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All that's fit to print, uh, display on a screen.

NFL Locks Super Bowl Trademarks

by Mary Ellen Tomazic

There are very few trademark-free alternatives for advertisers at Super Bowl time

Every commercial advertiser and broadcaster, as well as members of the public, are aware by now that the term “Super Bowl” is a trademark owned by the National Football League, and can only be used by those who pay for the privilege. “Super Sunday” is also part of the NFL’s intellectual property, and both are registered in the Patent and Trademark Office – “Super Bowl” in December 1967, and “Super Sunday” in August 1986.

Even though both phrases are made up of merely descriptive or “generic” words, they now are “famous marks” possessing “secondary meaning”, making them incontestable under the Trademark laws.

by Mary Ellen Tomazic

Can Public Domain Pictures be Protected? Warhol Banana

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts owns many copyrights on the deceased artists’ works, and in keeping with Andy Warhol’s own statement that he would “endorse anything for money”, the Foundation has licensed many Warhol creations for commercial products. However, when the Foundation agreed to license the iconic banana image from the Velvet Underground’s 1967 first album, “The Velvet Underground and Nico” to Apple to use on iPhone and iPad cases, The Velvet Underground protested.

By Mary Ellen Tomazic

Against the backdrop of legislative activity in the Congress aimed at curbing online piracy of copyrighted works, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of an existing law that strengthens the protection of U.S. copyright works overseas by adherence to global treaties.

In affirming the constitutionality of §514 of the 1994 Uruguay Round Agreements, which codified the extension of copyright coverage to works still protected in their own countries but not in the United States, the Court ruled against the petitioners, including orchestra conductors, musicians, publishers and others who formerly enjoyed free access to works that §514 removed from the public domain.

SAG-AFTRA Merger Set for Vote

This weekend, the boards of directors of both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO (AFTRA) voted overwhelmingly to merge. Now, the proposal moves to a referendum of the membership of both unions with a deadline of March 30.

Streaming Held Back

Over the last few weeks, TNL writer, Tristan Louis, has been looking at the availability of movies and TV shows that came out in the past year. But what about movies that were released two years ago? Are those more available today than they were a year ago?

The data shows that the Studios are holding back, presumably priming demand for sales instead of easier and less-expensive downloads. Can’t say if their strategy is helping their bottom line, but it’s a real poke in the eye for viewers. http://www.tnl.net/blog/2012/01/28/streaming-held-back/

by Mary Ellen Tomazic

Mary Ellen Tomazic

Nobody likes pirates (except in the movies), whether they are on the high seas or selling counterfeit goods on the streets.

Recorded music piracy was first stopped by an amendment to the Copyright law that took effect in 1972 (17 U.S.C. §102(a) (7)), closing the loophole that left sound recordings unprotected. The Copyright Act was loosened up in 1976 to allow artists and other creators to obtain automatic copyright in their original works of authorship without the technical requirement of placing a copyright notice on each copy of their work, to prevent it from being thrown into the public domain.

Once digital media became more and more omnipresent, it became necessary for lawmakers to keep up with the times and craft amendments to the Copyright Law to protect artists, writers and musicians from having their works taken and used by others without payment or attribution.

The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act attempted to address many of the concerns brought by the new technologies by identifying them and applying the existing protections of the law to online transmissions and storage of copyrighted material. The Act added new section 512, which limited liability of online service providers for copyright infringement by reason of such transmission or storage by the provider, with the proviso in section 512(E) that presumes the authorization of the copyright holder in making the material available online.

If there is no such authorization, the service provider must respond expeditiously to remove the material claimed to be infringing upon notice from the copyright owner of his agent. (§512(c) (3)).

by Michael Kennedy

I’ve been using Movie Magic (and its various versions) since it first came out. Now that it’s owned by an accounting company, Entertainment Partners seems more concerned with their accounting needs than the needs of film producers.

The fixes in this latest update are again very minor. They’re not the major fixes that film producers have needed and requested. Of course, some of the most basic problems were taken care of when the software was updated from EP’s initial version to the current Movie Magic version. But since then we’ve seen little more than bug fixes and an ever-growing list of workarounds.

There’s little harm in installing the current “maintenance update” although there are few benefits. The update is free to registered users.

According to EP, there are sixteen updates in this release. As with previous updates, in lieu of fixes, there are several pages of workarounds for “Known Issues” with the program. Following are Entertainment Partners update notes....

by Scott Jensen

What we have is an industry in a transition phase. This isn't the first time the entertainment industry has had a major transition and I very sincerely doubt it will be the last. Each major transition has been caused by a new technology becoming a societal norm. Each transition has put out of work numerous people and driven into bankruptcy numerous businesses. Each has also created numerous new jobs (some that never existed before) and given birth to numerous new businesses.

The printing press created newspapers (thus journalism and reporters), mass-market books (thus publishers, full-time authors, and bookstores), and sheet music (thus “hit” songwriters, an explosion of piano manufacturers, and massive piano sales) and killed off hand-made books (and the monks who made them), town criers, and traveling bards.

The record player created “hit” singers (from country to rock & roll) and killed the sheet music industry, giant ballrooms (which could afford large live orchestras), and almost all piano sales but a tiny fraction.

Radio and early TV killed vaudeville.

The portable record player killed the ukulele.

The boombox killed the portable record player.

The Walkman killed the boombox.

Video killed the radio star.

Silverdocs Seeks Film Fans

The Silverdocs documentary film festival is adding members to its Screening Committee. Beginning its 10th year, Silverdocs is based in Silver Spring, MD at the AFI Silver Theatre.

The 16 members of the Screening Committee meet each week to discuss the documentary films they've screened out of more than 2,000 submissions. Screening Committee volunteers make a major contribution to the entire Festival program and have major roles in the planning and running of the Festival.

California Clamps Down on 1099 Hires

California law sets major fiancial penalties for companies that misclassify wage-earning "employees" as 1099 "freelancers."

Californai Seal Production companies in the state will now face significant financial risk if they pay workers "under the table" or hire 1099 workers that should have been classified as employees.

These bills were signed into law in October by California Governor Jerry Brown; They go into effect on January 1, 2012.

The new law provides for civil penalties of $5K to $15K for each violation (in addition to penalties already permitted by law). The cost can go up to $10K to $25K for each violation if the employer has a pattern of willful misclassifiying independent-contractors.

by David Bacon

reprinted with permission - Truthout

Los Angeles, California - When a private employer, like the Los Angeles Film School (LAFS), decides to fight the efforts of its workers to form a union, there is very little holding it back, despite the rights written into US labor law almost three quarters of a century ago.

The National Labor Relations Act says workers not only have the right to form unions, but that the government encourages them to do so, to level the power imbalance with their employers. The law sets up an election process, in which workers supposedly can freely choose a union. And it says that it's illegal for an employer to fire or punish any worker who uses these rights.

Then there's the reality, as practiced by the LAFS.

That company, set up in 1999 by the former lawyer for Occidental Petroleum, was bought by Florida-based Full Sail Film School in 2003. The film and recording business in Los Angeles has strong, well-respected unions. The studios that are the hoped-for employers for film school graduates negotiate with unions all the time. But the LAFS and Full Sail are not ordinary film schools. They are diploma mills that feed off federal loans taken out by students.

by Michael R. Barnard

Michael R. Barnard This week, Congress has given us the potential to rebuild the independent film industry, and we cannot allow this opportunity to pass us by. Congress has passed the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act (HR 2930).

The independent filmmakers among us know how devastated our industry has been because of the economic downturn and the technological changes. Filmmakers, of course, are resilient and persistent, so many of us have fought hard to grasp various methods to allow us to keep making movies. One outgrowth of those efforts has been the crowdfunding technique that blossomed in the past couple years. It has enabled many films Crowd Funding to go into production.

Although crowdfunding has been successful in allowing filmmakers to exercise their creativity, it rarely has allowed for budgets that paid for crew and equipment, it rarely has offered profitability for a film, and it has not contributed significantly to building the infrastructure that is so desperately needed. The reasons for the shortcomings of crowdfunding are the stringent rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which protects individuals from fraud and manipulation in investment schemes.

To use crowdfunding, filmmakers must plead for donations from as wide an audience as they can access, and the only tangible benefit that can be offered is a token “gift” in appreciation for the donation, just as tent preachers did a century ago. This results in small amounts being raised, often just enough to make the film if the crew is not paid and the equipment is put together by “beg, borrow, and steal.”

Last Hurrah for IRS Section 181
Filmmakers' Tax Break Set to Expire

Filmmakers are about to lose one of their richest tax breaks. Set to expire at the end of this year, Section 181 of the IRS Tax Code was 181 established so film investors could write off their entire investment in the same year the money is spent (not when the film is released).

While the total tax break caps at $15-20M per film, there’s no limit to the film budget. Write offs can be used for TV pilots, TV episodes, short films, music videos and features. It can be applied to active or passive income coming from either individuals or businesses. The film does not have to be completed or distributed prior to taking the write off. Once established, there is no time limit to using the tax break.

With time so critical, reelgrok will be working with Chicago based attorney Hal “Corky” Kessler to help filmmakers jump start their productions and meet all IRS Section 181 requirements before the end of 2011.

Established in 2004 as part of the Jobs Creation Act, Kessler was instrumental in shaping the original regulations. He has commented on it for reelgrok several times. The regulation has been underused and the current congress shows no inclination to extend it beyond the end of 2011.

Even high-flying big names are being treated badly. "I feel like Willy Loman," says one producer....

The complete article originally appeared in the Nov. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.

You aren't going to get me to talk about how awful the studios are!" says one veteran producer before launching into a tirade on the subject. "The studios just don't respect what producers do. They'd rather not have them around. … Studios have way too many executives and waste way too much money on that."

Says another producer who ranks among the Hollywood elite: "The bigger the movies get, the more executives feel they're producing them. I believe there are more executives being dispatched to locations than ever before. … When the executive says 'my' movie, it drives you crazy, and it's happening more and more."

Links to Budgeting Software

CreditScout has introduced the first “Tax Credit Estimator” for the film industry. The program taps into industry-standard budgeting software such as Movie Magic and Showbiz Budgeting and links into the pre-production workflow.

Based on producer's budgets, CreditScout gives producers an informed take on what tax credits are available in each state or Canadian province. The application then provides solutions and ideas for increasing credit. The program will soon introduce a network linking all of the film commissions with these results.

CreditScout is constantly updated as tax incentives and rules change throughout the US and Canada. The calculations and scenarios have been vetted and tested using thousands of previous models by several industry veterans.

The program is available on a subscription basis with plans ranging from $19 to $249 a month.

Focus AFTER Image Capture

Mountain View, CA – October 19, 2011 - Lytro, Inc. (www.lytro.com) unveiled the first consumer camera that captures all the rays Lytro of light in a scene, providing new capabilities such as the ability to focus a picture after it’s taken. The pocket-sized camera, which offers a powerful 8x optical zoom and f/2 lens creates interactive “living pictures” that can be endlessly refocused. The camera is available in two models and three colors, starting at $399.

The Lytro is the only consumer camera that lets people instantly capture a scene just as they see it by recording a fundamentally richer set of data than ever before.

