One of the first things I was told when I got out of college and into my first job was, "whatever you do, don't burn any bridges... you may need them one day." Well, I'd like to think that so far I've managed to avoid pissing off TOO many people, even though really it's unavoidable. And what I'm about to say here could light the fire under another bridge, one I will hopefully never have to use, but you never know. I'm talking about KIAH, our local channel 39, changing its format to something entirely new and different.
Now normally words like "new" and "different" make you think of something better. However, in this instance that is probably not going to be the case. For those of you who opened that article and were like "whoa way too much reading," the short story is that 39 is dropping the whole traditional "newscast," and instead going with a collection of stories where soundbites and nats (the sounds going on naturally in the background) tell the story.
So why am I all negative on this? First off, the execution. I've created my fair share of nat-sound promos, and while I do agree they can sometimes be more effective, they also take a lot longer to pull off, and if they're not done right they can be VERY confusing. So it comes down to a question of whether or not the good folks at 39 have the skills to put something like that together. And I have to say that sadly, judging by their normal newscasts, I'm a little concerned that they may not.
Which brings me to my second point... I'm not sure I agree with the way 39 is going about this whole thing. Check out their job listing for the person who is supposed to head up this new venture. Not only does it seem a bit mean to the people who are currently employed there (does no one there posess the ability to do this? Then why do it at all?)... it also insults the people who have worked hard to make tv what it is today. Okay I get it, you want someone different, but there's no sense in bad-mouthing the people who have been doing it right for years. Also, look at the requirements: "Gets it?" "Thinks in stereo and lives in color?" Not exactly something I would ever include on a resume, and if someone did, I don't know if I would really consider him serious about his job. What's really funny about this to me, is that it's all about kicking the corporate culture of news and striving for more individuality, yet this was most likely written by some corporate lawyer or exec who has done most of the things made fun of on this list. Irony!
The bottom line is that KIAH is trying something that I think 5 to 10 years from now would be excellent. Actually, and you may have heard me talk about this before, I believe all television news is going in this direction. As on-air television merges more and more with the web, newscasts will take on a much less linear feel. The user will be in control of the newscast, including which stories he wants to see, and when. It's going to be pretty badass: no more sitting through half an hour of crap you don't care about just to see 30 seconds about something you do. No more (traditional) commercial breaks. No more having to listen to an anchor or reporter put extra emphasis on words like their name, or dramatic pauses before the name of the station. It's happening now, but it's still waaaaayyyyy too early to go fully in this direction. TV is still too linear, and what I think you're going to see happen with KIAH is 30 minutes of "what in the world is going on here?" At this point, you still need someone like an anchor or reporter to explain what you're seeing, to tie everything together, to continue the "flow" of the newscast... without that, I think the viewer will most likely be lost in the first 10 minutes, and gone to another station soon after that.
So have I just ruined my chances of getting this job? Probably, but I'm not looking for it anyway. It'll be interesting to see what KIAH can pull off here, but if you want my honest opinion, it's the last, desperate move of a station that should probably just have cut its losses and stopped making news months ago. Still, best of luck 39, if you prove me wrong that would be awesome, because it'll get us all one step closer to where news will eventually be going anyway.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Don Ready is a travelling sales consultant. He and his team of misfits have an extraordinary gift: selling crappy cars to good people, and making the dealer a ton of money in the process. However, Don has a thorn in his past that he just can't seem to shake. Couple that with a hot chick who's dating a douchebag but kinda likes messing around on the side, and Don's going to need all the help he can get to save this dealership.
It took a lot of work to put that description together, because honestly this movie is not very good. Yeah it has a few good gags, the concept is there, and there are some very funny people on board... but for being something called "The Goods," goods are definitely something this movie is lacking.
There is one absolutely hilarious scene, which requires no context, and which I have provided for you here. It is absolutely NSFW, profane and disgusting... and hilarious.
Maybe if Will Ferrell had been the leading man, or had even played a bigger role in this movie, it would have been better. As is, Jeremy Piven or whatever his name is just doesn't cut it. The guy is funny, but in a huge douchebag kinda way, not in a "I feel sorry for you and want you to succeed even though you're an idiot" way. It was almost like HE shoulda been the douchebag boyfriend of the hot chick, but oh well.
I'm not sure why Will Ferrell didn't want to act in this one... he produced it, but maybe he was too busy. Anyway, he would have definitely saved this movie, but as it is, the clip that I posted for you up there is really all you need. And if you do watch it, despite my warnings, be ready for that scene to be one of the very few where you actually laugh out loud. LOLZ!!!!!!!11
Alright homies, short one this week I know but I'm a busy man with things to do. Speaking of do... DO me a favor and check out the Channel 11 Facebook page. It's good for your health.
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