greg said...
Note: we do not currently have verification this this comment came from Greg Goodfried. Perhaps it should be posted on insideLG15 since that if the official LG15 blog.
In response to Update - LG15: The Show Is Yours
greg said...
Hey everyone,
We understand that many of you are disappointed and so are we. But please understand that we did not mean for this to happen. When we created the pilot process we did not mention anything about financing the pilots.
We imagined that you, the community, would submit shows like lonefox, the facility, the coalition . . . shows that many of you are already doing for fun as a creative outlet in your spare time. We never imagined that at any time any applicants would be "giving up their day job" or produce a show that would take up their whole life. We imagined this as something that many of the talented creators in this community were already doing in their spare time, after school, or on the weekend and that your production teams would be made up of family and friends (just like we were in the beginning).
We only asked for two videos per week (16 total) because we knew from experience that this could be done over a couple of weekends. This was never intended to be a full time job/commitment for the TSIY winning producer.
When we saw The Misfits, we expected that they got the actors and other friends to participate for the exposure. We expected that they would take a couple weekends and shoot a bunch of videos - just like we used to in the early days.
We never expected to be asked for money as we never promised giving money for the productions.
I think that all of the other pilot contestants did not think they were getting financing. If I am wrong, I apologize, but we were NEVER asked by any of the entrants if we would finance any of the shows. I know for a fact that LG15: The Last didn't expect financing. We tried to set up a cool experience for producers who before TSIY were making shows without any promotion. We wanted to take one of these shows, or a new show, and give it great promotion.
If it will help mend wounds, I would be happy to do a live chat with everyone and answer as many questions as you have.
The last thing we want is to upset anyone.
Also, with all that being said, we are REALLY excited to watch LG15: The Last and we hope that you will support them as much as you would have supported The Misfits.
Thanks
Greg
Greg said...
OK. Tomorrow at 4 pm Pacific time on stickcam.
Please collect any questions you guys may have and I'll answer everything I can.
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jamaica
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
Maldives
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sudan
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands, U.S.
Posts
Thanks, Greg.
ReplyDeletew00t.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I am hear to talk for a while. I will also do a live video chat this week if you guys want.
ReplyDeleteare you gonna... y'know....show up this time??
ReplyDeleteGreg - I would really like this. I think we need something like that to clear things up and answer questions straight forward.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the post!
Thanks for the post, Greg...I just think all of this was an unfortunate misunderstanding.
ReplyDeletelawlz Greg...you REALLY need to hire a press secretary over there some day :P
ReplyDeleteI think the video-chat would be appreciated by a lot of us, yes.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people WERE under the assumption that there would be a cash "prize" or at least moderate funding for their series. Also I would like to point out a lot of people had an issue with the fact that EQAL would be getting some more web-traffic, and thus more revenue, by the TSiY winner.
I think you need to address this, Greg.
*Scores brownie points for predicting the staple 'REALLY excited' line*
ReplyDeleteOK. Tomorrow at 4 pm Pacific time on stickcam.
ReplyDeletePlease collect any questions you guys may have and I'll answer everything I can.
I think open chats have been a massive failure in the past. I think we need something where there can be some semblance of order and a very clear agenda set by the community if a chat is going to be effective.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people were pumped for The Misfits, but agreeingly it would have been irrelevant considering they would have been working on their own terms, schedules, ect. and not Equal's. The company was only there for guidance in the process of production and showcasing their work on THEIR site.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that there is a lot of work that goes into making something this big, but on a more obligated side, it's really quite a difficult situation for someone to expect their previous financial restitution when they're not working directly for the company, Equal. (This was a contest. They weren't looking to hire someone to work for them.)
Either way, I think they should still try do it, or at least make a few videos every now and again, not just leave us with an LG15 style cliffhanger that more than likely will never solve the ending.
Perhaps a charity can be set up to save the Misfits? How much exactly would they need? Because I'm sure more than a few would donate. I'd say that if every ACTIVE member of lg15.com donated $1 we'd be close to the $1,000 mark.
Perhaps, just perhaps.
MM, I would rather do this open in the public and let whoever wants to ask questions ask them. If you would like to gather a list of questions, I can start my chat off by specifically addressing 10 questions from the community about TSIY. Can't guarantee I will answer all of them, but I will do my best.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, Greg, you went out of your way to basically stab the Misfits in the back and say "oh they were asking for money."
ReplyDeleteAll you could've done was simply cite "creative differences." Yet you felt the need to talk down to them.
