Category: media

“An ageing population coupled with the current obsession with self-improvement have proved fertile ground for brain-training games. Hand-held consoles are now marketing themselves as tools to improve brain functions and are targeting previously untapped, older markets.”

“In a business that is almost always about the money, the appeal to vanity — a shot at the most coveted prize in almost any industry — has yielded the so-called Oscar film, a movie aimed at adults that makes its debut late in the year with an eye toward getting a date with the statue.”

“Independent cinema is often thought of as a young person’s medium, by reason of low budgets, often naïve subject matter and an “alternative” cachet. But many of the better-known people working in it are no longer kids. They are, however, being forced to remain alternative.”

“The consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that India’s film industry will more than double in size over the next four years, from just over $2 billion dollars in revenue to close to $4.5 billion. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that all the big American studios want a cut.”

Claiming Italian TV viewers are getting too many commercial breaks with their shows, the European Commission has taken legal action against the country in a move being blasted by Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset, which could be hurt by stricter rules.

“The Chinese government has not announced any ban, but American movies are no longer being approved for release early next year, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”

“Budgets for music in films are shrinking, and execs are being forced to get creative by using unknown artists, eschewing soundtrack deals and eliminating music supervisors.”

“Fourth-ranked broadcaster NBC has quietly begun reimbursing advertisers an average of $500,000 each for failing to reach guaranteed ratings levels, the first time a network has taken such a step in years, media buyers said.”

Four out of five TiVo and DVR owners use the technology to systematically skip all ads, research released Monday revealed.

This awards season has been viewed as wide open, but “No Country for Old Men” already has been honored for best picture by the National Board of Review, the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association.