Category Archives: The Mediascape

The film industry as usual, not

Posted on by
1

Richard Janes makes the case that we should Prepare For The Death & Rebirth of Hollywood.

His thesis is threefold: power will pass from agents to producers, theatre screens will be bought by streamers and production will embrace 8-hour days in new centres.

I’m not going to be able to do his history lesson and argument justice but the gist is:

“…why do producers now get passed the mantle of power? Content demand. Today there is so much content needed to be made that it’s becoming harder and harder for TV networks and studio development teams to have such a hands-on approach to developing projects. Netflix is going through a massive commissioning spree as traditional broadcasters and studios pull their content from the Netflix catalogue to launch their own services. …[hence] a new (or old) breed of Hollywood producer comes into play. Producers who can find content, fully develop it quickly, and earn the trust of financiers who simply look at the budget and a new rich data set behind cast, genre, and other key talent that validates potential audience numbers (data that has only really been available for the last 5 years), and send them off to make the project, delivering it with a big fat bow ready for consumption.”

As to exhibition:

“…movie theaters are going to turn into entertainment centers with big money pumped into them, creating premium experiences in a way that the current owners never could. Amazon will buy AMC or one of the big three. They’ll do special screening deals for Prime members. They’ll program content based on the viewing data of Amazon Prime members around each of their theaters and they’ll market directly to audiences on their own platform to create hype before bigger roll outs both in theaters and via streaming.”

In order to return to film production in these COVID times, safety will be paramount:

“The hours can be brutal. That’s got to change. No sleep equals lower immune systems, tired crew means opening yourself up to basic health and safety mistakes that could allow a virus to run rife. The alternative is longer shooting schedules, 8 hour days, 5 day weeks — the French model.”

He also predicts a crew shortage and lots of ‘runaway’ production.

Richard concludes:

“The death and rebirth of Hollywood is upon us. There are opportunities in every sector of the industry. There really is no greater time — wherever you live in the world — to be in film and television. BUT it’s time to innovate and hustle.”

My take: this is a long and fascinating read, one I highly recommend. Some might think Richard Janes doesn’t know what he’s talking about but his experience in Hollywood guides his prognostications. He’s the first in a long time that I think have it bang on.

How to sell your film ‘Demystified’

Posted on by
Reply

Tim Molloy of MovieMaker alerts us to a new podcast/vlog all about selling your independent film called Demystified.

It’s produced by StudioFest, an annual competition to pair one writer with one director and $50,000 to make a feature film.

The first episode follows founders Jess Jacklin and Charles Beale to the American Film Market (AFM) and their meeting with Glass House Distribution about their first feature Souvenirs.

Here are the highlights, according to Tim:

  • 7:30: Do you need a sales agent to sell your film?
  • 8:20: How does a sale work? Is it revenue sharing?
  • 8:35: Do you need to finish your film before you approach a distributor?
  • 9:00:  How important is a trailer?
  • 10:00: What genres are most marketable? Can you sell a drama with an unknown cast?
  • 11:36: How much does it cost to hire Nicolas Cage?
  • 11:50: Should you reveal your budget?
  • 13:30: Should you count “in-kind” contributions toward your budget?
  • 16:20: What you can compromise on, and what you can’t.
  • 17:23: What’s the etiquette for meeting a distributor?
  • 18:20: How much money can a lower-budget movie with no stars expect to make?
  • 19:10: Can you just go straight to Netflix?

It’s a very entertaining and enlightening podcast.

You can enter this year’s StudioFest at FilmFreeway.

My take: Of course you need a sales agent. There’s no way you can connect with all the outlets for your film across the world. However, please realize you may never see anything beyond your advance. Expenses will always dilute revenue until there’s nothing left to split. See Hollywood accounting.

COVID-19 Support for Filmmakers

Posted on by
1

Mitigation strategies to flatten the curve and thwart the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the film industry has for the most part ground to a halt.

No work typically means no money, and that’s a problem.

