In recent years, I have had countless conversations with talented people in the TV production business about what I typically refer to as “guerrilla commissioning”.
In simple terms, it’s a kind of DIY alternative to the tired, time consuming methods of commissioner-led decision-making that have dominated the content creation industry for so long. At its heart is the notion that you don’t have to wait around for the exec in the high castle to give your idea the thumbs up or thumbs down. You can just make your show for social platforms – and let the audience be the judge. For a long time, the biggest opposition to this idea was the financial viability of going it alone. But with YouTube now sharing around $20bn per annum with content creators, it really feels like the digital-first economy is developing at pace; and that the need for and co-dependence with traditional TV networks is fading.
I’m not suggesting traditional TV is going anywhere. It has so much stacked in its favour that it will continue to deliver premium, must watch programming for many more years. However, the rise of the digital-first economy has allowed entrepreneurial creators to dismantle the traditional barriers to production. It has changed the rules about who decides if our ideas are any good and whether they should be produced. At the same time, it is forcing the industry to scrutinise the wasteful process that many of us have had to put up with during our careers. So much time is spent developing ideas that never come to fruition. This is a problem that’s existed for several years and still continues – as I can attest from personal experience.
Not long ago I had a personal passion project in development with a prominent network. The idea needed refining to suit their requirements (all unpaid of course). After 15 months, several calls, meetings in both London and New York, redrafts, plus many ignored emails, the idea was passed on… Like many others, I aired my frustrations and then had to move on. But it shouldn’t be this way – and now because of digital first platforms there’s a new path.
The rise of digital-first shows, willing brands and next generation studios that have no burning interest in producing for TV, has meant more self-sufficiency and the ability to make decisions without waiting for the elusive green light. While a lot of credit for this sea change goes to the new platforms, it also helps that the people behind this shift are so dynamic and innovative. The emerging generation of creators is clear about what their fans want to watch, and don’t require the validation of someone at a network. They aren’t waiting months and months for a faceless exec to decide their fate. They are impatient – but that is not a criticism. What it means is that they take the bull by the horns, placing their destiny in their own hands rather.
I know what you’re thinking. Surely if it were that easy everyone would be doing it? Well, to a certain extent this is exactly what is happening – you just need to look at the sheer volume of new content landing on social platforms, some of it highly professional. For content creators, it has become relatively straightforward to take what they are good at, add a bit of personal branding, and let both do the talking as they build fandom. As a result, I can hear the cogs of the TV production sector beginning to crank into gear – finding new models that suit the digital first ecosystem.
Of course, it has to be stressed that this new sector isn’t about uploading existing content to YouTube and expecting a second, bonus revenue to start flooding in. But for companies and creators that find a niche and take the time to build a studio with a clear understanding of what it is they offer, their destiny really is in their own hands. Companies such as Afterparty Studios, Cowshed Collective and Strong Watch Studios have shown what can be done with a digital only mindset and strategy, succeeding through unique offerings, smart partnerships and quick production turnaround.
At Quintus Studios, we have also hit on a winning formula by acquiring and commissioning long-form documentaries for our YouTube channel networks. But it has taken several years for us to reach this stage and it was far from an overnight success. The great thing we have learned is that is we can make swift, data driven (but human made!) decisions. We upload content within a matter of weeks (if not days) and if it works, we make or acquire more of the same. This was the case with our Quintus Original film ‘Enter At Your Own Risk’. A huge success, this has achieved 1.5m views since it was published three weeks ago and we are now looking to produce a series that we can put on our YouTube channels and also sell to television broadcasters.
This is perhaps the biggest irony about the way the content business is going. If you bypass the content gatekeepers and create a successful franchise or format, then chances are your production is going to end up being shown on television anyway. There’s nothing a commissioner likes more than risk free, proven programming!
Adam Jacobs is Creative Director at Quintus Studios
