Supergirl TV Series is being work on.

[Turtletrekker]

The leaked copy is high quality and doesn't bear a water-mark, both suggesting the possibility of a controlled leak in order to generate buzz.

Forbes

Also, some good points are made as to why the leak, legitimate or not, may not actually be a damaging thing for the show...

Unlike the leaks of Game of Thrones and Orphan Black back in April, the release of the Supergirl pilot is not very damaging to the show itself for a variety of reasons, the first of which being the fact that the pilot doesn’t air for another six months. This isn’t a case of four episodes leaking the day before the season premiere. This is a case of one episode leaking before there’s even a legitimate marketing campaign to be spoken for. Any damage the release of the pilot could have done to viewership is going to off-set by the fact that it’s most likely going to be screened at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con in July and October for the same people downloading it now anyway.

In addition, this isn’t the first time a Warner Bros. produced DC series leaked early as the pilot of The Flash also leaked online in a legitimate theft of the episode from a screener disc around this time last year. But, as we can see from the reception of the show’s season finale earlier this week, if that release did anything, it’s help The Flash garner some much needed buzz to what was, at the time, serious speculation about its capability to be good based on set photos that had been released online weeks earlier. The damaging nature of a leak also comes down to its timing, and a leak six months ahead of schedule for a television series is not nearly as bad as one for a major blockbuster release such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

 

[Reverend]

As tempted as I am to watch, I'm going to resist until it is released officially.
I've never understood what exactly people get out of pirating this stuff. To me it just wouldn't be worth the risk of getting my ass thrown in jail just to post a TV show or movie that'll be on TV or in theaters in a few months. Do people pay to watch these or do the pirates get money for hits?

Yea, I believe the Pirates get ad revenue

And I bet most of their downloaders use adblock, so joke's on them!

 

[CorporalClegg]

The leaked copy is high quality and doesn't bear a water-mark, both suggesting the possibility of a controlled leak in order to generate buzz.

Forbes

Also, some good points are made as to why the leak, legitimate or not, may not actually be a bad thing for the show...

Unlike the leaks of Game of Thrones and Orphan Black back in April, the release of the Supergirl pilot is not very damaging to the show itself for a variety of reasons, the first of which being the fact that the pilot doesn’t air for another six months. This isn’t a case of four episodes leaking the day before the season premiere. This is a case of one episode leaking before there’s even a legitimate marketing campaign to be spoken for. Any damage the release of the pilot could have done to viewership is going to off-set by the fact that it’s most likely going to be screened at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con in July and October for the same people downloading it now anyway.

In addition, this isn’t the first time a Warner Bros. produced DC series leaked early as the pilot of The Flash also leaked online in a legitimate theft of the episode from a screener disc around this time last year. But, as we can see from the reception of the show’s season finale earlier this week, if that release did anything, it’s help The Flash garner some much needed buzz to what was, at the time, serious speculation about its capability to be good based on set photos that had been released online weeks earlier. The damaging nature of a leak also comes down to its timing, and a leak six months ahead of schedule for a television series is not nearly as bad as one for a major blockbuster release such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

This is the key point.

I'm starting to wonder if studios are leaking these intentionally. In the case of Flash last year, all it did was generate a lot of extra buzz over the summer. And it clearly didn't hurt the ratings any, since everyone who watched the leak, tune in for the pilot anyway.

It's no different from music. The record companies talk a big game, but they make most of the money from live shows and peripheral use of the music. Leaking it on line is a good way to get people to listen to something/one they usually wouldn't, and if they like it they starting showing up to shows--if not purchasing the album off iTunes.

It's so easy for people to get their hands on stuff these days, that "Hollywood" is probably best off running with it. But of course they still have to play a strait face for the legal/philosophical reasons.

 

[Mudd]

No, the owners don't leak these things intentionally. Think it through, for goodness sake.

 

[Christopher]

I'm starting to wonder if studios are leaking these intentionally. In the case of Flash last year, all it did was generate a lot of extra buzz over the summer. And it clearly didn't hurt the ratings any, since everyone who watched the leak, tune in for the pilot anyway.

