What you need to know
- Variety has published an interview with Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg.
- The former Sony Execs are Apple's TV+ chiefs.
- In the interview, they say that the user interface of TV+ will change the way the consumer watches video.
An interview with Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg published today has given us a sneak peek into the minds of Apple's two TV+ execs just days before the launch of Apple's brand new streaming service.
The interview covers many topics from their early days in Cupertino, to Apple's ethos of innovation, and Apple TV+'s content. Van Amburg described how Apple TV+ has been more than two years in the making:
"We've all been working so hard to do the best work of our lives. We're anxious to begin to share that."
The report notes how when the two joined Apple, they no longer found themselves bound by the shackles of Hollywood:
The traditional factors that had defined their options as studio chiefs for so long — budget deficits, international sales, syndication potential, et al. — no longer applied. Now, the guiding principle was to build a service worthy of the Apple brand that also harnessed the power of digital media. The result is a collaboration between many departments.
Both spoke about how they spent a lot of time at Cupertino trying to work out how they would make Apple TV+ fit with everything else at Apple. Speaking about the brand they hope to build with Apple TV+ Van Amburg said:
"The guiding word is 'humanity,... All of our shows have something to say about the relationships we have with each other and with the world. The common denominator of all the creative people we've gotten into business with is 'Wow, they really know what they want to say with this show, and they're desperate to say it.'"
Perhaps the most exciting thing to come out of the interview, is Erlicht's claim that Apple TV+'s user interface is "a real experience:"
"What I'm most excited about is that the world is going to be able to see what we've been doing. And they're going to see a user interface that will change the way the consumer watches video.
Looking ahead Van Amburg described Nov.1 not as a finish line to their work, but the start line.
Apple TV+ will launch on November 1, starting at just $4.99. It's content can be viewed on iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV and online at tv.apple.com. Or if you purchase any of those devices you'll get a year's subscription absolutely free, one per-family sharing group.
