Television changed forever when streaming came along. We went from three or four national networks and a handful of local independent stations to an almost limitless supply of content. Netflix, Hulu, Prime and Paramount now produce movies that rival major studios and award-winning television programming. Traditional networks have been hard pressed to offer programming that competes.
One thing remains a challenge to all of these content producers; it is hard to be profitable. The broadcast and streaming movies are not the big screen productions they were only a couple of years ago. The televised series are now feeling the same pinch; witness the cancellation of Magnum PI and more recently NCIS Hawaii. Big setting shows, especially those with fixed expensive backdrops and locations are being cut, not because they didn’t attract an audience, but because they are expensive to produce.
Am I the only one who isn’t looking forward to one more show set in the mean streets of Chicago or New York? I’m not saying they aren’t well done. It’s just that to me, a beautiful, expansive setting in a location where the weather can change how characters behave becomes almost another critical protagonist or antagonist, adding depth. I love stories that take me to places I might never see, or places that the masses will never visit.
At the rate that electronic media is changing, it might not be too long before the only wild or beautiful setting available to the public will be found in a book. I love to explore the world, especially places that are true getaway locations. They are front and center in my books. I like to take readers to new places they might not even know exist, or are difficult to get to.
So, if you like to explore the world through reading, writers can take you there. We will give you just enough detail to create a vision and spark your imagination. Come explore the world of Rodger Carlyle, or the other extraordinary writers who aren’t bound by the economics of production settings.