Yea anyone who has a question can just add it here or you can start a thread on insideLG15 or LG15.com. I am just saying that for a chat to be effective it needs a little structure because you know you are all very popular and the discussions tend to get off track. So what is exactly that you want to accomplish by this chat that you have not already stated?
ReplyDeleteAlso IRC tends to me more effective for an organized chat. We do not need to see anyone. What we need is a productive discucssion. Don't you agree?
I have to agree with Anon 9:52...yeah, that was pretty wrong Greg. This could have been handled so much more sensitively. That statement was harsh and unfair to them. Are you going to let them tell their side of this?
ReplyDeleteNaw...stickam, man...that way we can record his expressions and send it to the guy on Lie to Me* to see what's bullshit and what's not.
ReplyDeleteAll I want to accomplish is 1) for people not to be mad at us or feel like we let them down/abandoned the community and 2) for people to support LG15: The Last and all other TSIY shows we do in the future. This community is really important to us and I don't want to see it divided.
ReplyDeleteI feel that looking into the camera and answering questions may help further those two goals.
If we just came out with a statement saying "we aren't doing The Misfits," everyone would have killed us and said that we never communicate with the community. I can't imagine what KillMrstheSmiley would have had to say!
ReplyDeleteWe didn't do anything wrong and felt it was only fair to explain what happened. Usually we can't talk about things for legal issues. This was not one of those cases. We do not have an NDA with The Misfits, they can say whatever they want.
Also, it is important for me to say that we really like Jenni and Logan. I saw them at an event the night they were chosen and couldn't wait to congratulate them. They are good people and talented producers/directors/actors. I wish things didn't turn out this way, but that is life. I just wanted to explain what went down and I didn't want people upset at us when they heard that The Misfits wasn't happening. I don't want people upset at Jenni or Logan either. I just want people to understand that the show wasn't happening and to know why.
"We didn't do anything wrong"
ReplyDeletebut surely they are lessons learned.
What a horrible way to say it. Whoever wrote the note about the situation obviously were trying to spitefully break down the Misfits and attempt to turn the community against them. You could have simply stated that there were misunderstandings on both sides instead of seeming to place all the blame on The Misfits and trying to save your own asses. How juvenile
ReplyDeleteI'll always agree with milowent. Definitely lessons to be learned.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chipin.com/
ReplyDeleteIf we're collecting money, then The Misfits needs a title change and to start their own franchise. Cause god knows if they started making money, EQAL would send the legal hammer down lickity-split.
ReplyDelete"All I want to accomplish is 1) for people not to be mad at us or feel like we let them down/abandoned the community and 2) for people to support LG15: The Last and all other TSIY shows we do in the future. This community is really important to us and I don't want to see it divided. "
ReplyDeleteIf that is your goal then Stickam would be effective. However, you may want to consider that the main problem has always been a lack of dialogue between the c and the community. I think we all want to play on a level playing field but for that to happen there needs to be open and honest communication where we can at least have our say in how projects are conducted. You don't need to implement community plans but you would most likely learn a great deal by actually listening.
So if you want a really productive discussion you might want to put a little thought into the format and organization. Just saying. But in the end it is your company and I respect that you get to run it how you choose. We are just trying to help,
^Ironically
ReplyDeleteNah, nah, MM. Use stickam. I wanna record this sucker. It's gonna make one heck of a youtube video.
ReplyDeletemodelmotion:
ReplyDeletethese people have actual jobs, and families and lives.
you, and the members of this community are fans of a show.
you aren't the c's friends. they dont need to answer to you.
where does this feeling of entitlement when it comes to EQAL's time and attention come from?
how unrealistic, naive and self-important you sound.
its a symbiotic relationship, anon. the c's need the fans.
ReplyDeleteok milowent.
ReplyDeletebut please give me one example of any show in any medium where the fans expect the production team to answer to them?
i think some don't exactly think they are just "fans".
this is ridiculous.
"All I want to accomplish is 1) for people not to be mad at us or feel like we let them down/abandoned the community"
ReplyDeleteMassive fail. We are already mad at you and let down and nothing you say on Stickam will change that.
I know of at least one person who raised questions publicly about $$ who received very misleading private communication regarding money fro EQAL. And anyway, who does a contest without saying what the prize is? Amateurs, that's who. These amateurs have milked a living out of this thing for long enough.
10:38 anon...
ReplyDeleteThe point of EQAL is that their production team is formed around the CORE idea that they are "...redefining the way we interact with content and with each other..."
