This Business of FILM

Microsoft agrees to buy Skype for $8.5B

2011-05-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-03T12:29:00.000-04:00

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+ !

2011-04-12T09:55:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-10T19:14:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

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!

Waiting Game: Production Incentives under fire

2011-03-03T12:26:00.000-05:00

Film producer & financier Steve Greenwald has said this many times about film production incentives, "get them before they're gone" and for the states, they may be in a waiting game against each other.

"Executives from NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting, EUE Screen Gems and Tyler Perry Studios joined with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Motion Picture Association of America in testifying before the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee. All argued that repealing the package of tax incentives that recently lured studios to Georgia will send them away just as quickly.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-03-03/story/movie-makers-decry-cuts-georgia-incentives#ixzz1FYeNbYvd"

If Georgia's incentives go away, other states that hang in there will benefit, they're movie industry will grow.

Congratulations Luke Matheny

2011-03-03T12:14:00.002-05:00

So much of the excitement of the Oscars is not over, they're available to watch, and the shorts programs are fabulous - unexpected, well made. Amidst so many dark & moving short films, Luke Matheny's win stuck out.

Luke Matheny's winning narrative short film GOD OF LOVE is a stylish (and brave: black & white!), and endearing story. His amazing looks as an actor (think Hairy Jim Carey) and distinct story telling are something I look forward to, whether as shorts or features.

In this article about him shooting near his hometown in PA, this quote stuck out to me:
"We used my Mom's car and we shot the scenes out of the back of it," he said

I think he'll definitely have the budget for a camera car next time!

Oscar. Mania. Live Tweeting. Realtime Parties. All Access. Facebook. The most interactive Academy AwardsTM in HISTORY.

2011-02-27T15:59:00.002-05:00

Best Pic Infographic: Courtesy of Foodzie

Infographic guide to Oscar $: Slashfilm

You didn't forget right? The Oscars are tonight?
You can vote about 834,278,835,204 ways online.

Happy President's Day (+ monsters) Weekend

2011-02-18T13:45:00.000-05:00

So great!

Baseline announced new co-star, Dominic Cooper, for the movie in development “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” based on the best selling book of the same name,

on the eve of Presidents Day Weekend.

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.
Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire." (Amazon review)

Thanks to Writer (and screenplay writer) Seth Grahame-Smith for melding a tale with our favorite past President and the (current) favorite fanger monster in an historical novel.
To celebrate this patriotic holiday, I'm going to read the Gettysburg Address & the book.

Which ties in nicely to a Friday in February in New York City that's 61 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Damn Channel is damn funny

2011-02-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

Sure there are a million great songs, amazing videos, wonderful stories - but who has time? So we thank the new business models that are taking the time to curate, and create QUALITY content so that time spent scrolling through, snacking on, and surveying the millions of zillions of bits and bytes out there is kept to a minimum.

Life is short, watch what's good.

Big screen + little screen - let's go!

2011-02-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

We're ready. Audiences have spoken.

Collapse them. Close the film distribution windows so we can chose, consumers can buy when they want to.

The signs:

Fox & Warner jump into mobile: "We want to reach more people in more countries, and this is a great way to take advantage of the fact that the app store is available in more places," Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Brothers Digital Distribution, told TheWrap. "We're experimenting with the concept of connected movies and recognizing that more people are experiencing content through connected devices."
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Home entertainment is down:
It was supposed to be a cure for what ails the home entertaiment market, but a year after studios began instituting 28-day rental delays on new releases, sales of DVDs continue to plummet.

Analysts say the effect has been like handing out Band-aids for third-degree burns.

Overall, sales and rentals of movies on all home formats dropped 3 percent to $18.8 billion domestically in 2010. More worrisome, while sales of Blu-rays jumped 68 percent to $2.3 billion, sales of standard DVDs fell 11 percent to $14 billion,according to the Digital Entertainment Group.

Is the concept a Google OnePASS idea, where a company (like Google or Apple) fosters the transaction between buyer and seller and then takes a % of the sale (Apple, 30% and Google 10%...for now)

At this point all the publishing, gaming, music, research, video, and social network platforms are scanning each other to figure out what works, what doesn't - put the reins in the hands of the ultimate rider - buyers.

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Abu Dhabi’s Imagenation: $100M Losses
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Hollywood is struggling, but doomed? People will always tell stories, now in more forms than ever, the film industry is evolving, come on kids, keep up!

Film Financing Seminar @ SVA

2011-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

In a nutshell: Branded Entertainment is hot. Really. Seek out the ad agencies and the brands, and cold call until you get in there.
Festivals are a key consideration right up front, and if you don't get into the first tier festivals - plunge headlong into the next tier. Get exposure.
Content is no longer the dirty "c" word....
Before you ask for $, You need to know what the film will cost, who the audience is, how you will structure your investment, and what the sources of revenue are
CYA with all manner of legal advice, clearances, assume you'll ask for a festival license for now (cheaper) to get that music but make sure to negotiate UPFRONT what the long term costs in perpetuity
Niche, niche, niche
Reputable Sales Agents' estimates (& established relationships w/more experienced producers) are one key to getting an in at an entertainment bank.
The glossy presentation isn't necessarily what will earn the trust of financiers & investors: they are looking for marketable attachments, a budget created by a good line producer, a director (preferably not a 1st timer), $ a financial plan, sales agents.