It's no different from music. The record companies talk a big game, but they make most of the money from live shows and peripheral use of the music. Leaking it on line is a good way to get people to listen to something/one they usually wouldn't, and if they like it they starting showing up to shows--if not purchasing the album off iTunes.

It's so easy for people to get their hands on stuff these days, that "Hollywood" is probably best off running with it. But of course they still have to play a strait face for the legal/philosophical reasons.

I don't get that, though. Why not just release the pilots early? I mean, that's what a pilot is -- a demo film to sell the later series. Of course, they're a way for the producers to sell the network on the series, but they can also serve as a way for the network to sell viewers on the series -- as with backdoor pilot miniseries like Battlestar Galactica, say. So I don't see why they'd need to release it sneakily like this instead of just openly presenting the pilot to the public.

 

[davejames]

I dunno about that. They had convincing wirework and matte effects for flight in Superman: The Movie in 1978, much the same kind of wirework that Supergirl is using (just with greenscreen rather than front projection); but the speed effects used for The Flash in 1990 were groundbreaking stuff, pushing the state of the art at the time. Flying is easy; just hang someone in midair and move the picture behind them. They had the basic principle in place as far back as the George Reeves Superman in the '50s, and everything since has just been a refinement of that technique (except for the full-digital Superman of the last couple of movies, which is more a refinement of the flying cartoon Superman of the Kirk Alyn serials). The Flash's powers require a lot more image modification/duplication to create blur and speed effects, a lot more physical interaction with the environment, lots of complicated editing, and the like. And that's just for the comparatively simple stuff they did in 1990. Modern speedster effects as seen in Smallville and The Flash entail a lot of Matrix-style speed ramping and bullet-time work, which requires either very sophisticated high-speed camera setups, elaborate computer graphics, or both. Plus the current Flash has the added complication of the lightning-bolt animation, as opposed to the simple red blur of his TV predecessor.

Well I'm not saying there's not a lot of work that goes into the Flash effects, but the end result still just involves a red blur with some lightning streaks behind it. It all happens so fast there isn't really much time for it to register as "realistic" or not. And when we do hold on Barry while he's running, the background is mostly just a blur of light and color anyway.

Supergirl won't usually be moving at that high speed, so when she's flying through the air in broad daylight it'll require a much higher level of realism, I would think. Since they obviously won't be able to do all the flying scenes with old-fashioned wire work.

Not to mention that we'll probably see Supergirl flying a lot more than we see Flash running (which surprisingly isn't all that often, when you really stop to think about it).

 

[Morpheus 02]

And it's easy to see why, since making someone fly convincingly on screen probably costs a whole lot more than simply making them run fast like on Flash.

I dunno about that. They had convincing wirework and matte effects for flight in Superman: The Movie in 1978, much the same kind of wirework that Supergirl is using (just with greenscreen rather than front projection); but the speed effects used for The Flash in 1990 were groundbreaking stuff, pushing the state of the art at the time. Flying is easy; just hang someone in midair and move the picture behind them. They had the basic principle in place as far back as the George Reeves Superman in the '50s, and everything since has just been a refinement of that technique (except for the full-digital Superman of the last couple of movies, which is more a refinement of the flying cartoon Superman of the Kirk Alyn serials). The Flash's powers require a lot more image modification/duplication to create blur and speed effects, a lot more physical interaction with the environment, lots of complicated editing, and the like. And that's just for the comparatively simple stuff they did in 1990. Modern speedster effects as seen in Smallville and The Flash entail a lot of Matrix-style speed ramping and bullet-time work, which requires either very sophisticated high-speed camera setups, elaborate computer graphics, or both. Plus the current Flash has the added complication of the lightning-bolt animation, as opposed to the simple red blur of his TV predecessor.

Granted, this depends on how elaborate the flying sequences are. Just showing Supergirl in flight is pretty easy (aside from the digital cape animation), but takeoffs and landings are probably a bit more complicated, and if she's getting into aerial fights and catching airplanes and unspooling tornadoes and stuff like that on a regular basis, that could get pretty expensive.

