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Social Media and Behind the Scenes: AKA Everything Else Not "News and Media"


Zalyn
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(edited)

Diggle not being in the Jitters scene was no big deal for me either (for the reasons already mentioned by others).  I imagine that he  either was back at the hotel calling Lyla or returned to Starling City as soon as possible to be with his family.  Also, Diggle and Oliver spent a lot of time together, without Felicity, in "Nanda Parbat" (and other episodes) so the original TA is not always together in every scene.

 

Rick Cosnett seems like a nice guy IRL... bummed that they killed off Eddie on The Flash.

 

I'm glad the producers are aware of the complaints about Diggle being sidelined, so I'm sure that he'll get more screen time next season.  But now I'm worried about who they'll sideline instead in order to promote the costumed heroes.

 

CH and EBR singing a bit from "Summer Nights"...
https://twitter.com/MD_Morley/status/607556548114685952/video/1

Edited by tv echo
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Didnt he say KC pointed out the bulge in his pants and then the first pic was axed.

He said that KC pointed out that in the first promo photo the way the bow was positioned made it look like there was a bulge.  Not that he had a bulge in his pants.

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(edited)

Comments relating to S4 and future stuff at http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

lisam100 asked:
I hope you read this! I'm SO excited for season 4 and Olicity! Thank you so much for putting them together FINALLY in the end and that they are happy! Felicity makes Oliver so happy! They are honestly the best couple on tv right now, if not ever! Without her, Oliver wouldn't be the man he is today! They are special and their chemistry is so natural! I love them!

Glad you like!

mynameisvnyt asked:
Will Oliver run into his ex, McKenna Hall, if he goes to Coast City present day? In S1 she gets sent there for a 2 year rehab iirc, so she should be ready to come back now

We’ve talked about it.  Maybe eventually.

teamarrow25 asked:
I really hope that whoever Felicity's father is, he amounts to more than a one episode story for Felicity. Especially since you've teased him a bunch and waited so long to introduce him, expectations are really high.

I’m aware.

mynameisvnyt asked:
My friends and I were really hoping for one or more Ras flashback eps, where we could see some of his past, and even Merlyn and Sara joining the league and their respective time in the LoA (plus the birth and development of Nyssara!!!!)

We’ve talked about it.

mynameisvnyt asked:
Will Solomon Grundy ever make a proper appearance?

Maybe.  We talk about it.

teamarrow25 asked:
Emily said at a con that she wants to see a nice domestic Olicity scene with Oliver cooking, so make it happen ;)

:)

Edited by tv echo
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(edited)

Comments relating to past stuff at http://marcguggenheim.tumblr.com/

smoakandarrow asked:
I know Arrow get a lot of flak re romance, but there a great article from The Week (Where's The Love? Why superhero TV shows are so reluctant to include romance by Alice Walker) that gave CW/Arrow major kudos for understanding *why* romance is important to story, characters & viewers. I love Arrow's action, but w/o romantic connections, would we can as much? Love is just as important on Arrow as stunts or bows & arrows. So THANK YOU for understanding its value & including it, esp with Olicity.

Thank YOU!
olicityking asked:
I don't care who is directing. I care more how the writing is going. Season 3 was bad. Bad enough to contemplate never watching it again. Thankfully seasons 1 and 2 were decent enough to make me want to give it another chance...

Um… thanks?
myolicityuniverse asked:
Today in panel SuperHeroCon Colton and Emily have claimed that the scene of goodbye to Roy was cut... you can show us the entire scene of 3x19? Please!!!

It was trimmed a bit, but wasn’t cut entirely.
olicityismybae asked:
Just a random question: in the first season when Oliver originally ends up on Lian Yu, the camera focuses on a mask that's slightly burnt with an arrow through its right eye. What is the story behind this mask?

Watch the season finale of Season 2.
chestnut-haired-sunfish asked:
Having Oliver go back and forth between sisters both pre and post island, was kind of revolting. I don't know why you thought it would be a good idea to have Oliver hook up with both sisters within a year of each other, but try to avoid any future sister-swapping. Also, it would probably be best if you avoided having Oliver's ex-girlfriends give him romantic relationship advice. Oliver doesn't need to hook-up/marry every woman he meets, he's already had enough love interests to last a series.