Thanks to IIFF & School of the Visual Arts & our experts:
DARREN GOLDBERG, Atlantic Pictures
LAURENCE FREED, Worldview Entertainment
ROB BARNETT, My Damn Channel
IVAN SAPERSTEIN, Saperstein & Crowell, LLP

Favorite Film Infographics

2011-02-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

Collecting data about the movie business has gone graphic - some of these are positively artistic, thank you to all the people forwarding these to me, and to the artists & publishers as well, they're great!

NYTimes: Netflix Map
Toy Story 3
Trilogy Meter
Sequel Map
2010 Box Office
Netflix v. Redbox
Streaming show info
Movie themes & misc.

We're very excited that This Business of Film is now available on Kindle, and we will be holding film business bootcamp this in several spots in NY state this Summer for those interested, give us a shout.

The per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2005 was 25.7 pounds. Happy Valentine's Day.

Who controls the content, draws the audience (AMC + Regal)

2011-02-13T13:33:00.002-05:00

Who's got what content, and how they leverage it in the marketplace. In a move heralding back to the early 1900s and the days of "The Trust" theater owners (AMC & Regal) have decided to make their own damn movies.

"So, if you're a theater owner, what's the quickest fix? Cut out the middle man. Acquire and distribute your own films; that way the money from tickets sold stays in your own pocket. " (Blog.moviefone)

Well...that's a potentially sticky wicket. Studios are theater's biggest customers, so are they endangering getting the next Avatar movies into their chain? Remember Netflix's foray into movie making and The Puffy Chair, a short-lived experiment, but bold.

LA Times, "People familiar with the plan said the joint venture will not compete with the studios by acquiring big-budget event films. Instead, the new company will seek out independently financed movies that may not otherwise make it into theaters, such as low-budget dramas, comedies and horror pictures."

Ok, makes sense, however, all entertainment is competing for a somewhat limited audience with way too many options, so that argument isn't the strongest. Bravo to the theaters for innovating & collaborating - this is a first step toward creating vibrant movie cultural and entertainment centers -now just build mini-theaters onto Target/Walmart superstores and you'll really get some traffic. The big box store has become the new mall, and since that's where people go to spend money - why not entertain them there too?

The 1948 Consent Decree ordered studios to divest themselves of theaters, but did but why wouldn't theaters own studios (or partner w/them) to build libraries of content - holding new assets they can leverage in different ways, and ensure there is always material in the pipe?

Thanks to Fred Rutherford for hipping me to this important film business development!

See the Oscar Shorts

2011-02-12T12:29:00.002-05:00

iTunes

On cable

In theaters

Wall Street watering the film business once more...

2011-02-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

On the conservative side - corporate financing to stable movie companies, Summit, The Weinstein Company, MGM, Dreamworks.

Caution and a risk-averse approach - assets, a business model, strong collaborations, and cash flow - novel concept.

Happy Birthday Film Father - Thomas Edison's 164th

2011-02-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

"Hell there are no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something." T. Edison

Fashion Weak

2011-02-11T13:49:00.003-05:00

Tired of your Black Swan tutu fashion and Avatar costumes? Soooo 2010.

These films may inspire fashion trends:

No Strings Attached

Red Riding Hood

Prada to Nada

Water for Elephants should provide many beautiful visuals, but inspiration for fashionistas?

mmmmmmm..doubtful.

Color me Oscar - You decide who gets Best Picture!

2011-02-10T15:48:00.001-05:00

Coming soon to an AMC (hopefully) near you!

In a butt-numbing but totally fun weekend where you see all the nominees of for Best Picture (bring a cushion & paper to take notes). The price is totally right, and you'll have all of the movies fresh in your mind before filling out your Oscar ballot.

AMC did Saturday, February 19 and Saturday, February 26.

NYC Hearts Austin, how much?

2010-09-30T10:19:00.000-04:00

With some of the greatest art house cinemas in the world, NYC may get an Austin favorite with the "Number 1 Theatre in America" Alamo Drafthouse, the indie
So there's a little time for native New York theaters to try and run beta versions of Alamo's policies & programming:
18- and up, baby day, table-service a la dinner theater for food & drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), a flag raising policy for patrons to alert staff to annoying behavior from other patrons, "All Ages, with parent" days, & dedication to 'entertaining and mature environment' and pass policies for some free admissions.

It brings the heart of a neighborhood bar into the movie theater, ladies night, choice get-in passes, table service, a casual night-out feel, plenty of diverse programming choices including campy, horror, & cult/geek friendly programming.

Reading International has prime theater real estate in NYC and a strong art-house presence.

Reading recently closed the Angelika Film Center in Houston, while the Drafthouse there is thriving. With 75% fewer art house screens in Houston, this could be a good time for the Drafthouse chain, and it appears that the South by Southwest spirit may be headed North by Northeast.

What happens in Houston will be interesting, as other exhibitors move to fill this vortex.

Tony Curtis will be missed...

2010-09-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

...and remembered, for the inspiration & humor & many memorable movies.

Will AZ keep film production incentives alive?

2010-05-27T13:10:00.001-04:00

The $1.5 billion industry of motion pictures in Arizona and 12,000 + jobs.
On the chopping block.

Tough economic times may destroy film production incentives in America, coming soon to a state near you.

Arizona has built up a considerable film and television production business with their strong incentives program, but the incentive expires Dec. 31 of this year unless it's kept alive. It's not looking good today.

Who would suffer? The $100 million Avondale Live studio project, the $70 million production complex in Mesa - critical movie infrastructure - as well as many film industry professionals.

Read more about this critical state in David Madrid's great article.

Differential Pricing

2010-05-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

It's not rocket science - media moguls did it way back when.

