Category: media

“Allowing free viewing of marquee prime-time shows on the Internet is causing anxiety among some in the media industry, who worry that the practice mirrors the potentially fatal error newspapers made of losing subscribers by not charging for online editions.”

“Producers are demanding a 50% share in the revenues generated by the cinemas. Owners say the share should be lower if a film performs poorly. India’s film industry, the world’s largest, has already been badly affected by the global economic crisis. The indefinite strike is expected to begin on Saturday.”

The Gates Foundation “is well known for its myriad projects around the world to promote health and education. It is less well known as a behind-the-scenes influencer of public attitudes toward these issues by helping to shape story lines and insert messages into popular entertainment like the television shows ‘ER,’ ‘Law & Order: SVU’ and ‘Private Practice.’ Now the Gates Foundation is set to expand its involvement and spend more money on influencing popular culture through a deal with Viacom….”

“In a case of piracy that some analysts called unprecedented, untold thousands of people watched a version of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ online Wednesday, a full month before its scheduled theater release. The film’s distributor, 20th Century Fox, said it did not know how the unfinished copy of the comic book adaptation was leaked onto the Internet.”

“Bill Cosby, the enduringly familiar funnyman, has been selected to receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center announced yesterday.”

“A location ‘lending library’ that helped bring such films as Chicago and Cinderella Man to Toronto is closing today, adding another irritant to efforts to revive the city’s film and television production industry.” The library’s managing director “said film and TV production in Toronto has declined dramatically over the past five years due to a number of factors.”

“Reversing a longstanding practice, the Motion Picture Association of America won’t disclose the average amount of money that studios spent on making and marketing movies last year.” Speculation is “that the reversal came about as a result of pressure from … studio bosses, who are never eager to cast a spotlight on how much they spend, particularly during a time of recession and layoffs.”

New director Mara Manus has brought change and anxiety about change to the Film Society of Lincoln Center. “One-quarter of the society’s staff has been dismissed or has resigned, prompting concerns about the group’s direction. And the Film Society’s 3,600 members are waiting to hear what perks they may lose as part of Ms. Manus’s drive to run what has traditionally been a low-key and easygoing operation ‘more like a business,’ as she puts it.”

“While other American industries look for cover during the economic crisis, Motion Picture Assn. of America chair-CEO Dan Glickman believes the thriving worldwide box office makes the U.S. film biz a powerful growth engine. Glickman had plenty of positive stats to rattle off during his annual state-of-the-industry address at exhib confab ShoWest thanks to the current surge in moviegoing.”

“As if we needed any further proof that online Web series were finally maturing into a viable entertainment alternative, we have the first Streamys awards show, held Saturday night in the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles. All the hallmarks of Emmys were there – the red carpet, the awkwardly scripted presenter banter, the clip montages.” The big winner was cult fave Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.