elizalavelle | (no subject)

So, dear Warner and all other owners of Without a Trace. Thank you for not only increasing the lack of continuity this season, switching nights for next year and now banning videos on youtube. Way to lose your audience. You'd think that was their goal or something.

So, a few weeks ago I posed all of my music videos (all fan vids) up on youtube because it seemed like a great way to share them. And it was, that site is brilliant, and this is in NO way a rant about them.

I have had all but one of my WaT videos pulled for breaking copywright law. Which I'd sort of get if I could make sense of the videos Warner saw fit to leave on there. My vid for the season 1 finale is still up. That's the vid that actually contains footage that one can go and buy on DVD. That's the one I was most worried about putting up there, and it's still up.

Not only that but there are clips uploaded directly from the show that stayed up INCLUDING one of that teen sex party that got banned and had the network getting charged by the censors. This clip cost them how much money for being aired once and yet that is allowed to stay online.

I'd say it was the keywords or something that made it easy to find some videos and had some be impossible to find but no, the keywords are all virtually the same.

Mine weren't the only fanvids to go either, I've noticed that a lot of them have dropped off.

This also led me to ponder why only WaT had their vids taken down by Warner, I mean they own part of Veronica Mars, that show has WAY more fanvids on youtube, perhaps did that seem like too much work for them to go through and take down?

I also wonder DID NO NETWORK LEARN FROM FOX PULLING XFILES FANSITES?!?!?! Seriously, that's still looked at as one of the stupidest network mistakes when it comes to fans and yet networks are still pulling free advertising. And in this case it's not even consistant or explainable. I asked the youtube copywright people what was up with some videos staying up and offered to take my remaining WaT vid down and they said they only take down what Warner asks them to (or other corporations, it's just Warner in this case.) So I am left to conclude that either

A. Warner had very random reasoning for taking some vids down and leaving others up.

B. Someone at Warner was doing a very half assed job.

C. Whoever came up with this decision of pulling some fanvids was deeply stupid.

or D. All of the above (which I think is the most likely.)

absolutely silly is what it is, and also, the last straw for me with WaT, if they don't want support from fans I won't give it to them. At youtube I was getting comments from a few people that actually said things along the lines of "I found this because I really like the song but I think I'll try watching the show now"

HELLO CAUSE AND EFFECT, if the networks can't see that, I don't think it can be made any more clear.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I agree that D. pretty much fits as the best answer.

And it's yet more evidence that the Suits in Hollywood have absolutely no idea what's going on outside the rarified atmosphere of their little town.

It just boggles my mind. I mean with youtube people can watch things but no one is even able to download the material that's on there so it really is free advertising, but no, of course that must be banned :S

It's change. They're executives, they're big shots who are set in their ways, and they're afraid of all change, even if the change might be good for them. Heck, I'm afraid of change, too -- but I hope I'll recognize an opportunity when I see one.

All the networks feel this way, just like how all the record companies felt when downloading was becoming more prevalent (oh how I miss you, AudioGalaxy). But just like the record companies, some of the networks and production studios are coming around (even if slowly). Look at NBC, who recently signed a deal with YouTube to buy a certain amount of advertising on their website and launch certain shows/clips on the site. And they're using their own websites to give fans webisodes of The Office during the summer, and other exclusive footage. I also love how ABC was (or might still be for their summer shows) airing complete episodes for free on their website (with commercials, of course... they've got to make money). That's the way to do it!

But cutting down "fan videos" and the like? It's ridiculous. I can understand not wanting full episodes available (I mean, I'll still watch them/download them – in fact, I like downloading complete seasons of shows :P – but I can see their point of view for sure). But clearly stuff like fan videos, websites, etc. are just free advertising for their show.

The moving nights thing makes sense for CBS, actually. They've had a poor Sunday night line-up the last few years, but Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy have proven that Sundays can still get the ratings. And with Grey's moving to Thursdays, it freed up a big opportunity to make some money on Sunday nights. And personally, I'm happy, because Thursdays are busy enough with other shows, and now I have something to watch on Sunday nights.

Moving nights does make sense in a way but they haven't really told people about it yet, if you haven't made an effort to know what the schedule is next fall, you don't know. AND I think WaT does hold on to some of the CSI audience as viewers so I hope they have a decent lead in show on Sunday or else that's going to hurt them somewhat.

I can definitely see where Warner wouldn't want full episodes of their show available for download (although clearly that happens lol) but the point of youtube doesn't appear to be hosting for full shows, it's all about clips which is why it strikes me as random that it gets attacked often for copywrighted material.

I do like to hear that the networks are slowly coming around :)