Charge more for the most expensive movies, movie grades, we have price discrimination for early shows, late late shows, students, seniors, it makes sense.

Most consumers are practical, they would be happy to pay less for a B movie - The Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity, any Roger Corman-esque film, and prepared to spend more to see Avatar, whether in 2-D or 3-D. Bring back movie grading!

MGM + Miramax +Overture = MGM-amaxerture

2010-04-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Film Libraries for sale, hundreds and thousands of films on the auction block.

Hot Tub Time Machine & the new Hobbit movies alone cannot save MGM, how much of the library could be remade or converted into gaming properties, mobile apps, as "local" films in Brazil, Russia, India, and China?

While it would be justice served to see the Weinstein's buy Miramax back, with all these libraries on the market, it seems like there's an opportunity for someone with very deep pockets to amass a huge library of content, Overture + MGM + Miramax all on the shelf and not only resell it, but re-conceive these stories into something relevant for current audiences.

Recent thought provoking news bytes

2010-04-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

"Redbox, the buck-a-night DVD kiosk company, might not be content with just kiosks anymore. Word has it that Redbox is circulating a survey to gauge interest in monthly streaming video subscriptions, similar to Netflix's popular "Watch Instantly" "

"Blockbuster, the troubled video rental store chain, has pledged the assets of its 450-store Canadian business as collateral to secure a continued supply of new DVD releases from Hollywood studios, as part of a continuing effort to recapitalise its business amid concerns over its liquidity."

"film industry’s major players, and some sympathetic lawmakers, have aligned in an 11th-hour push to block the authorization of new financial instruments that would allow traders to swap contracts tied to box-office results."

"Belltower Entertainment ... approved for a $1,000,000 credit facility ...Mogul Mind Studios' newly constructed 330,000 square foot production facility, located two miles from downtown Pittsburgh in the Strip District, as well as the 25% Pennsylvania State Film Tax Credit"

Spec scripts still selling

2010-04-07T18:03:00.000-04:00

Warner Bros. has paid screenwriter Dante Harper at least $1 million for a spec script that is an adaptation of a Japanese novel called All You Need Is Kill - aliens, action, Groundhog Day all rolled into one.

Be of good cheer writers, Check out Carrie Latet's article about spec projects sold in 2009, by genre and title.

COMEDY 26
THRILLER 12
ACTION 11
DRAMA 7
SCIENCE FICTION 4
ROMANTIC COMEDY 3
Thanks for the sleuthing Carrie!

MPAA and bristling at sales of Movie Futures, but is there a solution?

2010-03-31T19:16:00.000-04:00

What's wrong with betting on the success of movies? Many people participate in Oscar Pools, and the more attention the fiml industry gets (and every movie released in the theaters) the better!

The arguments quoted by Greg Frazier, executive vice president of the MPAA
in the Wall St. Journal article today by Nat Worden run as follows:

"...open the door to rampant speculation and financial irresponsibility"
(yes, that's right, free country, no?)

and
"reputation and integrity of our industry could be tarnished"
MMM, really? ...in showbusiness, more press, more attention is better.

Public exhibitionism of box office figures in every periodical, magazine, blog, internet site, and local newsletter point to that. While we're keeping movie budgets a secret, why not keep box office numbers a secret if we don't want to tarnish the industry. Oh that's right, we WANT the attention on the industry.

Controversy, publicity, speculation...is the equivalent of floodlights pointed at the film industry, so I don't think this particular argument makes sense. The reputation of the industry rides each hit or flop - as long as there are more coming - eyes will be pointed toward Hollywood.

"to be viewed as the economic equivalent of legalized gambling"
...and should Oscar pools be made illegal? In some ways, buying a movie ticket on opening night is legalized gambling...you don't know how you placed your bets until you're on the ride.

But maybe this argument points to another point that the industry doesn't want to be seen as seedy. Unwholesome. Yet the genre of the day is horror, hmmmmm why not let the public decide.

If misdirected money is at the heart of the matter and the MPAA would (most likely) have those investments go into
1. buying studio stock, or
2. the legalized gambling of investing directly in films themselves
... then make it more shiny. Like Cantor Exchange & Trend Exchange, who will be making $ by charging commissions on the trading, maybe there's an idea that could actually help the MPAA.

38,605 total indoor screens in U.S. Of those, approx. 4,100 are digital
38,605 - 4,100 = 34,505 screens left to be converted to digital
34,505 screens X $100,000 per conversion = only $3,450,500,000 needed for total conversion

The answer then is that the MPAA needs to start an exchange itself.
Raising the $3.45 billion for the conversion to digital screens so we can watch 3-D movies on every screen. Maybe that will put off a ticket price hike of another 20%, but probably not.

Wild about movies

2010-03-29T20:03:00.001-04:00

Chimpcam: The Movie

The BBC & Edinburgh zoo gave the chimps special cameras, a film school (of sorts) to find out how they see things.

Not only are chimpanzees making movies, they're entering film festivals - into the 2010 Wildscreen Festival Panda Awards, under the category 'Best Newcomer'.

Wonder what they would do in 3-D?

Thanks for the heads up Realscreen &
Aaron Logan for the image Lightmatter_chimp_thinker.jpg
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic license.

Looking into the future w/Netflix & Reed Hastings

2010-03-29T11:17:00.000-04:00

Reed Hastings (Chairman and co-founder of Netflix) made Barron’s list of the 30 top chief executive officers worldwide.

In an interview last September, Hastings looked into the crystal ball of Netflix: deals on game consoles, with Blu-Ray players, all Internet TVs, Xbox too and eventually into the Apple realm of iPhones and all things mobile.