Lytro cameras feature a light field sensor that collects the color, intensity, and the direction of every light ray flowing into the camera, capturing a scene in four dimensions. To process this additional information, Lytro cameras contain a light field engine that allows camera owners to refocus pictures directly on the camera. When the Lytro’s living pictures are shared online, the light field engine travels with each picture so anyone can interact with them on nearly any device, including web browsers, mobile phones, and tablets—without having to download special software.

How will the Fall TV Season Unfold?

Baseline

from Baseline, a part of The NY Times

NBC has already cancelled The Playboy Club after just three episodes. NBC just cancelled Free Agents. Which show will be next to get the axe? The 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition of Primetime TV Insight is an excellent guide.

Here's some of what our authors had to say about The Playboy Club: "The pilot was nice to look at, but surprisingly not fun to watch. It's not at all compatible with its lead-in. Makes you realize how difficult it really is to do a stylized period piece like Mad Men."

Here's some of what they had to say about Free Agents: "This may be the worst comedy pilot we've seen in the past 25 years. The cast has no chemistry, the writing was bad, and it seemed the whole pilot was just one crude joke."

The 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition has much more than predictions for new shows, it's packed with network by network demographic ratings analysis, program genre trend charts, network program ownership timelines, average ratings and hours spent per week watching genres by demographic, ten year pre-season buzz vs. success charts for new shows, and much more.

This edition of Primetime TV Insight will serve as a reference guide for years to come. It's replete with 5 and 10 year charts, ratings data, and median age information for both individual shows and broadcast and cable networks. Available for $695, this 160 page report is authored by Steve Sternberg and Shari Anne Brill, two of the most award winning and prestigious television analysts working today.

FROM THE BLOG

.....Marking Time in Making Films

Of course we know that making movies takes a lot of money and effort. But most times we try not to think about how much time is involved in that. Read More

by Norman C. Berns

Section 181 will end with this year. That’s the IRS ruling that lets investors deduct their entire investment in the same year it was made. 181 While used less frequently than anticipated, the tax regulation was a boon to small-budget productions (under $20M) and an added perk for cash-hungry investors.

Chicago based attorney Hal “Corky” Kessler was instrumental in shaping those original regulations. He’s commented on it for reelgrok several times. Now that this important investment aid is about to disappear, I asked him for the real skinny on 181 and he reports that there is little indication that Section 181 will be extended beyond the end of 2011.

NY Film & TV Office
Begins Online Permit System

reprinted from The Hollywood Reporter
by Georg Szalai

The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting here has switched over to an online system for processing film permit applications NYC Film Office this week. All new productions are required to use the new online system to apply for new project accounts and submit location requests. Existing productions are also being transitioned to the Web destination.

Productions must submit applications at least 48 business hours in advance to ensure that permits and parking requests are processed and granted. Once a permit has been approved, productions receive an email that contains a link to its permit, which can be downloaded and printed.

Previously, productions had to visit the city's film and TV office in person to obtain permits.

from The Film Incentives Office

Despite $25 million available for Film Incentives in 2011-2012, new regulations for the program have not yet been approved. Until the full program has been set by the Legislature, the state has stopped accepting applications.

Current applications for funds will be reviewed under existing guidelines, but applications must be re-submitted for fiscal year 2012 funds.

Proposed legislation would drop qualified expenditures for Michigan residents to 30% until December 31, 2014, and then 25%. Non-resident personnel is set at 27% until 12/31/2012, then 22% until 12/31/2013, then 17% until 12/31/14, and 12% after that. An additional 5% will be awarded for direct production expenses and qualified personnel expenses at a qualified facility.

Payments to resident producers is limited to 10% of the direct production expenditures and 5% for non-resident producers.

An animated five second logo must be included to qualify for the award. A .2% application fee (up to $5,000) must be included with the application.

NEW JERSEY

Governor Christie has stopped payment on the rebate check to the producers of "Jersey Shore." While stressing that he was not imposing censorship

by STEVEN GREENHOUSE

New York Times
September 28, 2011

Two interns employed by the hit movie “Black Swan” are suing for back pay in a direct challenge to the industry’s practice of hiring unpaid interns. The lawsuit asserts that the production company violated minimum wage and overtime laws by hiring dozens of unpaid "interns."

The lawsuit claims that Fox Searchlight Pictures had interns do menial work on the film, but did not provide any educational experience as required by labor rules.

Fox Searchlight routinely uses unpaid interns as production assistants, bookkeepers and secretaries. The lawsuit says that by "misclassifying many of its workers as unpaid interns, Fox Searchlight has denied them the benefits that the law affords to employees.”

Workplace experts say the number of unpaid internships has grown in recent years, in the movie business. The lawsuit seeks class-action status for more than 100 unpaid interns on various Fox Searchlight productions. In addition to seeking back pay under federal and state wage laws, the lawsuit seeks an injunction barring Fox Searchlight from improperly using unpaid interns in the future.

Movie companies have defended their use of unpaid interns, claiming internships are educational, highly coveted and an important way for young people to break into the industry. Adam Klein, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said this would be the first of several lawsuits that seek to fight these internships. “Unpaid interns are usually too scared to speak out and to bring such a lawsuit because they are frightened it will hurt their chances of finding future jobs in their industry,” he said. Mr. Footman said he was sticking his neck out because “I hope this case will hold the industry to a higher standard and will get rid of this practice.”

Mr. Greenhouse has previously written about unpaid interns.
His April 4, 2010 NY Times article can be downloaded from reelgrok's files.
The United States Department of Labor Fact Sheet on Intership Programs provides
the government's position on hiring interns.

The original NY Times article can be read in its entirety online.

by Grant Stoner

Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown was released on Blu-Ray this week. To celebrate, LACMA’s Film Series screened the original and I attended.

Considering this film was first released 14 years ago, I'll skip any detailed reviews, but I feel it’s Tarantino's most underrated work and one of his best. The 35 mm print we saw looked great; occasional film scratches only added to the vibe. While it was a blast re-watching a great film on the big screen, the icing on the cake was the follow-up Q&A with Pam Grier and Robert Forster. Plus the surprise announcement by curator Elvis Mitchell that Tarantino would be there, too.

Having attended scores of producer-centric Q&As over the years, I've become jaded by the prospect and usually walk away underwhelmed by the experience. Still, I was excited to be in the same room with Quentin Tarantino and hear him talk.

by Aaron Goldman

Aaron Goldman Now that Indie filmmakers have to repurpose themselves as marketers and distributors, we're forever trying to bridge the digital divide between PRODUCT and SALES. Unless your film happens to show up near the top of search engine results, it may be lost in the hubbub of this film bazaar.

Getting the most out of search engine marketing is no small task. But like all film technobabble (try explaining “circle of confusion” or “crossing the 180” to your mother), these new skills can be mastered. And put to work.

One of the masters is Aaron Goldman. He (quite literally) wrote the book on it (“Everything I Know About Marketing I Learned From Google”) and recently summed up some of his insights in a two part article for MediaPost’s “Search Insider”.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/Articles.showArticle&art_aid=155639

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/Articles.showArticle&art_aid=157290

With his permission, I’ve combined both of those articles below. The information is seriously worth reading and the leads are definitely worth following.

People just starting out in SEM often ask for advice. Here's my Do-Not-Do list...

1. Be afraid to ask for help. More than many other group of industry professionals I've ever come across, search marketers take pride in their independence and ingenuity. They love to figure things out... for themselves. But they also love to share what they know. This column is living proof. When I put the call out to my fellow search geeks via three social networks, I got almost 30 responses -- 19 on Facebook, 7 on Twitter, and three on Google+.

2. Not properly structuring your campaigns. Mr. Bill Leake weighed in with no less than six best practices, including this beginner basic: Get your structure wrong and your campaign will surely self-destruct. (It will self-destruct -- and don't use bad puns, Shirley!)

3. Set it and forget it. Daanish Chishti reminds us not to neglect "ongoing campaign management" such as "bids, negatives, ad copy refreshes, etc." And don't forget to QA all your launches and changes after submitting them. Ron Popeil would not make a good search marketer.

4. Make changes that mess up your quality score. Another hot Leake latte. When you've got a good QS grandfathered in, don't look a Trojan horse in the eye. And pick up "Quality Score in High Resolution" by Craig Danuloff (H/T to Chris Knoch) for a deeper look at QS.

5. Get lazy with ad copy. As Olivia McKinsey observes, "newbies tend to write bad creative." Indeed, there's an art to writing Search Haiku.

Research Wrap Exclusive Discounts

Baseline

Brought to you by Baseline,
a part of The New York Times

Baseline released the 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition of Primetime TV Insight just a few days ago and is now offering Research Wrap subscribers an exclusive 20% discount on the report good now through August 31st.

The 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition, newly expanded to 160 pages this cycle, provides an in-depth look at the broadcast and cable television/video landscape, predicts new series hits and misses with expert insight, evaluates network strengths and weaknesses on a night by night basis, analyzes various programming trends, evaluates the impact of DVRs and video streaming on television ratings, and discusses impending changes in research and how audiences are measured.

In our 2010 report, author Steve Sternberg correctly predicted the cancellation of several series including: No Ordinary Family, My Generation, The Event, Law & Order: LA, Lone Star and Running Wilde, among others. Mr. Sternberg also predicted the successes of ABC's Body of Proof, CBS's Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods, and CW's Nikita.

Don't miss out on this expert insight and exclusive discount. Use the discount code "august20" at checkout to receive your 20% discount on the 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition of Primetime TV Insight. Order now.

FROM THE BLOG

Your Face in the Film Business

I don’t know you, but I’d really like to give you a fair shake. I want to assume your movie is going to be every bit as good as you’ve told me, every bit as good as the information you sent out about it. Maybe that’s a bit overly generous; after all, you’ve had the luxury of preparing all those materials without the constant demands of a hectic set. But still…. Read More

LinkedIn & Facebook Use Private Info

LinkedIn has decided it would be perfectly okay to use your private photos and personal information in their own advertising. It's an incredibly boneheaded (and unannounced) move, but there is a way out of it.

Along the upper right, slide your cursor over your own NAME (or account name).
Click SETTINGS (it's usually the first item listed).
In the column on the lower L, click ACCOUNT.
The center column will now show the item MANAGE SOCIAL ADVERTISING. Click that to opt out.

Facebook now lists ALL the phone numbers of ALL your personal contacts. It may not be easy to stop this invasion of privacy. I've tried, but the numbers always return.

Click ACCOUNT on the top right of the screen
Click EDIT FRIENDS on the left side of screen
Click CONTACTS to see every phone number of everyone in your mobile address book.
On the right, go to the column PHONEBOOK CONTACTS
Click THIS PAGE (the last two words in the paragraph)
From there you can TRY to opt out of this "feature"

by Dan O'Brien

Dan O'Brien is a regular contributor to reelgrok. Now that's he's returned from his travels, he's found a whole new America, entirely flipped on its head and unlke anything he's known before. The changes affect everything, including filmmaking.

I've been traveling and writing when I get the chance. I must say that after being in a different culture for a little while, I was really shocked to come back home to find my peer group with attitudes which have become so profoundly negative about the world, our country, the economy and individual prospects for the future.

