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Comment by codazoda | Hacker News Reader

What I suspect, and we’re starting to see a bit, is that they need to massively cut budgets. Hundred million dollar budgets per movie don’t seem like they make sense. Instead, I think we’ll see more movies made on a shoestring budget. Some good, some bad.

Disney has started to go this direction by building expensive technology they can reuse, like the set of Mandalorian. I just saw a trailer that the set has now been used in a new movie (but I don’t recall which). If you haven’t seen the set, go find it on YouTube. Pretty interesting tech. It’s expensive but will probably reduce budgets long term.

Anyway, I think cheaper productions is the only thing that will work with so many options today. Cheaper movies like The Blair Witch Project are what I expect to see more of.

I, personally, prefer paying for all the independent services I care to watch. I can pay for one or I can pay for 10 and have a cable like bill. But, I get to choose.

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The technology product for the the Mandalorian set is called “The Volume”.

Essentially, instead of filming in front of a green screen and digitally adding in the backgrounds post filming, they now have a huge seamless array of video screens behind the actors and a small set which has pre-rendered background scenery video playing and post filming changes to the background are generally not necessary.

The problem with the mandalorian is the writing not the effects of set dressing. I never watched past the first season because the writing was very poor.

Each episode felt formulaic in that he would get to solve a particular mundane problem (EG: dealing with local thugs and generally not fate of the galaxy stuff), generally being a "good guy" in the whole process and then a steady amount of overall story arc development.

It seemed to be me it felt like a deliberate style decision by the creators, a throw back to easier going older shows that I grew up with in the 80s and 90s.

This may not be for everyone, but I found it very easy going, slightly amusing at times and a refreshing change from the current typical high budget TV series which seem way more serious.

The streaming numbers would disagree with you.

Someone above posted a link showing that 29 of the 30 most watched shows ever in the US are Super Bowls. Would you say they have the best writing?

there are a lot of popular things that are not very good.

> Disney has started to go this direction by building expensive technology they can reuse, like the set of Mandalorian. I just saw a trailer that the set has now been used in a new movie (but I don’t recall which).

It seems the official name is StageCraft[1]&[3], and they have evolved it since the first Mandalorian-Season[2], having now multiple of those sets around the world. This is pretty cool for production, but probably awful for tourism. No locations anymore which people can visit to support the local economy.

[1] https://www.ilm.com/stagecraft/ [2] https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1225599-the-volum... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StageCraft

I think its harder to do then it seems. There is still a massive race for talent.

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