Netflix is good at building bridges, into the mailbox, TV, Wii...

Internet is the big opportunity right now, and Netflix is cultivating themselves in that space, "...best guess is that DVD will peak for us in 5 or so years. But it is continuing to grow. And the streaming is exploding. So we are getting nice growth in the DVD side and huge growth on the streaming side."

And as illustrated by the recent deal struck between Blockbuster, Redbox and Warner's and Netflix, Hasting's quote "Blockbuster and Redbox really compete on doing the inexpensive new releases, and we are much more the streaming and the catalog" seems to indicate that the long tail (in every media possible ultimately) is the Netflix ultimate game plan.

....Hastings knows the company is doing very well, deals with Wii, his selection as one of the top CEOs by Barrons, and Blockbuster's continued floundering. It's good to be the king of the red envelope.

NeoBlack Cinema Magazine Launch

2010-03-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

A magazine for filmmakers of color, enjoyable for everyone! The premiere issue celebrates Women's History Month and Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, an accomplished actor in “New Jack City,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Jungle Fever,” and “The Inkwell.”

Check out www.NeoBlackCinema.com, who's mission is to educate, entertain, exchange, experiment, enlighten and evolve its viewers. We are the destination for Black film goers who are searching for new and exciting quality Black films and talent.

Neema Barnette sits down with the Editor to talk film politics, the images of Black women in film, and what it’s like to be an industry trailblazer.

Managing Editor, writer (We Gotta Have It) and film critic Esther Iverem, and director Rachel Gordon, convene to discuss what defines a Black film.

Chyna Layne from the Oscar Award-winning “Precious,” discusses growing up with the spirit of an actor, remaining grounded, and what it’s like working with Lee Daniels.

Features include Hometown Buzz, a space to highlight people, production companies and films from a selected city; a Film Finance section; an Advice column; a How To… on preparing for a casting call; commentary and Reviews on contemporary and retro Black film; and the inclusion of Shorts!, films our readers/viewers can vote and comment on.

3-D movies stacked up like planes over JFK, and yet...

2010-03-26T17:39:00.000-04:00

Rising ticket prices and more 3-D movies are not the entire answer, they're a part of the answer.

Aside from the soda on the floors - how does the theater business create stickiness? Friday at 8PM isn't the problem, it's all those other times, when attendance is low.

How can theaters court the seniors during the day and seats are empty?
How can theaters draw people into movie theaters - even when they don't see a movie? Is lobby - lounge area inviting? Is there enough (good) food, space, aesthetic, activity, community, worthwhile to hang out in? Is there any magnet to the real estate itself beyond the core business?

With the hyper-localization of the online space, is that a possibility at some theaters - courting home town filmmakers to show their films (aside from local film fests which are a great start)

Library - Barnes and Noble, coffee shop - Starbucks, Internet cafe - what draws people, is sticky enough to keep them - space to browse, think, watch movies online - guest speakers related to the film industry - a combination of commerce, study and edutainment centered in, and around, movies and video?

Summer filmmaking camp - film school for the theater's quieter hours?
Rent movies in the lobby of theaters? How crazy is that?

3-D is great, and the conversion to digital screens part of some larger relationship between people and entertainment...but it just seems like the tip of an iceberg.

Of course theaters want to raise more money, and it was inevitable that movie ticket prices would go up. But 20 percent? In this economy? So much for the logic that movies are an affordable night out.

What moves you to buy? Female or Male?

2010-03-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

The Mediapost research brief by Jack Loechner about female v. male voices in advertising The Adweek Media/ Harris Poll struck me today as interesting. In film, Voiceover is a powerful tool, where the narrator fills you on inside information, and it has the same effect in sales - the voice telling you what you want, serves the function of making you believe you want it - that you have access to information.

Results of the poll seemed to conclude that the male voice was slightly more forceful, and thus more convincing, while the female voice was more persuasive.

Recent trends in advertising have cast celebrity tv/movie stars in the Voiceover function, and I would argue that certain male voices like James Spader & Morgan Freeman, which are not the deepest bass tones (a la James Earl Jones), but possess a certain soothing, conversational and mellifluous quality which is hypnotic - both forceful and persuasive.

Film Summer starting on April Fool's Day?

2010-03-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

No not quite, but almost! Clash of the Titans busts open the doors of the Summer movie season, on April 2nd!

The day after April Fool's, so we're fooled, right?

Why not eliminate Spring altogether, and just start Summer movie season the day after the Oscars?
The joke is on the 3-D movie just preceding it, How to Train Your Dragon, with a very short time to commandeer the scant 3,500 3-D screens in the U.S.

Oscar-ology ::: Ready for the Academy Awards?

2010-03-03T10:21:00.019-05:00

The Oscars are this Sunday, are you ready? In case you haven't started an Oscar Pool, better get going, and here's a ballot (thanks Moviefone) to place your bets!

Historically, Oscar winners and nominees will get a box office bump, and brisker DVD/download business, as illustrated by this chart from Hollywood.com research.

If you haven't seen any of the Academy Award nominated films, it's not too late. Certain AMC theaters are running Best Picture Showcase marathons so you can catch up! (Make sure to do some isometric exercises if you are going to do the 24-Hour Marathon).

If you don't have 24 hours, and you live near NYC, go to the IFC Center, you can check out the Oscar Nominated Shorts - Live action or Animated.

The ABC broadcast better move at a quick pace to fit in increased nominations for best-picture. Doubled from 5 to 10. We're going back in time to the days of 1936-1943 when there were 10 nominations, and at other times in history there have been 12, and 8, will this increase ratings? Or scandals created by producers soliciting votes? We'll see.

