Table of Contents
Hollywood might be reasonably pissed at HBO’s max plan releasing movies streaming them on the box, but its sensible decision made keeping in mind the Covid times. In times when everything is digitized, the media world has a lot to think about and transform their outlook towards how entertainment is showcased. On average, every country navigates the internet on the mobile, and the demand for watching movies in the theaters could diminish in times to come as virtual reality, A.I, and OTT platforms are going to take over.
HBO’s max plan is far-sighted, especially, when there is no definite deadline as to when the Covid times will end. HBO’s max plan is a delight for many viewers across the world. What would you do during a lockdown that seems to be never-ending? Binge on movies, sitcoms, and super bowl matches. Why not new releases? Wouldn’t that bring more traffic to the streaming channels from across the globe?
When new releases are accessible on audience devices, sitting at the comfort of their homes, watching it with happiness on their devices, isn’t that good news already? Those worried about cutting down their paychecks, what do you have to spend on during Covid times except staying healthy and safe.
The Payroll System In Films And The Covid Times
The entire system needs restructuring, given the fact how most of the artists are paid abysmally or not paid at all. Talent does not come for free. Warner Bros known for its talent-friendly ethos seems to have taken this decision given the covid times. Production houses suffer the most because of the lack of structure and policies in the payment system.
Hollywood has a reasonable right to be pissed, but there is another side to it. Isn’t the film and television industry’s ambiguity about payment and the dependence of the success or failure of films/shows to pay producers, artists, the crew is insufferable. Talking of paychecks, people in every industry get their paychecks at the end of every month. Whether a film or a show succeeds at the box office, or gets TRPs or not, artists, crew, need to be paid for their hard work and hours of dedication put in, Period!
You work, You Get Paid! Why is it different in the film and television industry when everybody puts in more hours of work than an average Joe and the arrival of paychecks is an uncertainty? Most of the artists suffer in silence for the shame of not being able to talk about the lack of proper structure of a payment system. Should you be sent on a guilt trip because you stand up and talk about your rights?
Whether the hybrid plan stays for long or not, the payrolls and the paychecks must not be cut down to size and everybody gets paid as they would. Whether a movie does well at the box office or not, everybody must get paid as the work is done as box office is unpredictable and people involved in making a movie or a show do it for passion and make a living out of it.
This facade of making everyone wait to pay until the numbers come up is an insensitive and thoughtless attitude towards how people behind the scenes are treated. Why not talk of equal rights? The actors get their paychecks, sometimes not, why not the crew? Don’t they have a life and family to run? Hollywood and the media industry lose potential talent because most of the people cringe to join the industry given these issues, which are grave, scathing, and unattended.
There is a list of actors who make a sensible decision of taking up a side job given the lack of a structured payment system in the film industry. Isn’t it time to wake up and smell the coffee and do something about it? Make a change? Give the crew their paychecks as soon as the work is completed or have a system where everybody gets paid by the end of every month?
Simple isn’t it? Happiness for all. If this system is executed, everybody has less to worry about HBO’s Max Plan because they know they will be paid regardless of whether movies are streamed online or showcased in the theaters.
HBO’s Max Plans Same Day Release Is A Bad Idea
There is a good reason most of Hollywood is pissed at this decision. Though it comes as a delight to the audience, it does not do justice to the way everything functions on the inside of the industry. The plan is haphazard, and not well structured enough for everyone to have a win-win situation. It might seem like a safe bet during the Covid times but there needs to be an overhaul of how new releases are going to be streamed in times to come.
Big budget films, especially, the ones that are made for the big screen with CGI and special effects have a reason to be pissed. However, most of them are still missing the big picture, as the future of A.I in entertainment and the power of OTT platforms on the masses is going to diminish the experience of theatrical viewing.
The technology with which television sets are built today makes it worth watching at the comfort of home on the couch, and this is what masses prefer given a choice compared to going all the way to the theater battling traffic and fixing a schedule to do so.
In time to come, most of the people would prefer watching movies at the convenience of their homes with their families. This is good news for those who love to binge on movies; the comfort, and thrill it provides for the audience to watch a new release on a streaming channel.
HBO’s Max Plan – A Treat For Audience
Piracy has been an issue for long, why is it highlighted post HBO’s Max Plan? Why wasn’t this issue treated with the same gravity before like it is treated now? The film industry could be open to embracing the digital platforms as they are going to be the future. People are going to watch less on the traditional platforms and would prefer digital platforms in time to come because they are convenient, reasonably priced, available any time, anywhere.
Bonuses and Perks
Corporates come up with perks and bonuses for their employees when there is a profit. Why isn’t the same structure followed in the film industry? When the movie does well, the crew gets bonuses and perks as well. The sad plight is that most of the crew and artists have to wait for their paychecks for months together and fight for it. This is just sad. If the film industry starts following the corporate model of payroll systems, there is less for everyone to have a hue and cry.
