlimited, and Spider-man: the animated series, the writers and creators have limitless ways of telling the stories fans read while growing up. In fact, in order to gain new potential readers, most newcomers to the comic book genre first learn about superheroes through other forms of media, which explains the reason why a fair portion of audiences are unfamiliar with the characters despite knowing the basics (who they are, appearance, origin story, etc.).

All in all, as we may quote “the devil is in the details”, we must remain focused and keep our eyes sharp to look out for such quality, because if we don’t, the creators will miss out on crucial feedback that just might save their project from not only financial failure, but also embarrassment.

Netflix. Hulu. Amazon.

Long ago, the three streaming services lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when DCUniverse, Disney +, and more new platforms attacked.

Today, cable is hanging onto their consumers by a thread that’s soon bound to break. Young adults are changing the entertainment culture by cutting the cord, hence their nickname the “cord cutting generation”. We no longer want to wait until a certain time of the day to watch one new 30 min – 1hr long episode only to wait another week, same time, same place to do it again. Wednesdays at 8pm only on this channel. Friday nights at 9:30pm only on that network. Primetime tv has officially become too routine. Young people refuse to stay confined to that one spot on the couch. From smartphones, robotic vacuums, and even smart doorbells, to food delivery and voice assistants, they are straying away from traditional lifestyles that their parents and grandparents grew up with and integrating technology into their daily lives. And with that being so, they are treating the way they watch tv like this too. With streaming services (and the internet), we have all of the content that we could possibly want right in our fingertips.

Now with the existence of such easily accessible content, the ultimate question is where does your individual loyalty lie? In order to keep their subscribers hooked onto them, content must be constantly supplied. However, it’s not just any content like 90210, Gossip Girl, Kung Fu Panda, or The Boss Baby. It’s the original content that matters. Where can you find a red panda who expresses her rage about adulting through death metal karaoke? Netflix. What about Marvel’s group of teenage heroes who uncover a secret that their parents hid from them their whole lives? Hulu. A superhero that is the living parody of other superheroes? Amazon Prime Video. With so many options at an individual’s disposal, it’s difficult to make a choice (or more than one if the person can afford paying for more than one service). Original content is what makes streaming subscriptions worth paying for. It’s what defines and distinguishes each service from the other.

In addition, companies are stepping their game up by jumping onto the streaming bandwagon. Disney has not only  tossed its mouse ears into the ring by preparing to launch Disney+ and ESPN+ within the next few years, but also buying out companies. The mouse now has complete control over Hulu as of May 14th thanks to another deal that will force Comcast to crumble even more, adding one of the major streaming giants as a new notch under the mouse’s belt, placing it right next to 21st Century Fox and their new comic book additions to include in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). DC Comics has launched their fairly new service, DCUniverse, which not only allows consumers exclusive access to their content, but also provides a place to shop for merchandise. Tyler Perry has partnered with media giant Viacom to start up a service for the BET channel called BET+. At this rate, if every cable channel decides to try getting a slice of the streaming pie, then there will be too many services per individual to subscribe to. It will just be a mountain high pile of bills to keep up with in addition to the bills we consumers pay just to have the bare necessities (i.e. cars, house mortgage, apartment rent, utilities, etc). Also, we know that not all of the good things in life are free, There’s usually a price tag on things we want. With Disney+ being $7/month, Netflix $13/month (standard package), Hulu $6/month (standard package), DC Universe $8/month or $75/year, and the price of BET+ still unknown, the grand total can be quite hefty depending on how long the individual has held on to his/her subscriptions.

With the streaming market growing more and more in power, we may as well kiss cable goodbye unless they can offer consumers something better. Drop the prices of their bundles, improve wifi speeds, provide better customer service, expand and include more channels on cable packages. If cable companies genuinely value their customers, then they would at least try to supply these demands and listen to their feedback. Since the consumer pleas had fell to deaf ears, then cable as a whole will most likely to cease to exist as we know it.

Cartoons are another major staple in American pop culture. From Mickey Mouse to Big Bird, the Muppets to She-Ra, everyone can easily recognize a character within three seconds flat. France’s very own Émile Cohl created Fantasmagorie (1908), which is recorded as the first cartoon (via hand drawn animation, later known as cell animation). However, fast forwarding to the present, the 21st century, we have undergone change. An evolution, if you will. Now, cell animation is more of a thing of the past. CGI and computers claim animation for dominance and with brutal force, starting with Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story, the first CGI animated film. Despite its lackluster marketing, the nostalgic film was an explosive hit for the mouse. Thanks to this movie, it managed to turn the heads of its competitors and made them realized that the times are changing. Like music, it was time for animation to transition and be digitized. Since the release of Toy Story, Disney’s competitors followed this trend like kids do with fads. Unlike mom jeans, bell bottoms, the gameboy, and the early gaming consoles, CG animation was here to stay and it continues to dominate the industry. Soon after Woody and Buzz made their debut, followed franchise rivals such as Shrek and Ice Age.

In addition to this transition, animation faces another issue. For years, a stigma has been established, that animation is only for children and only they can appeal to that particular audience. However, that stigma is incredibly false. With content like Bojack Horseman, Bob’s Burgers, South Park, Futurama, and Sausage Party, they prove the critics who’ve established this stigma wrong. Animation is not limited to just one particular audience or age group. It’s one of the many methods of storytelling. Saberspark elaborates more on this in his video essays below.

Trailers, whether it be for a movie or a tv show, will leave an impression upon its intended audience. As the famous saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, the similar thing can be said about trailers and their corresponding movies/shows. Half of the time, it’s easy to detect good content from the bad. Yahoo Movies even knows this. Their criteria listed can too, be applied to other forms of consumer content. According to Yahoo Movies, if the content fails to generate (positive) buzz or hype, reviews are withheld from the public until the day before its release, no press screenings, constant reshoots, lengthy delays, or even if the trailers themselves reveal too much vital information about the content, then it’s a sign of a bad performance.

However, even if the trailers doesn’t generate hype, does it mean that they are bad. They are very capable of manipulating our thinking on the topic, our hopes on the show/film. Doug Walker, under his famed persona, the Nostalgia Critic, once again provides new insights and poses questions on trailers that we may have never posed to ourselves and our peers.