Want to make sure you're ready? Get your L.A. Times' "The Envelope" to place your bets - download the Oscar App!

The Movie Theater Experience in your home

2009-06-19T10:22:00.004-04:00

Movies spurring commerce!

Comcast offered a 3-D, high definition experience in your home for the VOD
My Bloody Valentine 3-D!

Cost: $5.99 for a 48-hour viewing window
VOD Window length: 3.5 months ('til Oct. 31)

And if you want your own personalized 3-D glasses like these seen here, check out 3D Glasses Australia, where they're ALL about a 3-D universe. They've got 3D posters, paper 3D glasses, plastic 3D glasses, side by side 3D viewers, 3D magazines, 3D images.

And they have a 2D to 3D conversion process, where their artists will create a 3D image from your 2D image.

As with growing consumer trends (in this case the re-emergence of 3D) choices become available, and can be confusing. Apparently there are different types of 3D glasses and if you order the wrong ones, the images won't look correctly. Do your research! I was hoping to hang onto my RealD glasses (which are slick and have a Versace overtone) back from The 3D release of Nightmare Before Christmas and just keep using them.

But alas. They're made to be discarded.

New film funds for films aimed at China

2009-06-09T20:09:00.005-04:00

Film news this year has given China a lot of play. As the Screendaily article states, this new $100m film/TV fund, is a product of First Vanguard & HK producer Raymond Wong to target mainland China - and it's booming box office (30% per year).

Going through HK will allow filmmakers and co-producers to bypass import quotas.

Recent reports forecast China's mouthwatering growth trajectory:

$250 million in box office in 2005
to $900 million by 2010
to $2 billion by 2015

and completely dominating the world film market by 2050.

Even with a worldwide economic recession, forecasts may be toned down some, but a gold rush mentality seems about China and the film industry seems to prevail. 1.3 billion people buying movie tickets, film downloads, Blu-Ray DVDs, streaming movies online - if the growing market solves piracy... bypasses censors... and makes films that appeal to the native public.

Do you think the best filmmakers to entertain China will be from Hollywood, the UK, Bollywood, S. Korea, Canada, Europe? Or will they be Chinese?

Image under Creative Commons license

We can Hulu, Vudu, YouTube, Joost and, now TheAuteurs

2009-06-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

We're getting there. Between all of these sites, new sites, obscure sites, Blockbuster, iTunes, Netflix, iThentic, and Overdrive on many library web sites, films are available. More than ever.

The Auteurs is a clean site with some of the great films. World Cinema Foundation, Cannes festival winners, classic films, Criterion editions, and a free film of the month, all with high resolution images, just lovely.

How to choose which films to sell, who curates a collection of films to offer to the public (like the studios), and how do audiences find them - these seem to be the big questions in the race to get online (as well as price points, of course).

In a world of total transparency, with knowledge combining your Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitters, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, email addresses of friends, purchases made on and offline, how and where you spend your time, your personal history, occupation, schooling, hobbies - if marketers could compile all of that data (and they're working on it) - suggested movie watching lists, a la Netflix, could be available for everything. But wouldn't it be creepy? or would it be so convenient, that it would save you time?

Would you be willing to put everything out there, all the time, for potential convenience?

Movie Quiz - why is the summer all about this little guy?

2009-05-05T20:11:00.010-04:00

Today's $85 million symbol
of the official opening of the Summer movie season.

Not a raccoon, badger or fox. Or bear.

It's a WOLVERINE!
X-MEN ORIGINS: Wolverine reflects the state of the film business today.
Big budgets, big opening weekend, wider and wider releases, tent-pole films stacked up like flapjacks in a hungry man breakfast at Denny's.

In the U.S. Wolverine played on 8,300 screens
$10,250 per screen average (not bad)

Wolverine represents the state of the industry -
Studios are: increasingly reliant on big budget films (Franchise films if they're lucky, it's all about the franchise)
(which are expensive to make -$150 million- and sell - conservative guesstimate $100 million- ($10m in Prints, $90 in ads) so Fox is in the hole at least around $250 million.

If domestic was 85m and foreign was 70m = 155m in Box Office, 1/2 of which (78m approx) goes back to the distributor, in this case Fox.

250 (budget + P&A)
- 78
= (172) that Fox is still in the red.

This Summer Blockbuster season is critical.
There's LOTS of movies: This is why Hollywood Studios dominate the market, keeping the movie theaters steadily filled w/ movies.

Franchise films are what really counts! Even though once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all…

Did the leaked copy of Wolverine that was pirated so heavily in April, (over 450,000 downloads on the most active day) will actually drive audiences to see the film (like a preview) or whether the leak will suck away ticket sales. When was the last time you shopped in a record store to buy CDs? Are there record stores left? You see what Hollywood is worried about, right?

In the wake of the Pirate Bay trial, founders fined and sentenced with jail time (jail for a year, and ordered to pay $3.6 million just for starters), other Internet downloading sites promise to be secure, but the U.S. House of Representatives is looking up the skirts of all the P2P sites like Limewire.

But I digress.
Piracy isn't the only problem, there are over 30+ movies being released in U.S. theaters this May, and there's a big 'un very expen$$$ive film coming out every single weekend:
X-Men
Star Trek
Angels And Demons
Terminator Salvation
Night At The Museum 2
Pixar’s Up

Lots of pressure on Hollywood right now, big financial pressure. But it's looking to be a wildly profitable year for films so maybe 2009 will be good, we'll know once we hit August.

