Apple's well-known secrecy causing strife with Hollywood producers

Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2019
Apple's secrecy is once more causing unease with Hollywood regulars, who are griping about a lack of details regarding launch and marketing plans for the imminent TV service announcement.

Apple TV
Apple TV


A report out of The New York Times has highlighted once more the culture clash that has happened as a tech company delves into Hollywood. The video production business, unlike the development of Apple's latest iPhone, is a bit more open. Actors get snatched up, directors come aboard the next big film, and writers get overall deals tied to studios.

As a result, video production is a far more public affair as the talent comes off the market. Content gets announced months, or years before it ever hits a screen, as trailers and sneak peeks are iteratively released upon the masses to inflate hype.

Conversely, Apple's development cycle is as tight-lipped as it gets, with news only officially coming out at the last possible second. According to the report, this is inducing confusion and dismay within Apple's video production team. Producers are being kept in the dark as far as when or how their content will be released -- let alone the marketing plans.

The most an insider said they could get from Apple when pressing them on launch plans is that the show will debut "later this year, probably fall," which echoes earlier reports that pegged that timeframe.

At the same time, Apple is being non-responsive regarding launch plans, it is also being overly involved in the use of Apple products within the shows, or as one person involved put it, "squeamish." Apple reportedly also wants to be exactly sure how technology is portrayed, and that their devices are being shown in the best light.

Apple allegedly also pushed back against Shyamalan's use of crucifixes within his new thriller, a point the company eventually conceded. There have been other reports regarding Apple's heavy hand in production, with Tim Cook telling them they need to be "less mean" earlier in the production process.

While the industry insiders cited in the report are unhappy with the amount of knowledge Apple has granted to them -- they are simultaneously leaking the little information they do know.

Apple is showing up as the streaming market has taken off in recent years, immediately playing catchup to Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Disney is also set to preview its new streaming service in the coming weeks, built out by its entire back-catalog of video content.

As many as 11 shows have already wrapped filming, with the potential to be previewed during Apple's upcoming March 25th event.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    Newsflash: there's a lot of drama in Hollywood.
    pulseimagesStrangeDaysDanManTXcornchipmacxpress
  • Reply 2 of 17
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    Apple I am waiting. Release the content.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    Apple needs to diversify it's business methods if it's going to succeed outside is core business. It will not be able to dictate or run everything the same in content as hardware and internally created software. They need to figure this out. Quickly. 
    minicoffeerogifan_new
  • Reply 4 of 17
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Newsflash: there's a lot of drama in Hollywood.
    That is exactly the issue, Hollywood wants to hype everything even before the work is done. No one stops going to the movie or binge watching shows because some new series is about to come out.

    This is another area where I am not sure how well Apple is going to do. The product is the content, Apple needs to decide are they going to be in the content creation or the platform for the content. All the other platforms are the backing behind the content but you do not hear much about them getting involved in the creation.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    So basically Apple is like every other studio/network. 
    pulseimagestenthousandthings
  • Reply 6 of 17
    genovellegenovelle Posts: 1,480member
    maestro64 said:
    Newsflash: there's a lot of drama in Hollywood.
    That is exactly the issue, Hollywood wants to hype everything even before the work is done. No one stops going to the movie or binge watching shows because some new series is about to come out.

    This is another area where I am not sure how well Apple is going to do. The product is the content, Apple needs to decide are they going to be in the content creation or the platform for the content. All the other platforms are the backing behind the content but you do not hear much about them getting involved in the creation.
    I also don’t hear about shows the other tech companies are doing a year in advance updated weekly. 
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 7 of 17
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    Apple needs to diversify it's business methods if it's going to succeed outside is core business. It will not be able to dictate or run everything the same in content as hardware and internally created software. They need to figure this out. Quickly. 
    Why quickly? Are they not still the best selling handset? Tablet? Smart watch? Wireless headphones? Most profitable PC maker? What is this urgency you’re referring to?
    cornchipurahara
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Personally I like it! I'm sick of going to, or sitting down to watch a movie and knowing everything about the movie because the studios have blabbed it all on line!! Lets put some surprise in watching movies or TV again!!!
  • Reply 9 of 17
    kruegdudekruegdude Posts: 340member
    Shouldn’t the streaming service from Apple be announced before those who are predisposed to getting bent out of shape get all bent out of shape about how Apple is secretive? 
  • Reply 10 of 17
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    Apple needs to diversify it's business methods if it's going to succeed outside is core business. It will not be able to dictate or run everything the same in content as hardware and internally created software. They need to figure this out. Quickly. 
    What makes you think they are going into this completely clueless. It's like you feel a need to panic,but don't actually know why?
  • Reply 11 of 17
    I’ll bet these people start getting better, more straightforward answers from Apple after the launch. It’s hard to imagine how Apple could really have answered these kinds of questions without revealing information about the launch. I don’t think it’s surprising at all that Apple didn’t trust them not to blab everything they know.
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 12 of 17
    jcs2305 said:
    Apple needs to diversify it's business methods if it's going to succeed outside is core business. It will not be able to dictate or run everything the same in content as hardware and internally created software. They need to figure this out. Quickly. 
    What makes you think they are going into this completely clueless. It's like you feel a need to panic,but don't actually know why?
    Not panicked at all. Apple is trying to diversify into services. Their business model isn't built for that. They don't seem to be making any changes to accommodate those differences. 

    The reason for quickly, is because Apple is behind in Services.  Content is bring everything pushed out by several vendors already who specialize in that area. Apple is trying to break in. 
  • Reply 13 of 17
    People like to comment Apple is behind and needs to hurry up in whatever market Apple happens to enter. Amazon didn’t have to hurry up even though it was behind Netflix and look at where Amazon is today. Google, Verizon hurried up and look at where they are compared to Amazon.

    On the strife of Hollywood producers, these people only keep their mouths shut about the sexual crimes they commit. Everything else they talk about. If Apple told any of them its launch and marketing plans, AI would write about it without hesitation. Because Apple chooses to be silent, AI writes about the sorrows of producers as if they are being hurt instead of as the blabber mouths they are.

    with that written, I can only hope Apple doesn’t leak its launch and marketing plans before the March 25th event.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    I think things will open up a bit after the service launches. Once everyone knows about it, new shows and content will be hyped/ kept secret as Hollywood is wont to do.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    This service has fail written all over it. Remind me again why Apple needs to be in the original content business?
  • Reply 16 of 17
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    This service has fail written all over it. Remind me again why Apple needs to be in the original content business?
    Because Steve was successful with Content outside of Apple so surely making content inside Steve’s baby must be vastly more successful.

    i seriously hope I’m just being flippant because that would really be the worst reason. 
    edited March 2019
  • Reply 17 of 17
    This service has fail written all over it. Remind me again why Apple needs to be in the original content business?
    Apple doesn't NEED to do anything.  The choose products and projects based on whether they believe can improve people's lives (and earn a 38% gross margin while doing so).  This seems like an odd direction to me, but no one complains about Netflix making their own programming and they are/were a media distribution company (as is Apple).
Sign In or Register to comment.