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.
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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.
