A moment of silence, please, for the first casualty of the Fall 07 Network TV class. No longer will viewers be able to watch (on network TV) the CW’s ONLINE NATION. The user-generated content show just didn’t have enough heat behind it. Users weren’t watching, they were out generating, I guess. There wasn’t any sales incentive to keep the show on, so the fame of ONLINE NATION will forever be as the “first cancelled” of this years crop of shows.
I’m not a big believer in user-generated video. It is my sincere belief that there just aren’t that many Spielbergs out there. Not every high school can boast a Barry Sonnenfeld or a Tim Burton. Little Alfred Hitchcocks are not sitting on their Mac’s churning out the next “North by Northwest” via their Final Cut Pro. Before you get your knickers in a twist, I admit I know there are talented young and old video producers around, and it’s wonderful to see their work get a broader audience. But come on…why are professional producers relying on user generated video submissions, which is just another way to say amateur efforts? Sure, it costs next to nothing, if nothing at all. Chalk one up for the producers’ bottom lines.
I find most user-generated video akin to sitting and watching my Aunt Margaret’s video of her vacation to Greece. Or those second grade movies about a subject that nobody has any memory of whatsoever.
I see TV’s focus on user generated video to reach its zenith in AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS. And even then, judicious editing, mixing and producing by professionals are needed. Looking into my crystal ball, I predict user generated video shows to be the CB radio of our time. Don’t remember CB radio? My point exactly.
Tags: , Alfred Hitchcock, America's Funniest Home Videos, Barry Sonnenfeld, Steven Spielberg, The CW, Tim Burton
