“Just as the cable revolution overturned broadcast, the net is destined to become the dominant mode of video, both in terms of transit and programming. The cable industry is seemingly protected by its built-in local monopolies, but as broadband connections proliferate—by now rendering the copper cable connection almost obsolete—the only thing propping up the status quo is a business arrangement that bundles channels together for a steep price. As more people cut the cord—and as smaller bundles become more popular—we will reach a tipping point that sees the collapse of cable.”
Author: Douglas McLennan
Are Alt-Weeklies Dying?
Storied alt-weeklies like Philadelphia City Paper, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the Boston Phoenix, Knoxville, Tennessee’s Metro Pulse and its replacement may have shut down. But last week, Local Independent Online News Publishers reported that it added 19 new members in 15 states. LION now has 160 local news publishers as members in 39 states. So are alt-weeklies dying? Or are they finding a kind of new life online?
End Of An Era: Village Voice Writers Reflect On The End Of The Legendary Weekly’s Print Edition
“I think everybody was stunned,” film editor Alan Scherstuhl told Esquire. “You know how you always expect this will be the last month things keep going? Everybody is kind of surprised, but also like, ‘I can’t believe we got away with it this long.'”
Walmart Family Gives $150 Million To Establish Arkansas’s First Art School
The school will emphasise the study of art in the US and Americas, says the university’s chancellor, Joseph Steinmetz, and administrators hope that the art school will attract a greater number of out-of-state and international students. Around 6% of the current student body is from outside of the US, representing 112 countries, according to the university’s website.
The Manchester Model – A Solution For Shared Community Arts Spaces?
The idea is to offer areas that are affordable to everyone, all the while “cross-pollinating” ideas that lead to a culturally vibrant city, whether it’s providing a desk for a playwright, allowing a theatre group share services with an asylum seeker’s support group, or renting out a cheap space for a club DJ to try out music’s next big thing (maybe).
Netflix Is A Player. But Does It Have An Aesthetic?
“Sensibility? Aesthetic? Identity? Netflix ain’t got time for that. Its story started out as one of revolution, which has instead been overtaken by a case of quantity over quality. Now, rather than being known for a house style or a tastemaking effect on popular culture, it is becoming known for its raw desire to win the race, bragging about its latest deals (Shonda Rhimes! David Letterman!) and conquests.”
Can Twitter Be An Engine For Fan-Sourced Movies?
“At their core, these Twitter-generated film concepts evince a desire for representation beyond Hollywood’s limited, predominantly white imagination. But while Black Twitter continues to be an unprecedented vehicle for creativity—and, increasingly, a reliable form of audience focus-testing for Hollywood—can a viral fancasting phenomenon like this realistically change the industry’s status quo?”
Famous Poems Translated Into Emojis?
Possible? Some are making the case that emojis are the new language. So Paris Review translates a few famous verses into emojis and asks you to guess at a translation.
Sondheim: Beware The Directors
When asked what he looks for in the people he entrusts to interpret his work, Stephen Sondheim said In London This week: “Mostly it’s the directors you have to be careful of. Many, many directors, particularly in musicals, are more interested in serving themselves rather than serving the text, because musicals invite a lot of invention. Even if that director is inventive, he or she should be serving the piece, and you don’t always get that. That’s the thing I look for.”
Mark Swed: Dudamel Is In Tough Political Position Over Venezuela’s Fraught Politics
“As bad as things are right now in Venezuela, a failed coup before the presidential election next year might lead to martial law. Maduro takes care of the police and army, so despite a few defections, they continue to support him for their own well-being. Against this background, Dudamel may deserve more credit for not speaking out.”