Producers find a new show idea that looks interesting and could be popular …
Writers: yeah we got this idea that could be turned into an hour and a half hour long film … it’s very interesting, great plot dialogue, and there’s a great twist
Producers, executives: Great idea! I love it! But it would give us more content if you could turn it into a series instead. Take the whole film and stretch it out across seven one hour episodes.
Writers: how?
Producers, executives: just cut it up into seven parts, slow everything down and make a dramatic cliff hanger at the end of every episode.
It depends. I really like the ability to flesh something out into a longer format - especially book adaptations. Not that there isn’t space for 2 hours and under films, but the rise of high production TV series that aren’t meant to go on forever IMO has been net positive.
Opposite problem, too. Take what was supposed to be a series and shrink it down to a movie. The Section 31 movie comes to mind. It’s so much better if you view it as if it were the pilot for a new series, but that’s never going to happen.
I was so disappointed by the ready player one film and was absolutely flabbergasted when I learned the author was actually actively involved in the film.
Conversely
Producers find a new show idea that looks interesting and could be popular …
Writers: yeah we got this idea that could be turned into an hour and a half hour long film … it’s very interesting, great plot dialogue, and there’s a great twist
Producers, executives: Great idea! I love it! But it would give us more content if you could turn it into a series instead. Take the whole film and stretch it out across seven one hour episodes.
Writers: how?
Producers, executives: just cut it up into seven parts, slow everything down and make a dramatic cliff hanger at the end of every episode.
It depends. I really like the ability to flesh something out into a longer format - especially book adaptations. Not that there isn’t space for 2 hours and under films, but the rise of high production TV series that aren’t meant to go on forever IMO has been net positive.
And then, Kai Patterson comes in and cuts it back down into a pretty good standard length film which I see as a win.
Opposite problem, too. Take what was supposed to be a series and shrink it down to a movie. The Section 31 movie comes to mind. It’s so much better if you view it as if it were the pilot for a new series, but that’s never going to happen.
Also writers: We don’t give a shit about the source material the fans love. Fuck these nerds.
I was so disappointed by the ready player one film and was absolutely flabbergasted when I learned the author was actually actively involved in the film.