Peter Bart: Podcasters Might Be The New Storytellers, But They Don’t Make For Very Good Stories

deadline.com:

A growing number of consumers are defying the media maze by paying a visit to their neighborhood movie theaters. It’s simpler to buy a ticket than re-subscribing to Netflix or Disney+.Well, not necessarily.

Half way into a new movie this week I realized that I’d mistakenly bought a ticket to a podcast, not a film. At least, the podcast seemed to be the principal protagonist.

Had I misread the promotion for Vengeance, or had the filmmakers switched mediums mid-production?In an earlier era, prospective filmgoers could study reviews and festival coverage or scan magazines before buying tickets.

Filmmakers themselves were schooled in aiming their films (and budgets) at specific demos. There was strategy amid the chaos.Filmmakers today often have no idea whether their work may be headed for theaters or streamerville, or what windows may await them.In some cases, therefore, they apparently change their minds about how to tell their story.