Supporting a project with a Kickstarter campaign is great. I'm sure they will do well.
But if the Q&A is accurate, I cannot see this streaming service surviving at all. They say that the cost during the campaign will be less than the non-backer price. That means $8 a month or more for another streaming service subscription, and this one has just one show on it. The value proposition looks way worse when this is positioned as a service than as a purchased product. It's a completely fair price given the cost to produce the content, but practically speaking it's going to be compared to the value of Netflix, Disney+, etc. for about the same price.
Building their own streaming service is just inefficient/redundant but I guess its a control thing. I don't want to have to add another app just for mst3k on my roku/Xbox/whatever. A subscription YouTube channel or Amazon channel likely works better for the viewer but isn't as independent
Yep. I understand the logic but I don't think it's a smart gamble. It might survive on diehard fans alone, but won't give the show any exposure to new viewers as happened in the Netflix era.
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Now if it also had Rifftrax on it then we are talking.
Now if it also had Rifftrax on it then we are talking.
I'd be down for that. Rifftrax have started their own sub service where you get access to a decent amount of their back catalogue to stream for around £5 a month.
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Metzger MeisterIt Gets Worsebefore it gets any better.Registered Userregular
Finally we can get the hard r rated MST3K we all deserved this whole time
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AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
Ehhh, the family friendly atmosphere is not just a meta thing so you can watch with your kids after dinner, it’s also part of the whole Minnesota appeal.
The effort to keep it 60s-style wholesome while being creatively subversive was part of the charm. If they could just go off uncensored it wouldn't be the same. Things like opening the umbrella in the City Limits episode, or the greatest edit ever with "For those of you playing along at home, Rita is dead" in the Sidehackers episode only add to the show.
Nah, I don't expect that will happen until at least a few months after the kickstarter is over, if that. Did they even announce the movies last time? They might just leave it as a surprise.
Rifftrax has done some R films. Stone Cold had un-censored nudity. It's pure 90s action cheese with Lance Henrikson and Brian Bosworth, the Mullet-king.
Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
I remember when Rifftrax did Starship Troopers and they had a younger teen basically in the front row. It was pretty hilarious when a guy in an ape suit pranced onto the stage with a bunch of balloons to "censor" the shower scene, all while Mike and gang unconvincingly proclaimed what a surprise it was.
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Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Kickstarters always slow down in the middle before picking up at the end.
Yeah, but I don't think they're really on pace to hit the 12 episode goal at the rate it's going (factoring in a likely surge at the end). I think it'll depend on how much they can push the campaign out there and get people to keep thinking of it.
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
I don't want to link to it because the link includes the kickstarter name which seems very close to rules-breaking, but if you go to kicktraq and enter the MST3K URL it says it's trending toward $7.5mil with a projected actual total of $4mil to $5.3mil. Beating 4.4 is probably pretty likely but 5.5 is almost certainly not going to happen.
PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
Yeah, it had an incredibly strong start and I'm betting it hits the halfway point before the "end" stretch, but those last couple days are where I usually see something like 50% of the funding come in. At a minimum, it's hitting that third stretch goal and very very possibly hitting them all.
But basically every campaign slows down a ton in the middle. I'm actually surprised that this one has slowed so much less than usual.
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
Out of curiosity, which streaming service should the show be on? Assuming Netflix isn't an option again, I don't know if Disney or HBO Max would want it. VRV actually works, but I don't know if it's big enough for them.
You know what? Nanowrimo's cancelled on account of the world is stupid.
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
Out of curiosity, which streaming service should the show be on? Assuming Netflix isn't an option again, I don't know if Disney or HBO Max would want it. VRV actually works, but I don't know if it's big enough for them.
There's Paramount and Hulu, but Netflix was perfect for them. Would they survive going direct to dvd/blu ray? Because doing their own streaming service is just throwing money into an incinerator.
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
Out of curiosity, which streaming service should the show be on? Assuming Netflix isn't an option again, I don't know if Disney or HBO Max would want it. VRV actually works, but I don't know if it's big enough for them.
There's Paramount and Hulu, but Netflix was perfect for them. Would they survive going direct to dvd/blu ray? Because doing their own streaming service is just throwing money into an incinerator.
