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Kamis, 08 Desember 2016

Marvel and ABCâ€™s online series could solve a lot of problems over the midseason hiatus

00.07 Bilal Chamdy No comments

Every winter, the networks take anywhere from two weeks to a month for a hiatus.

The idea is to not compete with holiday programming, but it also allows the writing teams to take time off and return with new ideas. The midseason hiatus also allows companies to focus on scheduling episodes during â€œsweeps,â€ the months in which Nielsen spends more time collecting and reporting ratings. If networks schedule bigger episodes during those months, they can report higher numbers to advertisers.

Networks want to make as much money as possible, so it doesnâ€™t make sense to have the hiatus in the sweeps months of November or February. The networks would lose out on potential advertising deals and face other financial risks. Having the biggest episodes air at the end of November and the first week of December, however, allows the networks to work within Nielsenâ€™s reporting schedule while also getting ahead of the Christmas rush. Whatâ€™s the point of pitting The Flash against Rudolph, for example?

In recent years, however, networks have started rethinking this strategy as viewership numbers tank. One, ABC, is revisiting its midseason strategy. Last year, ABC kept eight of dramas off the air for 11 weeks â€" with four of those weeks coming during the midseason hiatus. Fox, NBC and CBS brought the majority of their series back around the first week of January, but many of ABCâ€™s shows didnâ€™t return for another week or later. ABC saw huge losses in return viewership, with one of its biggest series, How to Get Away with Murder, dropping 20 percent overall.

The question for ABC â€" and other networks â€" is how to give creative teams their winter break, retain good ratings and not compete with holiday programming?

ABC and Marvel seemed to have found a solution to the viewership problem: a digital series that will air for a limited time.

On Wednesday, Marvel and ABC announced that it will be launching an online-only series, Slingshot, with Agents of Shield star Natalia Cordova-Buckley in the lead as Elena â€œYo Yoâ€ Rodriguez. Each episode will be three to six minutes long, and although itâ€™s not a full television show, it seems like it may accomplish its goal: keep audiences engaged while Agents of Shield is off the air.

The idea is so brilliant in its simplicity its a wonder networks didnâ€™t try it sooner. Firsst, Itâ€™s cheaper for a big network to make a six-minute web series. Consider some of the biggest, most extravagant web series â€" like RocketJumpâ€™s >Video Game High School, which cost the studio around $636,000 an episode â€" as well as some of the smallest â€" like Andy Gets Dumped â€" which doesnâ€™t even come close to that budget.

For a three-minute film using equipment and sets already available to the studio and actors, the costs would remain relatively low, but the show could generate a decent amount of advertising revenue. In a 2015 study from Turner Broadcasting and Horizon Media, researchers discovered that â€œpremium online video from broadcast and cable networks outperforms video content from other publishers,â€ according to AdWeek. That means advertisers are more likely to give money to networks like ABC, NBC and CBS over other platforms because their content is better. ABC and Marvel teaming up for a web series doesnâ€™t just make sense in terms of appeasing fans hungry for new content, but it also may generate income in the long run.

The other reason â€" one thatâ€™s more important to audiences than networks â€" is that it gives back to fans who tune in every week. Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, told AdWeek that unless shows are airing on a premium network like HBO or Showtime, it doesnâ€™t make sense to have 10 to 13 episodes in one season and go without a hiatus. Newman added that networks had to start doing more to keep audiences entertained and engaged.

â€œThe alternative is the old-fashioned preemptions and repeats, and let's remember how frustrating that was to the audience," Newman said. "There's no perfect answer, so we're going to still continue to do that.â€

Reruns have always been a complaint, but in a pre-streaming world, there wasnâ€™t much that could be done. Now, when services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video are accessible anywhere for a relatively cheap price, a three or six-week hiatus drives audiences to streaming platforms to watch new shows. Magna Global analyst Brian Hughes told Ad Age in March that fans werenâ€™t necessarily upset with the lack ofnew content on network TV, but theyâ€™ve grown accustomed to having more to choose from because of streaming platforms.

â€œI'm inclined to think any impact the midseason breaks have on audience has more to do with how fans want to watch than being frustrated with a delay,â€ Hughes said.

Retaining viewership remains the most important goal in planning the midseason hiatus. Keeping audiences engaged leads to higher ratings, more conversation in the press and a generally more enthusiastic fan base. Itâ€™s, again, what makes Marvel and ABCâ€™s plan to bridge the midseason hiatus with a new web-only series not only a good decision but also a necessary one.

Agents of Shield is also the perfect show because of its target audience. More than How to Get Away with Murder or Scandal, Agents of Shield appeals to a much younger demographic that is more likely to go online to catch up with a series or start a new one. According to Statista, more than 65 percent of Netflix users are between the age of 16 to 24, the same audience that ABC targets with Agents of Shield.