It's unusual because I sense it being far more profound . . . not just the usual griping about the idiots at city hall or the usual political sniping and name-calling [which is really getting old, by the way]. I have friends who are Neocons and friends who are Liberals and a few that are Libertarians and Marxists, as far as I can tell from their conversation. Everybody's in this fog that everything's just out of control.

In a Frank Capra world, we would all just rally around and put our proverbial nose to the proverbial grindstone and work things out together but I think the Frank Capra world we grew up in today exists only on Turner Classic Movies. The age of the "rugged individual" as superhero that we've been sold is all well and good except each "rugged individual" is wandering off in a different direction. Even Randolph Scott would put together a posse, f'gosh sakes.

I writing this to you two days after Standard and Poor's downgrade of U.S. debt, three days after we [in my view, pointlessly] lost 30 troops including 22 Navy SEAL's and on the day the DOW dropped 635 points after our Congress threw a hissy fit and then took yet another vacation.

WTF...?

I was obviously shaken to come back home to all this hazarai because it's so dramatic and so sudden. It took me back to the world of Antonioni in the New Wave world of L'Avventura and Blow Up where the perception of events are both absurd and out of control except this time it's not the Neauveau Riche, they're fine. It's the proletariat that's been repeatedly hit in the head.

I'm watching the civil unrest in North London around Tottenham following the problems in Athens. I don't think it's over by a long shot. People can only take so much crap. I think it was a paraphrase of something out of Machiavelli but it's a phrase that has always stuck with me, "Beware of the man who has nothing left to lose."

A long time ago as an undergraduate, under protest at the time I read Crane Brinton's The Anatomy of Revolution which compares the English Revolution of 1640's, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the French Revolution. In each case violent revolution came about from a financial breakdown that leads to demands by the discontented which, if granted, would mean virtual abdication of those governing and the failure of the attempted use of force by the government. The key, the match that lights this whole fuse, is "the disenfranchisement of the middle class." Just like Libya. Just like Syria. Just like Britain.

This is very scary and I don't think we're up to the challenge right now. I hope that will change soon somehow.

by Baseline, a New York Times company

Baseline

Baseline releases the 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition of Primetime TV Insight today. This 160 page report, delivered in both interactive PDF and perfect bound hard copy, offers newly expanded cable network coverage courtesy of renowned new co-author Shari Anne Brill.

Award winning and highly quoted TV research analysts Steve Sternberg and Shari Anne Brill have written what may be the most comprehensive and definitive research report ever produced covering the fall primetime broadcast and cable TV season.

Offering expert projections of new series hits and misses, situation analysis by network, an overview of ad-supported cable networks and programming by demographics, a look at network schedule volatility, viewership of originals vs. repeats, broadcast audience erosion, the aging of broadcast network viewership, how DVRs impact television ratings, and much more, this research offers insight and analysis that will put you a step ahead of your peers before the first new shows even hit the air.

Replete with 5 and 10 year trending charts, the 2011 Fall TV Preview Edition serves as a handy reference tool for years to come. This report shows you where primetime TV has been, where it is now, and where it's going.

In our 2010 report, author Steve Sternberg correctly predicted the cancellation of several series including: No Ordinary Family; My Generation; The Event, Law & Order: LA, Lone Star and Running Wilde, among others. Mr. Sternberg also predicted the successes of ABC's Body of Proof, CBS's Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods, and CW's Nikita.

Don't miss out on this expert insight. Click here to download an Executive Summary and here to order.

FROM THE BLOG

Your Face in the Film Business

by Gary Rubin via Baseline

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were not long ago the biggest male and female movie stars on the planet, respectively. Their movie, Larry Crowne, opened July 4th weekend to disappointing reviews and even more tepid box office. But it brought to mind a certain movie about Greek Weddings produced by Mr. Hanks and written by its star- and that same star co-wrote none other than -Larry Crowne.

Almost ten years ago, I began work on a book about the independent film business in the 2000’s. Starting my own company in early 2004, I was forced to put the book down. But the Larry Crowne affair (pun intended) started me thinking about this special chapter, which I now share with you. Remember, this was written in 2003. Another proviso: many, but not all of the characters in this story were interviewed or spoken to briefly. I’ve done my best to tell the fairest version of the story possible.

In 1996, somewhere in Los Angeles, a relatively unknown female comic and actress who had not yet broken out to any significant level of success, made up her mind that she needed to do something to establish her mark on Hollywood. After much deliberation, she set her mind on a one-woman show.

Mike Baker, Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington is boldly going where few states have gone before: It is ending incentives for the film industry.

An arms race among states in recent years led almost all to offer various benefits to lure production studios. Up until the start of July, Washington was offering a 30 percent rebate off the amount of money spent in the state — but lawmakers declined to extend the program.

The industry warns that Washington stands to lose out on future productions because it can't compete with the incentives offered in Vancouver to the north and Oregon to the south, which both offer lucrative benefits to lure projects.

"We become a quintessential fly-over state," said Amy Lillard, executive director at incentives-managing group Washington Filmworks. "We are between two very aggressive jurisdictions. If you're a producer and a business person, it doesn't make sense to come to Washington."

reprinted from FilmSlateMag

So you want to work in the industry but don’t have a clue where to begin or how to get that first job that will lead you to other jobs and so on. What do you do?

Simple. You need a film credit.

What is a film credit? A film credit is your proof of experience, your resume for the film industry. Credits are that long list of names and services you see scrolling up on the screen at the end of the movie as you’re packing up your left over popcorn to leave. You want your name on this list.

Here’s the Catch 22: In order to get a film credit you need to work on a film and in order to work on a film you need a film credit. See the problem? Not to worry--there is a way to conquer the Catch 22 and land your first job in the film industry.

Tip 1: Education.

It’s important to educate yourself about the craft. Whatever job you desire to do on a film, take the time to learn about it and how it fits in with the other collaborative parts of the filmmaking process. Scour the Internet. The library and local film organizations, along with state film offices, are great resources for materials about filmmaking. Knowledge is power, so get out there and educate yourself.

by Ellen Pittleman via Baseline

Online film distribution is a subject that is often discussed now that the traditional distribution sector has contracted in a very dramatic way. Barriers to distribution have never been lower primarily as a result of online opportunities. One must first have an understanding of what one means by online distribution before going down this path, which includes (unfortunately for those of us non-techies) understanding a bit of the technology.

Certain sites download movies on to one’s hard drive or on to a physical device while other sites stream films, keeping the intellectual property on the licensor’s server so that it never rests with the consumer. The digital download of films, download to own or electronic sell through as it’s often called, is frequently defined as a home entertainment right and the kind of model that companies like Amazon and Apple initially used.

Streaming of films is typically a VOD right so it’s important that a producer understand which rights they’re granting to a licensor if they’re splitting a grant of rights across platforms. VOD encompasses up to a dozen different forms, (Transactional (TVOD), Subscription (SVOD) like Netflix’s Watch Instantly plan, ad-supported (AVOD) like Snag and the basic HULU site, sell-thru (EST/DTO, etc.), and spans different distribution platforms (IPTV, web, mobile, handhelds etc.) each affecting rights and license potential.

Continue the full article on Baseline.

By The Deadline Team

A study of California's Film and Television Tax Credit program shows more than $3.8 billion in economic output was generated while it supported 20,040 jobs. That rings up state labor income of $1.4 billion since being enacted in 2009 to curtail runaway production.

The report, released today by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp, estimates that the activity will return $201 million to state and local governments. For every tax-credit dollar allocated under the program, about $1.13 is returned in tax revenue. Total economic activity in the state would go up by $20.11 and labor income would grow by $7.41.

by Norman C. Berns

G-Connect HD What if your hard drive could link wirelessly with iPhones & iPads, Macs & PCs and network enabled TVs…? A looks-like-an-iPhone, fits-in-your-pocket drive with 500GB of storage (enough for, oh, 20 HD movies) and the ability to stream multimedia to multiple users simultaneously…?

That’s the word from Hitachi’s general manager, Mike Williams and their VP of Markeing, Stacey Vrolyk. It’s all about a new wireless drive due by the end of July.

The G-Connect works with off-the-shelf Apple and Droid apps, connects over Wi-Fi or 802.11b/g/n and creates wireless Internet hotspots for up to five users. Files are automatically indexed for easy access. And when sharing isn’t what you had in mind, anything can be password protected.

All for less than $200 bucks…. And gorgeous, too.

That’s the G-Connect from Hitachi. It’s due at the end of July and seems like a serious game-changer.

Vdeo Research Report

Baseline has just issued their Online Video Research Report. Click for the Executive Summary and details.

This is essential information for business and marketing plans. At $695 it's undeniably expensive, but all members of reelgrok receive a 30% discount. Email for information about our special pricing.

-------------------

Click to order your copy (and find out a great deal more about it).

LA Times Reprint, June 17, 2011

Eighteen people have been charged with fraud, money laundering and conspiracy in a scheme that involved cold-calling investors to bankroll independent-film productions, the FBI and U.S attorney’s office said Friday.

The multi-count indictments allege that since 2004, Burbank-based Q Media Assets and Sherman Oaks-based Cinamour Entertainment LLC solicited $25 million from investors for a handful of films — some of which were never made or went straight to DVD.

FBI Special Agent Steven Goldman said the companies used high-pressure sales tactics that misrepresented facts.

The indictment alleges that the movie companies and telemarketers used only about a third of investors’ funds to produce and market the films and pocketed the rest. “That’s what makes the case criminal,” Goldman said.

Cinamour released “From Mexico With Love,” a movie starring Mexican actor Kuno Becker, in 2009. The film, for which Cinamour collected $15 million from 450 investors, had a budget of $5 million and grossed $550,000, according to the Internet Movie Database.

News from Baseline, a New York Times Company

Baseline

Baseline has a great new line of research reports that cover the primetime broadcast and cable television seasons. Primetime TV Insight is available for a 20% discount on the subscription to four editions, good through June 15^th. Use the discount code “TSSPTI” at checkout for your discount.

You can also get a free copy of the 2011 Upfront Edition as a onetime only promotional offer. You can download a copy HERE.

Authored by award winning television research analysts Steve Sternberg and Shari Ann Brill and offered in four different editions each year, Primetime TV Insight brings over 50 years of combined experience analyzing and reporting on television viewing trends, research, and programming together in one key research report series.

Offered as single editions and a subscription to four editions, Primetime TV Insight will give you key insight and analysis of the new shows on the fall schedule, what their likelihood of success is, what the current state of network programming is, what the demographics of viewers of networks and individual TV shows is, how DVRs are impacting television ratings, programming trends by genre, the impact of network ownership of programs, nightly schedule analysis, and much more.