One thing is, if it lasts long enough on CBS, then they can probably piece together a few minutes of various stock footage of Benoist flying. Sure it isn't ideal, but it could go a long way to help tighten the budget should they go that route.

They probably have a digital model of her for the fancy stuff that can't be done with wirework, just like the Flash is clearly digital in many of his more elaborate action moments. So they wouldn't be limited to stock footage. Although they might have to settle for a less detailed rendering of the digital Supergirl if they have a tighter budget.

But I think that's one of the reasons they went to CBS. Though I was beginning to wonder if it had something to do with the unwritten rule of three series per franchise per network. AFIAK L&O never had more than three at a time. CSI had three going at once, and now NCIS does. I'm sure there are other examples.

There were four Law & Order series on NBC at one point: the original, SVU, Criminal Intent, and Trial by Jury.

But I have to think that SG and Legends were in pipelined around the same time and they probably figured Legends was the less costly idea of the two.

I dunno, it seems to me that the whole idea behind Legends of Tomorrow was, "Man, we really like Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, and Wentworth Miller, and so do the fans. Let's make up an excuse to put them all in a show together, even though it makes no sense." It seems like it grew specifically out of the existing shows and their recurring casts, rather than being something that was conceived separately and shopped around like Supergirl. So it was always a given that LoT would be on the same network as Flash and Arrow.

I strongly agree with Christopher's analysis. I mean , who would've guessed that even just a couple episodes into season 2, Sara would be more popular than Laurel? Or that Brandon Routh could pull off a convincing geeky-but-loveable character?

It seems weird...well see how it pans out in 2016. Maybe they saw that Agent Carter worked out, & wanted to try that out for Flash?

I'm starting to wonder if studios are leaking these intentionally. In the case of Flash last year, all it did was generate a lot of extra buzz over the summer. And it clearly didn't hurt the ratings any, since everyone who watched the leak, tune in for the pilot anyway.

It's no different from music. The record companies talk a big game, but they make most of the money from live shows and peripheral use of the music. Leaking it on line is a good way to get people to listen to something/one they usually wouldn't, and if they like it they starting showing up to shows--if not purchasing the album off iTunes.

It's so easy for people to get their hands on stuff these days, that "Hollywood" is probably best off running with it. But of course they still have to play a strait face for the legal/philosophical reasons.

I don't get that, though. Why not just release the pilots early? I mean, that's what a pilot is -- a demo film to sell the later series. Of course, they're a way for the producers to sell the network on the series, but they can also serve as a way for the network to sell viewers on the series -- as with backdoor pilot miniseries like Battlestar Galactica, say. So I don't see why they'd need to release it sneakily like this instead of just openly presenting the pilot to the public.

I agree -- if they have something good, releasing a pilot/1st episode early can get people excited. Isn't that what happened with "Heroes"?

But isn't the "pirated" pilot thought kinda like the train of thought about illegal drugs/alcohol (especially for youth) -- because it's illegal, it's more exciitng to see?

Even (or maybe especially), if you didn't have a bid desire to see it on its own...but because you get access to the "illegal" copy, you'll want to see it -- and then comment about it on social media, which drives up buzz. Also "news" stories about such leaks (such as by Moviepilot) will get even more buzz.

Doing the "fake illegal" route might be good for shows you're not sure about...

 

[davejames]

I'm starting to wonder if studios are leaking these intentionally. In the case of Flash last year, all it did was generate a lot of extra buzz over the summer. And it clearly didn't hurt the ratings any, since everyone who watched the leak, tune in for the pilot anyway.

It's no different from music. The record companies talk a big game, but they make most of the money from live shows and peripheral use of the music. Leaking it on line is a good way to get people to listen to something/one they usually wouldn't, and if they like it they starting showing up to shows--if not purchasing the album off iTunes.

It's so easy for people to get their hands on stuff these days, that "Hollywood" is probably best off running with it. But of course they still have to play a strait face for the legal/philosophical reasons.