Whether the series will work the way the network wants is yet to be seen. But itâ€™s the first step in addressing a problem bothering networks for years, and has only worsened in the streaming age.

Slingshot kicks off Dec. 13 on ABC.go.com.

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Jumat, 09 Desember 2016

Marvel Team-Up: Watch the First Two 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Trailers!

01.30 Bilal Chamdy No comments

Spider-Man finally came home to Marvel Studios earlier this year, and he made quite the debut inÂ Captain America: Civil War, where he wasÂ Tony Starkâ€™s trump card against Captain Americaâ€™s rebel Avengers. The team-up of Spider-Man and Iron Man was a total crowd-pleaser, so it makes sense that Marvel would want to play up their relationship in the first two previews forÂ Spider-Man: Homecoming, but thereâ€™s so much Tony Stark in these trailers that it almost looks more like an old-fashioned â€œMighty Marvel Team-Upâ€ than a solo Spidey movie.

Of course, Marvel Studios didnâ€™t reacquire the rights to Spider-Man just to make another, completely solo superhero movie. Sony has been producing those for the better part of a decade. And certainly everybody loves seeing Robert Downey Jr. play Tony Stark again and again, so Iâ€™mÂ not complaining about that either. But I do hope that Iron Man doesnâ€™t completely steal the movie away from Spider-Man. Peter Parker isÂ a great superhero in his own right, and he deserves an opportunity to really shine again, and this is his first real opportunityÂ in quite a few years after the disappointing (and failed)Â Amazing Spider-ManÂ reboot.

Everything else about these previews â€" one domestic, one international, both fairly similar â€" looks just dandy. The focus is one the heroes instead of the villain, The Vulture, played by Michael Keaton (hot off his Oscar-nominated turn as the superheroÂ Birdman, funnily enough). The Vulture looks like a high-tech bank robber, which is par for the course with Spidey. Hopefully the future previews will make it clearer why the Vulture is a serious threat, because after taking on half the Avengers inÂ CaptainÂ America: Civil War (including Falcon, a flying guy), another flying guy doesnâ€™t seem like much of a threat to him right now.

Thereâ€™s a lot of unanswered questions here, and a lot of the movie we are obviously not seeing. These first previews are Marvelâ€™s attempt to grab our attention, and take advantage of the marketing potential for teaming Spider-Man up with Iron Man one more time. It may be that those scenes are only a small percentage of the movie, and this is just an advertising ploy. Itâ€™s too early to say for certain. All we can say for sure is that these previews look pretty good so far, and that weâ€™re looking forward to seeing the film for ourselves whenÂ Spider-Man: HomecomingÂ hits theaters on July 7, 2017.

Domestic Trailer:

[embedded content]

International Trailer:

LlegÃ³ la hora. Ve el trailer de Spider-Man De Regreso a Casa y prepÃ¡rate para su estreno en 2017. #SpidermanLaPelÃcula #SpiderManHomecoming pic.twitter.com/PuJj8jv012

â€" SonyPicturesMX (@SonyPicturesMX) December 9, 2016

From the Press Release:

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut inÂ Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slingingÂ super heroÂ inÂ Spider-Man: Homecoming.Â Thrilled by his experience with theÂ Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normalÂ daily routineÂ â€" distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more thanÂ justÂ your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man â€" but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.Â

Directed by Jon Watts.Â Produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers,Â Based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

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The marvel and magic of reindeer antlers : TreeHugger

12.30 Bilal Chamdy No comments

If youâ€™ve ever wondered where reindeer get their powers from, look no further than those towering crowns of bone.

OK, so science hasnâ€™t actually proven that reindeer can fly and thus I can neither confirm nor deny that magical power. But, reindeer do have some very impressive tricks up their sleeves â€¦ or atop their heads as the case may be. Their antlers are nothing short of remarkable.

The latest installment of the KQED San Francisco DEEP LOOK video series is all about antlers. Itâ€™s fascinating â€" and sparked some sleuthing into the many wonders that the amazing antler beholds. Seriously, they really are a marvel. Consider the nine following facts, and then see more about these impressive appendages in the video below.

1. Antlers are bones that sprout from the head. Can you image how handy that could come in for us humans? Sadly for us antler-covetous, itâ€™s a gift bestowed only upon reindeer, elk, and their cervid kin, like moose and deer.

2. Antlers are generally reserved only for the males since testosterone is required for them to sprout, but reindeer are an equal opportunity antler-provider â€" the lady reindeers get antlers too. Badass.

3. Males use their antlers during mating season to woo and fend off other reindeer Romeos. But once mating season is over, testosterone drops and the antlers fall off â€" though a new set starts growing almost immediately. They increase in size each year until the animal reaches senior citizen status, and then they begin shrinking.