Q. What is Hollywood most afraid of?
A. You, if you’re under 25. (potential pirate)

Q. Who does Hollywood love the most?
A. You, if you’re under 25.

(go to theaters, often on opening weekend, and sometimes several times to see a movie)

Q. Who is challenging the very future of Hollywood?
A. You, if you have a good idea and video camera.

And whether you're 25 or not, there's a good chance you're doing just that.

Looking back: Bittorrent partnership w/WB

2009-05-03T11:27:00.002-04:00

Remember the big announcements in 2006 of the marriage of Warner Brothers + Bittorrent? What happened?

Now that Summer movies are opening, Hollywood is wondering whether the leaked copy of Wolverine that was pirated so heavily in April, over 450,000 downloads at the highpoint, will actually drive audiences to see the film (like a preview) or whether the leak will suck away ticket sales.

In the wake of the Pirate Bay founders fined and sentenced with jail time, other sites are raising their hands and professing to be secure, "we're doing everything we can" to protect movies from illegal downloads. Read more about it in Elinor Mill's article on CNet detailing how the U.S. House of Representatives is looking up the skirts of all the P2P sites like Limewire.

But let's hear some follow up from Warner Brothers about their hook up with Bittorrent, why didn't that help make everything better, and who broke it off? Or was if just a dream...

The Pool's Open!

2009-05-01T23:47:00.003-04:00

As the fabulous Carpetbagger blog comments, 2009 Summer is top heavy, with 5 big tentpole films opening in May.

I look forward to hearing how much of X-Men has been changed since the big leak back in April, this weekend's version will at least be a complete version.

More to come! May's extravaganza:
Star Trek
Angels And Demons
Terminator Salvation
Night At The Museum 2
Pixar’s Up

Barry Diller's predictions

2009-04-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

Check out the media mogul's crystal ball, who's "online empire includes Citysearch, Ask.com, Expedia, The Daily Beast, CollegeHumor, Match.com and Evite."

Stockpiling cash:
I cannot find anything that is worthwhile buying today

Twitter:
I mean, 140 characters? I am really not interested

Paramount:
it was a big mistake. I wish we owned Paramount.

Print:
If ... you're a print person, you're finished.
You're going to pay for information that you want

Broadband:
So, I think the idea of charging for usage is a good idea.

Docs evolve

2009-04-29T18:46:00.006-04:00

One thing that's great about TFF, the documentary programming, where else do you get to check out 2 Spike Lee docs, a North Korean musical - Yodok Stories, a comedic film about circumcision - Partly Private - and so much more? That's right. Tribeca Film Fest.

And while the topics are diverse and controversial, the way documentaries are filmed is getting more interesting as well.

Peter Knegt writes about the vivacious indieWire and Apple-hosted conversation with Spike Lee about Passing Strange and Kobe Doin' Work. Knegt's article is engaging and captures the humorous 'job fair' atmosphere (coined by David Schwartz, the moderator), as well as Mr. Lee's serious attitude toward his filmmaking.

The clips that were screened were great and revealed something that felt like 'reality filmmaking.' The camera, in both films - which couldn't be more different - a staged musical and Kobe on and off the basketball court, acted like a participant. The viewer is immersed inside the experience, at once a member of the basketball team AND a spectator, you're inside the play and an actor onstage.

It's not just the docs are well made by an excellent filmmaker, which they are, it's that the medium is evolving with the technical advances, mics, cameras, editing. As close to 3D that we can get without the silly glasses.

BTW - I'm with you Mr. Lee - F**ck the NRA!

MPAA's Economic Report

2009-04-22T09:03:00.005-04:00

The studio's ambassador, the MPAA, presented the economic and cultural benefits of the U.S. film industry to Washington this week, with lots of facts and figures - data largely from 2007.

U.S. is still #1 at exporting audiovisual services $15 billion in 2007, and our trade surplus of $13.6 billion
Movies create 2.5 million American jobs in diverse trades, supporting many small business
$41.1 billion in wages to American workers
$13 billion paid in income and sales taxes
Benefits all 50 states (with jobs, production)

The list of 10 states outside of NY and CA with the most production are those that you'd expect, having the best tax incentives for the longest amount of time and includes some of the right to work states. The list of 'states to watch' are - Michigan, AZ, CT, NM and Utah are predicted to have increased levels of production, due to tax incentives and 2008 production.

The report goes on with case studies, some quotes from public representatives (Mayor Bloomberg, TX gov Rick Perry) about the value of state incentives, and dollar amounts paid within certain states as a result of film/TV production.

Community/Infrastructure development expenditures - I found interesting, with a list of studio and facilities built in a variety of states. In particular the Tyler Perry Studio in Georgia, and the Wilmington, NC studios - both built as a result of independent producers - Perry & DeLaurentiis, working largely independent of the studios/MPAA.

The report goes on citing examples of benefits to tourism, technology, and is a compelling read. By the end - we're cheering for our heroes the MPAA and the studios represented by gigantic Trans National Corporations of Sony, Time Warner, Viacom, News Corp, GE, Disney --go USA! Go Commerce! Yay Movies!

What does it mean? Why now?

Perhaps it is a call for help to vanquish the pirates, and not those from Somalia. Pirate Bay's founders were given fines and jail time last week - and I think Hollywood may be looking for help in that arena - help us get the bad guys. Also, help us go international- there's more money outside of the U.S. and we want our films to earn it any way they can - with Washington's help. 6+ billion people in the world, only 300 million live in the U.S. - there's a sea of eyeballs out there to sell films to - if only we can get them to pay.