Duly noted.
On an unrelated point, get ready to meet Felicity’s sister!
Kidding.
danielledlfs asked:
Hi marc :) I have a question about season 2, why Oliver didn't testify at her mother's trial ? Have a nice Sunday, greats from Belgium :)

What would he have testified to?  The only area where he could give testimony is as a character witness and, in America, that can actually be damaging to the defendant’s case, as it opens up the door for the prosecutor to bring in negative character evidence, which could have hurt Moira.
Edited by tv echo
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AK's actually did make me laugh:

 

 

Ironically, it was a line that never made it to screen. One of my first staff jobs was on The Simpsons. We needed a throwaway line for Ralph Wiggum. I had started only the week before but I pitched he should be dancing around holding his crotch when he says, “I have to go number three.”

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Love that they still have to give out spoiler alerts on LOST episodes. :)

 

Thanks @dancingnancy for posting the buzzfeed article! It was interesting to read the writers' perspectives on their own words & shows. Also didn't realize MG wrote for Law & Order. Makes sense though considering his background. Althougt makes less sense considering the way the law portion is being written on Arrow, esp the courtroom scenes.

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(edited)

BuzzFeed asked TV writers about the favorite thing they ever wrote. Berlanti, Kreisberg and Guggenheim all gave answers, though none about Arrow or Flash. My reason for posting it is because the more I read Guggenheim, the more I think he's the douchiest kind of mansplainer entitled white guy on the planet, and just. UGH. Shut up, douche.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/the-write-stuff#.aqNDM42adm

This was back when network television could explore the topic of faith — to say nothing of a wide panoply of social and political issues — without fear of offending anyone. Those were the days.

I can't help but side-eye older white dudes who pine for the "good old days" when they didn't have to worry about being PC. Anyone who is nostalgic for the days they could be offensive with impunity strikes me as a bit sketchy, to put it mildly. Edited by Nostariel
  • Love 9
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Plus Ray most likely was only in this season because of the spin off. So no there was no Oliver/Felicity arc.

What's with the Arrow facebook. At least post many photos and not just of Laurel and Roy. I just think she looks ridiculous in the costume and don't need a reminder about how she basically stole Sara's crusade.

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(edited)

This is kinda ironic, isn't it?  Showing a pic of two people in their masked identities while tweeting a message about friends being ones you can truly be yourself with?  The masks are masks, they aren't the real persons - but I guess it's consistent with the network's focus on costumed superheroes...

Arrow ‏@CW_Arrow  18h18 hours ago
Spend #NationalBestFriendsDay with the ones you can truly be yourself with, and watch #Arrow all summer!

CG_zLMnUgAALGfd.png

https://twitter.com/CW_Arrow
https://www.facebook.com/CWArrow

 

CW Arrow also retweeted a fan's choice of pic...

Arrow retweeted
☆Sιℓνια26☆ ‏@silviacs26  18h18 hours ago
#NationalBestFriendsDay #Delicity @CW_Arrow
CG_0AAMWcAANB1G.jpg

https://twitter.com/CW_Arrow

Edited by tv echo
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This is kinda ironic, isn't it?  Showing a pic of two people in their masked identities while tweeting a message about friends being ones you can truly be yourself with?  The masks are masks, they aren't the real persons - but I guess it's consistent with the network's focus on costumed superheroes...

 

A common narrative in vigilante or superhero stories is when the person is in the "mask" they are being their true self, doing what it is they believe in. The secret identity is the real "mask" carried on only for the crimefighter's protection and for the protection of his/her family friends. For example, it's often commonly portrayed that Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is the real man (because Bruce is largely a construction of a billionaire playboy whereas Batman acts out of his true motivations), likewise Clark Kent is just a disguise for the "real" Superman/Kal-El (I realize Superman doesn't wear a mask but the idea is supposed to be similar).

