In this digital age of online communications and instant social updates, filmmakers are now able to provide supplementary content to their audience in numerous ways. Production blogs are now a common thing, and many have taken to doing commentary tracks in MP3 form either via podcast or regular downloads.
For her new Showtime series The United States of Tara, writer and co-creator Diablo Cody plans to use Twitter to do live text commentary every week during new episode broadcasts.
She wrote on her MySpace blog yesterday:
"I am going to be Twittering live during episodes as they air. (It'll be like Pop-Up Video only even lamer and more meta.) As far as I know, I am the first show-creator ever to do live commentary, and I don't expect Chuck Lorre or David E. Kelly to be jumping on this train anytime soon. So I may be the first and only."
On one hand, you have to hand it to her, this is a unique and innovative way to gain feedback from your fans and make yourself seem accessible. On the other hand—and I feel like I'm pointing out the obvious here—what an annoying way to watch TV. To get the full effect of her "commentary," you're going to need to check her Twitter constantly while the show is on. Meaning you'll have to have your laptop or cellphone handy, looking up and down between that and the TV. I'm sure a lot of people my age do this already, but isn't it always better to give your full attention to what you're watching? I'm rather persnickety about these things.
The United States of Tara is a dark comedy created by Steven Spielberg and developed by Diablo Cody, starring Toni Collette as a woman with four different personalities inside her and also the mother of a two teenage misfits.
The first episode is available online at Sho.com (password: Tara).
[via /Film]