Surprise us!

2009-04-19T12:33:00.003-04:00

A new Harry Potter film, a new Star Trek, more from X-men, and Wolverine (a legal version), a Crank sequel, a Terminator sequel, Night at the Museum sequel- we know what is coming this Summer. All the Summer films we expect and some surprises.

But there's a window. From here to there, April to Summer (which has been pushed way back... let's discover some great movies now before the marketing mayhem ensues. Or was Fasy & Furious the unofficial beginning of the Summer films? Does the Summer season start in April now?

Pirate Bay Creators Get Jail in Copyright Crime Case

2009-04-17T09:51:00.009-04:00

Verdict is in. Facilitating crime, and contributing to the crime of copyright theft.

Pirate bay founders to jail for a year, and ordered to pay $3.6 million in damages (short of the $17.5 million sought). However the Pirate Bay ship still sails.

The MPAA and record labels are vilified, however if the result of the verdict doesn't even get the site shut down, how successful was the ruling? Damages of $3.6 million, with the studios seeking $14.7 million, Music companies EMI & Universal seeking $2.9 million, the sum of which doesn't approach the $100 million in damages that Kazaa settled to pay to the music industry.

Recent figures quote that the Pirate Bay reached over 25 million unique users.

credit for Creative Commons License photo "Gavel Held High"

Leo Reynolds

The DVD decline is no shock

2009-03-25T11:23:00.004-04:00

The DVD decline is no shock. We saw it coming, in the 50s, then the 70s, 90s.

It happened with theaters when TV moved in. And feature films on broadcast TV took a nosedive once cable took center stage. Then TV and cable took a hit once Video and DVDs boomed. It was only a matter of time for DVD to be pushed back by the next wave of distribution technology – broadband/Internet.

Shifting windows battling for film audiences has been the historical pattern for the movie industry and now Hollywood needs to apply their creative thinking to both their financing – in this economic slump, money is both scarce and expensive, - and to cultivating their audience.

What is exciting is the feverish activity as studios and filmmakers now jockey to make films and find audiences, which should propel the industry forward. It’s been proposed that with a 40% decline in the DVD market, the theatrical release will drive everything, but that’s always been the case – ancillary sales reflect box office results.

So let's think 2 steps ahead. Straight to Internet releases - (a steep marketing challenge). Building on the huge theatrical boom going on now - get folks into the theaters any which way...

Lessons to learn from Watchmen

2009-03-17T16:09:00.005-04:00

Riding high on the wave of strong Jan & Feb box office results overall, the signs for Watchmen’s success looked good…initially.

From a business perspective, there were a few strikes against the film, in spite of strong marketing, previously known story from the graphic novel, and a parallel drawn to 300 (whether there was one or not). Monday morning (or 2nd and 3rd weekend quarterbacking make everything look so easy in terms of analyzing data), but maybe there are some useful lessons to be learned, and we can better appreciate the tricky business and hard work of distributing this film.

#1
High negative cost: $150 m. (roughly 2x the “average” studio production budget)
If conventional thinking is that a picture needs to make at least 2-3x its negative cost in theaters to be profitable, the film would have had to make at least $300-$400 in box office, a steep climb for an R rated film.

#2
At 3,611 U.S. theaters, it was an expensive launch.

#3
Long film.
Two hours and 40 minutes. Translates to fewer showings in a day.
On 1 screen in a theater that’s open for 14 hours on a given day,
a 2 hour 40 minute long film can only show 5 times.
A 90 min. long film can show 9 times,
and a 2 hour long film can show 7 times.
The longer movie suffers a disadvantage.
******************************************

On the plus side, the Global Release worked for it- from a piracy perspective, - and also to get folks in seats on the wave of the marketing buzz - not daring the potential of post-release letdown.

Patrick Goldstein's excellent article reminds us that there are a variety of factors weighing in on any box office results, and not to get blinded by the opening number without considering the context.

Top 10 Wish List. Improvement Suggestions for Exhibitors

2009-03-09T23:14:00.004-04:00

10 things movie theaters could do to (keep) earning our love during this B.O.boom period

1. Branded short films preceding the feature
2. Local movie theater- personalized invites for films that suit your tastes, preferred times (Cinematch for the AMC)
3. Bring back negative cost-related ticket pricing (A films, B films, etc)
4. Audience interactive endings
5. Credits with cast pictures so we know who’s who
6. Personalized adjustable sound levels – dialog up, underscore down
7. 10 minute trial period, if you don’t like the movie, pop into
8. Subtitles when ANY foreign words appear
9. Silent snack vendors in-theater (strolling popcorn, yes)
10. A choice of fashionable 3D glasses in varying colors

Blockbuster's 77% stock crash

2009-03-06T00:17:00.004-05:00

With this week's news about the MPAA's case against RealNetworks, the Pirate Bay trial and Blockbuster's 77% stock crash and financial issues...

it's a good time to be Google, riding the wave of YouTube's 100 million online video viewers in Jan. 09 - paying nothing for their user generated content, versus studios price tag (average cost) of $72 million.

With online video market share of 43%, YouTube's head & shoulders above everybody else in the pool.

MPA all over the news today

2009-03-05T23:48:00.007-05:00

MPA- as piracy crime fighters, moving into India

Motion Picture Distributors’ Association (India) Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai — "the advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries in India,” from a spokesperson from the MPA.

MPAA is going after RealNetworks, in the hopes of protecting the deflating DVD market. MPAA claims that products from RealNetworks came from hackers, evidence of which was subsequently destroyed.