4. When the antlers are growing, they are upholstered in a fuzzy sheath of skin and fur called velvet. It is filled with special nerves and carries blood and nutrient to help build the bone it covers. Like living nurturing fur, how cool is that?

5. The velvet is extra sensitive to the touch, which encourages the antlers' owners to take much care with them until they are strong and ready to rumble.

6. Once the antlers are hard and ready, after about three months, the blood stops flowing and the velvet cracks and begins to peel off, revealing the shiny new set of bony branches.

7. Unlike our bones, which have nerves in them and hurt like heck when we break them, the bone of antler has no nerves and can thus become mighty weapons.

8. Antlers are not horns; horns are made from keratin and remain firmly attached to the animal throughout its life.

9. Scientists are fascinated by the nerves in antlers that allow them to regenerate year after year â€" which is unique among mammals â€" and they are looking at ways that this process could help humans who have suffered debilitating nerve damage.

[embedded content]

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James Gunn's Fake Idea For A Marvel Movie Will Never Happen But Still Sounds Awesome

07.30 Bilal Chamdy No comments

Crossovers are one of the major things that have made the Marvel Cinematic Universe such a joy to watch. Unfortunately, there are some crossovers that are almost guaranteed to never happen. Even if they totally should. As it happens, James Gunn and Vincent D'Onofrio are huge fans of each other. D'Onofrio would really like to be part of any Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 were it to happen, but James Gunn has an even better idea that we love.

As James Gunn says in his tweet, maybe they should just do something else, because Kingpin vs Baby Groot is just about the least likely MCU crossover to ever happen. First and foremost there's the Marvel movie vs TV problem that has thus far kept any of the members of Marvel's television series out of the movies. There are simply so many moving parts that it's nearly impossible to get the schedules of the two things in the proper sync. Add to that the fact that the two entities are run through different chains of command, and it's entirely possible that we'll never see a Marvel TV character in the movies.

On top of that, putting these two together would just be the most tonally dissonate thing we can think of. >Daredevil is on of Marvel's darkest series while Guardians of the Galaxy is a much lighter film. We can't even imagine what a character like Kingpin would be thinking when confronted with Baby Groot. His brain would explode. So would ours.

At the same time, of course, we want to see it. We love Vincent D'Onofrio and James Gunn too and would love to see them work together. Of course, there's nothing that says that we can't see D'Onofrio in a future Guardians movie as some other character. As well established as the Kingpin may be, Marvel has previously said that the same actor getting cast in more than one role is still a possibility. We've even seen the likes of Alfre Woodard get cast in different roles within Marvel TV and movies. Her film role was essentially a cameo, but still. It could happen.

We'd love to see Vincent O'Onofrio in the next Guardians of the Galaxy because he's an excellent actor, he can be the Kingpin or he can be somebody else. We don't really care. You know Marvel comics occasionally does "What If?" stories that look at potential changes to the Marvel universe. How about a series of shorts that put random characters together outside of the established canon? Kingpin vs. Baby Groot sounds like a great place to start.

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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Wants to Be Approachable Yet Complex

16.00 Bilal Chamdy No comments

How the fighter is trying to appeal to newcomers and the hardcore through elegant design choices.

By Daniel Krupa

Back in 2011, I bought a copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, with the aspiration of mastering its systems. Unfortunately as someone who has no real fighting game experience and is inherently lazy, I found it a pretty intimidating experience. In fact, I can still see it on my shelf now as I write this, quietly judging me. So when Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite says it wants to be accessible, I appreciate the olive branch.

I also realise that, for some, a word like â€˜accessibilityâ€™ has other strong connotations when applied to a genre like fighting games. To the hardcore it might imply a lack of depth, but as Bill Rosemann â€" Creative Director at Marvel Games â€" tells me, thatâ€™s necessarily true and itâ€™s something Marvel has a lot of experience with.

â€œA very key thing to Marvel in everything we create is accessible,â€ says Rosemann. â€œWhether you start reading the comics, or you start watching a TV show, or youâ€™re seeing a film â€" we always say this may be their first comic, TV show, or film. It may be Doctor Strange or it may be Captain America: Civil War.

"So we start all of our stories very accessible, but we reward long term fans â€" so the more you read, the more you watch, you begin to make all of these connections. You watch a film, and you see Nick Fury approach another one of these characters and make these connections. The more you read, the more you watch, the more you see that it is very complex and interesting, and we reward you with your time. The game is the same way: very accessible, the more you play, the more you experiment... weâ€™re going to reward all that time youâ€™re putting into it.â€

What weâ€™re trying to do is make the game more elegant and simplified but still as complex and hardcore as itâ€™s ever been.

Marvel has the mindset that any issue could be a personâ€™s first, and that approach is informing Infinite. But as with previous games, it can still lead to a feeling, especially among die-hard fans, that their game is being taken away or diluted. I remember a similar conversation hovering around Dark Souls 2, yet that game turned out to be just as demanding as its predecessor. It does, however, make some of its systems easier to understand, which is no bad thing. Dark Souls doesnâ€™t suffer noobs gladly.

