Tag: Disney

Subscription Model Mayhem

Subscription Model Mayhem

Written by Kevin Flors

This piece is OPINION based and speculative

I think its quite easy to say that subscription models are invading the way we consume media today. And with the upcoming release of many more subscription services in the coming months — Disney+, Google Stadia, NBC Peacock, and most recently Mario Kart Tour (a SINGLE mobile game played on phones) — it is safe to say that most consumers are starting to feel overwhelmed by monthly payments, not to mention monthly bills for utilities and services. What is the effect these subscription models have now and how will it affect media in the future?

 

The first word that comes to mind with subscription services: “exclusivity.” The power in offering a piece of media everyone talks about only available on your platform is bound to provide great profits. And especially with all the talent and money that goes into creating these “must-see” shows or movies, traditional cable is struggling to compete. Network channels seldom strike gold with limited budget and talent moving to these platforms offering more money and outlets for success. At the same time, however, it is almost impossible nowadays to watch all of these “must-watch” shows in no small part to the many distinct services providing them. Sure, you can jump free trial to free trial just to try and see the shows, but then another show will come up and you’ll be shit out of luck or money.

 

The most telling sign of things to come from subscription service has to be the Peacock, NBC’s own subscription service that is being advertised as “the only place to watch ‘The Office.'” This concerns me because if this subscription service is used mainly to watch one show, then what’s stopping other timeless, extensive shows or media from doing the same, especially if this is successful? And yes, I know the service has other shows and movies on it, but the point still stands in that we might be fast approaching a media world that is blocked by subscription walls and monthly payments.

 

Another telling sign of this, one may be more egregious then most, is the new app Mario Kart Tour, a mobile game that offers a monthly subscription for special features, in-game items, and challenges. All of this might seem harmless, but it’s important to realize that this is for ONE of the thousands of games on the app store (which now also houses its own subscription service). Mobile games have been doing this for years, but the subscriptions themselves have evolved from simply providing ad-free experiences to this, a subscription that blocks features and items in the app that impacts the experience and playability of the app. It is with bated breath I wait for the results of this and how it may transfer to other media forms.

 

Is it too out of left field to see legacy shows like “The Simpsons” or “The Office” hold their own in-house subscription services to watch their shows? The demand surely points to this being an expensive possibility. The thing that brought subscription services in media to the forefront is the curation of content seldom seen from traditional cable service. If this content requires furthered curation, for what would be a lower price individually, then it’s not a leap to say that shows with extensive enough catalogs wouldn’t look into a small monthly fee for their media. And yes, Disney is congregating its content into one platform, but Disney’s content came from a broader distributor of media (cable), so who’s to say major franchises like Marvel and Star Wars won’t birth new subscriptions from Disney’s service?

 

Disney and Why it is the Best Thing to Happen to the Star Wars Franchise

Disney and Why it is the Best Thing to Happen to the Star Wars Franchise

Disclaimer: This post WILL contain minor spoilers to both Rogue One and Episode VII: The Force Awakens. If you have not seen either of these movies (and you plan to), then I highly recommend you do that, for I might set unwanted expectations and/or cause you to make inferences in either plot. I also will spoil some of the episodes of past Star War films, so please be aware.

 

I will admit that I am no movie expert. I will also admit that I am no hyper-genius on the Star Wars films. Hell, I’ve only seen five of the eight films in there entirety (Episodes Two and Five I have not even started and Episode Four I have seen about an hour of spread out scenes). Yet, I will admit that Rogue One is the best I have seen the Star Wars franchise be.

I went to see Rogue One in theaters just yesterday and it really was a great film. The director, writer, and the entire production crew were super daring in making the movie. Think about it, a Star Wars movie without Han or Leah or Luke or even Obi Wan playing a key role is absurd, especially because the movie takes place between the events of Episode III and IV. In fact, all the main characters, and even the minor characters, were completely new. And the fact that I could care for all these characters in one movie whereas it took Lucas about three for each character is well deserving of praise.

No offense to Lucas, though. Without his mind, none of these movies would even exist. However, Disney has greatly expanded on the franchise and has branched out to new skies. The main difference between Lucas and Abrams is that in the newer movies, Abrams and his production crew create characters that I care for. To me, all the characters Lucas and his production crew made are static, with the exceptions of Luke and Anakin. In the newer movies, I care for Rey and Finn and Jyn and everybody else.

I feel like this idea in Star Wars is true throughout all Disney movies. When has there been a movie with Disney stamped to it that hasn’t been emotional in some way? Never, at least when referring to the modern mogul that is Disney. Some may think this is wrong to consistently create movies that all are successful in part to emotional events, however I think it is just a sign of good writing.

The fact is, any great piece of writing, whether in script, novel, or media, needs to reconnect with the audience in some way. And the easiest and most successful way to do this is the way Disney does; through emotional appeal. Not only does Disney do this in all their movies, but they do it to perfection. For example, in Disney and Pixar’s UP, the movie starts with a flashback to an older couple’s youth. The movie goes through a timeline of their life and at the end, the wife dies at an old age. The rest of the movie is about how the old man wants to journey to go to his wife’s dream home.We can all connect to death and many of us can also connect to doing something special because of a loved one. Because of this, we are immediately engaged in the rest of the movie.

The same emotion is in Rogue One, with a plethora of scenes that are moving. Its almost as if it is a melodrama or even Shakespearean tragedy within a sci-fi action flick. It is something that is rarely seen (at least with my limited movie knowledge) and deserves praise. Lucas and his films were a different genre entirely. They were not “Disnified” sci-fi action films. They’re just sci-fi action films and that is liked more by others. I am not one of those others.

Thanks for reading and SERIOUSLY watch Rogue One. It may not be award-winning, but it really is an enjoyable experience that I highly recommend to everyone. Song

Images from Pexels and edited poorly by myself