I don't get that, though. Why not just release the pilots early? I mean, that's what a pilot is -- a demo film to sell the later series. Of course, they're a way for the producers to sell the network on the series, but they can also serve as a way for the network to sell viewers on the series -- as with backdoor pilot miniseries like Battlestar Galactica, say. So I don't see why they'd need to release it sneakily like this instead of just openly presenting the pilot to the public.

We have seen a trend lately of pilots being released early by the networks, but somehow I doubt this is one of those times. It's still just way too soon before the show premieres, and any good buzz that might result would probably have dissipated before then.

Plus it's hard to imagine they would edit together a 6 minute long trailer only to release the entire damn pilot a couple weeks later.

 

[Christopher]

Plus it's hard to imagine they would edit together a 6 minute long trailer only to release the entire damn pilot a couple weeks later.

Just to play devil's advocate: If (if!) this was a deliberate leak, maybe they decided to do it because the trailer generated such unexpectedly strong buzz. I.e. they hadn't intended to release the whole thing, but then they saw what an amazing response the trailer was getting and thought, "How do we capitalize on this even more?"

Although I still don't see why they wouldn't have just released it openly in that case.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Well, as the Forbes article mentioned, it was likely to be screened at SDCC and NYCC anyway, so they wouldn't be worried about spoilers.

As for why they wouldn't just openly release it, there may be any number of legal reasons why it couldn't be done officially, but an "accidental" leak gets around any legal issues and helps generate buzz at the same time. Hypothetically, of course.

 

[Icemizer]

Lets remember this is going on a major network, so good early and continual buzz means charging more dollars for ad time when the show airs.

 

[CorporalClegg]

The thing about doing an "open" release is it would probably take unified commitment from the top down, including everyone from CBS, WB, and the major advertisers. It also suggest and uncertainty about the product, which lessens to advertiser confidence.

But with a "planned leak," they can reap all the publicity benefits without having to worry about side effects.

And the news has been trending heavy all day on FB feeds, Twitter and the blogosphere. But the "news" isn't the show itself, but the leak. But, like the old saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

However, I think some have the wrong idea of what I mean by "planned leak." Obviously I don't mean Les and friends huddled around a laptop trying to figure out how to work Bittorrent. But it's also a little naïve to think an executive or three would never hide their eyes while a mid-level PR person snuck a flashdrive into a press packet in exchange of a wink, a nudge, and a signed NDA.

Releasing it now also makes a lot of sense. There's a holiday weekend coming up where there's bound to be plenty of sci-fi related conventions and events. And, as what happened last year, the hype will linger all summer long. Just going from personal experience, the Flash pilot came up in a lot of conversations I had for months.

Also, since it's five-or-whatever months before it goes live, people are way more likely to participate in a repeat viewing as they would if it came out only a week or two ahead of time.

 

[Guy Gardener]

And remember what happened with the Constantine Pilot leak?

It was different to the final product.

A scene was added to boot out the until that moment, intended female lead because she wasn't working out.

Or the Doctor Who leaks last year.

The Sheriff of Nottingham was supposed to have his head cut off with a sword, but since he had a robot body, he just picked his head up and put it back on and kept fighting. Problem was that something typical in the Middle East had happened where some one's beheading was newsworthy and kept in the cycle for far too long until TPTB chickened out and cut the scene because they didn't want to seem exploitative or uncouth to the immediate current events.

The pilot is good, but it's not yet set in stone.

 

[Christopher]

As for why they wouldn't just openly release it, there may be any number of legal reasons why it couldn't be done officially, but an "accidental" leak gets around any legal issues and helps generate buzz at the same time. Hypothetically, of course.

I don't see why there would be any legal issues. It's their show. They're the ones who have the legal right to broadcast it, and are free to choose when and how they do so. When Nickelodeon cancelled the TV broadcasts of The Legend of Korra's third season, it was only a few weeks before they started airing the rest of the season on Nick.com. And then they went ahead and rushed the fourth season into release months before it would've been scheduled to air had the show stayed on TV. So it doesn't seem to me like there's any legal reason why a network that's already bought and paid for the right to broadcast a show would be unable to release it early online. They're the only ones who legally could do that.

