Firefly by subscription?

POSTED BY: Avatar
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 21:08
VIEWED: 17493
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AVATAR

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 3:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by LegalBegal:
I dont think that a direct to DVD show will work but I know for a fact that a payperview show will work if everyone is willing to pay 5-8 dollars a week to watch firefly with out the commercials.

I personally prefer DVDs for several reasons:
1. The video quality is great.
2. I can play them on my bigscreen TV, on my PC, or in my car (but not while driving, of course).
3. They are relatively inexpensive to produce in quantity.
4. They are somewhat copy-proof (at least to the general public).
5. They can hold lots of extras.

Pay-per-view is a good alternative, but then I'd have to keep it on Tivo or dump it to a tape if I wanted to watch it again. I'd rather reserve a section of my DVD shelving exclusively for Firefly (in attractive slipcases manufactured by Blue Sun, of course). Joss could also throw in cheap extras like behind the scenes bits, outtakes, interviews, etc. Creative marketing types could offer walk-on roles, Blue Sun jackets, signed scripts, Tim Minnear bobble-head dolls, etc. that were only available to be won by registered subscribers.

Quote:
The other idea that I had is a bit more far fetched pay per view internet video.

The internet pay-per-view would be OK, but I'd rather watch shows on my 50" TV versus my 17" PC screen. (I know that I could solve this with the right hardware, but I'm saving my money for my subscription. :wink )

The quality would also suffer, if my prior experiences with Internet video streams are any indication. If subscribers were allowed to download it (as opposed to watching an online one-time broadcast), you would run the risk of piracy which seems to terrify most media companies and which could be fatal to any show that needs every subscription $ to survive.

These are great ideas, however, and I'm glad we're looking beyond UPN. Anybody affiliated with the show have any comments?

CARDIE

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 3:59 PM

I think everyone is forgetting to factor in the costs necessary to get the delivery system going, like acquiring whatever equipment it takes to set up video on demand, get space on a digital cable provider's roster, etc. Then you need the staff and infrastructure to collect the weekly payments. Also, no one with a solid reputation in the business like Joss is going to sign on for this kind of penny ante success, even to keep viewers happy. Something like this requires huge upfront financial guarantees. You don't turn out a $2 million product and then hope that every week enough people opt to have it delivered to their homes so that you can recoup the cost. Essentially the only way to do it is to establish a subscriber premium channel dedicated to keeping good quirky shows going that also produces these shows. That's what you have now with HBO, but it has a cushion because it also shows movies.

This is a lovely dream but totally impractical.

Cardie

LEGALBEGAL

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 4:28 PM

Quote:
This is a lovely dream but totally impractical.

I dont think so as I said in my first post on this subject pay perview is something that has been done by a couple of shows. The one that i am most familiar with being NWA TNA a wrestling show that provides an alternative to the WWF. They make enough money in shows and merchandise to produce a decent telivision show pay all of their employs and in demand all while according to them making a profit.

On top of this they started off in a bad place some how or a notherthe person that the hired to do their advetising was also working for the WWF and for the first few months their ads where terrible and the suffered from not having any real name stars. Now they have a few of older stars with name power.

Pay per view is something to consider that will work.

SIGNYM

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 6:53 PM

I agree with the assessment that if the porn industry can do it, so can sci-fi. I'd pay $5 per episode, no question.

SIGNYM

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 6:53 PM

sorry for the double post

CARDIE

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 7:05 PM

Porn and wrestling are so much cheaper to produce than a show like Firefly that it isn't even funny. And again, do you really think the kind of talent Firefly employs behind and in front of the camera would keep working in a stigmatized format with "neighbors" like porn and renegade wrestling?

Cardie

CAPTAINMAL

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 7:55 PM

Don't forget us poor country folk with dial-up.

I can't even listen to a vbaseball game in streaming audio without big "catch up" gaps...no way streaming video gets to me.

And i agree that folks are more willing to spend for something they own as opposed to a one time viewing.