Luckily, help is available.

Film Independent has published a list of over two dozen organizations that will help filmmakers who find themselves impacted.

Canada has a plethora of relief programs (over three dozen, and many more in each province) for filmmakers and almost everyone else who might find themselves impacted.

My take: I’ll say it again, let’s just have a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for everyone. Wouldn’t it be great if this was one of the legacies from The Great Pause?

New Lionsgate production safety guidelines leaked

Posted on by
Reply

The Wrap has reported that draft Lionsgate production safety guidelines have been leaked.

Lionsgate has said the draft has seen numerous revisions since. It promotes four main steps to success: distance, sanitation, enforcement and change, and also specifies:

  • Maintain a distance of six feet at all times
  • Use VR scouting of locations
  • Workers should undergo complete quarantine (as paid hold days) for two weeks prior to shooting and two weeks after the shoot
  • Restrict shooting to 10-hour days
  • Permit no non-essential personnel on set or in production offices
  • Cast and crew should receive health and body temperature checks when entering sets or offices
  • No crew member should be near cast unless they are part of the makeup, hair, sound or wardrobe departments and are wearing masks and gloves
  • Divide lunch breaks into two times
  • On-set meals should be ordered and packaged individually
  • Talent should consider personalized drivers
  • Use CG extras.

Read the new safety guidelines at Scribd.

My take: film production, like all businesses, needs to find the tricky balance between profit and people. No one wants to infect, and potentially kill, someone, but most people are obliged to work to pay their bills, and corporations want to provide their services to society. I just wish we had a Universal Basic Income so only those folks that truly want to work would have to, and perhaps at reduced hours. A ten-hour shooting day sounds ideal!

Theatrical windows to close?

Posted on by
Reply

Last month’s lockdown may have forever challenged the sacrosanct theatrical film exhibition 90-day window.

The film that led the charge? Trolls: World Tour!

Scott Mendelson writes in Forbes that Universal is reporting that Trolls: World Tour has earned around $100 million in the first three weeks of domestic “premium VOD” or PVOD (which costs $20 for 48 hours.)

After further analysis, he concludes:

“I think that the coronavirus-related closures and unease will hasten an inevitable process whereby movie theaters become the place where only the biggest would-be mega-budget blockbusters (or genre-specific tentpole releases) play on the big screen while almost everything else goes to VOD, DVD and/or streaming.”

Indie Wire quotes the WSJ that Universal Studios CEO Jeff Shell says: “As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.”

In protest, the AP reports that AMC (the world’s largest theatre chain) counters:

“Going forward, AMC will not license any Universal movies in any of our 1,000 theatres globally on these terms. Accordingly, we want to be absolutely clear, so that there is no ambiguity of any kind. AMC believes that with this proposed action to go to the home and theatres simultaneously, Universal is breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies.”

Stay tuned.

My take: in the current environment, this is inevitable. How else can the audience see new movies? However, as things relax, will the traditional window prevail? The studios may be quite content to continue releasing on PVOD, especially if a sizable chunk of viewers prefer to stay in the comfort of their homes and avoid sticky theatres. If the DOJ rescinds the Paramount Consent Degrees, I wonder how long it will be before theatre chains either buy studios or go into production for themselves?

Drive-ins still showing movies

Posted on by
Reply

Apparently, you have to go South, way down South, to see a movie outside your home right now.

Beth Webb wonders in Huck if in the age of lockdown, are drive-in cinemas the future?

“With social distancing measures enforced across the world, the film industry has taken a huge hit. But against the odds, a handful of independent drive-ins across the US have adapted to stay alive. Is this the start of a comeback?”

She quotes one drive-in owner:

“Dad and I believe that we have succeeded with our old theatre because basically we treat it as a service and a way to give back rather than as a job or business. And that’s the way we plan on continuing.”

Here are five drive-ins I could find that are still open:

Texas

Alabama

Georgia

South Carolina

Road trip, anyone?

