Microsoft agrees to buy Skype for $8.5B

Many of the business activities in the tech world areare about delivery & connection

:: I'm a MAC - tablet universe - all your content on the go

:: I'm a PC  - we'll connect everyone w/ the mucho expensive Skype


:: Google's cloud music library 


... the delivery, connection, storage and consumption of content. As these companies go toward the vertically and horizontally integrated big media co. models, it's just a matter of time before they generate the content to sell on their devices. Google is the obvious, pursuing the "celebrity" model to draw eyeballs. Once everyone on TV is online, and online is on TV and everywhere on any device,

The NY Times Media Equation details the media conglomeratization of Google "has set aside $100 million for incentives for well-known celebrities to program their own “channels” on YouTube to increase the amount of high-profile content on the platform. And the media initiatives are not entirely new: Britain’s Channel 4 signed a three-year deal back in 2009 to make entire programs available for streaming on YouTube."


The more perfectly vertically and horizontally integrated (like the movie studios - pre 1950s) the more efficiently they will function as total creation and delivery systems.

A Tribute to Millie

A Tribute:

Mildred Robbins Leet was a pioneer and one of the original, strong, amazing people to found the Metropolitan College of New York. A dear and loyal friend of Audrey Cohen, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. At school events, you could spot her immediately - engaged, shining smile, questioning, sharing, exploring ideas of how to improve the world. Her inner glow touched many many people around her, and I'm proud to have known her. Condolences to the entire family, and the team at Trickle Up, we are so proud of all the work she's done, a shining example to the MCNY community and socially-minded entrepreneurs everywhere.

April Box Office Bounceback - 791 million, April 2011 was the top-grossing April ever

Brandon Gray gives us the good news at Box Office Mojo.

Thanks to Hop, Fast Five (good to see you again VinDiesel), Rio, Insidious, Source Code & Limitless, notable lack of 3-D titles. People still want to go see movies without 3-D? Imagine.

2011 first quarter box office was suffering from comparison to last year Avatar carryover b.o., and News Corps transcript Third Quarter 2011 Earnings Release indicates that we can put Avatar behind us for a while.

Thanks Seeking Alpha for the call transcript: "At our Film segment, third quarter operating income was $248 million as compared to the record $497 million we reported a year ago, and this is as expected.

This decline reflects last year's theatrical box office success of Avatar. As we look forward, the most significant comparison issues related to Avatar's financial success are now behind us. And given Rio's current success at the worldwide box office, we anticipate good growth at our Film segment in the fourth quarter."

We'll be seeing more 3-D movies than ever with the rise of the middle class in China - and increasing demand for movies. They're building screens (all digital and 3-D capable) and the movie sector is growing by 40% annually. 

BEST USE OF VIDEO OR MOVING IMAGE

Watch watch watch!!! The Webbys are a fantastic barometer of best practices and most interesting trends in video online (and web evolution too of course). Take a few minutes to check these out.

Webby Award Winner	Agency/Credited Organization
The Wilderness Downtown http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com	@radical.media
People's Voice Winner
TED.com http://www.ted.com	TED
Nominees
Carlos http://carlos.canalplus.fr/index_...	BETC Euro RSCG
TED.com http://www.ted.com	TED
The Johnny Cash Project http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/	@radical.media
The Wilderness Downtown http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com	@radical.media
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Online http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

Thanks Canal+ !

Canal+ wants us all to know how easy it is to make genre films, and have provided us (with friends RSCG) a handy flowchart to stay on track. If you actually follow every bend in the road below, Canal+ guarantees distribution of your film, non?

Thanks as always to FastCompany & John Pavlus!

The new movie star - Parades

Everyone loves a parade, but as a main character in a movie, it's an intriguing idea.

From a legal perspective - it brings up some challenges. The story will be built around the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade - Macy's owns those rights - so it's possible that Macy's will participate in a share of net profits, for sure they will retain merchandising rights - but what is interesting will be the approach to obtaining legal releases. In the hands of Pixar, one can imagine many potential story lines, deranged helium ballon float animals coming to life and destroying the city who ultimately have a turn of heart, a "Home Alone" type search for a lost child in the throng, the genre is bound to be family friendly, given the setting (although I would prefer something more entertaining in a parade setting, along the lines of the Batman movie w/ Nicholson & his diabolical & entertaining parade destruction). And the sequel/franchise possibilities are rife - an annual parade - that offers a sequel per year, and a lead-in start creating other parade-movies.

Once a proven formula emerges - then Macy's can build a movie franchise (hopefully in 

3-D, surround sound, around the fireworks show. Because that would be entertaining. 

Weapons of Mass Instruction for Filmmakers

Highly recommended today: 

Focal Press is really raising the bar with this amazing web components:
Film Skills & Mastering Film
AMAZING!

For filmies in NYC this weekend don't miss IFP Script to Screen
fun and good for you.

Local on NBC Nonstop, new great blog & on TV: Popcorn Biz! 
Great job Eric Alt & Team!