Whip through that “Seinfeld” at double speed? Audio books already come with this feature, allowing readers to speed up the playback. But video producers object to the idea as it changes how viewers will see their work. – The Hollywood Reporter
Category: AUDIENCE
The Hero Of This ‘Hamilton’ Is The One Who Wrangles 200 Women In And Out Of 16 Bathroom Stalls At Intermission
Head usher Tanya Heath at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia begins working her miracle with a talk like this: “May I have your attention, please. We are at minute five out of a 20-minute intermission, which means I have 15 minutes to get you into this bathroom. I’ve formed a serpentine line. And it works. It only takes about six minutes from that door to get you in this bathroom. All I need you to do is trust me and trust your sisters.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Streaming Has Changed The Ways We Listen To Music
At the moment, at least, people seem to prefer podcasts and music that make them feel as if they’re alone in the room with the performers. And that in turn has an appreciable effect on the kind of music and talk that’s produced. – Irish Times
Bookstores Are Awesome. Should They Charge Admission?
Why not monetize the intangibles? The Strand, and stores like it, could charge an admission fee. Something token, like a dollar. For a buck, you’re granted access to everything the store has to offer. You can browse to your heart’s delight. There’s no pressure to make a purchase. And, if you do buy something, perhaps the item costs close to what it would cost online, because all of those dollars would have allowed the store to lower its prices. – The New Yorker
Why You Shouldn’t Trust Netflix’s Viewer Numbers
Yes, Netflix is sharing more information about how many people are watching its shows than it did just a year ago, and we now have a broad sense of which shows and movies are especially popular with its subscribers. But there’s plenty of reason to avoid these apples-to-oranges comparisons and take this data with a grain — make that a heaping scoop — of salt. – Los Angeles Times
Study: What Kind Of Music Attracts Listeners
The music that the study volunteers said they enjoyed the most was neither too predictable, nor too unpredictable. Too predictable, and it’s boring. Too unpredictable, and it’s not at all pleasant to listen to anymore. – Forbes
Study: Movie Attendance Goes Up When Movie Casting Is More Diverse
In its latest data drop, analytics firm Movio has discovered “a correlation between a minority group’s representation on screen and that group’s audience turnout, with some groups attending in numbers at more than twice the usual rate.” The report also shows that consumers less inclined to head to the movies will turn up to the multiplex if they see themselves projected on screen. – Variety
Why The Recent Backlash Against Superhero Movies?
Maybe that’s been happening on a global level. Maybe still we need more of it. There are always arguments for and against processing reality through genre escapism and there are always “healthy” and “unhealthy” examples of it. It’s not black and white. – The Guardian
The Nine-Year-Old Theatre Fan Who Has Something To Say About How To Behave At A Show
Sadie is the unlikely new Emily Post of the theatre community. In June, just before leaving for sleepaway camp, she put Magic Marker to paper and laid out what she calls her Broadway Rules, and the manifesto made the rounds. Her ten do’s and don’ts include some items that seem obvious (“Stay in seat until intermission,” “Listen to the Ushers”) as well as a few that rarely make it into etiquette primers (“NEVER sing along,” “No ‘gas passing.’ ”) – The New Yorker
Why Australian Movies Are Less Popular Now Than 30 Years Ago
The Australian film box office numbers show a simple fact: Aussie films are less popular in Australia today than they were 30 to 40 years ago. – Spectator