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ANNCast - Diabolical Ruh-minations

Businesses need to cater on the current audience before trying to build models targeting ones which do not exist.

True on the surface only. While the production itself is planned by one animation studio, large chunks of key animation, checking, and other not-usually-farmed-out-to-Korea work is almost always divided among myriad other animation studios. That's why, say, Gainax will pop up in the credits of a completely unrelated show. So there's a huge trickle-down effect among animation houses that aren't THE animation house that you think of producing the show.

If it is, then there are some really, really stupid people out there who shouldn't be running a streaming business.
Anime's had decades to build its broad audience and yet it still hasn't done so. It would be very foolish to believe this market has any chance of expanding to the same numbers as those who watch House on a weekly basis. Very foolish.

Businesses need to cater on the current audience before trying to build models targeting ones which do not exist.

That's exactly what streaming does. Foolish.

ANN staff: can you please look into the mp3 download for us. The sound quality is very "crackly" and is difficult to listen to. Thanks.

I've been advocating simulcasting as a loss leader with quick (preorder available while airing type speed) international subtitled blu-rays at 50-70% current R2 prices as the future model, and I think it's really the best solution.
It's not dependent on international ad sales (just stick in your own ads for your own merchandise) and it doesn't require outside companies at all, beyond some local localization help (which could be done internally too if they have the talent for it).
The 1% pay for the entertainment of the 99%, and the industry grows by expanding the overall viewership... A small fraction of the new watchers grow up into old buyers and the standard Japanese Otaku cycle is renewed with fresh gaijin blood.

P.S. A couple companies have either been listening to me or had the same idea.

samuelp wrote:

I've been advocating simulcasting as a loss leader with quick (preorder available while airing type speed) international subtitled blu-rays at 50-70% current R2 prices as the future model, and I think it's really the best solution. It's not dependent on international ad sales (just stick in your own ads for your own merchandise) and it doesn't require outside companies at all, beyond some local localization help (which could be done internally too if they have the talent for it). The 1% pay for the entertainment of the 99%, and the industry grows by expanding the overall viewership... A small fraction of the new watchers grow up into old buyers and the standard Japanese Otaku cycle is renewed with fresh gaijin blood. P.S. A couple companies have either been listening to me or had the same idea.

I certainly like this idea, because (as you already know) I import. For me it means lower prices and subtitles, and I don't care about dubs. Goodbye R1 (for the most part).

But don't you think it going to be less than well received by those who currently buy US DVD releases and don't import? For them it's a big jump in price with no dub. I can hear the gnashing of teeth and cries of "glorified fansub" already.

This comment really stuck with me, because it seems to buck a bigger trend that I thought was having a strong impact on the entertainment industry: I thought that with the expansion of HDTV, BD, home theater 3D and like technologies the cinema industry was slowly but surely going the way of commercial radio? Is Japan somehow in exception to the trend?

That's what they're supposed to be: Free advertising.

As for dubs: The decision to produce a dub needs to start being made during the planning stages of the show, not after the show is finished. If it's a show that has potential to be shown on TV or have a broad mass appeal outside Japan, then the Japanese should fund an english dub themselves and pay some (preferably american or british) dubbing studio to handle it in a timely fashion.
If it gets a broadcast deal, great, otherwise sell the distribution rights to some R1 company like the old model to at least make the costs back. As long as it's not the R1 company that has to front the dub costs, it would be easy to sell unless it's just a giant bomb.

Even the dub industry doesn't want things to get where the only dubs that are being made are done in house at Funimation or Seraphim for as cheap as possible.
There's already been a noticeable drop in quality from the boom times in dubs, and if things continue it won't be good either.

hissatsu01 wrote:

samuelp wrote: I've been advocating simulcasting as a loss leader with quick (preorder available while airing type speed) international subtitled blu-rays at 50-70% current R2 prices as the future model, and I think it's really the best solution. It's not dependent on international ad sales (just stick in your own ads for your own merchandise) and it doesn't require outside companies at all, beyond some local localization help (which could be done internally too if they have the talent for it). The 1% pay for the entertainment of the 99%, and the industry grows by expanding the overall viewership... A small fraction of the new watchers grow up into old buyers and the standard Japanese Otaku cycle is renewed with fresh gaijin blood. P.S. A couple companies have either been listening to me or had the same idea. I certainly like this idea, because (as you already know) I import. For me it means lower prices and subtitles, and I don't care about dubs. Goodbye R1 (for the most part). But don't you think it going to be less than well received by those who currently buy US DVD releases and don't import? For them it's a big jump in price with no dub. I can hear the gnashing of teeth and cries of "glorified fansub" already.

That's what they're supposed to be: Free advertising.

As for dubs: The decision to produce a dub needs to start being made during the planning stages of the show, not after the show is finished. If it's a show that has potential to be shown on TV or have a broad mass appeal outside Japan, then the Japanese should fund an english dub themselves and pay some (preferably american or british) dubbing studio to handle it in a timely fashion.
If it gets a broadcast deal, great, otherwise sell the distribution rights to some R1 company like the old model to at least make the costs back. As long as it's not the R1 company that has to front the dub costs, it would be easy to sell unless it's just a giant bomb.

Even the dub industry doesn't want things to get where the only dubs that are being made are done in house at Funimation or Seraphim for as cheap as possible.
There's already been a noticeable drop in quality from the boom times in dubs, and if things continue it won't be good either.

Hissatsu1: uh I don't know what to say but your being ripped off, official releases of shows all have subtitles and are a fraction of the cost of Japanese releases. The person you buy anime from is probably buying the release for 40 dollars and selling it to you for 500 dollars.