Eh, that really depends on what the costs are like. This isn't Netflix where they'll drop a hundred million dollars on keeping Friends, this is a budget show where the "budget" part is a mark of pride. They don't have to make movies, the sets can be cheap and cheesy, the actors aren't shooting for Oscars, they don't license super-pricey movies, etc. I'm betting they'll be fine if they just make whatever they get paid to let other services run old MST3k, and I really doubt that's much.
This could be the equivalent of late-night weekend public access slots in terms of cost, and they might be able to run forever off basically nothing.
As far as Netflix, well, Netflix cancelled them so it's not really their call. Given what a bargain MST3k is and the kind of garbage Netflix habitually throws money away on, I could see why they wouldn't even want to be part of Netflix anymore seeing as MST3k has been around a long time at this point. Shit, Netflix could've even used MST3k to salvage their own shitty movies, or even coupled it to their better stuff for extra attention, which would've been both amazing and a bargain.
Man, the funding really slowed down. We'll hit $3.3m for sure, but I'm starting to feel iffy on the $4.4m and beyond goals. Maybe something will change tho and there will be a huge flood at the end.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
Out of curiosity, which streaming service should the show be on? Assuming Netflix isn't an option again, I don't know if Disney or HBO Max would want it. VRV actually works, but I don't know if it's big enough for them.
Netflix,Hulu, Prime.... Honestly after thinking about it its the monthly subscription thing. I don't need another one.
Just put 12 episodes up for 40-45$ which is about what a season of any show would cost and drop the Gizmoscription. I'm not dropping 100 on digital downloads and a subscription I don't want.
It doesn;t look to me like they will fund to 12 though. I wonder if the Gizmoplex is slowing them down or it is just me?
They are actually ahead of where they were last Kickstarter.
As has been mentioned, this is the way these things work. There’s a big burst of enthusiasm at the beginning, a lull in the middle where they try to goose numbers up a bit with extra challenges, and then a huge rush at the end from everybody who wanted to back all along but didn’t know how much they could pitch in.
They also had some huge donations come in at the last minute during the first Kickstarter’s ending livestream. Jerry Seinfeld supposedly dropped 6 figures on it. I would be surprised if this didn’t get fully funded and would be utterly shocked if it didn’t get at least 9 episodes.
If you don’t want the Gizmoplex, don’t get it? You can pitch in $15 to become a backer and then a $70 add-on to get the Blu-Ray when it comes out. Yes that is more expensive than a typical season of TV but the point of Kickstarter is to fund the creation of something. Personally, I really like the idea of being able to stream the live shows (or re-watch one I attended) and if they can get a good stable of the classic episodes, it’s worth it to me to back the show annually and get access to the Gizmoplex. 13 seasons of this show + live events is a lot of content.
This show has always been a labor of love. If you don’t love it, don’t feel obligated to contribute! I can tell you I’m sick of it getting put on networks that don’t “get” it and cancelling it though. The last season had a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was adored by the fans. Maybe there was only a smallish, enthusiastic fanbase watching, but Netflix was fucking stupid to cancel it. The show costs pennies to make compared to the stupid Adam Sandler movies they threw $Texas at and they would have guaranteed subscriptions from MSTies.
Licensing on YouTube is a goddamn nightmare. Their algorithm is fucked when it comes to public domain material; I can’t imagine the ridiculous hoops they would have to leap through to show they have the rights to what they’re streaming.
That’s for regular episodes. Live streams would be even more of a logistical headache.
It would also ensure they have to do a Kickstarter campaign every year because YouTube/Google doesn’t pay more than a tiny fraction of their ad earnings. If the show is going to be self-sufficient, it needs to either be money hatted by a network/streaming service (and be vulnerable to cancellation as has happened time and time again) or put on their own service, and the subscription money can go towards paying their crew and making more episodes.
I get it, it sucks if you don’t want to pay for another streaming service. That’s just where the show is now.
Is there a reason they can't throw this shit on YouTube instead of creating their own streaming service?
