A new article by Frank Rose at Wired.com reckons “Hollywood
has finally figured out how to make web video pay.” In the spotlight is a new
production for nbc.com, “Gemini Division.” The elements are pretty familiar:
woman in jeopardy in a sci-fi thriller plot. The star is Rosario Dawson (“Sin
City”). The short trailer shows lots of intense frowning people, a few
explosions, and guns pointing in various directions.
One difference is the budget: $1.75 million or so for three 50-minute episodes (on network tv, the budget would be two to three times that for a show without big names). A lot of the money is coming from product placement. The director, Stan Rogow, calls it “a self-financing marketing vehicle.”
Another is the writing. “Gemini Division” chief writer Brent Friedman compares it to writing for interactive games:"When the story begins, you're in-world — you have a gun, all hell is breaking loose, and your job as a player is to stay alive and figure out where you are.” He’s using the same strategy with this show: "We're starting every episode with Anna on the run," Friedman says. "She's already in the second act — the part where everything goes wrong."
There will also be an interactive component on the website where viewers can get additional information and users who are recruited as secret agents will be able to talk to each other via webcam.
Is it really a departure? Rogow says they want to do what television can’t do. From this account I’d say they’re not that far off what shows like “24” have done successfully already—but time will tell.
(screenshot courtesy Electric Farm)
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