FROM THE BLOG

Creating a Deck to Pitch Your Film to Investors

With money tight and markets tough, it’s especially important to be well-organized when you try to get your film funded. When it’s time to finally make your pitch, your time will be very short. Not only does your material have to be well-crafted and tightly-focused, you’ll need some way to leave your best thoughts behind. Read More

Peter Davison Music & Interview
On LA Talk Radio

Don't Get Left In The Dust welcomes Peter Davison, award winner music composer for films, documtaries and TV discusses the challenge of finding the right music and exploring music styles of different types colloration. Interview includes some of the diverse music of Peter as he explains ahow important music is to films and TV.

from Baseline, a part of The New York Times

Baseline

Baseline Intelligence is offering a onetime only free copy of the 2011 Upfront Edition of Primetime TV Insight in order to raise awareness of this great new research report series covering the entire 2011-12 primetime TV season.

You can download a free copy of the 2011 Upfront Edition HERE.

Shari Anne Brill, one of the most renowned television research analysts working today has now joined the team as a co-author of the report series along with award winning analyst Steve Sternberg. Shari and Steve are two of the most respected and quoted television analysts working today, as you can see in this recent New York Times article.

Subscribers include:

All five broadcast networks
Cable networks including MTV, Turner, Cox Media, Discovery, and BBC America
Major studios and production companies including Warner Bros., Jerry Bruckheimer Television, FremantleMedia
Financial Firms including Citigroup
Guilds including the Writers Guild of America
Major advertising and branding agencies

by Chris Young

Once upon a time, television studio executives negotiated with one network to air the first run of their programming. If the show was a success, then the studios would eventually sit down with other distributors for syndication deals. Rinse, repeat, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Oh, how times have changed.

Today, content production houses must take into account streaming deals, VOD deals and other marketing and logistical considerations when looking to launch any form of original programming. And it is just the beginning. All signs point to the explosive growth of the online video world reaching even greater heights. Research released by Singapore-based ABI Research suggests that by 2016 worldwide online viewership will reach over 1.3 billion people.

by Shari Anne Brille

Baseline

I can remember a time when I would attend network upfront announcements, and I would hear the network entertainment chiefs’ solemn promises that there would be less reality series on their schedules and that their focus would be on more scripted fare instead.

The audience bought that story every time.

Of course, as rookie entries failed, and networks would run out of back-up series, reality shows would begin to slowly take over. Reality programs, often a staple for midseason and the genre of choice during the summer months have been quietly increasing their presence during fourth quarter.

Let’s take a look at the primetime schedule for fourth quarter 2010. Of the 91 weekly hours across the five broadcast networks: (ABC, CBS, and NBC with 22 hours each, FOX with 15 and The CW with 10 hours), there were a total of 15 hours of reality TV (representing 16%) on the schedule, consisting of a combination of reality docudramas, reality competition, and variety series.

by Daisy Whitney

Cynopsis

BROADCAST UPFRONT: TOUGH TO PREDICT

Tick tock.

The upfront presentations by broadcast networks begin today, but as of late last week many marketers had yet to finalize their budgets. That slowness is an artifact of the more cautious budgeting process during the recent recession, but it's not likely to go away. Many buyers are anxiously awaiting final numbers from clients so they know what they can spend in TV programming this year.

That's just one reason why market predictions are tough to make. Other reasons include worldwide political and economic issues. "Although ad spend overall is going in the right direction, many international and domestic factors, such as the crisis in Japan, Middle East unrest, the U.S. unemployment rate, are all impacting consumer outlook and will ultimately affect ad spend," said Donna Speciale, President of Investment, Activation and Agency operations at MediaVest.

Barclays Capital has said to expect 7% to 8% growth this year for broadcasters with CBS locking in the greatest price increases. During a recent earnings call CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said the ad market heading into the upfront was a “highly favorable climate," due in part to scatter buys being up 40% in the second quarter compared to last year's upfront.

Buyers are more circumspect. The scatter market peaked a few weeks ago and has been shrinking since then, they say. Also, buyers point out that high prices at the pump can affect consumer confidence, as well as brands' bottom line because many brands rely on oil to ship products.

There is also the question of how much money advertisers will apportion to upfront buys. "While the economy has certainly improved, it's not quite where everyone wants it to be," said Todd Gordon, Senior VP and Managing Director, National Broadcast at Initiative. "All the issues with commodity prices have put pressures on margins and those are the kind of things that make it more difficult for clients to spend as much as they much want." That being said, the upfront is likely to be up over last year, but by how much and how big of a shift from scatter to upfront is still unknown, he said.

But it's also vital that the increased money advertisers are spending in the upfront be connected to bottom line results. Gordon said marketers increasingly want data that correlates ad sales on TV, and other mediums, to increased sales of their products. Another overhang is the possibility of an NFL strike, which may affect how buyers shift dollars around. "It will affect much of primetime's and cable's inventory and pricing, and will also challenge every platform where advertisers have NFL marketing partnerships," Speciale said.

The TV Upfronts Start Next Week

Brought to you by Baseline, a part of The New York Times

Baseline

The Broadcast TV Upfronts begin next week on Monday. To help understand and analyze the upfronts and what they mean for this fall's broadcast and cable schedules, Baseline Intelligence is proud to offer the 2011 Upfront Edition of Primetime TV Insight, available for order here. The report provides a comprehensive look at what to expect from the 2011 TV Pilot season with in-depth discussion of the current state of the networks and their plans for next season.

The 82 page PDF report features a detailed examination of each broadcast and major cable network's nightly programming with commentary on strengths and weaknesses along with suggestions for improvements. The report provides expert predictions on what the likelihood is of shows in development making the network schedules.

Co-authored by Steve Sternberg and Shari Anne Brill, two of the most respected and award winning television research analysts working, this report is essential intelligence for programming execs, studios, writers, advertisers, brands, producers, and distributors.

FROM THE BLOG

NBC is getting Dramatic

Awaiting the upfronts, beginning in approximately a week, is always a time fraught with tension. First one show has buzz and then suddenly it’s cold and something else is white hot. A lot is riding on the choices that NBC will make this year. Read More

The earth didn’t just move, it was an EARTHQUAKE: women pilot writers in 2011

Free Sample Chapter - Spring 2011 Online Video Now Research Report

Baseline Research Wrap

Brought to you by Baseline, a part of The New York Times

Baseline Intelligence is proud to announce the release of the Spring 2011 Online Video Now Research Report. The second edition of Baseline Intelligence's flagship professional research report on new media is newly expanded to cover 31 of the most prominent online video services for distributing professionally generated video content. This follow-up to the Spring 2010 edition focuses on services in four categories: Streaming, Video on Demand, Live Streaming, and Video Service Aggregators.

FROM THE BLOG

Jeana: A Hollywood Tragedy

Every now and then, I find myself writing a much more introspective piece about our business rather than just ranting about the ups and downs of the industry. Read More

Winding up, going into the pitch….

You’ve done all your work and you’re finally ready to do some face time with your film investor. Before you get too comfortable, face this. Your investor (or funder or distributor) is very busy, probably a whole lot busier than you. (If not, you’re probably meeting with the wrong person.) Read More

Baseline Intelligence Announces Release of Spring 2011 Online Video Now Research Report

If 2010 seemed like a year of great change in the online video sector, 2011 is shaping up to make it look sleepy. To help analyze this complex and evolving landscape, Baseline Intelligence, a part of Baseline and the New York Times Company, is proud to announce the 2nd edition of its flagship new media research report: Spring 2011 Online Video Now Read More .....

By Daisy Whitney, Cynopsis Media

Spanish-language networks have more than 50 million reasons to be optimistic for this year's upfront.

Cynopsis Indeed, with the Census figures now officially placing the Hispanic population in the United States at 50 million, up from 35 million in 2000, the Hispanic media market is in an enviable spot. Not only is the economy steady, with scatter and last year's upfront both strong, but their sector is one of the few that has the wind at its back.

"There is interest across the board in Spanish-language media," said Steven Wolfe Pereira, EVP/Managing Director of MV42/MediaVest Multicultural. "The market is no longer just Univision and Telemundo." Brands and agencies are spending money to reach the Spanish-speaking population through smaller and newer networks too. As a result, most Spanish-language networks are expecting an uptick in dollars and volume during the upfront. They also see growth coming as new categories up their spending in Hispanic media, such as pharmaceutical and financial.

That's because the Census confirmed not only overall population growth, but also huge bumps in different levels of Hispanic acculturation, said Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer at Telemundo. "It's very much on everyone's radar," she said. "Overall dollars will be up this year and existing categories will be doubling down, not just in the traditional way, but in innovative ways and cross platform. You will see growth across the board."

But networks shouldn't expect a dramatic shift in dollars from other media, some buyers cautioned. "Hispanic consumers' spending also increased at a greater rate than non-Hispanics," said Christine Fuller, MEC Managing Partner and Director of Implementation. "This increased purchasing power has not been fully exploited. With that said, the overall market for 2011-12 should see moderate revenue growth. It is not clear how many marketers are making radical shifts between English language and Spanish language. We are not predicting a radical change to the Spanish-language upfront market this year."

By Andy Marken

If it weren’t for James Cameron’s session at NAB, you would swear you were at a mash up CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and an IT (information technology) conference.

Most of the sessions and discussions focused on:

social media and mobile delivery
how Tellywood was going to optimize their network/content assets
cloud computing/storage (we’ll look closely at this in a few weeks)
how the old guard was going to protect their stuff/squeeze out kids who seemed more interested in viewers than profits.

Joe Gilles looked over the proceedings and said, “You don't yell at a sleepwalker - he may fall and break his neck.”

Cameron loves technology almost as much as he loves movies. He took his shots at the broadcast folks saying it was their fault we still don’t have a lot of 3D on our entertainment devices.

3D Still Breathing

As for 3D II it’s getting its second wind:

by Heather Hale

Heather Hale

I am working on two wildly different projects at the moment – each with their own incredibly different budget scenarios – and we have to think – step-by-step – all the way through not just post – but on through to distribution and marketing – which brings us right back around to further script development at every stage of the game.

No part of the process can be ignored or overlooked or “sketched out ball park to get to later” ’cause A) there’s never time later and B) poor planning in ANY arena can bring the whole project to a screeching halt or down into a complete nightmare and possibly impossible but most likely poorly resolvable bottleneck “later.”

#1) 21 Hours

A terrorist race car thriller.

Speed meets NASCAR. If United 93 occurred in your car. Con Air with an “Everyman” rookie at the wheel. You get the idea.

It COULD make $100M at the box office. Or tank. We all know the ridiculous odds and insane unknowns.

Given all that, I co-wrote a big action script intentionally as cheaply as a movie like this could be made – out in the middle of nowhere, anywhere – an exciting cross country race against time – that could essentially be shot about 85% in a sound stage (a ton is green screen in the car) with about one week of B-Roll that we could adjust to whatever states have the best tax incentives or whatever locations are the most scenic (or that we can get).

According to Baseline....

2011 may be the year when online video achieves critical mass, says Baseline researchers. A sample chapter of their report is available for free download.

Online video services that were limited to just one platform a year ago have expanded to encompass computers, game consoles, televisions, Blu-ray players, mobile devices, and tablets. Large aggregators like YouTube, Netflix, and cable and satellite companies with “TV Everywhere” strategies are pushing content distributors tied to one platform out of the game and changing market dynamics.

Just as Netflix seems to be emerging as the dominant player, Facebook steps into the game. One thing is clear, consumers expect to be able to access online video services everywhere. Services that are not able to do this will not likely be able to compete in the future.

