Category Archives: The Mediascape

The scariest movie, according to Science

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Dan Clifford of broadbandchoices.co.uk has scientifically determined the scariest movies of all time and listed them in The Science of Scare.

“We’ve explored the science of scare, with our experiment to categorically find the scariest films for your scary movie night. Our team studied critic’s lists and Reddit recommendations to curate 50 of the best horror films ever made, before subjecting them to our test subjects. Watching each movie in 5.1 surround sound, our panel of 50 people consumed over 120 hours of the best horror movies, each fitted with a heart rate monitor to measure which movies got their blood pumping the most to find the ultimate horror movie and crown the king of fright night.”

The Top Three?

  1. Sinister (2012)
  2. Insidious (2010)
  3. The Conjuring (2013)

My take: I think using increased heart rates is a valid method to measure fear. It might be interesting to correlate those quiet passages that followed by very loud sounds with spikes in heart rates as well. Interesting that “classic horror films” aren’t that scary anymore.

Thoughts on Indie Producing

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Gabrielle Nadig, writing on Dear Producer, has revealed Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became an Independent Film Producer.

She makes these six main points:

  1. Producers are Filmmakers and an essential part of the filmmaking process.
  2. You will work on each project for far longer than you think.
  3. To the industry, the director is king. (Sorry producers.)
  4. It is very unlikely that you will move up in the industry as fast as the directors you work with.
  5. There is no ladder to climb.
  6. You have to create your own opportunities.

She concludes by asking for a system that rewards indie producers for discovering and nurturing the next crop of filmmakers.

My take: thank you, Gabrielle, for a great, heart-felt post, and sharing your experience in producing so far. As to a system that rewards indie producers for discovering and nurturing emerging filmmakers, perhaps you could become their managers or agents? This would guarantee that as they advanced, you could too. Or, maybe we need an Alliance of Independent Producers that would lobby buyers on behalf of its members to make sure experienced and successful producers get better terms.

Exhibition release strategies continue to evolve

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Travis Clark reports on Business Insider that Disney will debut Pixar’s ‘Soul’ on Disney Plus, at no extra charge.

“Another major movie was taken off of the theatrical release calendar as theater chains like Regal and Cineworld shut down again in the US and UK last week. On Thursday, Disney announced that its upcoming Pixar movie, ‘Soul,’ would debut on its streaming service Disney Plus on December 25 and, unlike ‘Mulan,’ would be available to subscribers at no additional cost. This isn’t the first movie intended for theaters that Disney has released straight to Disney Plus during the pandemic, others being ‘Artemis Fowl’ and ‘The One and Only Ivan.’ But ‘Soul’ is different because Disney seemed to be committing to a theatrical release until Regal and Cineworld closed again.”

This is a departure from their ‘Mulan’ strategy that required Disney Plus subscribers to pony up an extra $29.99.

In addition, Drew Dietsch reports on Giant Freakin Robot that Disney has reorganized its corporate structure and vaulted streaming to the top:

“There was some important and potentially game-changing language buried in the press release: ‘Under the new structure, the Company’s three content groups will be responsible and accountable for producing and delivering content for theatrical, linear and streaming, with the primary focus being the Company’s streaming services.’ Yes, Disney has officially announced that streaming content is going to be their primary focus going forward.“

Drew wonders: “If 2021 has the Mouse house focusing on streaming, it could spell certain doom for the big movie theater chains. And maybe that will present an opportunity for Disney to swoop in and buy one of these chains. If that happens, who even knows what the future of movie exhibition will look like.”

One person who is dismayed by that possibility is film director Patty Jenkins. Lisa Richwine of Reuters UK reports that “Jenkins is among dozens of top Hollywood directors appealing to the U.S. government to provide a financial lifeline to cinemas. Without it, she warned, the century-old tradition of going to the movies could disappear from American culture.”

She quotes Jenkins lamenting about the closure of movie theatres:

“If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process. We could lose movie theater-going forever. It could be the kind of thing that happened to the music industry where you could crumble the entire industry by making it something that can’t be profitable. I don’t think any of us want to live in a world where the only option is to take your kids to watch a movie in your own living room, and not have a place to go for a date.”

