It’s been a while since I was able to post on this blog, but for good reason! As my last post stated, I have been in grad school and a LOT has happened…
As of September 2023, I have earned an MS in Television and Media Management along with an MBA with a concentration in Corporate Sustainability and Social Impact. My goal was to establish an education that would support an expertise in the ESG of film and television production
The first of these two advanced degrees required a thesis. I had researched the possibility of creating a sitcom format that has universal appeal for greater chances of success both domestically and subsequently through international acquisition as a redub or adaptation. The findings can also be applied to OTT services who have a single program running in multiple international markets. In short, I categorized American sitcoms into three buckets: Buddy, Family, and Workplace. Then studied the appeal of different series under each label and their success or failures abroad after their initial domestic run. The international adaptations and redubs were all subject to social and governmental censorship or editing which affected how well the formats performed. I included research into humor theory to provide context into how different styles of humor can play out in society. The nuances discovered were very interesting. As it turns out… I developed a working theory! Reach out if you’d like to hear about it in detail.
Anyway, outside of school, my work has shifted from account management for a marketing agency to running the Video Production department of the agency and working as a Creative Producer for a production company based in Santa Barbara, California! Historically, the agency’s video work was handled by contractors but we’ve decided to bring it in house. I now liaise with various different videography teams, directly manage an in-house post-production office, and negotiate contracts with sales and clients. On the production company’s end, I have been working on an original series, initially as a Development Intern, to develop a pitch deck, craft and polish the pilot script, and get the entire package to pitch-ready quality. I also play a direct role in developing and producing ancillary content for the series. (After all, the best series become the best by offering supplemental content to satisfy the audiences who want more after the credits roll.)
As always, I’m working on getting on more sets, in more studios, and becoming a bigger part of the conversation on the future of television. Here’s to the past two years and to the future!
Scott Duvall 