Thursday, April 25, 2013

Prospect Park: 'Our Competition Isn't GENERAL HOSPITAL. It’s The Primetime Soaps On Hulu'

Variety has posted a new story on the return of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE which features several interesting tidbits of information, including quotes from Prospect Park's Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz.  Check out a few excerpts below:

On production costs:
Yes, production costs are cheaper north of Gotham, but only slightly: Connecticut Film Center’s Stamford facility rents for about 10% less per square foot than comparable New York studio spaces, according to CFC managing director Bruce Heller.

The real Connecticut attraction is the tax break, Frank said. The state offers a 30% tax credit for production costs, above and below the line. New York, by contrast, extends a 30% credit for below-the-line costs only.
On working cheaper and AMC/OLTL's competition:
The recurring question from prospective financiers, Kwatinetz said, was: “ABC has smart people. What do you think you can do better?”

The answer: Not only work faster and cheaper than traditional nets on the production side, but keep more ad and distribution dollars for themselves on the backend.

On the Internet, the soaps will face a different kind of battle for viewers. Kwatinetz is emphasizing story and production values — within budget — because he knows his shows will be competing among thousands of selections available at a mouse click or finger-tap.

“Our competition isn’t GENERAL HOSPITAL,” he maintained. “It’s the primetime soaps on Hulu. It’s, ‘Do I want to watch this, or Jon Stewart?’ ”
On union agreements and actor/crew pay:
Prospect Park worked out deals last December with the unions — SAG-AFTRA, DGA and WGA. Terms of those agreements aren’t public. In general, they give the producers more flexibility. For example, actors are paid per day, rather than per episode under previous guild contracts. With the accelerated production sked, that means if, say, an actor works on five episodes in one day, net pay is much less.

Kwatinetz acknowledged Prospect Park is paying somewhat less to the soaps’ cast and crew. But, he said, “It’s not like we’re paying people one-third what they’d get in New York.”

1 comment:

  1. Having watched House of Cards when it debuted on Netflix, I knew instantaneously that it would be a watershed moment in Internet based film/TV history. I just didn't know how far reaching it would be in the entertainment industry. Reading that Vanity Fair article and hearing PP cite House of Cards as influencing their decision is truly proof of how much that series has changed a lot of perceptions of what entertainment delivered through online streaming could mean. It is not just cat videos and web cam style anymore. It can be high brow, high production values and rich in storytelling and entertainment values. And it can be be a viable revenue stream for the ad placement. Just wait until the general streaming quality and Internet speeds elevate!

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