I Heart Breaking Bad
I finally got a chance to experience Story Sync for AMC’s Breaking Bad.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a big fan of Breaking Bad; it’s one of the few shows I can remember watching from inception instead of telebinging my way into a state of catatonia.
RANT ALERT: I have almost nothing good to say about this, so if you’re generally having a nice day, and would rather not read about someone complaining about television, then feel free to check in later when I’m in a better mood.
Quick! Breaking Bad is about to start!
Story Sync is a “second screen” experience, which refers to the use of an additional device (e.g., smartphone, tablet) while consuming a primary source of content (e.g., TV). Despite the high-tech sound of it, Story Sync actually requires you to recalibrate your habits by a few decades. That’s right, prepare to depart the world of DVR, Hulu, VOD, Netflix, iTunes, and any other means that you regularly use to consume content at pretty much ANY OTHER TIME than the exact moment in time when it originally aired, because Story Sync only really works as designed during the show’s original broadcast. Aside from the Super Bowl, I can’t remember the last time I watched a TV show during its scheduled airtime. At least the Super Bowl is a live event, broadcast once annually, with an unknowable outcome that will be spoiled within about five minutes of your engaging the outside world. On the other hand, it makes no sense for me to drop everything I’m doing in my life to watch a pre-recorded, serialized, dramatic show, but that is what AMC requires if you want to experience Story Sync.
AMC HQ
To get started, you must download the AMC Mobile app to your supported device of choice and keep it handy as you enjoy one of the best shows on television. As the show progresses, your device will play an alert sound whenever it has new synchronized content for you to consume, and the interface also provides a running countdown to when the next tantalizing update will be served. The second screen content is in the form of “cards” which contain a unit of content which is typically one of the following:
– relevant still photo from the current or a past episode
– relevant video clip from a past episode
– interactive multiple choice trivia question
– interactive poll
– advertisement; yes, advertisements.
Let me just cut to the chase. Breaking Bad is an intense show. It has successfully navigated the murky waters of long-format television to create an epic story that has momentum and feels real without getting mired in its own intricacies. On the whole, the aggregate experience can be as visceral and emotionally satisfying as watching a great movie. The level of technical artistry from the writing to the cinematography to the editing, sound, music, etc. is exemplary and all of it is brought home by incredible performances by a very talented and well-cast collection of performers. [PING] Hold on, it’s Story Sync, be right back, I need to answer a trivia question. Dammit! Oh, that’s the right answer? Right, now I remember. OK, where was I? Without giving anything away, characters do unexpected things and the plot never fails to enthrall over literally dozens of hours. Particularly in these final episodes, there are moments of great pathos and emotional catharsis as [PING] Let’s see here, a poll: how would I rate Walt’s ethical decision here on a scale of 1-5. Hmmm. Well, could be a three, but I’m leaning toward two. Two? Three? Umm. OK, two. Cool, 31% of Story Sync’d America agrees with me; I feel so . . . connected. Even the arguably relevant content which is designed to refresh your memory about a pertinent detail from a past episode is usually an inappropriately timed distraction.
You’re probably wondering why I don’t just pause the show so I can focus my attention on the poll and not miss what’s happening on the “first screen.” Well, this is a “live TV” experience, and pausing would cause me to lose my sync, not to mention run the risk that my second screen updates might actually end up SPOILING something I haven’t seen on the first screen yet. Also, while you can technically experience Story Sync on a non-live version of the show, it is provided as an unsynchronized “archive” version of all of the second screen content. This means that spoiler information for the entire show that you are about to watch is just a swipe away.
Before you write me off as a Luddite, (actually a pretty audacious proposition if you’ve read any of my other posts) I admit that the concept of second screen might have its place. I’m an unabashedly huge fan of Project Runway, which has a second screen feature that allows you to vote about whether you agree with the judges or whether you think a particular contestant is headed for disaster. Chances are, you’re probably already thinking or talking about the exact question and it takes about a second to form a quick opinion and cast a vote. The results are shown on the air in a corner of the screen in real-time and then they disappear. This works because Project Runway is a reality show and a competition. There is no disbelief to suspend and the second screen experience provides a brief, intermittent outlet to your inner judge with instant gratification. This type of entertainment has a familiar and expected structure (setup, competition, drama, judging, victory/loss, reflection) that is simply more compatible with a second screen experience that can enhance those inherent emotional beats.
The opposite is true with a dramatic show. The level of impact of your emotional experience with the created world of the show is directly correlated to your engagement and attention. Every detail that is seen and heard on-screen is deliberately designed to deepen and retain your immersion in the story as it unfolds. But it’s a two-way street. While I can see that the idea behind Story Sync was to encourage a deeper level of engagement, unfortunately, it seems to have the opposite effect. Moreover, even the smallest amount of analysis or audience-testing would have yielded the same conclusion before it saw the light of day, or at least the dim lighting of your living room.
Heisenberg votes “No” on Story Sync
Plain and simple, Story Sync represents an extraordinary lapse of judgment on the part of the decision-makers who thought this would be a good idea for Breaking Bad. When this show premiered more than five years ago, I’m pretty sure that the creators did not intend for the attention of their audience to be dissipated into a Chinese water torture of inconsequential irritations and distractions. I’m sure that there must be a creative and compelling way to keep fans immersed and engaged with this world, but I’m also sure that this isn’t it.
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