My take: the drive-in is uniquely positioned to offer an entertainment service, being the intersection of wide-open space and automobile culture. It had its heyday in the fifties and sixties but could very well become relevant once again in The Great Pause.

Enter the Corman Quarantine Film Festival

Posted on by
Reply

Stuck at home? Whatcha gonna do? How about making a movie?

Roger Corman is 94 and wants to see what you can do in two minutes.

Just don’t forget to tag it @RogerCorman and #CormanChallenge.

The deadline is April 30, 2020.

My take: this is a lot harder than you might think.

Finally, Some Good News!

Posted on by
Reply

John Krasinski of The Office and Jack Ryan fame continues to hit it out of the park!

Since the end of March, John has been anchoring the home-produced SGN show.

SGN stands for “Some Good News” — something we can all use more of right now.

Episode 3 belies its home studio look and feel with some top-notch field work. The co-ordination required for this episode is second to none!

See all his Youtube videos.

btw, here’s one if you’re looking for a good news website.

My take: kudos to John for using his isolation time to bring a smile (and more than a few tears) to tens of millions of viewers. Thank you! SGN is a weekly vlog posted on Youtube but I can see this jumping over to late night TV soon. (If I may blow one raspberry here: hey, CTV Comedy Channel, do you think you could ban the “All Covid, All the Time” news promos and any “we’re all in this together while our stores are closed” commercials between and during your shows for the foreseeable future? You realize the reason I’m watching more comedy is to tune this reality out, right?)

Drive-in makes a comeback in Texas

Posted on by
Reply

Jim Amos reports in Forbes about a Texas cinema chain and its quest to reinvent itself by reviving a blast from the past: the drive-in.

“[Last] weekend, Lone Star state-based EVO Entertainment debuted its drive-in concept at its multiplex in Schertz, Texas, providing movie fans an out-of-the-home outlet to watch recent Hollywood blockbusters. To say the first weekend was a success was an understatement as every show of ‘Spider-Man Homecoming’ since it opened on Friday has been sold out. In fact, every ticket through Tuesday has been sold and the theater is planning on adding additional showtimes later this week.”

“As to how it works from a technical aspect, the exterior wall of the theater was painted with high-gain white paint for increased visibility and sound is transmitted directly to each vehicle through AM/FM radios. Indoor rest rooms are available with sanitary and social distancing measures in place. Films begin at dusk and end in time to meet the local area’s 10 p.m. curfew restriction.”

UPDATE: they’ve been shut down, after their one and only weekend!

“Due to new shelter-in-place restrictions, we have been ordered by the City of Schertz to halt operation of the EVO Drive-In Experience.”

My take: gosh darn! Just when it looked like someone had come up with a safe way to watch movies out of your house by recreating a COVID-safe drive-in!

China Closes Cinemas, the Sequel

Posted on by
Reply

The Hollywood Reporter reports that China Shuts Down All Cinemas, Again.

Only two weeks ago it appeared China was gradually reopening some of its thousands of cinemas while maintaining strict physical distancing, among other health measures:

“‘To lower the risk of infection, cinemas should strictly implement epidemic prevention measures, and audiences are required to have their body temperature tested and present their health codes at entrance and wear masks during the show time,’ Yin Xin, spokeswoman for the Shanghai municipal government, told the state-backed news service Xinhua. Theaters also will be required to leave an empty seat between patrons in every direction.“

According to THR:

“The phased reopening of China’s vast network of 70,000 movie screens had promised a rare bright spot on the global distribution map, given that cinemas are shuttered in virtually every other major market around the globe, including North America, Europe, Japan and elsewhere. Beijing’s decision to reclose — or stay closed — was met with dismay by stakeholders throughout the Chinese industry.”

My take: hmm, okay, which is it? Either the authorities predict the pandemic is coming back, or patrons simply continued to stay home out of fear. Or it might be that having an empty cinema seat between everyone just doesn’t seem like much fun — might as well just stay home on the couch.