 

So not surprising perhaps that such a picture was chosen for a show about vigilantes. Also it's worth noting it looks like they are in the process of "de masking" (Colton's taken the mask off but still has the eyeshadow on), and pausing to goof off, so it illustrates the idea of revealing oneself to a friend nicely.

 

Of course they've been exploring both sides of that in Arrow, with the whole identity theme this year.

 

Both pictures are beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing them.

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This is great - JB singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You" in the green room, while CH and WH are there (link retweeted by CH)...

 

What happens in the green room

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(edited)

I can't help but side-eye older white dudes who pine for the "good old days" when they didn't have to worry about being PC. Anyone who is nostalgic for the days they could be offensive with impunity strikes me as a bit sketchy, to put it mildly.

Two things on that:

1. People were being offended, Marc. That offense just wasn't blowing up all over you on social media.

2. Having said that, I can also see his point. There are times when people's reactions about some things make me think of this old Bloom County comic strip - http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com/assets_c/2010/05/offensitivity-11759.html

Edited by bethy
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(edited)

A common narrative in vigilante or superhero stories is when the person is in the "mask" they are being their true self, doing what it is they believe in. The secret identity is the real "mask" carried on only for the crimefighter's protection and for the protection of his/her family friends. For example, it's often commonly portrayed that Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is the real man (because Bruce is largely a construction of a billionaire playboy whereas Batman acts out of his true motivations), likewise Clark Kent is just a disguise for the "real" Superman/Kal-El (I realize Superman doesn't wear a mask but the idea is supposed to be similar).

 

So not surprising perhaps that such a picture was chosen for a show about vigilantes. Also it's worth noting it looks like they are in the process of "de masking" (Colton's taken the mask off but still has the eyeshadow on), and pausing to goof off, so it illustrates the idea of revealing oneself to a friend nicely.

I am aware of that narrative as it applies to Bruce Wayne/Batman and Clark Kent/Superman.  However, I don't think it applies to anyone on Arrow other than possibly Oliver.  I don't think that Laurel & Roy are the "masks" and that BC & Arsenal are their true selves.  

 

I think that your second point, though, about the pic showing them in the process of de-masking and goofing off to reveal themselves to a friend is a good one.

Edited by tv echo
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I find it sweet that Colin congratulated for the nominations:

CHDVwSvVAAA9vMX.png

CHDVwO0UkAAW59L.png

I really miss Colin. I think the show is sort of lacking something without that sort of parental or familial influence, or maybe it's just the lack of a support system for Oliver from someone not involved in his mission or on the Team. The show had an entirely different vibe when Oliver still had a family to turn to or a home to go to once in a while and just be Oliver. Really miss Moira, too, but there's no chance of her appearing again. It would be pretty great to have a guest appearance (even a fleeting one) by Colin, just for old times sake. :)

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ARROW: EMILY BETT RICKARDS TALKS SEASON 4 AND FELICITY'S FUTURE

 

IGN: I guess that’s it. Oliver and Felicity are just going to take off. Maybe they’ll send a postcard every once in a while?
Rickards: Maybe! Maybe they’ll send it back to Thea and she’ll rip it and be like, “I’m too busy for this.” Then she’ll throw it up in the air as confetti in the Foundry, which will be new because there is no Foundry any more. So we don’t know where her lair is going to be.

 

IGN: This is a great, happy moment for them, but this is a show where happiness usually doesn’t last too long. Is there anything you can say about what you’ve been told regarding where things might go next season?
Rickards: I haven’t been told. It’s been very disappointing for everyone in your job position because I have not been told anything nor have I asked because it usually changes so quickly. I’ll say that Oliver and Felicity have gone away and I have no idea where they went. Hopefully Jamaica, an all-inclusive resort. I want lime sorbet, a pina colada, and I want to sit on the beach. [laughs] I want to have a goddamn good time!

 

IGN: That could be a 10-episode arc.
Rickards: You know how they put Katherine Heigl in a coma in Grey’s Anatomy? I want them to put me on a beach.

 

IGN: On TV people root for couples to get together, but there is always that question of can they stay a happy couple and sustain that as part of the show?
Rickards: Can you sustain the passion and the power that comes from people who already have that momentum in that area… I mean I don’t know. Do you know?