To help analyze this complex and evolving landscape, Baseline Intelligence, a part of Baseline and the New York Times Company, has announced the 2nd edition of its flagship new media research report: Spring 2011 Online Video Now

Shari Anne Brill Joins Primetime TV Insight Team

Brought to you by Baseline, a part of The New York Times

Shari Anne Brill has joined Steve Sternberg as co-authors of Baseline's Primetime TV Insight report series. Shari is a multiple-award winning Media Industry Expert with over twenty-five years of experience in the Programming and Audience Research field.

She led Broadcast and Media Research practices at Carat, The Media Edge, TBS Media Management, Lintas and Lord, Geller, Federico Einstein. She was named a 2009 Media All Star by the editors of Mediaweek magazine. She was also recognized as a “Wonder Woman, Class of 2006” by the editors of Multichannel News and Women in Cable and Telecommunications.

The first edition of Primetime TV Insight she co-authored is the 2011 Upfront Edition, now available for purchase here.

FROM THE BLOG

First Business, Then Show

“Hi,” someone emailed the other day as if she really knew me. “I have a terrific story ready to make into a wonderful film; all I need are investors….” It went on a bit, but that was the crux of things. I would have loved to help, but this wannabe producer was 180 degrees off.

Indie Film Investor Proposals - Part II
who's reading your film package?

by Heather Hale

You have to give serious thought to WHO you’re presenting your indie film package to – and WHY:

Are you seeking an attachment?

Are you wanting an A-List or High Profile Actor to attach? That package or proposal ought to highlight the great “Actor’s Bait” role;

Are you soliciting a high level director? You might skew this proposal towards the visual potential, the intriguing promise of the premise or how uniquely the project redefines or blends its genre(s);

Are you going after investors?

There are all different kinds of investors:

Some investors only look at the bottom line and will seriously just flip from spreadsheet to spreadsheet looking for a few key figures:

* The waterfalls for the ROIs of various revenue scenarios of how – and when their investment will be returned

* What the film comps are – and are they recent and truly relevant?

* Who are you targeting for the roles? And can you legitimately get them? And are they marquis names enough to deliver foreign box office? DVD/VOD? Or is your budget such that a great C-level ensemble cast and really savvy production strategies will mitigate most of the known risks and promise a worthwhile return?
Read More

Indie Film Investor Proposals -
living, breathing documents

by Hale Heather

As much as a screenplay evolves – changing dramatically (and hopefully for the better) from initial concept to first draft, through rewriting on through the development, pre- and production processes, so, too, should your indie film “package” (investor presentation, business plan, joint venture proposals, website and any and all marketing materials) constantly be refined as you further clarify your project and hone in on your hit list targets: core audience demographics, best distributors for your niche or genre, key talent attachments, potential investors, product placement and other joint venture partners or sponsors.

This should be true of any document you’re working with, be it a shooting schedule, department or overall budget, storyboards, shot lists, etc. – as their purposes are to help you think on the page.

This is a safe haven for you to make mistakes with no consequences and test theories off everyone’s radar that can blessedly be taken back with a keystroke. This is one low-pressure zone you have to prudently consider all your options as your thinking changes, your resources ebb and flow, the attachments and elements that constantly change the dynamics before you’re committed with a hundred cast and crew, rented equipment and expensive locations all on the clock waiting for your leadership.

Know before you go (also so that you know your best case back-up scenarios and how each adjustment will affect you on the fly).

The script is not the only blueprint for making a film – its part of the whole package. And just like building a home, if you move a bearing wall or as your vendors, materials or weather change, it’s going to affect your bottom line, your timeline and your final product. All this paperwork is simply best efforts to get everyone on the same page, hopefully collaborating with you towards achieving a shared, clear vision.
Read More

The Day the Music Died. Really!

by Andy Marken

Music is dying if you believe the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Music is a growing business if you believe Apple, Google, Spotify, Yahoo Music, Artist Direct, My Space Music, Pandora and hundreds of other options.

    8-tracks had their peak in ’78 of $3.1 B according to the RIAA

    LPs had their peak in ’78 of $8.1B

    Cassettes had their peak in ’88 of $6.1B

    CDs peaked in 99 with $16.4B

    Albums began their rise with downloads of $1B in ‘10

    Singles jumped out with downloads of $1.6B in ‘10

Mobile “sales” is going to be huge but….

They’re right … all of them. The “good ol days” are gone. Everything lives in phases … music is no different. Sure, Warner Music is up for grabs but the buzzards see a feast in the carcass… a library that’s worth gazillions.

Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens were killed in a plane crash in ’59 and everyone called it the day the music died. For Elvis fans there was a similar feeling. Same when John Lennon was killed…or El Shaka…or Selena

Eras ended, but music survived.

It turns out the royalties to their estates and older artists may have been reborn with the Eminem’s decision against Universal that digital sales are licensed royalties not out-in-out sales.
Read More

Baseline First Look

from Baseline, a part of The New York Times

TV Upfronts 5 Weeks Away

Baseline Intelligence is proud to announce the upcoming release of the 2011 Upfront Edition of Primetime TV Insight. The report provides a comprehensive look at what to expect from the 2011 TV Pilot season with in-depth discussion of the current state of the networks and their plans for next season.

The 79 page report features a detailed examination of each broadcast and major cable network's nightly programming with commentary on strengths and weaknesses along with suggestions for improvements. The report provides expert predictions on what the likelihood is of shows in development making the network schedules.

Co-authored by Steve Sternberg and Shari Anne Brill, two of the most respected and award winning television research analysts working, this report is essential intelligence for programming execs, studios, writers, advertisers, brands, producers, and distributors. Available for pre-order here.
Read More

Cynopsis Media Presents:
Upfront 2011 - The Cable Market

By Daisy Whitney

CABLE UPFRONT 2011: WE HAVE MOMENTUM, BUT THE X FACTOR IS THE GREAT UNKNOWN

The scatter market has been strong, the economy is stable, and all signs point to another increase in ad dollars and pricing over last year's cable upfront, but there's still a big overhang surrounding this year's TV ad selling season. The overhang is football.

The possibility of an NFL strikes looms large in the media landscape. The potential absence of football on TV, for even a week or more, could reverberate throughout the TV network business. Many cable networks stand to benefit if the pro athletes strike because advertisers will need to spend those dollars elsewhere in order to meet their marketing goals.

That's why a potential strike is the X factor in this year's upfront - the great unknown. Networks and advertisers are strategizing options now.

Strike Options

Network groups from Turner to Scripps to Rainbow Media are gearing up for a possible NFL strike and perhaps even an NBA one too. "We are looking at contingency plans ourselves," said David Levy, President of Sales, Distribution and Sports at Turner Broadcasting System. "I do carry the NBA but I have entertainment properties and if there is a challenge with NBA or NFL, I would hope to replace that within the Turner family. We have a solution with our targeted networks and programming that resonates with key male and young adult demos such as Adult Swim, TBS, truTV, Conan and MLB Post Season."
Read More

WOM…It’s An Art, It’s Science, It’s Theirs

by Andy Marken

Everyone wants to jump into the word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing, communications den. The rewards seem huge. The problem is when the audience starts scratching, chewing divine intervention doesn’t answer the call.

In traditional terms, marketing meant advertising – radio/TV, print, direct mail, shows, etc.—and publicity. But in 2009, Gallup reported that only 10% of folks really believed these folks.

Bummer, dude!

Fortunately, the iNet, Web and now mobile have rushed in to fill the gap. Suddenly there are fast, cheap ways of reaching people – search, keywords, converting traffic, online video, banners, email targeting, podcasts, webcasts and the nebulous but cool social media.

The sheer volume of information available has dramatically altered the balance of power between companies (marketing/communications) and consumers. As folks have become overloaded, they have become increasingly skeptical about traditional company-driven advertising, marketing, communications.

The targets have taken control.
Read More

Ohio Picks Up Films
Lost to Michigan's Tax Cuts

By John Wisely

DETROIT FREE PRESS

DETROIT - Most Michigan residents like seeing moviemaking in their communities, according to a recent poll, but they are divided on whether the state's generous incentives to filmmakers are a wise use of tax dollars.

The poll comes as the state debates Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's controversial proposal to sharply curtail the program, a decision that has cost Michigan a project - The Avengers - that proved to be Ohio's gain. The Republican proposes to honor incentive agreements already made but limit new subsidies to $25million next year.

The program, which reimburses filmmakers up to 42percent of their production costs incurred in Michigan, recently has attracted stars such as George Clooney and Courteney Cox to the Detroit area.

Critics pan it as corporate welfare; proponents say it bolsters the state's image, inspires young people and creates jobs.
Read More

Look at Incentives Before Cutting

Observer & Eccentric

March 13, 2011.... On the surface, it seems plain — Michigan is paying 42 cents for every dollar spent by filmmakers in the state who are producing movies in Michigan.

Seems like a mighty bad deal, as Gov. Rick Snyder has said, which is why he proposes to eliminate the film incentives in his new budget.

But it isn't as simple as that, as was made clear at the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber Film Forecast Breakfast Thursday at the Townsend Hotel.

On the panel were Emery King, chairman of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council; Advisory Council Vice Chair Jim Burnstein; and Jeffrey Spilman, founder and managing partner of Oakland County-based S3 Entertainment Group.
Read More

Modern Film Fest Announces
Inaugural Short Film Competition

Festival Launches Third Year

- Now taking submissions for Modern Film Fest's inaugural SHORT FILM COMPETITION.

Films must be 10 minutes or less and will be posted on the festival's web site where viewers can vote for their top short film picks. The top dozen finalists will be on the big screen at the 900-seat Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, NC during Modern Film Fest, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.

This year's festival includes 12 movies from around the world plus a zombie walk and gala. Tickets are $4 for each movie.
Read More

3D: How Hot? And How Much? Part 2

by Peter Hamilton

We asked Hoff Productions to explore the 3D premium for a typical episode in a cable series.

Hoff Productions is a Real Screen Global 100 producer that has delivered hundreds of programs to leading U.S. channels. The company is based in the Bay Area, and began testing 3D in 2009.

We examined a hypothetical ‘Crime’ program that would be budgeted in 2D/HD at the $325,000 level, which is close to the ‘Sweet Spot’ for leading U.S. Factual channels.

The Hoff team cautions that the analysis is date-stamped: NAB 2010. “The caveat is that 3D technologies, workflows and budgets are changing, and changing fast!”

Hoff’s generous contribution to our Case Study takes us behind the line items where 3D makes the greatest impact versus 2D/HD budgets. The findings will help you track evolving 3D processes and costs across your own work plans.

CASE STUDY: CRIME IN 3D

Production Assumptions

Production Assumptions

One hour

2D/HD Budget: $325,000

Genre: Crime

CGI title and story elements: 5 minutes

Field: 2D/HD: 8-10 days

Post:

Offline: 2D/HD: 30 days

Online: 2D/HD: 5-6 days

Upconversion from 2D/HD to 3D: 10 minutes

Read More

Film Industry Rally to Oppose
Michigan's Incentive Cuts

by Nathan Skid

Michigan Film First, a coalition of leaders in Michigan’s film and television industry, are planning a rally at 7 p.m. March 3 at the Troy Marriott to urge saving Michigan’s film credits from proposed state budget cuts.

