Media

Frustration Friday: Not Everything Has To Be Everything

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Frustration Friday: Not everything has to be everything

If its a book, it must be a movie.

if it's a movie, it could be a TV series.

if it's a comic, it could be a game.

Look, seriously World Media, I love adaptions.  I love media synergy.  I'm all for it – I mean come on, aren't I the one always pushing for more cross-media work?  Aren't I the guy always speculating on what new technology and media means, and how we should look to Japan for ideas of what to do?

But you know, I think we've got to ask ourselves if some of these media translations and crossovers and the like are a good idea.  I of course speak of things like The Last Airbender film, which is dismal.  And the A-Team film which really has no where else to go.  And The Last Airbender Film.  OK, you get my drift here.

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Go Farther: The Future Is Tremors

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Know what I think we need more of in media?

Shows like Tremors.

You may remember that series – based on the series of deliberate-B-monster-movies-with-heart, it ran on Sci-Fi channel before their name change.  It was an episodic series with some continuing arcs about the people living in a small town that happened to be infested with odd creatures, and their lives and stories dealing with them.  It was charming, funny, and quite clever.

It was also a great model of synergy that I think more companies, authors, and media people need to look at.

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The Value of 3D

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I have an ambiguous relationship with the whole 3D movie/game/tv/whatever trend.  On one hand, I love new gadgets and neat technology, and I like a good spectacle.  On the other hand, it seems like it's becoming an annoying fad and everyone is jumping on the visually appealing bandwagon.  Despite the challenges, despite lousy conversions of 2D films to 3D (Clash of the Titans comes to mind), people are barreling ahead with 3D.  Apparently, there will be a 3D release of "The Last Airbender," which fills me full of dread (taking what appears to be a visually stunning film and running 3D after the fact?  Not good.)

Now, I think 3D is going to be inevitable.  It's approached a fad status, people are interested in visual quality, but I'm expecting 3D to be a very bumpy road for moviemakers, game makers, and hardware people.  The problem is that people don't "get" 3D, they don't ask the question anyone should ask about a new technology, gizmo, process, etc.

Does it add value?  If you don't ask that question you're either ignorant or just trying to jump on the bandwagon.

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