 

IGN: It’s happened. You could make it happen.
Rickards: What characters?

 

IGN: I was going to say Parks and Recreation because all the couples…
Rickards: They all get married!

 

IGN: Right! It was all so sweet. When/if Oliver is back fighting crime again, would you like to see Oliver and Felicity co-existing as a couple and partners in crime?
Rickards: I would like them to do things as a couple, as a team, as well as be part of a team. I want them to deal with couple stuff – honesty, vulnerability, sex. All that stuff.

 

IGN: Felicity got a big moment where she got to save Oliver wearing the Atom suit. Is that a one-off or would you like to see something else happen for her costume-wise?
Rickards: Costume-wise, maybe, but probably not the Atom suit again. I think we used that bubble, but that was fun. It was hard to wear that suit.

 

IGN: I bet. But maybe at some point she gets some other alter ego?
Rickards: Maybe, we’ll see. Or just a split-personality. I’ll United States of Tara her.

 

IGN: A lot of great ideas here.
Rickards: They should make me a writer!

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/09/arrow-emily-bett-rickards-talks-season-4-and-felicitys-future

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Just moved a bunch of posts again to the appropriate threads. Most of them went to the bitterness thread. So if you had a post that mostly was expressing your unhappiness with last season, that's where you can find it.

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(edited)

Just saw this... (there is more on the actual twitter account but I just found this somewhat strange)...If they intended to give CL the lead role that early why did they have such a hard time communicating that it would not be an ATOM only show or why did they kill her off in the first place...Extensive coma could have worked too.

 

https://twitter.com/LauInLA/status/608465636205932545(I don't know to embed the tweet properly, sorry) (It is not her opinion, AK said it at this panel)

 

Another interesting one 

 

https://twitter.com/LauInLA/status/608465324342697985

Edited by Belinea
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I don't think it's true either. I don't remember if it was at the upfront or a con or something, but CL mentioned that she was surprised that she was being brought back for LoT.

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If that's true Caity Lotz didn't know. Which is a possibility but a funked up one. Though with the ATOM push I doubt it.

I think they are saying these things now because of how Popular Sara has become on Social media and the ratings took a dive for a bit with her death. And so far She pretty much has more interest than anyone else in the spin off.

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I hope neither of those are true...especially the second one.  While I could technically buy that they'd planned CL to be the lead on LoT from the start of the spinoff idea, I can see why they'd not want to reveal that Sara would be resurrected while they're trying to sell/establish KC as BC.

 

Aside from that, I find the second tweet cited above the most unbelievable. I cannot believe a showrunner from one of these shows with so much fan investment/involvement (that they and the cast ACTIVELY cultivate) would be that myopic - to literally admit they "laugh" at fan investment in their projects on social media.

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See, I just don't believe that's true. I think she's either lying, or their trying to spin Sara's unnecessary death to avoid more backlash.

I don't think the journo is lying, she's reporting what Kreisberg said. I do think Kreisberg is lying through his teeth, yes.

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I don't think the journo is lying, she's reporting what Kreisberg said. I do think Kreisberg is lying through his teeth, yes.

 

I don't think he's lying. Maybe they're all really just that arrogant. If he's BS-ing he has to know what he says will be seen/heard by the fans he's diminishing.  While it's completely understandable/believable the fans don't directly influence their decisions, his comments can certainly lead fans to feel like WTF - the showrunners and cast actively engage with fans to generate more participation and investment in these shows, yet he's pretty much saying they find it amusing that fans think they have a voice in any of it.  Not exactly a smooth move there, AK.  LOL 

  • Love 1
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I don't think he's lying. Maybe they're all really just that arrogant. If he's BS-ing he has to know what he says will be seen/heard by the fans he's diminishing.  While it's completely understandable/believable the fans don't directly influence their decisions, his comments can certainly lead fans to feel like WTF - the showrunners and cast actively engage with fans to generate more participation and investment in these shows, yet he's pretty much saying they find it amusing that fans think they have a voice in any of it.  Not exactly a smooth move there, AK.  LOL

Oh, I don't think he's lying about fan influence coming from social media, I actually think that's mostly true. From my experience, fans on social media tend to influence network/studio execs and marketing, way more than actual writers. If only because the writers are six months ahead of the fans in the story. Fans and execs are alike in being reactive to the material.