The meeting comes on the heels of a study commissioned by the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau — and the convention bureaus in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and Traverse City — that analyzed the economic impact of the film incentives. The study was prepared by Ernst & Young LLP

According to the study, every dollar the state spends on the film incentives generates $6 of economic impact. The industry’s Michigan impact, according to the study, was $503 million in 2010 compared with costs of $28 million for the incentives.
Read More

3D: How Hot? And How Much? Part 1

by Peter Hamilton

We closely followed the recent NAB Conference in Las Vegas. We wanted to know: “Is 3DTV really as hot as we hear?"

The answer: “No! 3D is much hotter than we thought!”

Do we want 3D?

Call it the Avatar wave: audiences went crazy over their first 3D cinema

experience, and the early evidence is that many of them are eager to bring

3D home.

Channel 4 led European broadcasters by testing the new format with a successful weeklong 3D promotion in November. C4’s centerpiece was a documentary: a long-lost 3D newsreel of the Queen’s 1951Coronation.

BSkyB launched its Sky 3D channel in April 2010, with coverage of the Premier League matchup between Man U and Chelsea. The service was delivered mainly to pubs, where Sky reported that it was watched by 100,000 viewers. Two weeks later, the 3D audience doubled when 200,000 pub viewers watched Man U draw with mid-table Blackburn.

Amongst recent well-publicized U.S. 3D trials, CBS broadcast the Final Four via DirecTV, Cablevision tested National Hockey League games, and Comcast successfully covered the U.S. Masters Golf Tournament.

Where is the 3D Consumer Market Heading?
Read More

Self-Learning, Self-Distribution

by Sheila Ganz

By the time I finished my first documentary “Unlocking the Heart of Adoption” and was ready to launch it, in January 2003, I had attended numerous workshops on film distribution. I learned about contracts, that everything is negotiable until you sign on the dotted line and that lots of documentary filmmakers had been ripped off by educational distributors, because they went out of business or for other reasons. It made me think twice about going that route.

But I did send my 56 minute film, about the lifelong process of adoption for adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents in the same race as well as transracial adoptions, to educational distributors. The one that accepted it told me that I would get 15% of every sale. Fifteen percent on a film that had taken me years to make and for which I still owed thousands—not quite a eureka moment!

I made the film because I want people to know that adoption is more than a one-time event. Adoption can deeply impact everyone involved: adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents; each person plays an important role in the birth/adoptive family; and that the best solution to this complex situation is openness and honesty.

I suffered a lot of emotional ups and downs during the making of the film. Everybody in the film has a moving story. At the promptings of an advisor, I decided to include my story as a birthmother who unwillingly relinquished her daughter for adoption in 1969. I searched for and found her, when she was nineteen. The film and all of the people in it mean a lot to me and I wasn’t ready to let go of it so easily or cheaply—15%, imagine!
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Who's Against Net Neutrality...?

by Andy Marken

The government has finally proven the saying, “If you love something, set it free … if it comes back it’s yours. If it doesn’t, hunt it down and kill it!!”

Back in the ‘60s DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) had this idea to protect us from “them.”

Information and communications were the keys to survival. Then, in the ‘80s, they privatized it. In the ‘90s, it became commercial. Today, billions of people and millions of organizations – good, bad, ugly – say it’s theirs.

The iNet, the Web didn’t go back to the government. Obviously, it’s time to show them who knows best.

People who have grown up not knowing life without the iNet/Web are told they need to be protected from “them.” So they invented new departments/offices with great sounding names – Federal Communications Commission’s Net Neutrality and the US Commerce Department’s Privacy Policy Office.
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3D TV is Coming
There’s No Stopping It Now

by Andy Marken

After attending so many CES (Consumer Electronics Show) events, you’d think we’d resist being swept away by the buzz. Sure, after last year’s show, all we saw was 3D. “They” swore all the pieces were in place. And we believed it.

Darn!!!!

Realistically, we knew better. We’re still as optimistic and enthusiastic about the long-term success of 3D TV as we were before; but this time, we’re going to be a little cautious.   We’re taking the advice of that great U.S. President -- George W. Bush -- who stated so profoundly, “fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.”

Ah well, you get the idea.

The motion picture industry is really all over 3D. Some good, like Avatar and Megamind. Some a real waste of time, money – theirs and ours – like Clash of the Titans 2010, Saw 3D or Jackass 3D, Piranha.

Last year, Hollywood put out 25 3D movies. This year, they expect to double that number. 3D screens worldwide have gone from 6,700 last year to nearly 20,000 this year. And, according to NATO (National Association of Theater Owners), that number should quadruple by the end of 2011 to eliminate the strain on available 3D screens and scheduling.
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Production Incentives Update

updates from The Incentives Office

The Incentives Office has just released their first 2011 update. Combining this information along with the Section 181 data from Corky Kessler can open wide avenues for attracting investors.

ARIZONA - Allowed its program to sunset last week. Legislation has been discussed to create a new, possibly refundable tax credit but there is nothing in place yet.

CONNECTICUT - The new Pacifica Studio is under construction, with an anticipated completion later this year A ninety episode series for Revolution is being produced in the state.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Director of the Washington DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, Kathy Hollinger, was replaced with former Director, Crystal Palmer.

GEORGIA – No changes planned, as Georgia has become an important production hub for series, features and commercials. However buying services continue to be restricted.
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The More Things Change....

by Dan O'Brien

INT. EDITOR’S OFFICE OF THE LIGHT - DAY

Neil Brock, social worker in the office of Congressman Hanson, learns of the shutting down of the New York City newspaper, The Light, because the editor refuses to allow the bank to set the conditions for the paper’s editorial content. The editor, Will Geer, explains the conversation to Neil.

GEER

He said, “Steer clear of anything controversial
like issues . . . Just turn the sheet into a comic
book, a coupon-clippers’ paradise. Turn your
back on all that garbage about rats, tenements,
and juvenile delinquency and let’s have some
laughs.”

INT. THE MEN’S ROOM OF THE LIGHT – DAY

Neil Brock enters the men’s room to find a dwarf porter busily mopping the floor and emptying the trash cans.

THE PORTER

They never asked me. You buy a paper year
in and year out and you like it . . . so then one
morning or one afternoon you go in and put
your money down and boom. No Paper. No
Sun. No American. No Mirror. No Light. I
mean nobody ever asked me. They didn’t
ask anybody . . . Why should they? I’m just a
lousy reader. Nobody ever asked me.
Numbers. Where do they get those numbers?
Who does them? Who are they? Nobody
asked me.
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The Year In Film

A full year of box office income, as never seen before....

Created by Zach Beane.
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2011: New Consumers, New Markets, New Economy

by Andy Marken

Let’s start by saying 2011 is going to be the year we wanted three years ago when the financial institutions “borrowed” our global wellbeing! It was the first time we entered unfamiliar territory because the financial meltdown didn’t affect just one country but all of us.

Economic Outlook

Internationally governments are feeling their way along the precipice because the depth and duration of the recession was beyond what most could clearly recall. They are moving – hesitantly – but still slightly dazed by the headlights of the near miss. At the same time the U.S. government ground to a near halt because of the partisan politics that could last for two years.

Fortunately as in past recessions companies have finally become sick and tired of being sick and tired and realized that government – any government – can’t move things forward. It is up to business to get the job done!

Most of the 80+% of the employed U.S. population (10% tracked unemployed, 8% dropped off the grid) are certain that conditions are and will continue to improve. This was apparent over the holiday buying season where PC/CE/communications sales increased more than 7% with a greater percentage being cash sales…resisting mounting additional personal/family debt.
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All our best wishes to you for a
rich, warm, peaceful, loving, fruitful New Year!

Norman & Craig

All

our best wishes to you for a rich, warm, peaceful, loving, fruitful New Year

Norman & Craig

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Sanyo Delivers New Projectors
Long Life, Super Bright, & Compact

SANYO has introdued two series of ultra portable 3LCD projectors. The new XK and WK series projectors feature improved lamp and filter life, reducing cost and maintenance time. Compact (13.1" x 4.0" x 9.7") and light weight (6.4 lbs.), the portable projectors are ideal on location.

Look for these new projectors to deliver up to 3000 lumens of brightness with contrast ratios as high as 3000:1 .

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In Touch. On the Road

By Andy Marken

“Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.” – George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) – Easy Rider (1969), Columbia Pictures

Think about it…Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, you hittin’ the road on rad bikes. How freakin cool! How free!!

How far to the next electrical outlet because your notebook, tablet, smartphone, iPod batteries are in the red zone?

Some say it was Jobs that put you on the road to adventure. First, the iPhone that did everything but make a call. Then, the iPad that does even more of everything, still doesn’t make a call. But it’s the best of breed combination that has seeped into every moment of our personal/professional lives:

- faster, lighter, more powerful notebooks for content/material development
- tablets for content consumption, showing, sharing
- smartphones for smaller content consumption/communications
- a gazillion applications for all three platforms for every task you could imagine.

On demand services, at home and on set, finally looks practical. There's increased security as portable devices improve business agility. Virtual work styles/practices across all demographics are improving productivity
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The Sorry State of Current Cinema

by Dan O'Brien

I have now re-written this column five times. Either I have too many ideas for a single column or the ideas that I have are failing to coalesce and arrange themselves in their usual tidy manner. Here goes the final try.

During the past three weeks I’ve been recovering from some surgery and had a fair amount of time on my hands for watching movies.

I sat through a number of recent films that pass themselves off as romantic comedies. They all have the same handful of personalities. They all look identical and they all tell the same sitcom-worthy one-liners. I know it’s a formula but it’s a tired formula. It’s like watching every episode of The Honeymooners in one sitting. By the time the titles are over, I can tell exactly what’s going to happen.
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My Bitchy Witchy Paris Vacation

review by John Adcox

New media has opened the doors for all sorts of content creators who might never have taken that band out of the garage, or that unpublished novel out of the drawer. The good news is, a tremendous number of truly amazing artists, like my pal Bill Shaouy, have found a way to connect with audiences even without the boost of the major labels, and my friend Jim Gillaspy has just gone the self-e-publishing route for his hard science fiction/coming of age novel, A Larger Universe.

Now, “do-it-yourselfers” are creating, shooting, and distributing their own films and television episodics. I don’t think the major publishers, networks, and film studios are losing any sleep just yet, but for audiences and artists alike, this is an exciting time.
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11 Simple Rules....

11 rules were introduced by Dave Packard at Hewlett-Packard's second annual management conference in 1958 in Sonoma, California. They remain elegant, timeless and readily transposble to film production.

Want a better, more productive set...? Here are the guidelines that built an empire.

1. Think first of the other fellow. This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. And it is the one truly difficult accomplishment you must make. Gaining this, the rest will be "a breeze."

