HFabian
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Posts posted by HFabian
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I'm glad TCM has chosen to change their focus from 'here are some of the people who made classic cinema first-hand' to 'here are the fans who were influenced by classic cinema.' Like it or not, the passage of time means fewer and fewer stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood are around each year, so it's an intelligent move to begin celebrating the channel's younger viewers and making them feel like a more important part of the TCM family.
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Emphasize live events.
I?m glad to see TCM is doing more live events in 2013 with the expansion of the Road to Hollywood as the lead-in to the Classic Film Festival. I think TCM can do more to make these events seem like ?must-see? experiences to the viewers at home. For instance, I?d love to see a :30 or :60 spot that?s a short recap of each event (showing the outside of the venue, the crowd, RO or BM onstage, a snippet of the guest?s interview, and some man-on-the-street quotes from event attendees about how much fun it was). I think producing these would be a snap since you?d only need at most a 3-person crew to get the raw footage. To their credit, TCM has begun doing this for the Film Festival itself; I think it can easily be extended to cover the Road to Hollywood events as well.
Also, I think it would be fun to record some film intros from on-board the Classic Cruise - just shoot the segments a short time before the ship?s departure and air them over that weekend. I?m sure some viewers would think they?re seeing live intros since they will air at the same time the cruise is taking place.
And since TCM likes to talk about festivals like Telluride when they?re taking place, why not shoot ?TCM News? segments on location at other classic film festivals? There are plenty, like the Plaza in El Paso, the annual event in Syracuse, and even Robert?s own festival in Athens, GA. Why not do a short segment there with a 3-person stringer crew and a voiceover talking about the event?
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{font:Arial}{size:15px}Change the ‘TCM Essentials Jr.’ name.{font}
{font:Arial}{size:15px}I love TCM Essentials Jr. and its host Bill Hader. He’s a great choice as a host because he can talk to the kids who are watching talking down to them. However, I dislike the name ‘TCM Essentials Jr.’ Protip: marketing something with ‘Junior’ after the name is kind of patronizing to kids older than 7. Instead, call it something like ‘Family Movie Night’ and sell it as a great classic film the whole family can enjoy together. This may mean moving its timeslot to a 7pm start, but I think it can help it draw a bigger audience.{font}
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Summer Under The Stars is a great concept and can be made more special by focusing more of the day’s content on the featured star. Every film should have an intro that discusses the film and shares a little bit of the star’s life story. During the daypart and again during the night, each of the films’ intros should tell a bit of the star’s biography in sequential order. Also, in between films there should be special :30 and :60 segments on the star - like mini ‘Word of Mouth’ segments - so the entire day’s programming is centered on that one star.
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UPDATE!
TCM Underground Admin on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/undergroundontcm)
"{size:11px} I'm going to try to respond to some of the folks on there."
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Here are a few shorter Top Tips to Improve TCM:
Create second-screen content for selected films.
Many TV watchers now have mobile devices and tablets and like to be use those while watching TV to add to their viewing experience. I think TCM should provide second-screen bonus content (trivia, facts, chat, etc.) for the airing of selected films that can draw a broad audience.
Fans should tweet along.
TCM should emphasize the shared viewing experience by promoting the use of the hashtag #TCM so fans can discuss films on TCM as they watch them. There are film fan groups who already do this for selected films (see #DriveInMob), but TCM can promote it themselves and can even have RO/BM join in on the fun and livetweet selected films. TCM can promote it by replacing the ‘TCM.com’ bug in the right corner with the Twitter logo and ‘#TCM.’
More commercials for upcoming programming.
Unless you’re always checking TCM.com or reading ‘Now Playing,’ it’s not always clear what’s coming up on the TCM schedule in the next 24 hours. Sure, you’ll sometimes see a full trailer or a ‘Word of Mouth’ spot, but often the films those ads are promoting won’t be shown for 5-7 days. What if I’m watching TCM and I want to know what tonight’s Feature Presentation films will be? What if TCM is doing a programming block dedicated to a certain actor? What if TCM is airing a film that hasn’t been on TV in decades (or ever, in the case of March’s premiere of FEAR)? Unless you’re a TCM diehard, you wouldn’t know.
What do you think?
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Controversial idea time: I think TCM needs more hosts.
When I watch RO and BM, I appreciate their introductory monologues that provide background information about each film. Even though I know their segments were taped weeks ago on a soundstage, they make me feel like we’re watching the movie together. They can explain to me why I should care about the upcoming film and what elements to look for.
