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[Tuesday at NAB]
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CSI’s Zuiker Eyes Shift in Audience Behavior
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by Walter Schoenknecht,
~ April 15, 2008
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TV TECHNOLOGY
Anxious to secure the future of television in a multi-platform world, producer Anthony Zuiker has set himself a simple goal: “How do we take our content and make it last for a long time?”
The animated, outspoken creator of the “CSI” family of TV series kicked off the 2008 NAB Show Spotlight presentations on Monday morning with a no-nonsense look at the rapidly changing nature of television broadcasting.
In the session, which was moderated by Holly¬wood Reporter Editor Elizabeth Guider, Zuiker entertained the audience with a lively travelogue detailing his journey from humble origins — a 26-year-old, double-degreed driver of a Las Vegas hotel tram — to his ascendency to programming mogul. A host of colorful anecdotes reinforced a portrait of Zuiker as a bright, creative individual with an instinct for content.
Fans of the “CSI” franchise were rewarded with amusing tales of Zuiker’s trials and travails in bringing the mega-hit to the small screen, from the origin of “CSI: Miami” star David Caruso’s trademark sunglasses (required equipment for a redhead shooting in Miami) to his surprising connections to “CSI: New York’s” Gary Sinise (Zuiker’s mother babysat the young Sinise).
SHIFTING DELIVERY ROUTE
Zuiker’s real passion was unleashed, however, when his presentation turned to the undeniable shift in viewing habits — and viewer demographics — which bedevil TV programmers today. Especially among younger viewers, he contended, “... the pressure on ‘appointment television’ is enormous.”
Accustomed to choosing what, when and for how long they view content, this audience isn’t content to wait from week to week to view the time-slotted content they enjoy. “Our behaviors have shifted,” Zuiker said.
He referred to “attention economy” factors inherent in various content formats — an expected two hours for a feature film, or an hour for an episode of his own “CSI” shows — and contrasted them to the five-minutes-or-less format of YouTube clips, content which, despite almost nonexistent production values and no celebrities, absorbs a huge share of young potential TV viewers’ free time. “They’re consuming content in snack-sized portions,” Zuiker said.
Zuiker’s pursuit of answers — at least partly in defense of the “CSI” franchise — has apparently been relentless. He described a series of “experiments” in which the CSI production team tied in a variety of Web, mobile and gaming outlets to create “cross-blended storytelling,” a scenario in which plot and character elements are carried forward in alternate technologies such as text-message giveaways and “Second Life” simulated worlds.
In this way, young viewers have the opportunity to “drill down” for more and different content, without the need to compromise the serialized storylines of the program’s weekly episodes.
Zuiker’s conclusion: Content creators need to actively plan for this multi-platform approach. “There’s no such thing as a one-off!” he said. “Content creators will have to make more trips to Silicon Valley.”
Zuiker remains positive, though, when talking about the role of scheduled, episodic broadcast television in an increasingly fragmented delivery environment. “We as television people,” he said, “have to use the power we have — the power of the broadcast.”
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