But I 100% believe Kreisberg is lying about Caity Lotz/Sara's death. There's no fucking way this was all ~planned.

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(edited)

Aside from that, I find the second tweet cited above the most unbelievable. I cannot believe a showrunner from one of these shows with so much fan investment/involvement (that they and the cast ACTIVELY cultivate) would be that myopic - to literally admit they "laugh" at fan investment in their projects on social media.

I don't think he saying that at all. I think he's dismissing the idea that social media has that much influence on how they write/direct their projects. He's putting down accusations of "fan pandering", which, if you read the comments on the second tweet, they're still constantly bombarded with.

Edited by lemotomato
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If that's true. Apparently they didn't tell CL that they intended her to be the lead in the spin off. She had no idea she'd be coming back. 

 

Sounds like damage control, because Sara is the main character anyone is talking about for the spin off, besides the new characters. Atom only gets mentioned as being in it. 

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(edited)

I'm sure that AK quote in the tweet was at least partly also about Sara's return. Which was probably largely a decision based on the ratings drop after her death. But there was a lot of anger and it continued through the season. Especially through the Canary Arc. I even think some of the acceptance Laurel has received the last few months is because Caity Lotz was announced for the Spin off and people were relieved that an actress who can do get own stunts would at least be back.

Edited by tarotx
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I think Sara might have always been up for the lead in legends of tomorrow but that Spin off wasn't the original idea. An ATOM spin off was talked very early on.

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I think they are spinning Sara's death. That being said, a little spin is not new for Hollywood. I think they thought her death would be a great way to bookmark her character and set the wheels in motion for all the angst they had built for s3. Her death was their way of shocking the audience (it worked) & giving OQ all the ammunition he needed to become dark & brooding again. They achieved good character growth with Tommy's death & probably thought it would be the same with Sara. Except it really just triggered a lot of character regression & fan anger. It also I do not think help inform or make the LLs journey to BC any more realistic or smoother. In fact, I think it only made it rockier, which is another underestimation on their part. From comments that both AK & MG make, it seems that they underestimate a lot of fan reaction/response to some of their ideas. I don't quite think they have a grasp on their fans as much as they think they do. And they both seem very arrogant, so that never helps.

 

I gotta agree Belinea that an extended coma would have worked as well. It worked to keep Barry out of the story. But death is more shocking & game-changing. And we know how they love game-changing gotchas on Arrow. They might have intended to bring her back at some point. It seems like Sara is allergic to permanent death, but I don't think it was their intention when they wrote her death that she would be in LoT. It might have been a faraway, out-of-the box idea that became more promising when they realized that RP/Atom was not hitting the marks they needed him to & the spinoff was looking DOA.

 

As for the comments on fans having influence. I think AK was referencing the fan pandering/ fan servicing complaints. The shows are written months/weeks in advance so I doubt fans have influence on the day to day writing process. But I think overall fan response does influence the writers & TPTB for longer arcs or trends. But I think most good TV writers will not cater to fan response but rather write what is organic to the story.

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(edited)

So if I'm reading this right, the tweet is summarizing what he said at the panel. Any recording of that panel? Might be useful to hear the exact quote before presuming what is a lie or not.

 

Giving any sort of the benefit of the doubt, I'd believe that the producers HOPED to spin Caity off into another show, but said nothing to her because at the time they weren't sure what they could or could not get greenlit.

 

This show seems weird in what the showrunners do or do not communicate to actors, and vice versa. We lost the Ted Grant character because he got hired for another project, right? I remember reading something that said he was originally planned to have a reappearing role through the season but had to be written out when the actor moved on. Wouldn't they have told him they had wanted him for the season so he wouldn't do that or at least give them better notice?* What's the nature of their work agreements? Or as long as they don't have an actor in a season-long contract, they can't hold onto the actors at all? Not sure about how that aspect of show biz works but I seem to hear it happening in Arrow more often than I do other shows. Could well be a faulty perception of mine.