â€œWhat weâ€™re trying to do is make the game more elegant and simplified but still as complex and hardcore as itâ€™s ever been,â€ says Mike Jones, Executive Producer at Marvel Games. â€œBut we do want it to be approachable.â€ Jones stressed this was a new phase in the series â€" hence no â€˜4â€™ in the title â€" and part of that goal is to attract a wider audience but not at the expense of alienating long-time fans.

â€œSay if you just love these characters and you want to hear a great story and see some great actions â€" itâ€™s completely approachable in terms of how the systems work and in terms of how the controls work, but that depth is there if you want to find.â€

Infinity Stones: Elegant Complexity

Even though the team wouldnâ€™t be drawn into specifics, Peter Rosas - aka Combofiend - a former pro-player and an associate producer on the project teased where that complexity is to be found.

â€œThereâ€™s a very heavy technical aspect required to play the old ones,â€ says Rosas. â€œMvC2 is very unforgiving if youâ€™re not very technical. But with this one [...] because itâ€™s 2 vs. 2. Itâ€™s instantly that much more accessible. What you have is players who can just jump in, pick two of their favourite heroes; they donâ€™t have to worry about assists. Theyâ€™re not bogged down with all these decisions. Character, character, and your stone.â€

Ryu activates the Power Stone.

The Infinity Stones â€" a recurring plot device in the Marvel Universe and soon to be a huge element in the MCU â€" unlock Infiniteâ€™s complexity and depth.

â€œWe understand that three characters has been a staple for the last 16 years or so,â€ says Rosas. â€œTo that effect we looking at the stones, and we were looking at a third character, and when you think about how teams were in the older games: what you had were two characters and then a third character who was a function, whether it be some type of pick-up or just for their assist â€" they werenâ€™t picked because they were necessarily liked. They were picked for their functionality.

â€œSo then taking that into account we thought what if we used the stones as functionality. What if we applied the stones to the team and then you modify the team entirely. So now you have the stone acting as a third character but also more than as the third character. The stone modifies the team in a way that really lets a player to create their own identity.

â€œSay I play a team of Ryu and Captain Marvel, and he plays the same, and he plays the same. But I play the time stone, and he plays with the power stone, and he plays with the mind stone. Suddenly, our tactics are very different. Our strategies are very different, and now weâ€™re having a discussion which team is the best? What is the best way to customise the team? Whatâ€™s the best strategy? It begins this discussion now. Thereâ€™s much more customisation. Thereâ€™s much more depth.â€

While the specifics werenâ€™t forthcoming, each stones seemingly applies a team-wide buff, which can be used to either compensate for a fighterâ€™s weakness, amplify one of their strengths, or add an element they lack entirely.

â€œSo you see with Ryu [in the trailer] he uses the power stone to knock Captain Marvel against the wall,â€ explains Rosas. â€œSo suddenly characters who didnâ€™t have that ability have a way to extend combos or knock the opponent back. There are multiple uses for them. In addition to that, thereâ€™s a final effect weâ€™re looking into.â€

The Infinity Stones unlock thousands of different permutations to play around with. Or as Rosas describes it: itâ€™s â€œfor guys who want to sit in the lab and discover things through endless possibilities.â€

Captain Marvel uses the Time Stone.

In the Marvel Universe, the Infinity Stones are among the most powerful objects, and in a neat move Infinite is applying that story logic to the fighting genre.

â€œThey allow you to break the rules of the universe,â€ says Jones. â€œSo thinking about it through a fighting game lens: what rules of fighting games would the Infinity stones allow you to break? So weâ€™re looking at attack, mobility, vitality, space control â€" all those things where weâ€™re adding tool to a characterâ€™s toolset that they might not have otherwise.â€

â€œSo with Captain Marvel [in the trailer],â€ says Rosas. â€œYou saw she activated the time stone. All her attacks were extremely fast. She broke the law of time.â€

And Jones expects this Infinity Stone system to drive the gameâ€™s meta in the long-run:

â€œYou look at the history of fighting games [...] people have their favourites, but ultimately what happens is only five or six [characters] who have the tools surface to the top and are worth playing if you want to be competitive. What the [Infinity stones] allow you to augment the entire roster, and make up for weaknesses or double-down on strengths to create strategies and, hopefully, the metagame discussion we end up hearing is Ryu with the mind stone is OP, or Captain with the time zone is the best thing you could possibly do, but if you do X and use this set-up itâ€™s way better to use the reality stone... or whatever it is. Thatâ€™s sort of the lab experimentation, hardcore fighting game that we hope emerge.â€

Read on for how Infinite is taking cues from Civil War and who we can expect to appear in the character roster.

Continues

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