Calling all Independent Producers: Evolve or Die?

We're all witnessing the free fall of print.  For example yesterday I received (at my doorstep) yellow page phone books.  I picked them up and dumped them directly in my recycling bin.  My friends and I laugh, we haven't looked inside a phone book in years.   The google/twitter generation.  My wife and I still get the NY Times hardcopy on the weekends.  These days are numbered too as my iPhone NY Time web app does the trick more and more.  (Love the NY Times magazine in my hand with a cup of green tea though!!!)

From broadcasting to narrow casting.  The writing is on the wall and niche programming is well underway.  How long do TV programming executive (the broadcast gate keepers) have until their jobs are extinct?  Will they ever be extinct?  What do you think?

As viewers are given more and more options to make choices.  Is there a such thing as too many choices?  Channel choice overload?  

How does so much programming increase the demand for cheaper and cheaper programming? And how does this erosion of $/min. cut into our pockets (i.e., rates, series deals) as indie/freelance producers?  I hear more and more about production companies hiring "green" producers over more seasoned and train producers.  Does this come to bite them in the long run?  With high turn-over, less usable material, mess ups in the field that cost $$ in post.  Or is this practice paying off and putting more cash in the PC pockets/profits?

When will we see the day when there's a channel targeted at 11 year old girls interested in science?  11y G Science - Channel 756.    It's coming.....as the Saturday morning cartoons grew up with are long, long, long gone.  Now it's weekend morning dance lessons, soccer games and birthday swim parties.

What's next for television and the independent producer?  How do we evolve with the times?What skills do I/you need to develop? And how do we evolve ourselves and not water down our offer to the world?  Who do we pitch too?  How do we get our project/idea viewed by the masses?  What skills are transferable to mobile media creation, to new media production, etc.?

 I've prided myself in being able to do multiple tasks mostly well.  Produce, write, direct, (sometimes shoot) and edit.  Also create some graphics, websites, etc.  I don't do it all (and don't want to) but my avid/final cut editing skill has pulled me through some slow times over the last 10 years as a freelancer and production company owner.  

How many different crafts can we do and...... maintain our integrity and quality of work (and sanity)?  If you check out cynopsis.com's e-newsletter
 http://tr.im/cj6n

You'll see many intern ads and "situations wanted" ads posted by producers.  I post one there from time to time.  So many of us offer basically the same skill sets and credits, etc.  How do we make our offer stand out and reflect the reality of our many earned hours in the business?  

Or better yet how do we join together and form a powerful circle of well oiled craft-driven producers?

How do we indie/freelance producers survive and thrive in these uncertain times?  

I know I pose a lot of questions here.  Ones I think about and talk with colleagues about often.  Hope this blog made you think a bit more.  If you have any questions, ideas, comments, or collaborations feel free to post your comments here.

Cheers!

Alan

Alan C. Grazioso
independent producer, editor and consultant
Boston, MA USA

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