jason hirschhorn's thoughts

If I Could Have Just One Functionality From My Streaming Video Services, This Would Be It...

I watch a lot of television. I see a lot of movies. I listen to a lot of music.

Access to that content in a place-shifted and time-shifted world has only increased the amount I spend with media.

I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. I rent stuff off of iTunes. Use Amazon Instant Video's Prime Access.  I use tons of "TV Everywhere" apps from HBOGO to Showtime Anytime. I rarely buy (though looks like I'll be buying Thom Yorke stuff for a while), but then again, I believe we will live in a future of access not ownership.

Most of these products deliver their content via streaming

As my friend, Bob Lefsetz, recently said: "Streaming won."

Of course, streaming requires that you have a really fast mobile connection or wi-fi. And whether you believe it or not, we don't live in a completely wi-fi world yet. Data connections, while getting better, can be shotty depending on where you are: Try making a phone call or getting a data connection reliably on where I spend weekends, it will make you grind your molars. Oh, poor me, I know. #firstworldproblems.

That said, I love my tv, movies and music and want them when I want them.

My music service Spotify has a content sync functionality that deals with this issue. I choose the songs, playlists or albums I want synced offline, and when I'm taking my morning walk (where I think a lot and make mental lists of those that wronged me), the tracks don't cut out because of AT&T: "The nation’s fastest 4G LTE network. All backed by our 100% dedication to quality and service."

Simple. Easy. Totally useful.

I travel a lot. I am on a plane constantly. Gogo Inflight internet is great for e-mail, not awesome for web and non-existent for streaming media. It is getting better, but I have to download before I board to watch up in the air. Just one use case.

I want the ability to sync the movies or tv I want to watch within Netflix or Hulu (or any service) for mobile usage when I don't have good coverage or none at all. I would even pay extra if I had to. And don't give me content protection excuses. It's relatively simple.

When speaking to my friends at these services the answers are:

• Not worth it, mobile connections and wi-fi will get better before we can get rights
• Users have't asked for it
• Just another set of rights we need to get and it can be cost-prohibitive

And content guys?

• They can't stand rental
• Want us to buy more
• Haven't totally accepted the access economy as they speak of revenues past

Downloading is dying, "streaming won", and yet we are in a no man's land of not always being connected (at least for bandwidth hogging media).

"In a world" (say it in a movie trailer voice) where I have to watch live TV, use a DVR, multiple VOD services and my Slingbox to get all the video I want: if I could have just one functionality it would be offline syncing of selected video content.

So, Netlfix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon, Showtime and others, whaddya say?

- JH

My Sundance 2017 Hit list, So Far...

 

• The Big Sick/ U.S.A. (Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani) — Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher. World Premiere

• An Inconvenient Sequel / U.S.A.,— A riveting look at both the escalation of the crisis and how close we are to a real solution. Directed by Sundance Film Festival alumni Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk.

• Mudbound/ U.S.A. (Director: Dee Rees, Screenwriters: Virgil Williams, Dee Rees) — In the post–World War II South, two families are pitted against a barbaric social hierarchy and an unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the battle abroad. This epic pioneer story is about friendship, heritage and the unending struggle for and against the land. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund. World Premiere
• Wind River/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Taylor Sheridan) — An FBI agent teams with the town's veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that ocurred on a Native American reservation. Cast: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal. World Premiere

• A Ghost Story / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts. Cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke. World Premiere

• The Discovery/ U.S.A. (Director: Charlie McDowell, Screenwriters: Charlie McDowell, Justin Lader) — In a world where the afterlife has just been scientifically proven—resulting in millions of people taking their own lives to get there—comes this love story. Cast: Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough, Ron Canada. World Premiere

• The Little Hours/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena) — A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a dysfunctional convent in medieval Tuscany. Cast: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon. World 

• Trophy/ U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz, Co-Director: Christina Clusiau) — This in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities. World Premiere. (U.S. Documentary)

• Long Strange Trip/ U.S.A. (Director: Amir Bar-Lev) — The tale of The Grateful Dead is inspiring, complicated, and downright messy. A tribe of contrarians, they made art out of open-ended chaos and inadvertently achieved success on their own terms. Never-before-seen footage and interviews offer this unprecedented and unvarnished look at the life of the Dead. World Premiere

• Ingrid Goes West/ U.S.A. (Director: Matt Spicer, Screenwriters: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith) — A young woman becomes obsessed with an Instagram “influencer” and moves to Los Angeles to try and befriend her in real life. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen. World Premiere

