Romance on the screen and on the page: Two Indicators
2024/10/23
Planet Money
比尔·阿博特：假日浪漫喜剧电影的成功源于其低成本、高效的制作模式以及对特定观众群体的精准把握。Hallmark通过'Countdown to Christmas'等系列电影，以相对低廉的成本制作大量电影，并精准定位目标受众，从而获得了商业上的成功。这种模式注重效率，在选景、拍摄时长等方面都进行了精简。虽然成本较低，但影片仍然吸引了大量的观众和广告商。随着行业的扩张，预算也在增加，但早期的一些成本控制措施仍然沿用至今。
埃兰·孔：好莱坞电影制作对剧本的要求比Hallmark更高，更注重时代感和社会议题的融入，这导致了其与Hallmark的理念冲突。在为Hallmark创作剧本的过程中，埃兰·孔发现Hallmark对剧本内容有严格的限制，避免涉及政治或具有争议性的内容，以确保观众的良好观感。这种创作理念的差异导致了其与Hallmark的合作最终结束。
克里斯汀·拉森：浪漫小说作家通过早期采用电子书技术和建立开放式网络，获得了巨大的商业成功。在电子书兴起的早期，浪漫小说作家率先采用自出版模式，并积极利用互联网社区与读者互动，从而建立了强大的读者基础。同时，他们高产的创作和开放的网络也促进了行业内部的信息共享和互相扶持，共同提升了整体的商业成功。
娜塔莉·卡亚：开放式网络对边缘化背景的作家尤为重要，它帮助他们克服传统出版业的障碍，获得成功。对于像娜塔莉·卡亚这样的少数族裔作家来说，开放式网络提供了宝贵的支持和资源，帮助他们克服传统出版业中存在的偏见和歧视，从而获得成功。
拉奥利维特：浪漫小说作家之间的互相帮助和支持，共同提升了行业的整体水平。拉奥利维特强调了浪漫小说作家之间互相帮助和支持的重要性。通过分享经验、资源和信息，作家们共同提升了行业的整体水平，并为所有作家创造了更公平的竞争环境。
Deep Dive
Why did television executives start mass producing holiday romance movies?
They identified an untapped audience craving PG-rated romance and seasonal content.
How did the production budget for holiday rom-coms compare to theatrical releases?
Holiday rom-coms had significantly lower budgets, often around $12-15 million compared to $25 million for a single theatrical rom-com.
Why did holiday rom-coms often shoot in Canada?
Ontario offers a tax credit of 35-40%, incentivizing productions to hire local labor and services.
Why did romance novelists see a significant increase in income during the early 2010s?
They adopted e-books early and self-published, keeping more of their sales revenue.
How did romance writers benefit from open elite networks?
They shared publishing opportunities and income details, fostering a supportive community.
Why did romance readers prefer e-books over print?
E-books allowed for discreet reading of explicit content and offered higher royalties for authors.
This chapter explores the history of Hallmark's holiday rom-coms, from their humble beginnings to their current status as a seasonal tradition. It discusses the network's frugal business model, the evolution of its budgets, and the formulaic nature of its films.
- Hallmark launched "Countdown to Christmas" in 2009.
- Early Hallmark holiday films were made on a shoestring budget, around $12-15 million for a dozen movies.
- The network's cost-saving measures included simple settings, quick shooting schedules, and filming in Canada to take advantage of tax credits.
Shownotes Transcript