Watching TCM during the day doesn’t feel the same. If I want any background on a film, I have to look it up myself to see if I’d even want to watch it.
Also, I think the lack of presenters can make the channel seem impersonal during the day. The only person you can see addressing the viewer on camera during the day is RO during the ‘Now Playing’ magazine commercials. Sometimes watching TCM can feel like I’m watching a sterile YouTube playlist - a series of files programmed to air in a particular order. There’s no warmth, no humanity, nothing to make it easier to connect as a modern viewer with films that are at least forty years old.
I want TCM’s on-air presentation to feel a bit like MTV in the early years - presenters with their own personalities talking with the viewer and sharing their enthusiasm about the next film. Radio stations have always had different DJs for different dayparts - why not TCM?
What do you think of this idea - and who would you recommend?
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In my opinion, the TCM Underground brand is an untapped goldmine and one of the most valuable concepts under the TCM umbrella.
Why? Because its films can appeal to a spectrum of ages and demographics - even transcending those who would call themselves ‘classic movie fans.’ TCM Underground can resonate with several demographics:
- Today’s teens and college students have a connection with ‘vintage’ culture - look at all the 14-year-olds wearing clothing referencing brands and TV shows that went off the air before they were even born. If you’re in this group, you love to stay up late and hang out with friends on Saturday nights: why not watch a ‘weird old movie’ on TV?
- Horror fandom is in the midst of a lovefest with 1980s horror films: filmmakers are even releasing some films on VHS again because fans like the static and lines on the screen. TCM Underground is the only place on television for horror fans to see older films that grossed less than $50 million at the box office.
- Of course, TCM Underground doesn’t just show American psychotronic schlock horror but also showcases foreign films like HAUSU and POSSESSION along with unique ‘time capsule’ films like ALPHABET CITY and BREAKIN’. These are films that are outside of TCM’s usual oeuvre but deserve to be discussed by modern film bloggers and critics.
- Also, TCM Underground shows unique short films between features, dealing with topics as disparate as the drug wars and Tupperware. These shorts are not shown anywhere else on television and deserve to be acknowledged.
TCM Underground is like a sort of college course in alternative cinema. Every week, you will experience four hours of entertainment - sometimes shocking, sometimes silly, sometimes thought-provoking, but always unique.
I see TCM Underground as the Adult Swim to TCM’s Cartoon Network, a brand capable of generating buzz and becoming appointment television. However, the brand has not been supported by marketing since its initial launch in 2006. The TCM Underground Facebook page has a whopping ~700 fans.
Through some targeted marketing efforts, TCM Underground can broaden its audience.
1) Get a host.
Rob Zombie ‘hosted’ TCM Underground’s first season - if by ‘hosting’ you mean ‘read a teleprompter full of film facts in a dull monotone voice.’ Get a host with passion for this films, someone with a strong opinion who can tell you why these films are awesome. This presenter should do things differently than RO or BM would - using snark, sarcasm, and hyperbole to tell the viewer why tonight’s next film is awesome.
There is only one person perfect for this role: Millie DeChirico - TCM’s VP of programming and the person who programs TCM Underground. She obviously loves these films or she wouldn’t put them on the air, right?
2) Get involved with the college market.
Get college reps and set up viewing parties on campuses. If the campus has a movie theater or auditorium, get them to have a TCM Underground party every week. Provide promotional materials (posters, T-shirts, etc.) for colleges to distribute to hype upcoming broadcasts.
Optional: Provide resources for professors who wish to integrate TCM Underground into their curriculum. (especially for time capsule films like FIVE ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE).
3) Use modern music and bumpers.
Sorry, but the ‘dreadlock guy sticking up posters’ intro is passe, as is the ‘1990s Mountain Dew commercial’ soundtrack. Use the black-and-white animated segments produced by Niceshoes instead - they are edgy without being dated. Also, perhaps the channel could make 30-60 second music videos of Underground films featuring modern independent artists from a variety of genres.
4) Do more outreach.
I know the TCM Underground brand sponsored an art show in 2009 in Atlanta focusing on art inspired by cult cinema - why not take that on the road to various cities? Why not hold an ‘Underground Film Festival’ movie marathon in the vein of the Classic Film Festival (though on a much smaller scale and budget)? Why not roadshow some cult films in the vein of the Road to Hollywood? I know TCM Underground has a different audience than regular TCM - but that doesn’t mean that audience can’t become diehard fans of regular TCM as well.
