Jessica Ryan
@jessicaryan
Piratical pioneer of experiences live on the Internet (circa 2013) // CEO Broadway Unlocked, your friendly theatre on the internet // Indefatigable advocate for arts
Jessica Ryan
watch.broadwayunlocked.com
It’s not just that creators use the internet
It’s that they were raised by it.
They’re more attuned to thinking like product designers than studio executives
They test ideas, respond to feedback, and ship what connects.
They understand... See more
It’s that they were raised by it.
Their feedback loop is instant
They understand internet culture
They publish, adapt, and evolve in real time.
They’re more attuned to thinking like product designers than studio executives
They test ideas, respond to feedback, and ship what connects.
They understand... See more
The Entire Hollywood System Explained in Tech Terms
It’s not just that creators use the internet
It’s that they were raised by it.
Their feedback loop is instant
They understand internet culture
They publish, adapt, and evolve in real time.
They’re more attuned to thinking like product designers than studio executives
They test ideas, respond to feedback, and ship what connects.
They understand momentum.
They’ve already absorbed the logic of bottom-up SaaS, intuitively.
This is why the next great storytellers won’t come from film school.
They’ll come from YouTube, Discord, & Substack
All thats missing is proper infrastructure.
Abigail, what was it about “Bridgerton” that made you want to turn it into a musical?BARLOW The opening scene is so theatrical. I could just see each part of the stage lighting up in my brain. And then I kept writing down lines of dialogue that sounded like song titles. The phrase “ocean away” was the first one that made me run to my piano.
Julia Jacobs • TikTok to the Grammys: How a ‘Bridgerton’ Musical Beat Broadway (Published 2022)
What does it mean to apply our power to promote our values? It means that we can have an impact on our shared political and cultural life. It means that we can support and care for each other. It means we can stand up, individually and together, and say “no” against the injustices in the world. It means that we have the ability to initiate the... See more
Shawn Taylor • We the Fans: How Our Powers Can Change the World - Pop Culture Collaborative
2026 Media and Entertainment Industry Outlook: Evolving definitions of quality, cross-platform audience intelligence, and AI efficiency are changing competitive dynamics in the media landscape
deloitte.comFor many viewers, value sits at the intersection of intellectual property (IP), fandom, and audience activation… self-identified fans are more likely to follow their fandoms across different media, and to spend money on related merchandise, services, and events.14 As such, fans are often “net promoters” who organically extend the marketing reach of brands and franchises they care deeply about. In an ever-fragmenting and costly media landscape, fandoms can reduce uncertainty and risk of investments.
Some artists might bristle at your strategy of inviting in fan feedback as you create the work, leaving it open to significant influence from the audience in the middle of the creative process.
Julia Jacobs • TikTok to the Grammys: How a ‘Bridgerton’ Musical Beat Broadway (Published 2022)
Hollywood used to be run by folks that understood that a successful film, or character, or auteur is more than first weekend box office revenue — it is the most valuable asset ever, that is built over time and lasts for decades. Bob Evans was driven by taste and instinct, and used capital to back people, repeatedly — Coppola, Polanski, Friedkin — not just “big IP”. He understood that cultural value compounds around unique voices in ways financial models can’t predict.
“We want to thank everyone on the internet who has watched us create this album from the ground up,” said Abigail Barlow, who sings for over a dozen different characters on the album. “We share this with you.”
Julia Jacobs • TikTok to the Grammys: How a ‘Bridgerton’ Musical Beat Broadway (Published 2022)
Joseph Devlin on LinkedIn: A former student of mine introduced me to a pod called “A Slight Change of… | 64 comments
linkedin.com
Broadway Unlocked and Live Digital
What was particularly fascinating, though, was that being in a live audience in the theatre (red line) led to higher highs and lower lows than watching in a small group (yellow line) in my lab. It was even more reduced when people watched the movie alone (brown line) in my lab. In fact, because of the scaling it looks like they flatlined but I can assure you, the peaks and troughs are present, they are simply greatly reduced in size.
Collective effervescence led to emotional enhancement, making the live performance with a big audience that much more impactful.