Audience Participation Essential to 'American Idol' Success

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 18:58

Nine years ago, Fox Television took a gamble with a talent show called 'American Idol', where thousands of singers compete for the chance at stardom through a panel of judges and popular vote. The season ends with one final winner receiving a career launching record deal and life-changing opportunities. Last night, Lee DeWyze won American Idol 2010. Millions of people cheered him on, including me. This happened amid a bit of due 'Pomp and Circumstance' for departing judge, Simon Cowel. American Idol is successful not only because of the excitement of a 'regular' person morphing into a superstar in a relatively short period of time, or the judging, but also because of American Idol’s audience participation. Calling a toll-free number or texting from cell phones was encouraged for audience voting of their favorite contestant. Millions of votes were cast each week; giving the audience a vested interest in the following week's judging. Audience participation is essential to American Idol's decade of success. It's a brilliant idea for a series, and I’d like to see it developed online through interactive television.

Many new HDTVs have Internet ability, allowing users to toggle from television to Internet using their remote control. Television and the Internet may soon give birth to many independent internet channels like cable television did so many years ago, with MTV, VH1, the Discovery Channel and countless others. Having produced or attended several online shows in Second Life®, such as The Guest Lecture Series, The Second Life Pub Crawl, Live Music and a variety of Talk Shows, I know what it takes to professionally produce or attend online programs. Reaching an audience through Internet-ready television could launch many new careers. An idea that is still in early development, online programs will soon be moving from the personal desktop monitor in the home office to the HDTV in the family room, and that’s very exciting for both production companies and their audiences.

The American Idol producers tapped into a vital component of successful programming nine years ago when they included the audience in the excitement of their television show. They rallied millions of people to participate, empowering the audience to determine the fate of contestant’s musical careers. By creating this connection, American Idol producers formed a passionate bond between viewers and performers, resulting in record-setting revenue and television programming history.

We’ve experienced the bond between audience and performer at Molaskey’s Pub. I describe it as a living room concert’, akin to MTV’s popular program, ‘Unplugged’, where musicians who usually perform in crowded arenas play acoustically for a small audience in a casual atmosphere. Instead of watching the privileged few enjoy Eric Clapton perform ‘Layla’, for example, imagine being among those in the audience, from the comfort of your home. The 3D online world offers a sense of ‘being there’. It results in a unique and enriching musical experience. That’s what makes the interactive online world so appealing. It’s a new experience for the audience.

Finding and promoting musical talent is one of the joys of running Molaskey's Pub online. For over three years, we have been producing and promoting live music shows for the developing online community. We’ve maintained a relatively small audience of online users compared to the enormous reach of broadcast television, but what we have achieved with our audience is a deeply personal connection between performers and their fans in which the world of broadcast television has yet to achieve.

Nine years ago, they weren’t sure if the American Idol would flop or take off. With audience support, it surpassed all expectations. With appearances by previous American Idol contestants with musical legends, not only is it a hit show, last night it was the hottest ticket in town. Impressed with my serendipitous timing to catching the big finale, I impulsively captured the crowning moment on my iPhone.

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Congratulations to Lee DeWyze and every contestant, producer, critic and fan of the show. It must have been quite a year for the newly discovered Lee DeWyze, with so many opportunities opening up, only to be on the brink of loosing it each week. But Lee DeWyze performed his heart out. You could see it and hear it in him. That's why I like him so much. He reminds me of any number of musicians we see at Molaskey's Pub. Maybe a performance by 'Idols Online' or something similar is in the works already. I know I am not the only one to mention the idea.

American Idol productions in Hollywood could very well co-exist in an interactive online environment and call it 'American Idol Online'. It would be best done through Molaskey's Pub, of course, heh. It even sounds cool, 'American Idol Online in 3D'. It seems all the movies are doing it, why not the Internet? Well, it's possible. Come to think of it, any live production can simultaneously produce a 3D online experience.

Once again, a big congratulation to Lee DeWyze for winning the majority of audience votes on American Idol 2010. Well done.

On a personal note to Lee; I am pleased to inform you that you have passed the audition. You can play at Molaskey's Pub ANYTIME. ;)

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