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BTL Production Listings

1. "Untitled Scott Stuber Project" (Motion Picture) / Status: Active Development
2. "Untitled Falk & Ellis Project" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
3. "Piranha 3 DD" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
4. "The Lost Diary of Don Juan" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
5. "Alma" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
6. "Emergency" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
7. "Pluto" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
8. "Sweep" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
9. "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
10. "The Thin Man" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
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Online Videos - Entertain, Educate, Sell

by Andy Marken

"Money is honey! Money is honey!” – Max Bailystock (Zero Mostel) – The Producers (1968)

Ever wonder why when someone wants to show you how good their device is, they never show you a PowerPoint presentation? They’re boring…. Yes, even yours!

But video?

It grabs your attention and keeps your attention. It’s so good that Cisco recently reported that internet traffic will increase five-fold by 2013, and 90 percent of the stuff will be video. Internet video already accounts for one-third of all consumer Internet traffic.
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In Memoriam

by Dan O'Brien

I went to a memorial service last week. Nobody had died, at least in a physical way. It actually was planned as a combination birthday party and reunion but for me it turned out much differently and I walked away very sad.

I will explain.

The person who was the object of these festivities was a charismatic, sweet gentleman in the true sense of what that word means. I won’t use his name because he wouldn’t want me to but you’ve met his kind either as a kid or in the obscure corners of this business. They were rare then and they’re all but extinct today.
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BTL Production Listings

Updated Production Listings from BTL News....

For additional listings - and the complete production details
Check the Below the Line website.

1. "Take My Wife" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
2. "Nothing to Fear" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
3. "Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
4. "Sweet Thunder" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
5. "The Au Pair" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
6. "The Secret in Their Eyes" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
7. "Tempest" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
8. "El Presidente" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
9. "Galveston" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
10. "Untitled Beach Boys Project" (Motion Picture) / Status: Development
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Reputation Management Starts at Home

by Andy Marken

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory...! But there is a penalty for ignorance. And we are paying through the nose.” W. Edwards Deming

Extensive research/statistics doesn’t hold much excitement for us. However, we’re a long-time admirer of Dr. Deming and his writings. While "Out of Crisis" was written in 1986, his 14 Points of Management are still being widely practiced today.

We first met Dr. Deming at a conference in D.C. in 1990 where he was a keynote speaker on the changing face of the industry. We met him again in mid-1992 at what was to be one of his final management seminars. It was difficult to believe that at 92 he was still taking every opportunity to tell managers how they could carry out changes that would affect their personal growth and their organization’s.
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Struggles with Language

by Dan O'Brien

As a writer I tend to view writing in a manner more structural than artistic especially when I’m writing about social problems in one context or another. This is sort of the juncture between psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics but it’s more easily thought of in the down to earth comedy of the late George Carlin who delighted in the absurdities in the English language.

I was struggling with a problem in composition and meaning the other evening and it made me think of my brief career in electronics. Now this is just before the dawning of solid state electronics and printed circuits when in order to solve almost any problem with a balky piece of TV gear you had to take it out of its cabinet, turn it upside down and stare into what was impolitely called, “the gorilla’s a**,” the immense tangle of wires, components and connections that made the thing go. Sometimes you were lucky enough to have a schematic drawing to clue you in on what went where but more often the gear had been modified multiple times so it was anybody’s guess what was going on.
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What's A Deck

by Curran G. Engle

Been asked to deliver a "deck" for your pitch meeting...? Wonder what you'll need....?

Basically, a deck is a 10 slide presentation that answers a series of basic questions about your project and its investment potential. This information is so sensitive that few will share their examples unless they have some indication that it'll lead to an investment.
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Zero In on THE ONE
Who Says Yes (or No)

by Andy Marken

reelgrok's resident marketing maven writes for business - essential for filmmakers who are IN THE BUSINESS OF SHOW.... Andy knows how filmmakers can focus their marketing to get the results they need.

There are many "buying influences" in today's solution sales situations. There are a lot of people who can say yes. There’s only one can say no. He (or she) is the benevolent dictator. Every company has one. But in today’s pressure cooker of moving products and services, companies often forget that this person is pivotal to their success.

Sure, we have to promote the benefits of our stuff to the entire organization. We have to reach what management loves to call the decision-making team.

But all too often, we're playing to the stands and ignoring the person in the box seat. The result? Everyone is "amazed" when the sale goes South. You know. It went to the folks who didn't have engineering, manufacturing, operations, IT, administration, purchasing, finance "sewed up."
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Sunday Morning

by Dan O'Brien

In my house the Sunday morning talking-heads shows become the background noise for the wonderful chaos of family breakfast. I am pleased to say that Sunday mornings have remained a blessed sanctuary from the all-green, all-nutritional, no-fat meals that appear at our table during the rest of the week.   Sunday mornings we still have freshly-brewed coffee, bacon and eggs or pancakes and ham all with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream. The aromas filling the house take one back to childhood and innocence and very happy times.

Last week, though, my Sunday morning breakfast reverie was interrupted by the appearance on several of the talking-heads interview programs by a series of high-ranking military-types spouting off the military talking points about our various wars, the increasing tours of duty, suicide rates and fatalities, etc., etc.
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What's a Deck"

by Curran G. Engel

Been asked to deliver a "deck" for your pitch meeting...? Wonder what you'll need....?

Basically, a deck is a 10 slide presentation that answers a series of basic questions about your project and its investment potential. This information is so sensitive that few will share their examples unless they have some indication that it'll lead to an investment.
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Where Have Movie-Marketing Dollars Gone

by Andrew Hampp

LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- Especially during the summer, it often feels like there isn't a single piece of media, measured or otherwise, that's not promoting a movie. So it's easy to look at the movie industry's spending figures from first half of 2010 and think, "Where did all the money go?"

Hollywood spent 6.6% less on measured media during the first two quarters of the year, shelling out $1.72 billion vs. last year's $1.84 billion, according to Kantar Media. Among the most notable shifts? A 20% boost in outdoor spending ($58.9 million vs. $48.9 million in 2009), a small increase in national spot radio ($16.4 million vs. $14.6 million) and a slight uptick in digital ($71.4 million vs. $69.9 million).

But most surprising is a series of cuts in TV spending, with network ($697 million vs. $720.3 million), spot ($79.6 million vs. $94.2 million) and even cable ($413.8 million vs. $426.5 million) all posting decreases during the period. Considering studios spend 70% to 75% of their budget on TV for an average wide release, shifting a couple million into other media may seem like chump change.

But moviegoers are a tech-savvy lot....
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Has Creativity Been Lost...?

By Andy Marken

Labor Day in the U.S. is a fading concept. Less than 40 percent of the working population is actually doing what can be called physical labor. The rest are doing data manipulation, handling content tasks.

So, we guess most of us have to take a break from thinking. Jeez…we know people who do that all the time!!!!

The improbable idea was triggered by an article by a friend, Rob Enderle, on the 4th of July when he suggested taking a freedom break from technology. You know, no email, no IMs, no microblogs, no text messages, no social site postings.

Gawd, that sounds like a stupid idea. But he reflected on his youth.

You remember, when we simply laid on the grass, stared at the sky and let our minds create all types of cloud images – a sailboat, a beautiful girl, a horse, a bird, an old man, anything our minds could conger.
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Four Reasons to Produce
Your Own Web Series

by Alexis Niki

When I set out to write and produce MY BITCHY WITCHY PARIS VACATION, everyone asked why I wanted to launch a web series. My initial response was, “Because I can!”

Producing a web series is relatively inexpensive and accessible, and I knew it would stretch my creativity. Instead of waiting around for something to happen with my scripts, I could jump in and start having some fun! However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had many reasons. All of them fell under four main categories:

1. Empowerment
2. Growth
3. Exposure
4. Profit
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Indie Filmmakers ABUZZ
About New PMD Position

by Michael R. Barnard

Right now, the indie filmmaking community is grappling with the new concept of a role called PMD, the “Producer of Marketing and Distribution.”

The confluence of the collapse of the indie film biz and the ascent of social media has resulted in an incredibly strong and vibrant online community of filmmakers, especially on Twitter and Facebook and, of course, on various blogs. This online community is, in my opinion, more effective and vital than all of the panels and seminars about indie filmmaking that I’ve heard of and attended over at least the past decade.

And it is currently focusing on the role of the PMD.
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On Leadership

by Andy Marken

If you want to build loyalty for you and your organization, your products and your goals, you have to constantly refine your leadership talents.

Whether you're working at the retail, distribution or manufacturing level; the development of a successful team means you must bring forth the extra effort and support required today to compete in a tough, aggressive, ruthless market.

Examining, evaluating, improving your skills is a tough, dirty job.
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No Correlation Between Section 181 & Non-Profits

by Hal "Corky" Kessler

(Attorney Kessler who worked with the IRS on the rules & regulations for Section 181, as well as the application & extensions, replied to Michael Wilde's post....)

"Section 181 has no correlation to non-profit films. That would be a completely differect subject.

"Mr. Wilde has used an outdated version of 181 as his basis. The Section was extened in 2008 and no longer has a threshold that would exclude an investor. There is no longer a spending limit for qualification and now, regardless of the budget, investors can expenses up to $15 or $20M under 181. Even a $100M film would still be able to expense that first $15M or $20M.
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What’s a ‘Non-Profit’ Company?

By Michael Wilde

We hear more and more of “non-profit” production companies popping up like toadstools after a spring rain. Since most of these seem to be micro-Independents, I thought it was about time to take a good hard look at what actually is a non-profit, and can a production company be one? Are these non-profit production companies just a tax swindle, or can a production company actually be one?

To many professional filmmakers, this term would seem an oxymoron. For a filmmaker to call themselves “non-profit” you’d ask why they don’t have faith in their ability to make a financially viable film that would make a profit at the box office.
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On Driving Blind Thru History

by Dan O'Brien

There are a few movies that have an almost kaleidoscopic nature to them in that, when they are viewed in screenings years apart, they take on a new or different meaning. They are the same movie, of course, but everything else has changed: society, politics, economics and most importantly the viewer staring at the screen.

For me, one of the most dramatic examples of this effect is Federico Fellini’s 8½ which when first seen in 1963 had a completely different message to me as a teenager then it did to me when I saw it again in the 80’s or again when I watch it today. It hasn’t changed but I have.
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Jury Duty

By Dan O'Brien

So I have an invitation, of sorts, in my hand. And I finally find the nondescript office building in the middle of the part of town that is fields full of weeds, storage lockers and the ubiquitous bail bondsmen storefronts.

Inside I am searched and patted down and sent to what looks like a storeroom for broken office furniture. There, I and 30-some people I don’t know are checked in a by a very bored and somewhat grumpy young lady and told to sit on one of the assorted and wildly mismatched plastic chairs strewn about the room. Piles of various tables and odd-looking empty cabinets fill three sides of the room. On the remaining side are windows looking out on a parking lot given over to weeds. It’s summer and the room is hot.

An hour and a half passes.
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The Lost Art of Communication

by Dan O'Brien

I recently had a house guest for a few days who is an executive living and working in Manhattan. During dinner table conversation, he said that he’s noticed an increase in the same behavior that irritates me. People don’t call back and they don’t respond to business calls and e-mails. I said, “Twenty percent unemployment and people don’t call back?”