So, this is almost certainly what the "Gizmoplex" will be. A 40k channel I follow have their own website where you can watch tons of videos on demand, locked behind subscriptions, with live chat AND apps to watch them, and they use youtube as a private host. The video is an embedded youtube video that's not something you can find on youtube yourself so it's either some privacy shenanigans or something youtube just offers. I doubt very highly it'll be a "streaming service".
not only did MST bring their own fan base, they brought their own money!
It's more an attention problem than an audience one.
It had to do with optimizing watch time. MST3k was never a good fit for what Netflix is trying to do these days. Which is trying to cram as much entertainment in a short a time as possible into your eyes. Hence why the platform goes for the season by season marathon watching instead of the delayed/deferred gratification of weekly rollout of episodes.
MST definitely makes you wait as you watch the show. Had Joel decided to do some half-hour shorts between movies or cut the movies down further to sixty to seventy minutes, they might have been able to stay within Netflix's metrics.
All opinions are my own and in no way reflect that of my employer.
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
not only did MST bring their own fan base, they brought their own money!
Honestly it feels like a weird thing Netflix does. They'll greenlight everything under the sun but are super quick to cancel shows too.
They give everything a chance to become THE BIGGEST THING EVER and then when it doesn’t they put their boot on the show’s back, pushing it through the door which locks behind them. Wolves howling in the distance, tumbleweed blowing in the wind...
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dresdenphileWatch out for snakes!Registered Userregular
I've read that Netflix cancels shows after a few seasons, because their data shows that a longer-running show won't lead to new subscribers like a bunch of new shows constantly churned out. They're chasing that Stranger Things formula, but they've yet to find it.
Posts
Oh man I missed out on the $7000 tier where you get to keep one of the Tom Servos or Crows from the season! Bummer!
*Head slowly turns and sees my own Tom Servo and Crow staring at me, judging me.
But if the Q&A is accurate, I cannot see this streaming service surviving at all. They say that the cost during the campaign will be less than the non-backer price. That means $8 a month or more for another streaming service subscription, and this one has just one show on it. The value proposition looks way worse when this is positioned as a service than as a purchased product. It's a completely fair price given the cost to produce the content, but practically speaking it's going to be compared to the value of Netflix, Disney+, etc. for about the same price.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
I'd be down for that. Rifftrax have started their own sub service where you get access to a decent amount of their back catalogue to stream for around £5 a month.
Look at some titties.
Most fun chesey movies came with that feature and it was super weird at times the lengths Joel would go to keep things PG.
Nah, I don't expect that will happen until at least a few months after the kickstarter is over, if that. Did they even announce the movies last time? They might just leave it as a surprise.
Rifftrax has done some R films. Stone Cold had un-censored nudity. It's pure 90s action cheese with Lance Henrikson and Brian Bosworth, the Mullet-king.
Yeah, but I don't think they're really on pace to hit the 12 episode goal at the rate it's going (factoring in a likely surge at the end). I think it'll depend on how much they can push the campaign out there and get people to keep thinking of it.
Love MST3k but not backing this because I want to watch it on a streaming service I already own and not pay for the Gizmoplex. I can't imagine I am the only one. The whole Gizmoplex things really turned me off to this.
I don't want to link to it because the link includes the kickstarter name which seems very close to rules-breaking, but if you go to kicktraq and enter the MST3K URL it says it's trending toward $7.5mil with a projected actual total of $4mil to $5.3mil. Beating 4.4 is probably pretty likely but 5.5 is almost certainly not going to happen.
But basically every campaign slows down a ton in the middle. I'm actually surprised that this one has slowed so much less than usual.
Out of curiosity, which streaming service should the show be on? Assuming Netflix isn't an option again, I don't know if Disney or HBO Max would want it. VRV actually works, but I don't know if it's big enough for them.
There's Paramount and Hulu, but Netflix was perfect for them. Would they survive going direct to dvd/blu ray? Because doing their own streaming service is just throwing money into an incinerator.
Eh, that really depends on what the costs are like. This isn't Netflix where they'll drop a hundred million dollars on keeping Friends, this is a budget show where the "budget" part is a mark of pride. They don't have to make movies, the sets can be cheap and cheesy, the actors aren't shooting for Oscars, they don't license super-pricey movies, etc. I'm betting they'll be fine if they just make whatever they get paid to let other services run old MST3k, and I really doubt that's much.
