We have finally made it to Week 3 here in California. Today we met with John Cook, the Emmy-winning sound mixer for shows such as Mr. Robot, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Veep and Ted Miller, head of television and a top agent at Creative Artists Agency. Sound mixers are incredibly underappreciated. Sound is a background player, affecting the viewers and their emotions without calling attention to itself (unless that’s the goal, of course). The mixers can build up an unnatural soundscape that sounds so natural in an obscenely short amount of time. It’s definitely a skill that I wish that I had.

Agents are in a totally different ballpark. Instead of melding into the background, an agent’s job is to be everywhere and know everyone and everything. They are on top of their game at all times in order to figure out what is best and negotiate deals for their numerous clients. CAA covers all types of entertainment creatives, whether it be writers, directors, talent, sports, e-sports, producers, etc. If you can create something meaningful and special, they will consider representing you.

A main topic of discussion during our time with Ted was where television was headed. And the thing is, no one knows. In 1997, the DVD-distributing company Netflix was founded. No one could have imagined that years later, it would become one of the world’s most dominant streaming services. In 2016, Netflix was present in 75% of streaming households in the U.S. Other streaming companies such as Hulu, AmazonVideo, HBO, YouTube, etc. are following close behind.

The world has become less and less patient with the advent of the internet and streaming. People no longer have the patience to sit through commercials. They will fast-forward or simply record the show to watch at a later time. They are in a now, now, now mindset. Streaming services have streamlined this need by, for the most part, cutting out commercials all together. Shows are often uploaded onto streaming services a season at a time. You no longer have to wait a week for the next episode. This has created ‘binge-watching’, where the viewers watches multiple episodes (or even seasons if they really commit) in one sitting. The shows play automatically in chronological order so the viewers does not even have to get up before indulging in the next episode.

The age of television is not going to end anytime soon. The means of consumption are just going to continue being modified until we land on something that can’t be beat. The question we are struggling to answer is which means is best right now. Every streaming site offers a mix of both acquired and original material. But the viewer must buy a subscription to each one individually. Cable television offers streamlined content through hundreds of channels all for one price. However, people don’t necessarily want to pay for the extra 200 channels they don’t watch, so which one does the viewer choose? The answer varies for each household.

There is one question, however, that streaming services ask that we do know the answer to.

“Are you still watching ____?”

Of course.

-Addie

Hi everyone! If you’ve been following along, you know that we have had an incredible first week here in Los Angeles. If you haven’t, well, you have some reading to do… 🙂

We finished up the week heading to the stacks of the Margaret Herrick Library, which is under the administration of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. They have a huge collection of books, photographs, posters, drawings, scripts, newspaper clippings- honestly, it’s kind of overwhelming. But it’s an incredible resource for anyone involved in the film industry. We were there to work on our research papers, but it’s crazy to think that maybe the woman sitting three tables away was researching for her screenplay, which could become the next blockbuster hit, or the man reading in the back room was studying for his next television appearance. The film industry is just made up of a conglomerate of creative people and Los Angeles is the heart of it.

Learning all about the beginning of the film industry has made me realize just how far we’ve come. The earliest films were created in 1895. Here is an example of some of those films that were created by the Lumiere Brothers, French inventors among the founding fathers of filmmaking.

You must be thinking: “Oh geez, that looks terrible. Such bad quality and there’s no storyline!” And you’d be right. But at that time, this was monumental! It was magical. Moving pictures had never been seen before. It’s hard for me to imagine how groundbreaking this was, but then I think about how we have trouble processing and differentiating 3D and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality from actual reality now.  When we visited the IMAX headquarters on Wednesday, we were able to watch an advanced screening of their new documentary Pandas. It was in IMAX 3D and at one point there was a fly buzzing around the shot. It took everything I had not to swat at it, although I knew that it was simply an image. I still want to try to reach out and touch the opening titles of every 3D movie I see.

In the past two decades alone, we have seen an incredible amount of technological innovation. My generation grew up with VHS tapes and portable CD players. Landlines were still actually a thing. I remember having to borrow my dad’s Razer on a trip in 6th grade because I didn’t have a phone. But now toddlers can work the App Store, 8-year-olds are getting iPhones for Christmas and we can go see the next Avengers film in IMAX 3D. The early pioneers of technology triggered a snowball effect that is now going full speed and I don’t think it’s slowing down anytime soon. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

-Addie