Tucker’s first show on Twitter debuted to massive fanfare and pageviews. Some are claiming over 70,000,000 people saw the Tweet, and it’s fair to speculate that 10 million watched some or all of the monologue. And yet I’m bearish on Tucker if he doesn’t upgrade production value considerably.
Tucker’s show worked on cable news because it transgressed the medium he messaged from, and because Tucker is a class traitor. (The latter being Trump’s appeal.) When someone who looked old money said things that were true and forbidden, massive interest followed. Now Tucker is rolling around with the rest of us. and he loses the benefit of saying controversial truths on a cable network that forces hosts to color within the lines.
He’s brought his cable news aesthetic to an online world. This isn’t going to work after two weeks.
It’s not video if you can listen to it like a podcast.
Tucker’s TV show always lacked high production value. Foxnews, for its nightly shows, relies on on the A camera on your face with a graphic in a pop-up box. This is boring and for old people. Yes Tucker had the highest rated show in the “target demographic” of 24 to 54 year olds. Many of us have more people read or listen to us from that demographic via Twitter. Every day.
Cable news viewership numbers are not impressive in an online world. Those numbers matter to networks because everyone from advertisers to the cable companies themselves agreed they matter.
What would take Tucker’s show to Internet level.
Why have video at all if there’s no reason to watch it?
I learned that from reading a book on documentary filmmaking and kept telling the Hoaxed crew, It’s not a film if you can listen to it like PBS newshour.
Tucker is going to want / need overlays as he reads articles.
He needs different camera angles.
He should be followed with two cinematographers who are gettin B-roll constantly.
Viewers are obsessed with behind the scenes footage. This works whether you’re doing VH1 documentaries on Tina Turner, UFC fight promos, 30 For 30, The Last Dance (Bulls, not ballroom), or any compelling visual storytelling that creates an emotional connection with views.
During the show, Tucker needs the overhead camera angle zeroing in on news articles. Again, Alex Jones does this well.
This is an example of Alex Jones production value. It’s cool and engaging.
The video must tell the story.
Many people think you need “jump cuts,” and that’s wrong. You don’t have to go full ADHD like Mr Beast.
Tucker wants an intelligent audience.
Visual storytelling draws in high IQ viewers.
In before “You’re a Tucker hater,” “Why don’t you do this yourself,” etc.
Some low IQ people are going to claim I’m a Tucker hater. Laughable. Or demand, “Why don’t you do this?”
I prefer writing, my impact seems to be fine. I stopped doing live streams because people recognized me too frequently in public. I am kind of a nobody now, and it’s fantastic.
Also, it’ll cost Tucker $500,000 in film production alone. He’d need two cinematographers and one or more video editors constantly cataloging footage. He’s going to need a seven figure budget for production and equipment.
With that amount of money on the line, you must work. I don’t want to work that hard. Maybe that’s a character flaw. Whatever.
I’m not particularly interested in raising funds to do a proper show. Tucker might not be, either. He’s earned the right to to take it easy, not push production, and get what viewers he can. (Which will be a lot.)
If I did a show, yes, it would follow the advice given here or not really bother doing one at all.
High production value example.
A documentary I produced, Hoaxed, was the top-selling documentary for several weeks on iTunes, and charted across all of iTunes. Amazon banned Hoaxed without explanation once Hoaxed trended across all streaming.
Hoaxed made the AP’s best-seller list two weeks in a row.
If you’re curious of my bona fides, go watch something I did properly.
The hype of Tucker returning will die down soon, and then he’s going to have to grind it out like everyone else.
I hope he does it right.
Tucker's Twitter Show and Aesthetics
understand the style points! but at the moment Tucker is a spectacle, a lone person vs. The Media, and he is going to draw max cume audiences because events external to his show (Fox suing, Elon & Twitter, 2024 election, etc) are going to act like fuel injection.
it was authentic, not glitzy. we know glitz is propaganda. Does he need props, yes, he’s just getting started. Rush Limbaugh used headsets in his simulcast. Carlson is a combo of broadcast/podcast. Del Bigtree’s set is well done. If Tucker is to model anyone, it should be Bigtree’s Highwire. Both are also easy on the eyes to female viewers. They are men...