 

(*Please note I am not debating if Ted Grant should or should not have stayed on the show, or that his relative bit part is truly comparable to Sara's role; just using that as one example of weird lack of communication between studio and actor.)

 

As for fan influence, my general experience is fans often think they have more influence than they do. Were I Kreisberg, I might laugh too... but that doesn't make doing so a good idea, as it potentially alienates your audience. It's important to assert the line between "we pay attention to feedback" and "we let the fans write the show" and I don't know if they do a good job of that.

Edited by DeathQuaker
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Well, he does admit that there was a strong reaction to Sara's death and that nobody believes it was all a plan... It is probably one question and he answered but it was divided into 3/4 tweets... I am going to put the links here to the rest of his quotes...

 

https://twitter.com/LauInLA/status/608465938837581827

https://twitter.com/LauInLA/status/608466182539218944

 

https://twitter.com/LauInLA/status/608463383634042882

 

So basically as a whole he probably said that fans think they influence the show but they always planned to bring Sara back and it wasn't because of the strong reaction but a grand plan. Same goes for Felicity. They loved her before everyone else. 

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This show seems weird in what the showrunners do or do not communicate to actors, and vice versa. We lost the Ted Grant character because he got hired for another project, right? I remember reading something that said he was originally planned to have a reappearing role through the season but had to be written out when the actor moved on. Wouldn't they have told him they had wanted him for the season so he wouldn't do that or at least give them better notice?* What's the nature of their work agreements? Or as long as they don't have an actor in a season-long contract, they can't hold onto the actors at all? Not sure about how that aspect of show biz works but I seem to hear it happening in Arrow more often than I do other shows. Could well be a faulty perception of mine.

He already had a recurring role on the other show when he was cast in Arrow. So for a little while he had two recurring gigs, one shooting in Vancouver, the other shooting in NYC, which is doable. But then the other show upped him to regular, so Arrow lost him.

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(edited)

What makes me think they are lying is because CL said she had no clue she'd be coming back. You'd think that would be something they'd tell the actress so she'd be available to come back. Are they expecting everyone to wait around for them?

 

Didn't they want to bring Moira back for a flashback but Susanna Thompson said no. So they had to change the flashback? It that's how they think they are terrible show runners. Just like everyone else, when an actor loses a job they look for another one. Maybe they don't find one and are available, but if they do, what then? Would they spin it as, well we wanted to bring her back but she said no. She said no, because she didn't know she was going to be brought back. 

 

Every time these show runners give interviews it seems more and more that they have no idea what they are talking about. 

Edited by Sakura12
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(edited)

As for fan influence, my general experience is fans often think they have more influence than they do. Were I Kreisberg, I might laugh too... but that doesn't make doing so a good idea, as it potentially alienates your audience. It's important to assert the line between "we pay attention to feedback" and "we let the fans write the show" and I don't know if they do a good job of that.

 

I'm not sure why so many showrunners and writers can't get onboard with a few simple PR-friendly statements about these kinds of things. "Of course we pay attention to feedback but it doesn't direct our story or our decisions for the show." I don't care if you have to say it a thousand times and it gets tedious. You just keep saying it. Rather than making fun of your fans, you could say, "It's critical to us that our fans love this show and these characters; it was so hard to see people's anguish over Sara when we knew we wanted to bring her back, but couldn't say anything about it." 

 

Berlanti is typically great at this stuff. He stays 100% positive in his actual social media presence, and when he's interviewed, same thing. He is prepared to answer questions he knows he's going to get, and he never displays contempt for his own audience. Even though I still wasn't satisfied with his answer for the TCA eff-up, he did take full responsibility and promise to do better. Before he leaves these shows behind for good, he should give MG and AK a quick lesson in fan engagement and PR.