• Patti Cake$/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Geremy Jasper) — Straight out of Jersey comes Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, an aspiring rapper fighting through a world of strip malls and strip clubs on an unlikely quest for glory. Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, Cathy Moriarty. World Premiere

• Roxanne Roxanne/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — The most feared battle MC in early-'80s NYC was a fierce teenager from the Queensbridge projects with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At age 14, hustling the streets to provide for her family, Roxanne Shanté was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend. Cast: Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Elvis Nolasco, Kevin Phillips, Shenell Edmonds. World Premiere

• Casting JonBenet/ U.S.A., Australia (Director: Kitty Green) — The unsolved death of six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey remains the world’s most sensational child murder case. Over 15 months, responses, reflections and performances were elicited from the Ramsey’s Colorado hometown community, creating a bold work of art from the collective memories and mythologies the crime inspired. World Premiere

• Chasing Coral/ U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. World Premiere. THE NEW CLIMATE

• City of Ghosts/ U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Heineman) — With unprecedented access, this documentary follows the extraordinary journey of "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently"—a group of anonymous citizen journalists who banded together after their homeland was overtaken by ISIS—as they risk their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today. World Premiere

• The Force/ U.S.A. (Director: Pete Nicks) — This cinema verité look at the long-troubled Oakland Police Department goes deep inside their struggles to confront federal demands for reform, a popular uprising following events in Ferguson and an explosive scandal. World Premiere

• ICARUS/ U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Fogel) — When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death and Olympic Gold—exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. World Premiere

• The New Radical/ U.S.A. (Director: Adam Bhala Lough) — Uncompromising millennial radicals from the United States and the United Kingdom attack the system through dangerous technological means, which evolves into a high-stakes game with world authorities in the midst of a dramatically changing political landscape. World Premiere

• Marjorie Prime/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Almereyda) — In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins. World Premiere

• NOBODY SPEAK: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press/ U.S.A. (Director: Brian Knappenberger) — The trial between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media pitted privacy rights against freedom of the press, and raised important questions about how big money can silence media. This film is an examination of the perils and duties of the free press in an age of inequality. World Premiere

• STEP/ U.S.A. (Director: Amanda Lipitz) — The senior year of a girls’ high school step team in inner-city Baltimore is documented, as they try to become the first in their families to attend college. The girls strive to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in their troubled city. World Premiere

• Whose Streets?/ U.S.A. (Director: Sabaah Folayan, Co-Director: Damon Davis) — A nonfiction account of the Ferguson uprising told by the people who lived it, this is an unflinching look at how the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown inspired a community to fight back—and sparked a global movement. World Premiere. DAY ONE

• Machines/ India, Germany, Finland (Director: Rahul Jain) — This intimate, observant portrayal of the rhythm of life and work in a gigantic textile factory in Gujarat, India, moves through the corridors and bowels of the enormously disorienting structure—taking the viewer on a journey of dehumanizing physical labor and intense hardship. North American Premiere.

• Last Men in Aleppo/ Denmark, Syria (Directors: Feras Fayyad, Steen Johannessen) — After five years of war in Syria, Aleppo’s remaining residents prepare themselves for a siege. Khalid, Subhi and Mahmoud, founding members of The White Helmets, have remained in the city to help their fellow citizens—and experience daily life, death, struggle and triumph in a city under fire. World Premiere

• RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World/ Canada (Directors: Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana) — This powerful documentary about the role of Native Americans in contemporary music history—featuring some of the greatest music stars of our time—exposes a critical missing chapter, revealing how indigenous musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives and, through their contributions, influenced popular culture. World Premiere

• Tokyo Idols/ United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Kyoko Miyake) — This exploration of Japan’s fascination with girl bands and their music follows an aspiring pop singer and her fans, delving into the cultural obsession with young female sexuality and the growing disconnect between men and women in hypermodern societies. World Premiere

• Gook/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Chon) — Eli and Daniel, two Korean American brothers who own a struggling women's shoe store, have an unlikely friendship with 11-year-old Kamilla. On the first day of the 1992 L.A. riots, the trio must defend their store—and contemplate the meaning of family, their personal dreams and the future. Cast: Justin Chon, Simone Baker, David So, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Ben Munoz. World Premiere

• A. Times/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Morgan) — In this classically styled comedy of manners set in Los Angeles, sophisticated thirtysomethings try to determine whether ideal happiness exists in coupledom or if the perfectly suited couple is actually just an urban myth. Cast: Michelle Morgan, Dree Hemingway, Jorma Taccone, Kentucker Audley, Margarita Levieva, Adam Shapiro. World Premiere

