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.