[vkou]

The difference in production quality between a Clerks-style mockumentary, and a AAA teledrama is huge. The latter is a money pit, where you can sink millions of dollars into. Technology has made video-production much more accessible, but there's almost no ceiling to money->production quality in that space.

With music, technology has made audio-production much more accessible, and while there is a difference between someone recording music in their garage, and Justin Beiber working in a gold-plated studio, it's not a big one.

I may not like the latest Avenger's take on the DC universe, but watching an unlicensed spin-off made by four kids over a summer isn't an acceptable substitute. If I don't like Beiber's new album, there's a mountain of indie bands that... Sound just as good.

[ghaff]

Part of it is that the cameras you can get from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars have gotten dramatically better than the Super8 or even VHS days--and the editing process is also cheaper and easier--but there's so much more in the budget for that AAA teledrama or even a relatively low budget movie. The actors of course but also sets, lighting and sound design, etc. Some types of films can be produced on the cheap under some circumstances but not most mainstream films, especially the popular ones.