The Writer's Advantage. Laurie Scheer
anomaly in the 21st century — an event that happened that stopped the world. You will always remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard about New York City’s World Trade Center being attacked and destroyed. Remember, though, that even at that time viewers had a multitude of television and internet resources through which to get information.
A MENTION ABOUT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
During these decades of change regarding the visual media industries, publishing remained intact. Books of all types would be published in hardcover and then, after a short window of time, released in more affordable paperback versions, prolonging their popularity.
Not much change is seen in publishing until electronic readers appear on the scene in 2004 and consumers find a new way of reading their favorite texts. By the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, e-books become hefty competition for standard publishing. At the same time, individual authors begin self-publishing and distributing content via the internet. And not long after that, “blogging” is born.
CONTENT IS KING
In all of the types of media we’ve studied, content is king and has remained king throughout these many decades of changes in distribution and technology. In each type of media, writers are still necessary. None of these industries could survive without writers.
So how do you, the writer, get a handle on this fragmentation? These shorter-than-short attention spans? These multitasking consumers? We’ll explore this in the next chapter to learn how to arm ourselves in this fragmented world.
TOOLKIT SANDBOX
A Wizard, Some Questions, and a Mysterious Millionaire
CASE STUDY: The man behind the curtain and the classic American text
Author L. Frank Baum would be astonished today if he knew what has become of his 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. During his lifetime he did know that children adored the book, as they wrote him letters asking for more. He obliged them, and in 1904 he wrote the first sequel, with many others to follow — written by himself and by authors designated by his publisher after Baum’s death in 1919. An original Oz book was published yearly between 1913 and 1942.
And while the books were indeed popular, it is the film version entitled The Wizard of Oz (1939), featuring Judy Garland and now-iconic characters and musical numbers, that is imbedded in the psyche of every American (and admirers worldwide) alive during and since that time.
Perhaps it is because this film had the advantage of being shown consistently on network television since 1956 that the content of the books and film remain forever a part of popular culture. This was unusual, as most theatrical movies would be shown nationally on television only once or twice after being released in theaters, and then scheduled late at night or on weekends by regional affiliates. This was not the case with The Wizard of Oz, which was broadcast annually and highly advertised as a special event. These broadcast telecasts continued until 1999, at which time the film went to cable and broadcast showings became more frequent.
All of which has resulted in the production of Oz-related content in nearly all mediums over the years, including:
The Wiz (1974) — Broadway stage musical that won seven Tony Awards.
The Wiz (1978) — movie adaptation of the Broadway musical starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
The Wizard of Oz (1982) — a Japanese anime feature film.
Return to Oz (1982) — a darker adaptation of Oz sequel novels.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), a novel by Gregory Maquire that spawns a series of additional books entitled Son of a Witch (2005), A Lion Among Men (2008), Out of Oz (2011).
Wicked (2003) — Broadway stage musical adaptation of Maquire’s novel.
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005) — TV movie.
Tin Man (2007) — television miniseries produced for the Syfy channel playing up the sci-fi/fantasy elements of the story.
The Wizard of Oz (2011) — London stage musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) — movie prequel starring James Franco, telling the story of the wizard’s arrival in Oz.
This is by no means a complete list, however it is a list that illustrates how a single basic storyline can be transferred to different genres and released in different versions and venues within a transmedia universe. This content, whether consumed as a book, a film, a film viewed on television, as a musical, or as a prequel in print and film, continues to stand the test of time. Oz resonates again and again to generation after generation — all based on a yearly television broadcast of a film that nearly everyone grew up watching.
Additionally, more versions of this original text are planned — a 3D animated film, NBC and CBS are developing series, Syfy has another miniseries in the works, and the 75th anniversary of the original 1939 film may see a re-release in 3D in 2014. Why all this interest in a novel that first appeared over a century ago? That’s a good question. This is content that resonates to audiences on a universally human level and has been perpetuated from generation to generation due to its accessibility. As we continue to look at ways to do research in this book we will see that a text like this is very important to observe, as there is something within the text that strikes a nerve with writers and creators and with audiences over and over throughout the decades. Each generation wants to put their mark on these iconic characters and this story about how “there’s no place like home,” and each generation offers up a new spin, a fresh look at the content. In essence, by observing the history of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, one can clearly see how each version is authentic. Whether the version explores prequel subject matter or injects music or dance or animation, each version is unique in its own way.
QUESTIONING WITH THE WRITER’S ADVANTAGE
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