Exploiting the Second Screen

This week I decided to explore a topic that has been on my mind lately. It’s the new trend of exploiting a second screen during television viewing. During my research, I found that it has been around for a little while, but obviously it is finally getting positive interest. The most popular/notable system is AMC’s Story Sync which will be my main focus.

There is no denying the fact that audiences are more inclined to have out their laptops or smart phones while they watch TV. Technology has become too prominent, and people are use to multitasking. Then there is competition with DVRs. They allow audiences to record a show and watch it on their time without having to sit through the commercials which seem to be throwing off the traditional TV business model that has been around for decades. However, TV executives are not only catching on but they are starting to use one to circumvent the other. Thus solving not only the issues of distracted watching and DVR usage but they are also providing a richer/deeper viewing experience for devoted fans and increasing interest among non-viewers. However, not everyone agrees that the interactive experience is beneficial when you are actually watching the show.

Before I get into that I want to describe how Story Sync works and some of its features. It can be found on AMC’s website and it is timed to start with the show (on both coasts), so you have to have your phone/tablet/computer ready to go when the show starts. Then during the show, polls, flashbacks, and fun facts pop up which allow you to remember things from previous seasons you may have forgot or speculate with the rest of the world on what will happen next with the characters. There is even a live message board for people to post questions/rant about character or the story/funny observations. The sync then stops with the show.

The system does sound like it has its benefits, BUT I think it just serves as a distraction and a means for advertisers to bombard the audience with twice the advertising they would usually get with just watching the show. There are short audio cues when new information is about to pop up and some people reported that they missed information on the show because they were distracted by the sync. Then during the commercials for the show the Story Sync stops to show commercials as well, and when you click to watch a clip, you have to sit through a commercial.

To their credit, TV executives and Story Sync creators are working very closely in order to keep the sync from being a distraction by timing updates so that they don’t come during important plot moments or dialogue. They also won’t use Story Sync on every show. They know that the system suits some shows more than others, like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.

However, I think I will still keep my phone and computer off when watching Tv. I don’t even like it when my roommate talks when I watch The Walking Dead, so why would I want my phone to distract me when I watch?

Cross Platform Success

In class recently we were taking about The Matrix (1999) and how its story was spread over multiple platforms—from movie to video game to comic book. This got me thinking about other franchises that attempted to cross platforms and branch out between film, comic books, video games, and cartoons. It seems that more and more this is the ultimate goal for companies because this way they can literally multiply their profits. Their fan base will just keep consuming their products. Now their stories may not branch across all of their platforms like The Matrix’s did, but they all attempt to keep interest going after the original film/video game/comic book/cartoon/graphic novel.  Some great examples are: Resident Evil, Laura Croft: Tomb Raider, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, Spider-Man, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Walking Dead. There are of course countless other franchises that have done the same thing but by this point it would take far too much time to name them all, and I will go into better detail about a few of the previously mentioned titles, starting with Resident Evil.

Now I mentioned this one first mainly because its most recent installments came out this month. The fifth movie: Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), and the newest video game: Resident Evil 6 (2012). The movies alone have brought in over half a billion dollars in pure profit, and the video games remain one of the most popular video game series around—even with the rising competition and the recently ill received Resident Evil 6. I looked up the exact number of games and even I am surprised by how many they have pushed out. The grand total is 19! I cannot believe that in sixteen years from the release of the original game, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut (1996), Capcom has managed to release that many successful games. I feel there should be a disclaimer, however, because for some reason people do not like the films, but each new movie somehow makes more than the last. People are apparently also starting to catch onto the fact that the video games’ plots are just as ridiculous, but Resident Evil 6 so far has sold over 3 million games worldwide (at $60 a pop). This whole thing just goes to show you that once a franchise is under our skin and in our heads, we will still ask for more no matter how bad it gets. But now franchises like Resident Evil cannot solely rely on a solid fan base because cross convergence is reaching its golden age. Now there are quality stories that people love finding greater audiences on new platforms.

My best example of this is the graphic novel turned TV show turned video game, The Walking Dead. The franchise’s audience just keeps getting bigger as it moves onto these new platforms, giving more people access to the story. There have been 103 issues of the graphic novel released, the TV show just started its third season (and has about 9.5 million viewers), and the game is set to come out soon. However, it’s not only growing in popularity, but it is receiving a lot of critical acclaim. The graphic novel received the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2010 and countless other praises from the comic book community. The television show has been nominated for multiple awards for writing, acting, makeup, and best series. It recently won an Emmy for best prosthetic makeup. Needless to say that with the refining of cross platform ventures, franchises that lack real substance will start to fade out thanks to the rise in higher quality competition like The Walking Dead.