"...we are launching new interactive shows and building online communities that engage users like never before...We believe that the community is just as important as the content we create. With this as our blueprint, we construct interactive shows that transform passive viewers into active participants."
So, to answer your question, they set their own standard, and we're holding them accountable.
What's 'ridiculous' is that you're being a total douche bag and acting like a jerk.
Our demands are nothing more than what EQAL claims they are all about...which is providing a transparent system where they can interact with fans and remove that classic "any old medium" barrier.
"but please give me one example of any show in any medium where the fans expect the production team to answer to them?"
ReplyDeleteyoutube comments for tons of youtube shows/vloggers. looking from the TV side, though, i agree, not so much.
----
"I know of at least one person who raised questions publicly about $$ who received very misleading private communication regarding money fro EQAL."
publish or perish, anon!
Anon at 10:48, I know just who you're talking about...and it makes me even more upset with EQAL's business ethics.
ReplyDelete"how unrealistic, naive and self-important you sound."
ReplyDeletethank you
uw
L.O.V.E.
10:54 Anon:
ReplyDeleteHow are you equating an interactive show and an online community to the production team having to explain their production decisions? They have nothing to do with one another.
The SHOW is interactive. The COMMUNITY interacts with the SHOW and each other. I don't see anything in what you've c&p'd saying that EQAL's standard makes them accountable for ANYTHING outside the parameters of the SHOW. That they have coddled some in the past has led some to think they are entitled to something to which they simply are not.
As for your name calling, well, anyone capable of making the insipid statements you have would be expected, i guess, to further prove they are a child.
modelmotion:
ReplyDeletethese people have a business. they have different projects, some taking them overseas. they have schedules and deadlines and production meetings and staff. amanda, who has always been the most "available" to this community, is pregnant, which depending on how she's feeling would limit her time at the computer.
what you want IS unrealistic.
to expect it IS naive.
as someone looking at the big picture and giving these people the respect of actually being PEOPLE and not bots, it does sound self-important of you and some members of this community to feel they are entitled to more from these people.
L.O.V.E. as you've coined, is an all-way street. And the C's are getting the shaft here. They are people who are not obligated to explain themselves to anyone on this blog.
I am glad you are willing to clear this matter up.
ReplyDeleteJust don't let everyone talk at once and answer from a list of questions so that questions don't go off topic.
It would also be good if The Misfits answered some questions after this, getting both sides of the story is the best thing to do.
Perhaps they could host a chat either on stickcam or irc.
I can understand how misunderstandings happen. What I can't understand is why the blog was written in such an emotional mean-spirited manner. What you're saying now is a lot nice and much closer to what should have been said in the original entry.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if my advice will be heeded, but you need to reconsider some of your PR decisions (ie, that blog) which add fuel to the drama-fire.
Everything else I'll wait to see what the different parties say.
" They are people who are not obligated to explain themselves to anyone on this blog."
ReplyDeleteAnon,
I have always said i totally respect Eqal's right to make what some may consider misguided decisions. They have no obligation to listen or discuss. They do so of their own free will. What they do is their choice to make. However we do give them feedback and at times they turn to the community for support. That support is a two way street and how they respond to the interests of the community has a large impact on how the community respond to their needs.
Any business knows that you listen to your customers. We may not pay with our money, but we sure do pay with our time and attention......... and if u want to know what that is worth just look at the stock valuation of Google. So if Eqal chooses to ignore feedback from the community that is totally their choice to make.
However the opinion you express is not the opinion of the creators who i think have always welcomed feedback even if they only listen to the opinions that support their pre-conceived notions. Many times we have asked for effective dialogue. I believe a couple of times it has even taken place but for the most part they have fallen short of expectations but it is not for the want of our efforts to reach out and guide them in a more productive community direction.
For example when your fans organize a world wide boycott that reduces traffic on the comments board by 80 percent for 5 days you clearly have a major problem. We never did get an effective resolution to that and in fact one of the issues was the "concept of characters posting" on comments which while they stated categorically could not be done is now done on a regular basis. We did not make demands. We simply asked to sit down at the table and express our opinions of how LG15 could work better from a fans perspective. You ignore that sort of advice at your own risk.
In fact the lack of dialogue led to the effective destruction of the first generation of commenters. Very sad. Only a few of us still remain and you wonder why.
meep
long live the 436!
I want to hear from the guys running The Misfits. If they needed money to do this project they should have made sure ahead of time they were going to get the amount they needed.
ReplyDeleteThis makes no sense to me.