Nevertheless, Liana Keane reports that Jenkin’s Wonder Woman 1984 Will Go Direct To Streaming. She says:

“Warner Bros and most of Hollywood’s other major studios just announced that pretty much every big blockbuster movie left with a 2020 release date has now been delayed. The only notable exception to this massive movement of movie release dates is Wonder Woman 1984. There’s been no official announcement about any change in that movie’s release, even though the studio in charge of it, Warner Bros., announced they’re delaying everything else they had on the schedule. You haven’t heard anything about Wonder Woman 1984 being delayed for one very good reason: Warner Bros. is planning to stream it. There have been rumors for months now that WB has specifically pondered releasing Wonder Woman 1984 direct to streaming platforms and now according to my source it’s going to happen.  This is a source I’ve known for a long time and while they haven’t given me a scoop recently, they’ve been straight up with me in the past.  Still, I only have one source on this so as always any time any news item only has one source, take it with a grain of salt. My source tells me that Warner Bros. is sticking with Wonder Woman 1984’s current December 25, 2020 release date because they feel they no longer have any choice but to start releasing their movies on streaming.”

WW84 has been delayed three times and was scheduled to be released theatrically on December 25. Perhaps it will become a major day-and-date release, opening everywhere at once.

My take: Christmas Day has historically been the busiest day of the year for cinemas. But it looks like the Covid Grinch has other plans. My prediction for 2021 is that all film theatre chains will see a change of ownership to the largest streaming companies: Disney Plus, Amazon and Netflix. Imagine if your Amazon Prime membership got you free delivery, free Prime Video and free admission to the local Prime Movie Multiplex? Maybe now is the time to buy popcorn futures?

Massive video collection needs new home

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Eric Webb reports on Austin 360 that a 120,000 video collection seeks a new home.

Conrad Bejarano announced the closing of ‘I Luv Video’ on September 1, 2020, a victim of CV19 and rising real estate prices.

Since them he’s been searching for someone to take on the preservation of his massive collection. He says:

“A lot of people don’t really understand the intensity and importance of such a collection. It would bring me the utmost joy to pass the torch to a group or individual that has the financial capacity to preserve our immense catalog of films. My only stipulation is that whomever does so gives the community access to our vast film library.”

My take: when you realize that there are only something like 6,000 titles available on Netflix at one time, this collection is 20 times larger. I do hope someone steps up to take it on. Quick math: 120,000 videos at 90 minutes each equals 10,800,000 minutes, or ~20.5 years of non-stop viewing.

The Queen to host drive-in flicks

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Jordan Hoffman reports in Vanity Fair that Queen Elizabeth’s country retreat, Sandringham Estate, will soon transform into a drive-in theater.

The screenings start this Friday with 1917 and Rocketman.

It’s not cheap — each car will cost £32.50. You can upgrade to a “deckchair, table, popcorn and separate area to the side of your vehicle in an exclusive and bigger bay for your car” for an additional £7.50 — presumably per deckchair.

There will also be “a pop-up bar with a large selection of soft drinks as well as alcoholic beverages, popcorn and snacks.”

My take: this weekend only, you say? Pity.

Distribution battles: no clear winner

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Two vastly different distribution strategies went head-to-head recently.

Following the status quo, Christopher Nolan‘s Tenet was released theatrically.

Disney+’s Mulan forwent cinemas and was streamed as PVOD (premium video-on-demand) exclusively to its subscribers.

Both are $200-million-plus movies that normally would have been summer blockbusters. How did they do?

Forbes‘ Scott Mendelson reports that “opening in 2,810 American theaters, including some in California, Tenet grossed $20.2 million over its Thurs-Mon Labor Day weekend.” Ten days into its domestic release, The Numbers reports the worldwide gross as $207,500,000.

Daniel Roberts of Yahoo Finance reports “downloads of Disney+ spiked 68% from Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6, compared to one weekend prior. Consumer spending in the app also spiked 193%, which can obviously be attributed to customers paying the $30 ‘Mulan’ fee.” Ten days into its international release, The Numbers reports the worldwide gross as $39,601,014 — but this does not include ANY of the streaming revenue.