Edited by Carrie Ann
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WBDC announces SDCC atendees

 

 

Warner Bros. Television & DC Entertainment Present: Super Hero Saturday Night | This three-hour “super-experience” includes a screening of Supergirl, followed by a Q&A with stars and producers; video presentations and Q&As with stars and EPs of Arrow, The Flash and Gotham; a  Q&A with cast and producers of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow; and a peek at the new digital series Vixen.

http://tvline.com/2015/06/10/comic-con-2015-supergirl-arrow-legends-of-tomorrow-supernatural/

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I'm not sure why so many showrunners and writers can't get onboard with a few simple PR-friendly statements about these kinds of things. "Of course we pay attention to feedback but it doesn't direct our story or our decisions for the show." I don't care if you have to say it a thousand times and it gets tedious. You just keep saying it. Rather than making fun of your fans, you could say, "It's critical to us that our fans love this show and these characters; it was so hard to see people's anguish over Sara when we knew we wanted to bring her back, but couldn't say anything about it." 

 

Berlanti is typically great at this stuff. He stays 100% positive in his actual social media presence, and when he's interviewed, same thing. He is prepared to answer questions he knows he's going to get, and he never displays contempt for his own audience. Even though I still wasn't satisfied with his answer for the TCA eff-up, he did take full responsibility and promise to do better. Before he leaves these shows behind for good, he should give MG and AK a quick lesson in fan engagement and PR.

The lack of overall PR training that is exhibited by the writers, showrunners & some of the actors completely takes me by surprise for Arrow & other CW shows. Social Media is part of the game now, you need to know how to navigate it or stay far far away. I appreciate when performers know their limitations. I've read that both Amy Poehler & Jennifer Lawrence know they would get themselves into so much trouble if they were on social media a lot, so they avoid it. As a fan, I miss their perspectives. But from a potential PR perspective, I can imagine their agents being ecstatic that they don't have to clean up mess after mess. Social media is a double edge sword. It can be great but it can also slay you in all the wrong ways.

 

The other reason, I don't understand why there is not more PR handling of the cast & showrunners of Arrow and some of these other shows is that they go to cons/media days & therefore have a more public presence. If you're gonna be giving a lot of public interviews, be prepared with some good media strategy. Its not like these questions are not gonna come up. The best offense is sometimes having a good defense. Preparation is most of the battle. There are so many better ways they can say half the things they want to say. I know they want to engage which is great. But its not like we're all friends in a bar chatting over some drinks. There is a certain amount of PR, self-preservation & respect that needs to be honored at a public engagement or interview.

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I'm not sure why so many showrunners and writers can't get onboard with a few simple PR-friendly statements about these kinds of things. "Of course we pay attention to feedback but it doesn't direct our story or our decisions for the show." I don't care if you have to say it a thousand times and it gets tedious. You just keep saying it. Rather than making fun of your fans, you could say, "It's critical to us that our fans love this show and these characters; it was so hard to see people's anguish over Sara when we knew we wanted to bring her back, but couldn't say anything about it." 

 

Berlanti is typically great at this stuff. He stays 100% positive in his actual social media presence, and when he's interviewed, same thing. He is prepared to answer questions he knows he's going to get, and he never displays contempt for his own audience. Even though I still wasn't satisfied with his answer for the TCA eff-up, he did take full responsibility and promise to do better. Before he leaves these shows behind for good, he should give MG and AK a quick lesson in fan engagement and PR.

 

This. They really seem to have a split personality about it all.  They're constantly engaging and trying to generate more interest and fan involvement, and then they come out and say things that point out the irrelevancy of said fan involvement. It's unfortunate that AK and MG are not more adept at being diplomatic about it all. Even if they sit around a table and giggle like mean girls about the "power" the fandom thinks it has, you never pull back the curtain and reveal that, boys.

 

The thing that gets me (more so about MG as I see more of his stuff than AK), is they each do the lion's share of the promotion and press for their shows and they seem the least adept at the nuances of PR.  Stephen seemingly has more on the ball than these guys when it comes to promotion of the show and managing the show's image in the fans' eyes via social media. He seems to grasp the concept of diplomacy in a way they don't (again more MG). Why they don't let some of the more media savvy cast members do more press/PR is questionable...or, IDK, let the *actual* PR department handle it. LOL

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