Category: media

Hollywood realizes that the big drop in box office this summer is perhaps not a blip. Is the downturn the new reality? “The drop in ticket sales from last summer to this summer, the most important moviegoing season, is projected to be 9 percent by Labor Day, and the drop in attendance is expected to be even deeper, 11.5 percent, according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks the box office.”

Last month New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer announced results of his radio payola investigation. “And what’s the Federal Communications Commission doing about all this? Dithering, mostly.”

With hundreds of millions of dollars leaving California with movie shoots, the state is considering giveing tax breaks to producers (just like most other states). “Twice before, California legislators have failed to pass tax incentives. Opponents say it would line the pockets of already wealthy Hollywood producers at a time when California faces a budget crunch, and they question whether the state truly is hurt by runaway production.”

The CBC lockout is driving viewers and listeners to commercial competitors. Meanwhile, there are calls for the Canadian government to withhold public money from the broadcaster while the lockout continues.

“Until recently, most video game voices have been provided by hundreds of anonymous, journeyman actors. Celebrities used to turn up their noses at the idea of such work. But as the video game industry’s earnings began to eclipse Hollywood’s box office numbers — the video game industry rang up more than $9.9 billion in North America in 2004 versus Hollywood’s North American box office of $9.4 billion — celebrity actors have been much more agreeable.”

“With the notable exception of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” — by far the summer’s biggest new hit, with an average of 16.8 million viewers — the six major broadcast networks have slogged through a disappointing summer, with household viewing down about 6% compared with the same period last year. Among the advertiser-friendly demographic of adults ages 18 to 49, the slide was even worse, off 10% according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.”

“Once limited to song samples and hip-hop clips, mobile phone ringers increasingly are featuring memorable movie quotes, including dialogue from titles as varied as “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Office Space,” “Without a Paddle” and “Meet the Fockers.” Although the new trend may make customized cellphone ringers even more annoying than ever, they hold the promise of delivering new profits to the studios. Ring tones, as the personal ringers are called, have become a $3-billion worldwide boon for record labels, and Hollywood’s studios and labor unions are now trying to figure out if the movie ring tone market is anywhere near that large.”

Movie studios, looking for new places to advertise their wares, turn to blogs. “We looked for the places that sophisticated moviegoers seek out to find things that interest them. These are the people who are engaged with the world, who are informed about the big conspiracies going on out there.”

With Canada’s CBC employees locked out of their jobs, the network is filling air with a ragtag lineup of reruns and shows produced by management. Oh yes, and apologies for the disruption in regular service. “By Thursday, the tone had shifted, as had the voice, to a young woman offering her regrets the way your grade school teacher might have offered juice and cookies.”

ITV and Marketing magazine compiled the list. “Food and drink companies dominate 18 of the 30 commercials. The advertising industry still reveres the ten commercials filmed between 1978 and 1983 which featured Leonard Rossiter decanting his glass over Joan Collins. Also in the chart is the Carling Black Label spoof of the Dambusters’ bouncing bomb raid and two entries from John Smith’s beer.”