Because Disney has not released its streaming revenue attributable to Mulan, comparing the two distribution strategies is kind of like comparing apples with kumquats. Stabs have been made to guesstimate the number but it remains a mystery.

Nevertheless, Mendelson claims:

“Mulan is outright bombing in China, having earned $8.27 million on Saturday, just 5% from its mediocre $7.9 million Friday gross. Credit the Chinese media blackout, online piracy from last week’s PVOD debut via Disney Plus or that the film isn’t clicking with Chinese moviegoers and Disney made a mistake to presume they would automatically show up.”

It seems neither distribution strategy is doing particularly well.

My take: CV-19 is upending the standard distribution model. While I applaud experiments in new ways to get movies to the masses, I can’t help but wonder if the summer blockbuster is dead. $200-million-plus movies require too large a box office to break even. I suggest immediately making more modest-budget movies. (Hey, throw me $10 million and I’ll deliver a moneymaker.) Check out this primer from Gray Kotze for comparisons between movies at three cost-points:

Harold Greenberg Fund to carry on, for now

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In a news release, Bell Media confirms The Harold Greenberg Fund has begun a search for additional funding, with one year of life-support from Crave.

When Bell acquired Astral in 2013, the CRTC‘s Tangible Benefits Policy required it “to offer significant benefits to the communities they proposed to serve and to the Canadian broadcasting system” to the tune of nearly $250,000,000.

Randy Lennox, President of Bell Media says:

“The Harold Greenberg Fund came to us with a plan to continue its English-language program by seeking alternate funding following completion of the benefits, and we are happy to provide our support in their efforts to attract complementary financial partners.”

Suzette Couture, Co-Chair of The Harold Greenberg Fund says:

“Bell Media has long believed in our mandate to award much-needed funding to talented Canadian storytellers and I am extremely grateful for their ongoing support of Canadian voices as we transition to a new funding model.”

Following the success of the Porky’s franchise, Harold Greenberg, initially through The FUND (Foundation to Underwrite New Drama) and posthumously through The Harold Greenberg Fund, has invested approximately $85,000,000 in over 4,000 projects since 1986.

In many cases, this funding is critical to the development of Canada’s future filmmakers.

Jeremy Lutter, commenting to me on the value of The Harold Greenberg Fund to his career and his fears of a potential future without them, writes:

“Having been fortunate enough to go through one of their programs, the one thing that struck me about The Harold Greenberg Fund is their complete involvement in the film community. Going through the program Shorts to Features at HGF was a mentorship and I created a lot of lasting connections. You could tell those running the program had a love of storytelling and Canadian Cinema. I have been fortunate to travel to many film festivals around the world and hear from other filmmakers that Canada is a place of envy, where we support our emerging filmmakers. They all think their countries should have a system like this and throughout my time as a filmmaker I worry that I might be seeing the end of this system in Canada. I think emerging-producers really need help not only with their first step but with their second step as well. The Harold Greenberg Fund offered a variety of different programs to help strengthen Canadian storytelling in general. It’s going to be nearly impossible to replace such grants in Canada.”

Arnold Lim shares similar thanks and thoughts:

“Opportunities like the Harold Greenberg Fund’s Shorts to Features grant were one of the catalysts to help propel my filmmaking career. Living in Victoria, a smaller town not typically known for film film like Vancouver or Toronto, the opportunities are limited and the HGF’s work supporting filmmakers all across Canada gave us a financial opportunity to elevate our work, in addition to buoying mentorship opportunities through the knowledgable HGF team dedicated to cultivating opportunities for Canadian filmmakers. Having been so fortunate to benefit from both BravoFACT and HGF grants, I know the death of BravoFACT has left a huge hole for up-and-coming artists and losing the HGF would exacerbate that challenge even further. I can’t say enough how much their staff and their programming made a tangible effect on my filmmaking journey. Those opportunities were springboards to further opportunities and I can draw a direct line from my time with the HGF to eventually directing my feature film All-in Madonna and producing Web Series Best Friend Me through Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program. The thing we don’t realize is that not only do these programs support the director and producer whose names are on the grant, but as well the many artists whose names grace our lengthy end credits who also live in our smaller communities. Literally hundreds of artists also got the opportunity to work their chosen field and grow their resume and realize their potential alongside us. The full-circle benefit of these programs run far deeper than most people realize and are critical to artists across Canada. Many of us turned to the arts, specifically film and TV among many other artistic endeavours, during the pandemic and these grants are exactly the types of programming we need in Canada to further support the artists many of us turned to when we had no where else to turn.”