Sony Pictures preview: slashing jobs

2009-03-05T23:16:00.003-05:00

Slimming at the studios
Warner
Universal
Paramount, and now
Sony Pictures

4% of its workforce, approximately 300 jobs.

This comes after a 8% revenue drop, to $1.9 billion, from collapsing TV and DVD sales.

Media heads looking ahead

2009-03-04T23:23:00.005-05:00

Everyone's ready for good news, hoping that the shift in business strategies may be revealed at Deutsche Bank Securities Media and Telecommunications Conference in Palm Beach -an industry pow wow to tackle piracy, the flagging DVD market, rapid shift in technology, at the same time soothing worried investors.

Disney's musing over how to go online, the Penguin Club is popular, such as making films available online for subscribers in a club format.

Media stocks are down with the markets. Viacom, reaching well defined audiences with Nick and MTV brands, may have an advantage - but everyone's on shaky ground.

Everyone wants movies, but where, when and how, and how much. We're staying tuned.

Musings on owning a movie

2009-03-03T22:14:00.004-05:00

Buy a movie, rent a movie.

MG Siegler's thought provoking article today in VentureBeat, With instant access to movies, Hollywood has a rental problem,

poses the interesting concept of "owning" a movie. Even if you buy the DVD, you're really borrowing it as intellectual property, but still you have something tangible - you can hold it in your hand. Downloading, buying a movie file online is something more ephemeral.

If you could everything online easily, at a reasonable price point, would we own anything? I believe we would. Humans are object-centric. We value things beyond reason. Maybe I'm not watching Casablanca, Fargo, Alien, Blade Runner, Godfather 3, Young Frankenstein in a marathon, in that order, back to back every day, but it's comforting to own them. (Although I wore the entire Godfather series out).

People have emotional relationships with their objects.

Eight track tape, VHS, cassette tapes, CDs, CD Roms, Laser Discs, DVDs, Blu-Ray DVDs, MP3 players...are we burnt out on the concept of re-buying the same intellectual property in a new format? Maybe. But I don't think that humans will stop wanting to own, build a library of films, in some format, and therein Hollywood is lucky, sure - most people will rent most titles. But many, many peole will buy, they will want a piece of something as magical as a certain film with the power to evoke emotion.

No Worker Left Behind - in Michigan

2009-03-03T07:59:00.003-05:00

Film production incentives with muscle. Hand it to Michigan to get innovative.

How to build your film industry?
Offer incentives.
How else to build your film industry?
Train crew and film production personnel for free. And do it immediately.
When should you do this?
When the economy is slumped and looking for innovative ways to reinvent itself.

35 productions spending $125 million = 2,800 jobs

Piracy: IP Debate wages in Stockholm

2009-03-02T00:27:00.006-05:00

The Swedish Pirate Bay trial continues, the eye patch a symbol, of turning a blind eye to the theft of spreading movies illegally online.

Pirate Bay is a Swedish company that spreads movie files via BitTorrent transfers, and four principles are being charged with copyright infringement. Web sites that illegally spread copyrighted material in this manner receive brisk traffic to the site, and can then sell advertising. The accused may face fines, pay monetary damages (estimated at $14 million) and prison sentences.

The trial wraps up this week, you can follow it here , straight from the pirate's mouth.

For a concise rundown on the situation, check out Janko Roettger's excellent article The Definitive Primer to the Pirate Bay Trial.

Two Key Points to learn from Piracy

2009-02-28T22:57:00.010-05:00

Oscar Avila's great article in the Chicago Tribune, U.S. film industry, Mexico fight movie piracy vividly portrays the ground war of movie piracy in Mexico against the backdrop of Oscar season.

Two Key Points
1. A price point that spurs the consumer to buy (albeit $1.50 is too low for most DVDs to make profits)

2. Films on DVD in obvious, convenient retail spots. What's more obvious than films sold on the street, where people are out and about. Is there a new business model to consider? DVD vending machines (technology exists, kiosk use growing) with green/Netflix-esque packaging (paper envelope) to sell films? DVDs with built in obsolescence - 10 watchings and that's it?

Can we out-convenience and out-price the pirates? It's hard to beat free, but given the dubious quality of many pirated films, if we learn something from the pirates, maybe there's a viable alternative...

Although the signs are grim. Entire Oscar-nominated slate in main categories found online as illegal downloads. Screener-leaks, maybe. Argh.

It's the new TV guide, but for online video

2009-02-27T20:33:00.006-05:00

For everyone with Internet access, 'There's nothing on' simply doesn't exist.

There's SO much on, it's a matter of FINDING what you want to watch.

Check out Online Video Guide, for the sites, the descriptions, the user friendly layout and the comprehensive category listings on the left hand side - from sci/tech and luxury travel and indie, all the way through to Asian content, news, radio and more.

Film on the move

2009-02-27T19:58:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to the grand prize winners, Frank Chnindamo and director Jocelyn Stemat for their triumph with mobile film ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE -
at MOFILM, the first mobile film festival! Kevin Spacey, once again at the forefront of indie film, uniting and focusing the community, as with TriggerStreet.com.

The specialization of mobile video and it's rapid expansion, mirrors the development of video, whereby studios are getting in on the act, albeit playing a little catch up. More and more, the popularity of short films and mobile films is growing, with their own trade group (GSMA) and congress!

Video snacking is up, and short films (2-3 min) seem to be the best for those of us on the go.

Check out Dave Jackson's great article & stats on the rise of Video Snackin'

More watching
More often
More women watching

Plus we have newer and more ways and places to get films. Cool!