This could be the equivalent of late-night weekend public access slots in terms of cost, and they might be able to run forever off basically nothing.
As far as Netflix, well, Netflix cancelled them so it's not really their call. Given what a bargain MST3k is and the kind of garbage Netflix habitually throws money away on, I could see why they wouldn't even want to be part of Netflix anymore seeing as MST3k has been around a long time at this point. Shit, Netflix could've even used MST3k to salvage their own shitty movies, or even coupled it to their better stuff for extra attention, which would've been both amazing and a bargain.
Netflix,Hulu, Prime.... Honestly after thinking about it its the monthly subscription thing. I don't need another one.
Just put 12 episodes up for 40-45$ which is about what a season of any show would cost and drop the Gizmoscription. I'm not dropping 100 on digital downloads and a subscription I don't want.
It doesn;t look to me like they will fund to 12 though. I wonder if the Gizmoplex is slowing them down or it is just me?
As has been mentioned, this is the way these things work. There’s a big burst of enthusiasm at the beginning, a lull in the middle where they try to goose numbers up a bit with extra challenges, and then a huge rush at the end from everybody who wanted to back all along but didn’t know how much they could pitch in.
They also had some huge donations come in at the last minute during the first Kickstarter’s ending livestream. Jerry Seinfeld supposedly dropped 6 figures on it. I would be surprised if this didn’t get fully funded and would be utterly shocked if it didn’t get at least 9 episodes.
If you don’t want the Gizmoplex, don’t get it? You can pitch in $15 to become a backer and then a $70 add-on to get the Blu-Ray when it comes out. Yes that is more expensive than a typical season of TV but the point of Kickstarter is to fund the creation of something. Personally, I really like the idea of being able to stream the live shows (or re-watch one I attended) and if they can get a good stable of the classic episodes, it’s worth it to me to back the show annually and get access to the Gizmoplex. 13 seasons of this show + live events is a lot of content.
This show has always been a labor of love. If you don’t love it, don’t feel obligated to contribute! I can tell you I’m sick of it getting put on networks that don’t “get” it and cancelling it though. The last season had a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was adored by the fans. Maybe there was only a smallish, enthusiastic fanbase watching, but Netflix was fucking stupid to cancel it. The show costs pennies to make compared to the stupid Adam Sandler movies they threw $Texas at and they would have guaranteed subscriptions from MSTies.
not only did MST bring their own fan base, they brought their own money!
That’s for regular episodes. Live streams would be even more of a logistical headache.
It would also ensure they have to do a Kickstarter campaign every year because YouTube/Google doesn’t pay more than a tiny fraction of their ad earnings. If the show is going to be self-sufficient, it needs to either be money hatted by a network/streaming service (and be vulnerable to cancellation as has happened time and time again) or put on their own service, and the subscription money can go towards paying their crew and making more episodes.
I get it, it sucks if you don’t want to pay for another streaming service. That’s just where the show is now.
So, this is almost certainly what the "Gizmoplex" will be. A 40k channel I follow have their own website where you can watch tons of videos on demand, locked behind subscriptions, with live chat AND apps to watch them, and they use youtube as a private host. The video is an embedded youtube video that's not something you can find on youtube yourself so it's either some privacy shenanigans or something youtube just offers. I doubt very highly it'll be a "streaming service".
It's more an attention problem than an audience one.
It had to do with optimizing watch time. MST3k was never a good fit for what Netflix is trying to do these days. Which is trying to cram as much entertainment in a short a time as possible into your eyes. Hence why the platform goes for the season by season marathon watching instead of the delayed/deferred gratification of weekly rollout of episodes.
MST definitely makes you wait as you watch the show. Had Joel decided to do some half-hour shorts between movies or cut the movies down further to sixty to seventy minutes, they might have been able to stay within Netflix's metrics.
Honestly it feels like a weird thing Netflix does. They'll greenlight everything under the sun but are super quick to cancel shows too.
They give everything a chance to become THE BIGGEST THING EVER and then when it doesn’t they put their boot on the show’s back, pushing it through the door which locks behind them. Wolves howling in the distance, tumbleweed blowing in the wind...