Note however, the French-language fund is wrapping up:

“Like many other funds supported by tangible benefits regulated by the CRTC, the French-language committee for Le Fonds Harold Greenberg has chosen to complete its mandate, and will wind down operations over the next six months. With considerable reserve funds, the program will focus exclusively on Fiction Feature Film Production. As of February 28, 2021, the French-language program will close and transfer any remaining funds to another certified independent production fund.”

My take: The CRTC’s Tangible Benefits Policy is no way to fund the development of a thriving mediascape in Canada. Consider that, if there were no mergers or acquisitions, there would be no funds earmarked at all. It is unsustainable as well, as the funds expire over time. Recall the demise of BravoFACT and the CIFVF previously. I sincerely hope The Harold Greenberg Fund can find a sustainable funding model in the next year, as it would be a shame to see it disappear as well.

Film distribution explores new windows

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The coronavirus pandemic has upended film exhibition practices, closing cinemas, delaying some releases and elevating other films to notoriety.

Case in point — Killer Raccoons 2: Dark Christmas in the Dark:

“Travis Irvine, the movie’s writer, director and producer, said that in the week it was ranked 13th, “Killer Raccoons 2” was the only comedy on the list — making it the No. 1 comedy film in the U.S. (“with many asterisks next to that,” he said).”

Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Ryan Faughnder quotes Bob Berney, of distribution firm Picturehouse:

“I do think that the pandemic has unleashed all options. It’s become a testing zone of every possible way of getting a film out there, and it’s going to take while before it gets set into some sort of pattern.”

This weekend we shall see which strategy wins: in one corner we have Mulan‘s paradigm-shifting Premium VOD and in the other we have Tenet‘s old school theatrical distribution. Tenet released internationally one week before its US debut, earning $53,000,000. With 60 million subscribers and a $29.99 ticket, Disney+ needs at least 2 million of its subscribers to pony up the extra cash to catch up to Tenet.

My take: If one strategy wins by a landslide, will the film industry follow en masse and forever change how movies are distributed?

To go to the cinema, or not

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Adam Barnhardt reports on comicbook.com that: Doctor Strange Director Tells Fans Not to Go See Tenet or Any Other Movie in Theaters.

This after Cineplex opened all 1,687 screens across Canada:

“Cineplex, one of Canada’s leading entertainment and media companies, will be the first of the major film exhibitors in the world to reopen its entire circuit of theatres when its remaining theatres open Friday, August 21, 2020. From coast-to-coast, all 164 Cineplex theatres and 1,687 screens across Canada will be open as of tomorrow, including the Company’s 22 VIP Cinemas locations.”

Nevertheless Jessica Leonora Whitehead opines in The Globe and Mail that “today, thanks to the quality of TV programming and the rise of streaming services, the industry cannot assume that customers will simply come back.”

My take: I love watching movies in cinemas! But perhaps not right now.

Cineplex says 2020 Q2 revenue down 95%

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Cineplex reports: “Total revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2020, decreased $416.9 million (95.0%) to $22.0 million as compared
to the prior year period.”

Bloomberg says:

“Canada’s largest chain of movie theaters has gradually reopened cinemas across the country as it exits from a lockdown that began in March. As of Aug. 14, approximately 80 per cent of locations have resumed operations, the company said in a call with analysts Friday, with the remaining 20 per cent set to open by next week.”

My take: I’m actually surprised that the March to June 2020 revenue wasn’t zero. What’s not surprising is that Cineplex stock is the worst performer in the S&P/TSX Composite Index this year, having fallen about 75 per cent. Trading at~$8 (down from a high of ~$50,) I still think Canada should buy this chain to show Canadian movies to Canadians, once it’s safe to do so again. In the meantime, we could use the theatres to store PPE, right?