VIVAFIREFLY

Tuesday, January 7, 2003 10:44 PM

What about Fox? Yes I know they're the morons who canceled the show in the first place but they do, as far as I know, own the rights to the show as well as 13 already made episodes. If the unfortunate event occurs that nobody picks up the show then all 13 episodes end up in storage with That 80's Show and the Tick, where I think we all agree it doesn't deserve to be. But what if instead Fox put the episodes on DVD's say 5-7 DVD's with 2-3 episodes per DVD and the pilot episode on its own DVD and made 100,000 copies to start out with. They could then sell these and if people truly are interested in buying them they'd make more copies of the origanal episodes and might even consider sponsering a subscription show or put it back on the air. If they don't the sales could be used as an incentive for another station to buy the show. And even if we're all wrong about this Fox wouldn't too much money for this idea to be stupid, they might even make a bit of a profit.

I truly hope we find a way to save Firefly

SIGNYM

Wednesday, January 8, 2003 12:30 AM

Didn't mean that they should be associated with, just that perhaps some lessons can be drawn from "the industry", for example- how to establish outlets, how to charge, how to protect IP etc.

GIRLIE

Wednesday, January 8, 2003 8:35 AM

I have been mulling over similar ideas in the past few weeks. Wondering why viewers really have no choice in what we view, and how to change this.
1. First of all a revised version of pay per view subscription would work (if orchestrated correctly which could not be the responsibility of individual producers.) I decided I would be willing to invest $10 for a new ep.(along with others) That money could be used as start up and one new ep. In the mean time, first season eps could be shown pay per view style (perhaps some bonus stuff like behind the scenes scoop for loyal viewers) at a lower cost—I’m sure we would all support. These earning could be used to generate more new eps. Shown at a regular time and fee. Which would in turn continue to generate revenue for more new eps, as well as attract new viewers.
2. Advertising could still be used during eps (less though) more like the Public Broadcasting people have added more subtle and restricted advertising.(Subliminal would be ok too! Why not? "Send money for Firefly") Still it would generate revenue and advertisers would have the privilege of being viewed by a paying/ appreciative audience.
3. DVD’s could be produced and released post season (like Buffy) and contain as suggested extras that will make it better then your taped from TV copy. Again generating revenue.
4. This would allow more freedom to a producer because instead of answering to a network they would be responsible to the viewers-Not much less “head up the butt” but a little.
5. I don’t even have cable but I would be willing to get it if they would show Firefly anywhere…. so I’m obviously willing to pay at least $30 a month for it. And I don’t even like SciFi!! (Which I still say this isn’t. More like western “West Wing” in future outer space, then “Buffy” in Space.)

With regard to:

Quote:
“Also, no one with a solid reputation in the business like Joss is going to sign on for this kind of penny ante success, even to keep viewers happy. Something like this requires huge up front financial guarantees. You don't turn out a $2 million product and then hope that every week enough people opt to have it delivered to their homes so that you can recoup the cost. Essentially the only way to do it is to establish a subscriber premium channel dedicated to keeping good quirky shows going that also produces these shows. That's what you have now with HBO, but it has a cushion because it also shows movies.”

Any producer who is tired of the way things work now might be interested. Also anyone who enjoys giving people what they don’t expect and screwing with The Powers That BE could find this an entertaining prospect. Anyone who has revolutionary/ cutting edge ideas (Vampire Slayers on Primetime?) and has enjoyed the success of that may be intrigued. Besides "penny ante success" is not guaranteed. I am just barely old enough to remember the onset of cable TV. I remember relatives discussing the ridiculous idea of people paying for something they got for free already.("How much TV do we need?") Only my Uncle was “dumb enough” to get this new HBO thing because he liked sports and it gave him a chance to see more. Who’s laughing now?
Everything has to start sometime and by someone…Ok someone with money, but still it’s a viable although complicated alternative idea. Maybe not now, and not Firefly….but someday.

My hand to God, I’m not usually this long winded!

"Objects in the mirror may not be as smart as they appear!" --Mine I think.

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