Social TV: Will Whitened Collar Use Twitter to allow Fans Decide the Show's Ending?

Matt Bomer, Whitened Collar When Season 3 of Whitened Collar opened with a brand new opening title sequence last June, fans weren't pleased. They required to social networking - namely Facebook - to convey their displeasure, also it did not go undetected. Within an unparalleled move, USA bowed towards the fan pressure and reverted to the initial game titles. Shaun Eastin, the show's creator, spoken to us about why he loves getting together with fans, which actress he snagged like a guest star using Twitter and whether he'd ever let audiences decide the show's ending.TVGuide.com: How have you first enter into social networking, and how about it become a huge hit for you?Shaun Eastin: I acquired into Twitter due to the fact I did not know very well what the large deal was. After which after we began continuing to move forward with Whitened Collar, fans began the follow and that i could communicate directly together, that was nice. Around the nights we broadcast, you'd find every Whitened Collar author looking at their apple iphone trying to find "#WhiteCollar," and in line with the quantity of traffic, we'd come pretty near to predicting the rankings the following day. In my experience, which was a remarkably effective tool - to obtain that immediate feedback you could not have become five to ten years ago.TVGuide.com: What type of feedback is easily the most helpful?Eastin: This past year we did a unique-effects scene in which a book dissolved, and that we were really afraid it had not been likely to play well, but very quickly we had people really loved it. That grew to become really effective for all of us, just when it comes to getting a feeling of what individuals are thinking about the show. We obtain to right away see what's working and what's no longer working.Sociable TV: 5 methods of showrunners to interact their audienceTVGuide.com: Inform us concerning the new opening credits, and the reason why you transformed it back.Eastin: There is lots of creative pressure to try and turn it into a quite different, just a little slicker. There is this type of huge reaction on Facebook very quickly. What we should had not anticipated was that individuals really loved the initial -- these were accustomed to the background music and pictures. Therefore we were built with a large debate and that i ultimately recommended, "Well, let us come with an online election and find out what goes on?Inch And That I give USA lots of credit for really saying yes to get it done.TVGuide.com: Maybe you have become in danger for divulging an excessive amount of?Eastin: After I discovered we'd become Season 2 acquired, I tweeted "Champion towards the best cast and crew in television!" however i made it happen a few days before I had been designed to. And That I got in danger. But typically, USA's been very encouraging.Social TV: Understand why Nathan Fillion will get a remove of TwitterTVGuide.com: Why do you consider it's advantageous for showrunners to maintain a dialogue with fans?Eastin: We've these large breaks where it will likely be three several weeks before a brand new episode airs. And it is like... how can you get individuals to recall the show's likely to be on? How can you ask them to ensure that it stays in your mind? I believe it's a lot better than your standard ad campaign, which just puts the show before them. This prevents them interacting, and that i can perform it 140 figures at any given time.TVGuide.com: What are a few things you need to do to interact audiences?Eastin: I set up a script page sneak look a couple of days before we air, that is really well-liked by our fans. It's nice because basically it's just like a free commercial! Or maybe I am seated to create and I am simply not within the mood yet, I'll say, "OK, I am responding to fan questions for the following ten minutes.Inch It is a nice method of getting that behind-the-moments look.TVGuide.com: Could it be correct that Twitter performed a large part to get Eliza Dushku to guest-star?Eastin: We actually wanted her on the program, and that i tweeted at her, "Hey, you want to do Whitened Collar." She's on the million fans, and lots of them who choose the show authored to her, "My dear God! You gotta do Whitened Collar!" So she got really looking forward to it. Ultimately I can not state that we wouldn't have become her without Twitter, but It certainly assisted.TVGuide.com: Obviously with the positive feedback comes negative feedback. Will it find yourself getting for you?Eastin: Sometimes we'll introduce a personality and also the fans can get really nasty about this. Or every now and then I'll get "your show sucks" and it is like... returning home following a lengthy day's work simply because, it type of affects. However the great factor is the fact that that's so rare.The Voice (and former TRL) host Carson Daly: The founding father of social TV?TVGuide.com: How can you keep your experience authentic for fans?Eastin: I believe the actual secret into it would be to ensure that it stays personal. Basically stopped tweeting and switched it within the corporation, it might kind of lose its appeal.TVGuide.com: Do you consider social TV - along with a greater focus on fan engagement -- may be the future?Eastin: It's this type of no-brainer that companies are likely to begin to transfer to this. It's becoming progressively important if not only starting a show, but additionally to maintain the group of followers. It's a terrific way to interact and people interested. I can tell each day where I'll sign an agreement like a showrunner and will also include a Facebook account.TVGuide.com: Maybe you have considered permitting fans to dictate the plot? Just like a choose-your-own adventure situation?Eastin: That's really a fascinating idea. I never wanted to accept reveal that far, but you never know? Maybe Season six or seven we may contemplate something similar to letting fans pick the ending. I'd almost guarantee when we do not do it, another person will.