• 78/52/ U.S.A. (Director: Alexandre Philippe) — This is an unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the "man behind the curtain," and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. World Premiere

• The Incredible Jessica James/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Strouse) — Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot. Cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM

• Quest/ U.S.A. (Director: Jonathan Olshefski) — For over a decade, this portrait of a North Philadelphia family and the creative sanctuary offered by their home music studio was filmed with vérité intimacy. The family's 10-year journey is an illumination of race and class in America, and it's a testament to love, healing and hope. World Premiere

No Data For Old Media: A Fascinating Deficiency At Movie and TV Companies

We live in a data world. Exactitude vs sampling and demos. One thing I've noticed about film studios and television networks is their lack of data. More succinctly, the lack of a direct relationship with their audiences. 

They distribute their programming directly to cable companies or theathers. They sell tickets via sites like Fandango. DVDs, downloads and streaming are provided by the likes of Amazon, iTunes, Best Buy or Netflix. Consumer products sold by Toys R Us, Amazon and others. Everyone of these companies picking up lots of consumer data and email addresses that they do not share with the aforementioned industries (for the most part).

In most cases, studios and networks start from scratch each time they have new product that needs to reach their audiences.

From what I understand companies like Disney and News Corporation have initiatives afoot to pool data from all areas of their businesses. CRM systems are beginning to be implemented and used, but in general this is a massive hole that hurts their future.

A hole that needs to be pluged and built upon.

My Current List of Television Season Passes - @JasonHirschhorn

• 30 for 30
• 60 Minutes
• 60 Minutes Sports
• Almost Human
• Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown
• Austin City Limits
• Banshee
• Boardwalk Empire
• Burn Notice
• Californication
• Continuum
• Covert Affairs
• Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
• Falling Skies
• Frontline
• Frozen Planet
• Game of Thrones
• Girls
• Hello Ladies
• Homeland
• House of Lies
• Inside the American Mob
• Justified
• Later ... with Jools Holland
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Life's Too Short
• Live From Daryl's House
• Low Winter Sun
• Luther
• Mad Men
• Masterpiece Classic
• Masters of Sex
• Modern Family
• Orphan Black
• Ray Donovan
• REAL Sports With Bryant Gumbel
• Red Widow
• Revenge
• Revolution
• Saturday Night Live
• Scandal
• Shameless
• Sons of Anarchy
• Strike Back
• Strike Back: Origins
• Suits 
• The Americans
• The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet
• The Walking Dead
• The White Queen
• Under the Dome
• Veep
• VICE
• Vikings
• White Collar
• Witness

Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine on the importance of human creativity

“I think it’s really important, and it’s a lesson I didn’t learn until my late teens: Whatever bands that you love, go find out what bands they love, and what bands turned them on, and then you really start getting into the human aspect of it because the further back you go in time the less technology you had, and consequently the better records you had. There’s this incredible library of music thank god.”

    - Brad Wilk, Drummer - Rage Against The Machine.

        From the film Sound City

Gandolfini Was Beyond Words

"It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that and I know. But lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over." - Tony Soprano

If you read my newsletter, you know I love the current golden age of television. That all started with what I think is the greatest show ever, The Sopranos. A story that used the mafia to reflect on aspects of american life.

Actor James Gandolfini was the star of that show. A guy I saw well over 100 times in my neighborhood, TriBeCa, over the years. He lived there. Sadly he passed away yesterday.

I'm on my 6th time around watching the series in full. The creator, David Chase, is a clearly a genius. The acting and stories are phenomenal. But Gandolfini was beyond words. He could convey in a look, or a movement, in pure physicality what words can never get across. From rage to guilt to love to sympathy in one scene. Many say he was playing a version of himself or just a stereotype. No. That was pure talent and emotion. On par with the greatest artists, musicians and other exceptionals we so rarely see. Every nuance of that role was something special. Again, the show was about the mob, yes. But it also wasn't. It was about life, family, marriage, appetites, greed, guilt, happiness, good, evil, compromise, addiction and every human emotion that's part of all our experiences. I recommend that you watch it again at different periods of your life because you take different things away each time.

Even with all it had going for it - the actors, the scripts, and more - James Gandolfini took it to another level. He was a genius. Very sad to hear of his passing and my condolences go out to his family, friends and fans. We lost a truly unique and great one yesterday. - JH

Here is The Sopranos on HBO and his episode of Inside the Actors Studio:

 

"If you can quote the rules, then you can obey them." - Tony Soprano