“Winter is coming.” —Ned Stark in Game of Thrones
REMEMBER the time when the only thing you hated most when watching TV were those long commercial breaks? Given that these TVCs are the ones that keep the show funded, there were just some that featured a ridiculous amount of advertisements that you can actually take a quick bath and not miss anything.
In this digital age, when you can simply watch your favorite shows online, and avoid or skip those commercials, TV fans are facing an even worse enemy—spoilers.
Posting spoilers in social media is one sure way to become popular and #InstaFamous—just not among your friends. People have been unfollowed and blocked on social media for posting spoilers, real relationships strained and friendships ended just because you were too excited to tell everyone who died in the upcoming episode.
If you are a Game of Thrones (GoT) die hard, you know how hard it is to remain an unsullied fan, as the Internet is dark and full of spoilers.
Oh Spoiler Alert: Ned Stark dies.
Recently, however, a group of hackers are threatening to release not just spoilers but entire scripts and other information about Game of Thrones unless they are paid an undisclosed amount by HBO. This is different from the Episode 4 leak released a few days ahead of its telecast by one of HBO’s distribution partners. HBO is the latest in the list of Hollywood entertainment companies to suffer a major cyber attack. The hackers claim to have obtained 1.5 terabytes of data from the HBO company which includes draft scripts from five Game of Thrones episodes, and two unreleased episodes of Ballers and Room 104, detailed script summaries, castings, marketing materials, media plans and even the personal phone numbers and e-mail addresses of some Game of Thrones cast members.
The hackers then sent a “video letter” to the HBO bosses, saying: “We successfully breached into your huge network.” The message reportedly added: “HBO was one of our difficult targets to deal with but we succeeded [it took about six months].”
“Mr. Smith” then made their intentions clear: “Our demand is clear and nonnegotiable: We want XXXX dollars to stop leaking your data…. HBO spends 12 million for Market Research and 5 million for GoT7 advertisements. So consider us another budget for your advertisements!”
Reports estimate that the “six-month salary in bitcoin”, which they implied, would amount to at least $6 million. For those of you who are not familiar with bitcoin, it is a digital cryptocurrency that is accepted by a number of international retailers. A single bitcoin is worth almost $3,500 and is used by many computer criminals because it’s difficult to trace.
The video ended with the message: “There are two mottos. Which one is remembered—Winter is coming—HBO is Falling OR Winter is Coming—HBO is standing and everlasting!” This was followed by an image of the Night King, a villain from Game of Thrones with his arms raised, the word “standing” in one hand and “falling” in the other.
Now, I used to be a Game of Thrones fan during the first two or three seasons, but went cold turkey when it became too popular, just like what happened to my other favorite The Walking Dead.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think GoT is one of the best TV series of all time and each episode seems to be getting better. But when your entire feed is just full of opinions, analysis and, yes, spoilers from “experts”, you eventually get tired of it all.
If the spoilers and leaks do get out, I wonder how it’s going to affect the fans, especially those who
really wait for the scheduled airing date. More important, what should HBO do to prevent something like this from happening in the next season?
TV GET-TOGETHERS
I guess that’s one of the nicer things about being born before everything was on the Internet. Growing up, our entire family would gather in front of the TV after dinner to watch our favorite shows, especially during Friday and weekend.
Back then, you really had to make time because you only get one chance to watch an episode and since there was no cable, replays were very, very rare.
With the emergence and growing popularity of video-on-demand services, like Netflix, HOOQ, iWantTV, etc., not to mention the millions of videos available on YouTube, traditional TV has taken a backseat in other countries, but not here in the Philippines. For most Filipinos, watching TV continues to be their main source of entertainment.
According to TV audience measurement provider Kantar Media, 96.6 percent of Filipinos tuned in to their televisions daily in 2016. The survey says we spend longer durations—particularly 3.7 hours in average—watching our favorite programs.
For some, watching television might be a simple habit. But for others, it’s a chance to break free and relax from their hectic lifestyles or strengthen bonds with people they share the experience with. Watching TV can be a social event on its own and a chance to share some good times with family and friends.
It’s one of the reason local brand Devant is pushing its 7:30 TV Get Together (G2G) habit. The campaign encourages more people to put down their gadgets and spend time with their friends and family by bonding over their favorite shows.
While other TV manufacturers try to outdo each other with impressive technical specifications, smart technology and tons of other features, Devant also focuses on what makes TV viewing a fun experience.
On August 8 Devant teamed up with Marco Polo Ortigas and Craig Lines for an exclusive screening of the film The Owner. The event gathered a group of media who played a few games and had dinner together. But as soon as the clock struck 7:30 pm, everyone shifted their attention to the two giant Devant screens to watch the movie.
I intentionally didn’t watch the trailer or read about the movie, just so I wouldn’t have any biases or expectations—which turned out to be a good thing. It felt like the old days when you just watch everything unfold on the screen and allow yourself to get immersed in the storytelling without any background knowledge to spoil things for you.
The Owner is a film that follows the journey of a lost backpack around the world. The international feature film showcases the many mysteries of the bag’s travels, while showing the intersecting lives of the fascinating characters it got in touch with throughout the story. What makes it even more unique is that the movie’s story spans five continents and is a collaborative effort of 25 filmmakers. The movie is a perfect example of a work of art that gives TV watching a deeper meaning. It encourages people to think and consider, and it also gives everyone the chance to be open to things that could enrich their lives and mind-sets through their TV experience.
Devant Marketing Manager Lara Lua said, “The role of television in the lives of people are more punctuated than ever, and the brand aims to use technology to keep in step with the changes of how people consume content. It is our promise to deliver a richer entertainment experience through Devant’s advanced TV technology.”
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/ Tech Thoughts: “If television’s a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won’t shut up.”—Dorothy Gambrell, Cat and Girl Volume I.