What do you think? Let me know.
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Thanks. I guess I wasn't sure how many responses each idea would get or how cluttered the thread would be if I posted 10-12 ideas in one thread.I have no problem with my threads being merged if the mods think it's the right thing to do.
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If TCM wants to target a new audience, perhaps a Jack Nicholson or a Harrison Ford day could do it. Some mainstream PR around that day could draw some younger eyeballs to the station.A Charles Bronson day does raise the possibility of running the infamous DEATH WISH films - make sure their start times are when TCM Underground would be on the air, since that's the only place much of Mr. Bronson's later oeuvre would ever make it on TCM.
Kidding, of course. -
Thank you all for your warm welcome. I'm definitely going to be here to stay - and I will provide all 25 of my ideas in due time.
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31 Days of OscarWe’re in the midst of the annual 31 Days of Oscar festival and we’re being treated to some of the greatest films of all time at all hours of the day and night. I’m a big fan of the concept and especially of this year’s theme (showcasing films by their studio of origin). The only thing I’d suggest would be to add a title card before each film, showing which awards the film won/was nominated for. I know every film during the 31 Days is historically significant, but I want to know what elements of the film I should be watching for to especially appreciate. Also, perhaps Academy Award statuettes, old Awards event posters, etc. could be added to the TCM set(s) as decorative items for the month to emphasize the theme.What do you think?
Edited by: HFabian on Feb 20, 2013 3:56 PM
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Hi everyone,
I'm a long-time lurker and first-time poster who's decided to register in order to share my opinions about this channel that I love so much. I've been a regular TCM viewer for ~3 years now and I've been thinking of what can be done to keep TCM great for the die-hard fans while attracting new audiences as well. As the title implies, this post will be the first of many in a series. I look forward to hearing your opinions!
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The Top 25 Tips To Improve TCM - 1 of 25
*Add more content to film introductions*
We’re all familiar with the usual TCM film introduction: a 1-2 minute monologue filmed as one continuous take with a Steadicam with presenters never breaking eye contact with the camera. These intros are good, but they can be improved - to the benefit of TCM viewers and TCM presenters.Let’s pretend you’ve never watched TCM before and you’re just tuning in to see a movie with a famous title because a friend recommended it. If you’re not familiar with Hollywood history, too often that introductory monologue can end up being one big info dump. With all the references to names you’ve never heard of and films you’ve never seen, it can make you feel like a college student who has entered the wrong lecture hall by mistake. Worse, you may know those people and films but don’t recall their names or titles without a picture to jog your memory.The solution is simple. When RO/BM references another film, simply show a publicity still or a poster from that film as an overlay. When RO/BM references an actor/screenwriter/director/etc., show a publicity still of them as an overlay. Just a simple full-screen image, with a slow fade-in and fade-out and a slow zoom - like every still image shown in the ‘Word of Mouth’ segments.(Also, in the post-film wrap-up, when RO/BM references a scene in the movie we just saw, why not show a silent clip of the scene in question? That way, when a reference is made to a gesture or to a character’s costume, we can be reminded of it.)How is this idea great for presenters? Simple. The image overlays provide an easy edit point, ensuring they won’t lose a great take just because of a mistake at the end of the monologue. I think this can especially help RO, who is the network’s biggest star and in my opinion needs to be protected more than he is. Some of his October/November intros had him tripping on words a bit, which was a little uncomfortable to watch. RO is TCM’s biggest star and I feel it’s important to showcase him in the best possible light.I feel my idea is a small, subtle, and unobtrusive addition that can make a BIG difference in TCM’s presentation.What do you think?
Kidding, of course.
TCM changed their on-air graphics today.
in General Discussions
Posted
Starting at 6am EST today (with the airing of BOGART: THE UNTOLD STORY [1996]), TCM is using an all-new graphics package for interstitial segments between films.
* No more 'dun...dun-dun...' before every film!
* No more 'damn...good...actress!' before Word of Mouth segments!
* Trailers are now shown on 3/4 of the screen with no distracting 'people walking around on a backlot' in the background!
* Brighter colors and larger, easier-to-read text!
These new graphics add brightness and vitality to TCM's visual presentation and really make it feel 'younger' than ever.
Kudos to TCM for making necessary changes to keep this great network looking fresh.