Category: Film/TV/Video

New models for storytelling: Skam case study

There’s a new storytelling format I’m excited to see experimentation with: narratives that unfold across both traditional media and social media, blurring the line between reality and fiction. The hit Norwegian TV show SKAM is a case study here. It followed a (fictional) group of high school students through assorted teen drama (compare it to the British show Skins).

SKAM characters had real-world social media accounts that interacted with each other in alignment with the plot leading up to each week’s TV episode: a scene at a party gets posted by one of the relevant characters at 2am on a Saturday when it’s supposed to really be happening; a scene in the school cafeteria gets posted at noon on a Wednesday. Characters interact online (with tweets, posts, photos, comments) as you’d expect them to based on the plot. The high-production-quality videos then got compiled into the TV episode of the week, which acted as a recap providing extra context. The plot unfolds in a world broader than just the TV episodes and intertwines with real social media interactions. Watching the TV episodes was only part of watching the show.

The low-production-budget show broke viewership records in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden and gained a large online following around the world. It ended after 4 seasons due to what creator Julie Andem framed as the exhaustion of running a show that’s constantly unfolding every day. Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment is producing a US remake of the show, which will launch on Facebook Watch, and local adaptations are in the works in 5 other European countries.

It’s a fascinating case of blending reality and fiction, something we’ll see a major way when augmented reality finds widespread consumer adoption. And it offers potential for a dynamic production format that’s about storytelling through low-cost daily activity on social media rather than in neatly defined episodes. Why not have fictional characters be real-world social media influencers? Those become channels to monetize too through product placement, etc.

(This is an abstract from today’s MediaDeals newsletter.)

Cineplex and the Future of Exhibitors

Amid the global shift to streaming video, are exhibitors (aka movie theater companies) doomed?

Let’s step back: what role do exhibitors play in the market? 1) They curate and host Hollywood’s new releases so mass audiences know what to see; 2) they provide social, in-person media experiences for the family, for dates, for fun; 3) they deliver digital ads to captive, in-person audiences.

I look to Toronto-based Cineplex as a hint at how an exhibitor can continue to play this role in an evolving industry. (It’s more than just offering 3D glasses, recliner seats, and beer.)

Cineplex is the largest exhibitor in Canada, with 163 cinemas. Its box office revenue and concessions revenue are roughly equal (as is normal) and like competitors, they’ve added non-traditional programming like live streams of the opera and boxing matches plus films/livestreams for large immigrant populations. But that’s just the start. Cineplex is seizing opportunities that fit the broader definition above.

  • Decide you want to stay in for the night? Cineplex offers TVOD films to stream right there on their website, continuing to guide you to new(er) releases from Hollywood.
  • Want to go out but not to the movies? Cineplex has The Rec Room, Playdium, upcoming TopGolf venues, and other physical restaurant-and-entertainment experiences.
  • More of a gamer than a cinephile? Cineplex now owns an esports tournament organizer (online and offline), WGN. And it recently opened VR experiences in two of its Toronto and Ottawa theaters.
  • Regularly do any of these? The SCENE rewards program has you covered with discounts and other membership perks. It has 9M members in a country of 36M people.
  • Want to sell digital ads to in-person audiences? Cineplex has that covered too. They handle the ads not only in their theatres but in most of their competitors, reaching 94% of Canadian movie-goers. And they’re leveraging their expertise to expand digital ad units in malls, banks, quick service restaurants, and other public locations around North America.

In the short term, most exhibitors are enhancing the cinema experience in incremental ways so the corresponding increase in ticket prices for a luxurious experience makes up for the decline in attendees. But ultimately the opportunity is in evolving the whole business like Cineplex is doing. (Many exhibitors won’t stay ahead of the curve, of course, but that’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs and activist investors.)

Over the next 5 years, expect social AR and VR experiences to be particularly transformational for exhibitors smart enough to recognize the market that will arise there (already visible with VR arcades in China).

(This is an abstract from today’s MediaDeals newsletter.)