Had the movie “Pocahontas” never been released, my life would be pretty much unchanged, and that’s the case for a lot of Disney stuff. But by delaying the debut of an online production unit called Stage 9, the
company appears to have held up some very interesting shows.
Take the promo for “Trenches” as an example of Stage 9’s work. Andrew Wallenstein calls it “pretty remarkable as low-budget recreations of intergalactic warfare go; believe it or not, it was shot in a quarry in Virginia.” Granted, a 60-second preview can’t say too much about the writing, acting, and so on, yet “Trenches” certainly looks cool enough.
Unfortunately, Wallenstein states, “Disney’s ABC has indefinitely postponed the debut of a unit charged with launching original online series. . . . Disney isn’t saying why Stage 9 is being put on the back burner, but sources indicate the parent company does not want to risk inflaming the guilds with a venture intended to grab digital revenue – a sore point in strike negotiations.”
This article will in no way turn into a criticism of the writers’ strike – it is what it is, and its effects are what they are. Still, it’s interesting to note that the strike is having a negative impact on Stage 9’s online content, when so many onlookers predicted that online videos would flourish as a result.
This development could even alter predictions that the writers’ strike will boost online advertising.