He thinks that it’s a manifestation of the fear of social interaction with someone you don’t know. These people have a closed circle of acquaintances with whom they interact almost continuously.
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The Pleasure of Reading
Paddy Chayefsky

by Dan O'Brien

If you have not had the pleasure of reading a screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky, you have missed the enjoyment of discovering one of the artists of the seldom-mastered art of writing dialogue. Paddy’s Network along with David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross or State and Main feature dialogue that is efficient and natural but also meticulous and razor-sharp in its craftsmanship of words.

I was thinking about that today because I was recalling an excerpt of dialogue from Network.
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The Four Biggest Myths about
Location Sound, Gear & Operators

Reprinted from Craigslist. author unknown

Myth #1. Sound is less important than your picture.

Most people new to the production biz think this is the case, and it has actually been proven to be the opposite by several focus group studies by major studios and smaller acoustic societies. With the dawn of Youtube and similar outlets our public have become conditioned to accept shaky cameras, grungy looks, and bad lighting as shooting style, which is actually great news for a new shooter with little experience. However, audiences will sub-consciously or consciously lose interest in the material, change what they are viewing, or completely turn off what they are viewing within 30 seconds of being subject to bad sound.

What makes up bad sound? Bad sound includes poorly EQ'd voices, a high noise-to-signal ratio (from too much background noise and/or electronic noise captured with the voice signal), and non-continuous sound (sound quality changing often) so as to make it difficult to edit, to name a few.
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Publicity....
Everything's Changed but the Tools

by Andy Marken

There are people out there – lots of people – who want to do the lowly news release in. Once and for all.

A good acquaintance of ours, Tom Foremski, gave sound reasons for feeding them to the lions several years ago. Tom wanted the old, shameless boss sucking up, acronym bit bucket release to die.   You know the throw-away quote that says how brilliant he/she is. The constant stream of letters that drives you to Wikipedia to decipher.

He asked/pleaded/demanded that people cut to the meat and leave the fat on the side.
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Film Tax Incentives –
Another One Bites the Dust

by Jeff Steele
reprinted from Film Closings (http://filmclosings.com)

In my recent post on Hungary’s financial woes, I cautioned filmmakers to steer clear of state incentives that are based on transferable credits, due to so many losses in the private sector. Subsequent to that, The Incentives Office reported that New Jersey canceled their tax credit program – I’m reasonably certain that Pennsylvania and Michigan will follow suit.

Michigan, with its two recent fraud cases(both involving proposed film studios), as well as the departure of its film commissioner, Janet Lockwood, has become too risky to shoot in. Michigan’s tax credit program has always had very vocal political opposition, which may now finally have the foothold necessary to kill the program. I know at least one filmmaker who was prepping in Michigan, but has since left for Canada, in the wake of what’s happing there. I hear that Pennsylvania, with its $2bn in debt, is also teetering on the verge of discontinuing their program.
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Creating Havoc for Marketers

by Andy Marken

We hate kids.... OK, the word "hate" may be a little too strong. We’re jealous of ‘em!!!

There, we said it…we’re glad…we’ve got two of our own!!!

We’re part of the Baby Boomer Generation--(there are two parts -- 1946 – 1964).

Then, there are the Gen Xers (‘65 – ‘78). Then Gen Y (‘79 – ‘89). Now, it’s the iGen (1990 – 2009).

No, that isn’t the “i” Jobs would like. It’s the “i” as in instant, immediate, individual.

They’re creating havoc with business because we simply cannot figure out how to monetize tomorrow’s hardware, software, service solutions.
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Driving the G-Tech Mini

by Nick Amendolare

Portability was never so easy! Hitatchi’s G-tech drive is a sleek, sexy and stable drive for industry professionals on the go.

It’s hard to beat perfection and that was my dilemma when reviewing this drive. Sleek and sexy, this stable drive impressed me so much with it’s speed and durability that I felt as though I was having an illicit affair. I am no gear head by any stretch of the imagination, and my technological competency has limitations, so allow me to spell this out in layman’s terms:

During the testing phase over the past month, I loaded hundreds of gigs of video, music and data files, then transferred them back and forth without breaking a sweat.
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Tip For Writers And Producers: Money

by Michael Wilde

What is the character of money? Money is a commodity. It is a substitute. It is a thing. It is something people push around. It is something that is defined in Economics textbooks. It is something which is exchanged. It is something that is printed. It is coined. It is minted. It is something for which people get killed. It is something that makes it worth while to become a robber. It is something for which you pay dues, tithes, taxes. It is, in short, the Weenie (a.k.a. Extra, background performer) in any given culture.
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Incentives. Do they Work...?

by Robert Mendel

I've accumulated lots of home state studies that show film tax incentives don't pay off. You can find all these files saved on my website.

There is a growing trend for recession weary states to question, scale back or outright cancel their incentives programs. Michigan's overly generous program may continue for some time to come, but maybe not forever. Louisiana and New Mexico enjoy oil revenue and can afford the luxury of 'high cost' long term job creation incentives programs.

Louisiana has an IATSE local that covers multiple crafts. After all these years they have approx. 1200 members in their local (I've heard). Seems a small number of 'long term' jobs were created after years and years of "infrastructure-producing" incentives program. (There are stages, rental houses and labs, too, so more than 1200 jobs statewide are supported, of course, but the 1200 (if accurate) is a bellwether of film crafts jobs created and long-term jobs.
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A Very Sobering Lunch

by Dan O'Brien

I had a very sobering lunch yesterday with a group of friends who share two other traits in common. They are (1) talented filmmakers and (2) they are bordering on long-term unemployment.

As a group they are the self-employed entrepreneurs that this country claims to want and yet any extensions to the unemployment insurance program means little to them because they don’t qualify for unemployment compensation in the first place or workman’s compensation either, for that matter. They are apparently not in a voting block that anybody cares about because no economic stimulus package is headed their way and certainly no bailout money.
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Incentives? Find the Roadblock....

by James Ruxin

No one denies that the cost of film incentives is justified by an objective measurement of their benefits. But there are other subsidies the state and federal government grants and one must ask how clearly those subsidies are supported. These should require no tougher standard.

Except of course if you are held hostage by a far right religious support that sees the industry as corrupt, immoral and the source of all evil, whether political or religious. Forgive my exaggeration but theirs is far worse.
Read More

Gaming Gets Real.... PLUS

by Andy Marken

Historically, two “fringe” markets drove technology advances. One was – and still is – video gaming…if you can’t figure out the second, tough! But video gaming isn’t video gaming anymore. Not like it used to be, dominated by hardcore pasty skinned dudes who had more luck with their keyboards than with gals.

Oh sure, Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts (EA) and others show off the next blood and guts, horror/science flick games at E3; but the show is a Hollywood production.

MS Kinetic will extend the life of the Xbox system – when it’s available -- but it is obviously trying to out-Wii Wii, hoping to get gamers off the couch to dance, exercise, play.
Read More

Overqualified to Work....

by Dan O'Brien

I had a very sobering lunch yesterday with a group of friends who share two other traits in common. They are (1) talented filmmakers and (2) they are bordering on long-term unemployment.

As a group they are the self-employed entrepreneurs that this country claims to want and yet any extensions to the unemployment insurance program means little to them because they don’t qualify for unemployment compensation in the first place or workman’s compensation either, for that matter. They are apparently not in a voting block that anybody cares about because no economic stimulus package is headed their way and certainly no bailout money.
Read More

One Giant Leap Backwards

by David Koretz

Technology is now doing more damage than good. Left unchecked, our children will live longer but lower-quality lives than our own.

While developing nations starve for technology to protect against disease or improve crop yields, we blow our resources intentionally publishing people's credit card purchases. How warped our sense of "progress" has gotten.

News Consumption? There's an App For That
Read More

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News

All that's fit to print, uh, display on a screen.

NFL Locks Super Bowl Trademarks

by Mary Ellen Tomazic

Andy Warhol Copyrights Banana

by Mary Ellen Tomazic

Supremes Expand US Copyrights

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SAG-AFTRA Merger Set for Vote

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by Michael R. Barnard

Last Hurrah for IRS Section 181Filmmakers' Tax Break Set to Expire

The Hollywood Producer Undone

Even high-flying big names are being treated badly. "I feel like Willy Loman," says one producer....

Film Tax Credit Estimator Online

Links to Budgeting Software

1st Consumer "Light Field" Camera

Focus AFTER Image Capture

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FROM THE BLOG

Section 181 Set to Expire

by Norman C. Berns

NY Film & TV OfficeBegins Online Permit System

Michigan Freezes Incentives Applications

from The Film Incentives Office

NEW JERSEY

Unpaid Interns Sue for Back Pay

by STEVEN GREENHOUSE

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Research Wrap Exclusive Discounts

Brought to you by Baseline, a part of The New York Times

FROM THE BLOG

LinkedIn & Facebook Use Private Info

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2011 Fall TV Preview Edition Released

by Baseline, a New York Times company

FROM THE BLOG

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by Gary Rubin via Baseline

Washington State Ends Film Incentives

Mike Baker, Associated Press

How to Get Your First Film Job

reprinted from FilmSlateMag

Self-Distribution Options Online

by Ellen Pittleman via Baseline

California Film Tax Credits Pay Off

By The Deadline Team

Wireless Drive Links to iPod & DroidDoubles as Internet Hotspot

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Vdeo Research Report

18 Charged in Indie Film Funding Scheme

LA Times Reprint, June 17, 2011

Primetime TV Insight - 20% Discount

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FROM THE BLOG

Peter Davison Music & InterviewOn LA Talk Radio

Free 2011 Upfront EditionPrimetime TV Insight

from Baseline, a part of The New York Times

The Evolution Of Distribution

by Chris Young

Reality Blight Infiltrates Fall Season 2011

by Shari Anne Brille

Cynopsis Media Presents:Upfront 2011 - The Broadcast Market

by Daisy Whitney

Movie Magic's Latest Update
Is It Worth the Effort...?

Our Chance to Rebuild the
Independent Film Industry

Last Hurrah for IRS Section 181
Filmmakers' Tax Break Set to Expire

NY Film & TV Office
Begins Online Permit System

Jackie Brown at LACMA -
The Realization of a Dream

Brought to you by Baseline,
a part of The New York Times

Larry Crowne Not Invited
to a Greek Wedding

Wireless Drive Links to iPod & Droid
Doubles as Internet Hotspot

Peter Davison Music & Interview
On LA Talk Radio

Free 2011 Upfront Edition
Primetime TV Insight

Cynopsis Media Presents:
Upfront 2011 - The Broadcast Market

Upfront 2011: Spanish Language Market
50 Million Reasons to be Optimistic

Tellywood Works to Reach You,
Every Way they Can

Indie Film Investor Proposals - Part IV
Film Proposal Examples

Indie Film Investor Proposals - Part II
who's reading your film package?

Indie Film Investor Proposals -
living, breathing documents

Cynopsis Media Presents:
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Ohio Picks Up Films
Lost to Michigan's Tax Cuts

Modern Film Fest Announces
Inaugural Short Film Competition

Film Industry Rally to Oppose
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There’s No Stopping It Now

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