The thing about doing an "open" release is it would probably take unified commitment from the top down, including everyone from CBS, WB, and the major advertisers. It also suggest and uncertainty about the product, which lessens to advertiser confidence.

Okay... that makes more sense than the "legal reasons" idea, but I'm still confused as to why it would suggest uncertainty. If anything, capitalizing on the huge popularity of the trailer seems like it would be an expression of confidence. The reaction to the trailer has already proven there's strong interest out there. Like, I gather it got downloaded more than all the other upfronts trailers put together, or something like that. I'd think advertisers would be lining up at the door in the wake of that.

But with a "planned leak," they can reap all the publicity benefits without having to worry about side effects.

And the news has been trending heavy all day on FB feeds, Twitter and the blogosphere. But the "news" isn't the show itself, but the leak. But, like the old saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

I guess I can see that, but it just feels just so disreputable, especially for a character as wholesome as Supergirl. I wish something could get the same kind of hype just by going through normal channels. I hate the way the Internet has normalized leaks and torrents and such, the way the pirates have warped the culture so that now the studios are operating on their terms. (That is, if this really was an intentional leak. That's still just speculation, as far as I know.)

 

[The Old Mixer]

Even aside from the illegality of this kind of piracy, it's just so damn rude to spoil other people's big events like that, to steal their thunder and ruin the drama and deny them the right to control how they present their own creations. Honestly, whatever happened to basic courtesy? Not to mention patience?

Welcome to Teh Internets, where...

people with a sense of decency

...are rare and precious.

 

[urbandefault]

I refuse to feel guilty for watching a leaked pilot on a public, commercial website.

YMMV.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Meanwhile I refuse to feel guilty for scaling a wall, busting some locks and tasering 7 security guards to get my hands ont he masters for the first 5 episodes.

 

[cylkoth]

As for why they wouldn't just openly release it, there may be any number of legal reasons why it couldn't be done officially, but an "accidental" leak gets around any legal issues and helps generate buzz at the same time. Hypothetically, of course.

I don't see why there would be any legal issues. It's their show. They're the ones who have the legal right to broadcast it, and are free to choose when and how they do so. When Nickelodeon cancelled the TV broadcasts of The Legend of Korra's third season, it was only a few weeks before they started airing the rest of the season on Nick.com. And then they went ahead and rushed the fourth season into release months before it would've been scheduled to air had the show stayed on TV. So it doesn't seem to me like there's any legal reason why a network that's already bought and paid for the right to broadcast a show would be unable to release it early online. They're the only ones who legally could do that.

Actually, it falls to Warner Bros to release it online, or on pay per view, etc, as CBS would only have rights to broadcast it on their network. Warner Bros has held back online and On Demand rights to most of their network series, not allowing them to be made accessible even on the network's (that paid for the show) own websites.

 

[Christopher]

Actually, it falls to Warner Bros to release it online, or on pay per view, etc, as CBS would only have rights to broadcast it on their network.

Oh, I should've thought of that. Korra is different, because Nickelodeon is the owner as well as the broadcaster. Pardon me while I vanish in a puff of logic.

Warner Bros has held back online and On Demand rights to most of their network series, not allowing them to be made accessible even on the network's (that paid for the show) own websites.

So... how come I'm able to watch Arrow, The Flash, and iZombie on Hulu Plus every week? They have Constantine and The 100 there too, among others.

 

[cylkoth]

The Warner owned shows on the CW are an exception, as CBS has operational control over the network and brokered the deals for their inclusion on Hulu Plus, as well as after season play on Netflix. Constantine, was a surprise, though. as was Gotham being made available to Fox' online On Demand website. CBS launched their streaming service, CBS All Access without Big Bang Theory, Persons of Interest, or The Mentalist, all Warner owned.
They seem to have loosened the reigns a bit, after having resisted network overtures longer than other studios.