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What the Game of Thrones Finale Can Teach Us About Fan Loyalty & Storytelling
Art belongs as much to the fans as it does to the creators.
The past few days there’s been a lot of discussion about the Game of Thrones finale.
While fans of the show have been largely divided about season 8 as a whole, the series finale tipped the balance of public opinion towards the side of disappointment for some, and downright irate for others.
But one of the most interesting discussions that has been brought up in the midst of all of this is the role that fans should have in the creation of entertainment — Be it a TV show or film.
As we all know, there are real dangers in ignoring your audience.
It’s not only irresponsible to treat your loyal fanbase as an option, — or as mere consumers who simply watch a show you’ve produced…In some cases, it’s also costly.
Shows like Firefly were revived (as the feature film Serenity) through crowdfunds after big networks like Fox cancelled them; while similar circumstances led fans of Dark Matter to abandon Syfy when the network failed to pick up the show for its last season (I’ve been cold turkey for a few years now).
What are the main points we can take away from Game of Thrones and similar franchises when it comes to storytelling and fan loyalty?
