Turning pandemic into opportunity – how two men gamed the system to create a movie that reached #1 at the box office

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3 responses to “Turning pandemic into opportunity – how two men gamed the system to create a movie that reached #1 at the box office”

1. 

   Rob Williams

   June 28, 2020

   Good call Dan!

   I’m not a horror fan but that was short enough that I didn’t get fed up with it! Oh… if people are looking for ‘Unsubscribe’ they need to be aware that there’s a 2020 documentary feature about someone trying to become an ‘influencer’… maybe that person should watch this first!

   So, as already mentioned, I’m not a horror fan but there must be something else I can moan about. Let’s think… oh, yes! I’m too bloody old! The premise of “I’d do anything to get more followers” just passes me by. I’m on Facebook to keep up with family and friends I haven’t seen since the 70s and that’s it. I’m more likely to say “hmmm… over a hundred friends. Do I really know all these people? Better have a cull. Oh… he’s dead now anyway” rather than “I’d do anything for a million more followers”. I only really started using Twitter 12-18 months ago. I may have an Instagram account but don’t use it and all the rest (Snapchat, WhatsApp, etc.) I haven’t ever used. That aside, it was an interesting watch. Well made given the limitations and definitely watchable. Maybe this pandemic has some positives after all.

   Talking of which I can recommend a trip to the BBC iPlayer to watch ‘Staged’. The conceit is similar… people are on lockdown and have to communicate over Skype or Zoom or FaceTime or whatever. Also it’s not a film but six fifteen minute episodes which, if you binge watch it, comes in about the length of a film but with built in PeeTimes! This time I think we’re dealing with a bigger budget though as this sees David Tennant and Michael Sheen, reunited after ‘Good Omens’, scheduled to star in a West End play but the lockdown scuppers that. Undaunted the producer tries to get everybody to rehearse via Zoom. Everybody plays themselves; messers Tennant and Sheen and the producer and their families. Throw in a few guest stars and it adds up to a very enjoyable way to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening. I’d give it an A+ but then I nearly always do… sorry Jill!

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2. 

   Dan Gardner

   June 29, 2020

   I can easily see how people can get addicted to numbers: the number of pageviews a blog gets, followers, likes, value of a stock, etc. I would imagine these are all related to the same impulse. I can easily see how I could get sucked down that hole. My saving grace is that I’m too lazy to be bothered checking the numbers. So I just don’t notice. 🙂

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3. 

   Jill Florio

   July 10, 2020

   @Rob, you’re a grading softie, but we like you anyway. Don’t go changing!

   I don’t use social media much anymore. There’s just too much information to consume, and Facebook was a big rabbit hole for me for too long. I like WhatsApp and SMS…except when people record voice on it. Just write!!! I have an aversion to recordings.

   @Dan, this kind of thing is the best part about the world being limited. Like when the writer’s strike made Dr Horrible.

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