Printing Company to Video Production Company - Insider Information

by thedepressedsoul 53 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  thedepressedsoul

  Many people think that WT is a publishing company and at one time that was true. However, they are slowly fading that out into more digital publications. We all have come to the conclusion that printed material from the WT is going way of the dinosaur.

  A lot also feel they are in the Real Estate business. This part is true and they do make a large portion of their "donations" this way. That is not news to anyone here.

  What a lot may no realize is that they are becoming a video production company that is on pace to out preform and out produce their printing company very quickly.

  This convention saw a video in almost every talk. That is going to increase. It is also going to increase a ton at the Kingdom Hall level. Think videos becoming a big part of their "worship" and you'll get the sense how big it's going to become. Video will replace a lot of parts and will be a normal part of JW life.

  I have it on good word that at Paterson there is enormous expansion going on in their A/V department to the point you wouldn't believe. They have run dedicated fiber optic cable for sending large files across the NY branches. Almost like their own ISP that they invested "very heavily" in. Apparently the expansion at Paterson A/V department will overtake the size and labor of their printing sections at WallKill.

  We've already seen the increase of videos at an alarming rate. That is just the start my friends.
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  wifibandit

  I have also heard this too. A/V is sucking up people and resources from other departments, per some of my friends inside.
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  freemindfade

  There was some talk of them starting or purchasing some communication company, could relate to their own ISP.
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  westiebilly11

  ..digital is inevitable....reduced costs...built in deletion....up to date doctrine...and also will make past printed material history..and irrelevant to the modern jw. Taken to it's ultimate conclusion it paves the way for digital meetings and no need for halls etc....might even revert to a group of 15 or so meeting in local homes.....
  
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  notsurewheretogo

  Yup...and that is what is happening in other publishing companies that produce content that used to be printed...
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  thedepressedsoul

  There was some talk of them starting or purchasing some communication company, could relate to their own ISP.

  I know the cable has already been run. This would make sense if what some have speculated is true. Sunday talks streamed from the branch, more videos during the weekday meeting.

  I've also heard it rumored that you will soon be able to watch morning worship live from your own home.
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  neverendingjourney

  Given their lack of tithing requirement and the fact that they have the lowest educated membership of any denomination surveyed by the Pew Foundation, they have to find a way to monetize their members' labor.

  Once upon a time, that was accomplished through field service. Even if members sold one magazine per hour, that was $.25 per man hour the WT was receiving. My guess is the WT hasn't been turning much of a profit on literature placements in a very, very long time.

  If they were to turn their volunteer literature-distribution salesforce into a construction force, then they could monetize their labor in the context of a real estate model: construct various buildings using free labor and a few years down the road sell them at market price. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

  As to the video production piece, I think it has to do more with the GB's ego and information control. Instead of allowing talented orators to become powerful locally, they can pump in the desired message directly to kingdom halls across the world. It also solves the problem of having a real lack of qualified public speakers in some parts of the world. A movement towards pre-packaged video content in lieu of talks presented by local speakers might explain why they're doing away with the theocratic ministry school.
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  cappytan

  The thing is, they're still very much amateurs at it.

  A video production company I once worked with produced 39 complete 30 minute nationally televised episodes a year including videography, editing and writing. We also produced hundreds of other videos that could be classified as "short form content." We were 6 people.

  Bethel isn't even nearing the production volume we 6 people could crank out.
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  cappytan

  I've also heard it rumored that you will soon be able to watch morning worship live from your own home.

  The Rank & File? Or the Bethelites would be able to from their room?

  If they allow the Rank & File to watch morning worship, that's going to be great for apostates. Some of the craziest stuff is said at morning worship.
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  freemindfade

  Oh please dionysus you magnificent drunken bastard, please make it so!