I think Susan Boyle’s debut on Britain’s Got Talent has become one of the most, if not the most, successful Short Film of all time.
If you dissect the YouTube clip as a film, it has all of the elements of any successful, full-length feature film:
It has a great beginning, perfect casting, an amazing and compelling back story, the surprising (but always satisfying) twist of watching someone beat the odds and succeed, and a thrilling conclusion that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most jaded viewer.
All that in just over 7 minutes!
Within a matter of hours, millions of people watched the film - and over the next several days, millions more watched and it became an international phenomenon.
I know there is another thread discussing the merit of Susan Boyle’s singing talent since her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. This is not a thread about Susan Boyle’s voice.
I just want to comment on the phenomenon of the actual YouTube video and how this clip has, in my humble opinion, changed the media.
Yes, there have been successful and popular YouTube clips – cute kittens, stupid pranks, great music videos – but I think this little vignette stands on its own as a Short Film. I will not be surprised if, years from now, people will remember this as the first break-out success story in what might possibly become a new generation of successful Short Films, distributed via the Internet, allowing talented writers, directors, actors, musicians and set designers to finally start finding a wide audience - without having big budgets.
I don´t know, she is a good singer but really nothing of another world. The cell phone guy (the one that sang Nessum dorma), he was actually a pretty good singer.
Therefore, IMHO, he is the phenomenom not she.
One of YouTube’s most-watched videos of all time is The Evolution of Dance, which I believe has more views than all incarnations of Boyle’s performance combined. I think this video would also count as a “short film”- as the name implies, it puts a comedic twist on how people danced over the years. It doesn’t really have a story, but it doesn’t need to- it’s kind of like a live-action cartoon. I think Boyle would be the most successful dramatic short film, whereas Dance would be the most successful comedy.
Yes, but how long did “Dance” take to accumulate those views? In it’s first week did it accumulate as many hits as Susan Boyle did? (I don’t know the answer to that, so that’s not just a rhetorical question.)
I think we’re comparing apples and oranges here. We need to let some time pass to see which one comes out ahead.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head in describing this as a short film. The editing and production are what’s made it such a sensation.
That’s not to take away anything from Boyle who is a sweet talented brave woman with an amazing story, but we wouldn’t even be aware of that story if it wasn’t for the way it was packaged.
My fear is that we will now see a cynical search for physically unremarkable people with above average talent who will be “frumped up” and presented to the public in an attempt to artificially recreate a moment that can’t be intentionally manufactured. These obvious and failing attempts will destroy the possibility of any similar genuine stories having as much impact as the story of Susan Boyle.
You’re absolutely right. I came to the same conclusion – this is a very tightly, cleverly packaged, and creatively edited video. That’s what makes it “addictive” (so many people report repeated watchings). Obviously, Susan’s talent is the main point, but without the production values, it would not be the worldwide YouTube sensation it has become.
Just to clarify, is the OP under the misconception that this clip was created for YouTube? It’s not, it’s just an excerpt taken straight out of the show, exactly as it appeared on TV. They do a similar little editing job for the other contestants.
Anyway, while I agree that it is expertly put together, I think the main hook is the real life Underdog Turns the Tables theme. Credit to the producers for noticing that and packaging it so well, but you can’t just manufacture moments like that. Its appeal is that it is authentic.
I disagree. Misters Avery, Disney, and Jones all have produced short films that were:
[ul]
[li]Shown in theaters[/li][li]Seen many more times around the world[/li][li]Made large piles of money (at least for the studio in some of their cases)[/li][/ul]
By any measurement their short films are much more successful. And that’s without arguing if something like Steamboat Willy can count all of the successes it directly lead to (something which would make it among the most successful films of all time).
Well, well, and I just happen to be a frumpy 47 year-old (former) librarian. Might fail on the “hot” bit, but you can’t have everything. AND I’m Scottish.
Do film stars get paid well? Where do I apply? Can’t sing, though. Oh well, no fame and fortune for me, eh? :smack:
Don’t worry if you can’t sing, we’ll just get some trendy new singer to do the vocals and you can lip-sync it. I hear there’s this woman from England or Wales or something who can sing a bit. I wonder if she’s up to it?
Cool! I might have to put on a wee bit of weight, but, you know, one suffers for one’s art. Could I be paid enough to buy a replacement for this pile of shit computer?
Oops, I think I see the flaw in my cunning plan: I imagine the good church lady Susan doesn’t go in for bad language. Ah. Foiled again. :smack:
Less tangentially, you know what really WOULD make it the Most Successful …etc? A cute puppy or kitten.
I agree. Moments like that can’t be manufactured, but the impact can be greatly magnified with clever editing.
I’m going to back off a little on “can’t be manufactured”. It wasn’t exactly manufactured, Ms Boyle is the genuine article, but I do think that the judges and audience were setup to some extent to get the right reactions from them.
What I’ve heard is that they get many self-deluded, talentless people auditioning. They also get people who know they have no chance but are simply grabbing an opportunity for their moment on national television.
Middle aged people who have not yet succeeded at show business are likely to be among the self-deluded, ones who compare themselves to a major star (like Elaine Page, for example) are doubly so.
Someone who struts onstage with unkempt hair making dumb jokes and exaggerated body movements is likely to be one of those who is there on a lark and simply joking around.
It’s very possible that the producers saw this woman who seemed to fit into the first category (middle aged and self-deluded) but was actually talented, and decided to do whatever they could to make her appear to be either deluded or there on a lark.
They may very well have purposely failed to do anything about the somewhat unkempt hair and the dress from home. They may even have coached her to act the way she acted on stage.
The judges apparently had had a long day of auditioning people who were mostly either losers or jokers. So when Ms Boyle came out looking and acting the way she did, they can be forgiven for thinking the worst. Then, when she turned out to be very talented, it played out almost as if it had been scripted. Throw in some clever editing and you have maximum emotional punch and a star (at least temporarily) is born.
I should add that the whole Youtube phenomena was probably not part of the plan but was a result of them having done such a good job on the piece.
Of course, it’s possible that they created a Youtube account and posted the video under the persona of an avid fan. They then could have used various methods to create large numbers of artificial hits on the video to get the ball rolling until it reached the point where it took on a life of its own.
Might fail on the “hot” bit, but you can’t have everything. AND I’m Scottish.
Oh well, no fame and fortune for me, eh? :smack: