Industry News
January 24 – Hollywood News
By Josh Abraham
DGA President Taylor Hackford today announced the presenters for the 64th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards. The ceremony, to be hosted by director/producer/actor Kelsey Grammer, will take place on Saturday, January 28, 2012 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.
The slate of confirmed presenters for the DGA Awards includes:
Michael Apted
Berenice Bejo
Jessica Chastain
George Clooney
Jon Cryer
Laura Dern
Jean Dujardin
January 24– Beta News
By Ed Oswald
Opponents of the Motion Picture Association of America are using the US Government's recently created "We The People" online petition service to force the Obama Administration to take a position on some controversial comments by former Conn. Senator-turned MPAA chief Chris Dodd to Fox News last Thursday.
January 24– New York Magazine
By Kyle Buchanan
January 23 – NY Times
By Sean B. Carroll
January 21 – PC World
By Christina DesMarais
January 19– Mashable
By Todd Wasserman
The Motion Picture Association of America is looking to fight back against Wednesday’s Internet protests over SOPA with an ad campaign aiming to address “misconceptions” about the bill, according to a report.
January 11– Hollywood Reporter
By Eriq Gardner
The Sundance Film Festival will open this year amid legal controversy. David Siegel, a real estate mogul who has constructed a $75 million mansion called America's Versailles in the heart of Orlando, is suing the organization that runs the festival and director Lauren Greenfield for defamation for hyping the upcoming documentary, The Queen of Versailles, as a film telling a "rags-to-riches-to-rags story."
January 11– LA Times
By Ben Fritz and Dawn C. Chmielewski
When Jason Mockford bought a DVD of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" with the words "digital copy" on the box, he assumed that he would be able to watch it on his iPad.But the digital version of the film was accessible only through a new technology called UltraViolet. It required him to register on two different websites and download new software. It wasn't compatible with the iTunes application he uses for all his other music and video.
January 9 – Variety
By Dave McNary
Wall Street's initial reaction to a possible Lionsgate acquisition of Summit Entertainment was positive Monday, with shares rising 3% Monday.
Though the mini-majors have not confirmed that merger talks have progressed, Lionsgate emerged over the weekend as the more likely buyer in a deal for about $400 million in cash and stock along with assumption of a significant part of Summit's debt. Miramax owner Colony Capital also has a bid in for Summit.
January 9 – Indie Wire
By Indie Wire Staff Writers
Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, whose documentary "The Inner Tour" played at the 2012 edition of Sundance, is back this year with the ambitious "The Law In These Parts," a five chapter work that gets to the heart of Israel's moral quandary.
To read the entire article, click here.
January 9 – Variety
By Dave McNary
Woody Allen was nommed for the Sony Pictures Classics pic 'Midnight in Paris.'
Martin Scorsese received a DGA nom for Paramount's 'Hugo.'
The final piece of the pre-Oscar puzzle fell into place with Monday's Directors Guild of America award nominations.
To read the entire article, click here.
January 7 – LA Times
By Richard Verrier
Performers hold 'flash mob' demonstration before contract negotiations begin next week seeking minimum pay and benefits for dancers and others in music videos. Music video performers do a flash mob dance during a rally in Beverly Hills… Dancers who work on music videos for Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and other performers staged a "solidarity rally" in Beverly Hills on Friday while similar rallies were held at Sony offices in Miami and New York.
Guild announces picks for best in small and bigscreen
January 3 – Variety
By Dave McNary
Opting mostly for mainstream studio titles, the Producers Guild of America has tapped 10 nominees for its top feature award -- "The Artist," "Bridesmaids," "The Descendants," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Help," "Hugo," "The Ides of March," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," and "War Horse."
TV shoots decline amid runaway production, incentives in other states
January 3 – Variety
By Dave McNary
Hollywood's offlot production of features rose 5.7% in 2011 but TV activity slid 2.7% due to a disappointing fall production season as runaway production took its toll on local shoots.
Permitting agency FilmLA reported Tuesday that overall offlot production increased 4.2% last year to 45,484 permitted days. FilmL.A. president Paul Audley said the region can't count on TV being shot in Los Angeles.
Partisans are passionate, but most voters focus on other issues
January 2 - Variety
By Ted Johnson
As today's Iowa caucus stands to clarify the contours of the 2012 presidential race, one issue of utmost concern to the Hollywood lobby has earned only passing mention on the trail: pending anti-piracy legislation before Congress.
Fuentes aims to extend state's program
January 1 - Variety
By Dave McNary
Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes is developing legislation that would extend California's film production incentive program and plans to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session.
Details of the legislation -- how many years and the amount of tax credits -- should be hammered out in the coming weeks, according to Fuentes spokesman Ben Golombek, following meetings with the coalition of supporters.
Director still passionate about protecting film history
January 1 - Variety
By Christy Grosz
Martin Scorsese recently spoke with Variety's Christy Grosz about his passion for film preservation and why it's a vital issue for Hollywood.
Grosz: You used to be one of the few people sounding the alarm for film preservation. Has that changed? What do people in the film industry need to do to ensure that we don't continue to lose films to history?
December 8 – Mashable.com
Senators asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to slow down the process of releasing new top-level domains Thursday at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. But the discussion was moot. ICANN, not under the governance of the Senate, sees it as a done deal.
To read the entire article, click here.
December 8 – Los Angeles Times
By Richard Verrier
U.S. lawmakers introduced new anti-piracy legislation Thursday that would give the U.S. International Trade Commission the authority to crack down on foreign websites offering bootleg movies and other counterfeit goods.
But it appears unlikely that bill will come close to ending the fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley over how best to combat the spread of online piracy.
December 8 - CNBC
By Julia Boorstin
It's hard to argue that the government shouldn't crack down on the $58 billion piracy problem. The question is how.
But a bill designed to tackle piracy has sparked a major showdown between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. The issue at the heart of a heated Capitol Hill debate: how much companies should be held accountable for policing pirated material to which they might inadvertently link.
To read the entire article, click here.
December 7 - The Georgetowner
By Gary Tischler
I got a confession to make.
I’m a huge fan of the long-running CBS crime show “CSI” (for “Crime Scene Investigation”), the pioneering (first seen in October 2000) series set in Las Vegas, which spawned “CSI: Miami” and “CSI: New York.” I’ve always watched the original, mainly because I figured anything with Bill Peterson in it couldn’t be all bad, it had a cool theme song by The Who and it was set in Las Vegas. Turns out that Robert David Hall is a big fan, too.
December 5 – New York Times
By NICHOLAS KULISH and MICHAEL CIEPLY
POTSDAM, Germany — The German craftsmen on Stage 15 in the Babelsberg studio were hard at work on a recent afternoon building a dystopian Korean slum, the thud of a nail gun and a whiff of sawdust in the air. Next door, Andy and Lana Wachowski, the American-born team behind the “Matrix” movies, were filming black-clad storm troopers from an imagined future for their latest feature, “Cloud Atlas.”
December 5 – Los Angeles Times
By Richard Verrier
Hollywood's ambitious campaign to educate the public and its own workforce about the perils of film piracy has produced -- what else -- another film.
Creative America, the group launched this summer to muster support in the creative community for tougher anti-piracy laws, recently debuted a 12-minute video that highlights the impact of content theft on all aspects of the filmmaking chain...
The copyright fight over the 1960 movie exposes the industry's Fellini-esque complications when dealing with classics.
December 5 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Matthew Belloni , Eriq Gardner
A new law might make anti-piracy operations tidy, but it's not the only way that 'rogue' websites are going to be blacklisted going forward.
December 5 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Eriq Gardner
December 3 – Chicago Tribune
By Bruce Iglauer
Almost everyone in this world is inspired by, moved by or loves some kind of music. Music makes us smile, makes us dance and helps us when we hurt.
December 2 Los Angeles Times
By Jon Healey
November 29 - Variety
By Cynthia Littleton
Transformative leaps rare in tough climate
For showbiz, 2011 has been a year of movement in fits and starts, rather than great leaps forward, as the industry grapples with a fast-changing, increasingly global business landscape.
November 28 - Variety
By Clifford Coonan
Order could cost industry $3 billion a year
China will ban commercial breaks in sudsers and dramas from next year, a move that could cost broadcasters more than $3 billion a year.
No reason was given for the ban, but it comes as part of a broader crackdown on broadcasting in China, the world's biggest TV market in viewership terms.
To read the entire article, click here.
November 28 – Back Stage
By Daniel Holloway
It looks like there will be no second life for the long-running soap operas “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” In a pointed statement released Wednesday, executives Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz of the company Prospect Park announced that its plan to turn ABC’s two canceled daytime dramas into Web series had fallen through. The failure was blamed in part on unions representing the series' talent.
November 22 – Los Angeles Times
By Rebecca Keegan
According to a survey of 2009 films, male roles far outweigh those for women, females are far more likely to be scantily dressed, and a storyteller's sex affects what's depicted on-screen.
Cinema trends ebb and flow, but one facet of Hollywood moviemaking proving remarkably consistent is gender inequality, according to a study being released Monday by USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
November 22 – The Wrap
By Joshua L. Weinstein
The Directors Guild of America has ratified a new contract with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, the union announced Tuesday.
The three-year agreement includes wage increases each year, including a 15.8 percent increase for 2nd 2nd assistant directors in the first year of the contract.
November 21 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Alex Ben Block
President and CEO Chris Dodd said Monday that Cybele Daley and Anna Soellner have joined the organization as vice presidents of government affairs and corporate communications, respectively.
MPAA President and CEO Chris Dodd announced two key appointments Monday that he said would broaden the “depth and breadth of our team.”
Cybele Daley is the new senior vice president, government affairs, and Anna Soellner is named as vice president, corporate communications.
Aim is to encourage members to explore co-prods
November 21-Variety
By Dave McNary
The Producers Guild of America and Screen Producers Assn. of Australia have entered into an affiliation agreement aimed at encouraging members to explore co-production opportunities.
Click here to read entire article.
November 18-NY Magazine
By Josef Adalian
November 17 - The Wrap
By Peter Voskamp
The tide seems to have turned against the Stop Online Piracy Act, as both Nancy Pelosi and Darrell Issa have come out against passage.
"Need to find a better solution than #SOPA #DontBreakTheInternet," the liberal Democratic House leader tweeted on Thursday, in response to a tweeter who asked: "Where do you stand on internet censoring and #SOPA?"
The Guild tells the judge about the huge stakes and why the case shouldn't get bogged down in legal maneuvers from the well-heeled music industry.
November 17 - The Hollywood Reporter
by Eriq Gardner
November 16 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Alex Ben Block
The former Senator is lobbying Hollywood for tech community support on a Internet piracy bill.
On the same day that the U.S. House of Representatives was holding hearings in Washington on an Internet piracy bill that is opposed by many technology companies, former Senator Chris Dodd was in Hollywood warning the tech giants that if they fail to support the global fight against content theft, it is at their own peril and that of the U.S. economy.
November 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The cause was cardiopulmonary arrest, said the Laurens County deputy coroner, Nathan Stanley.
Mr. Slover was best known for playing the lead trumpeter in the Munchkins’ band, but he also played an Oz townsman and soldier, according to John Fricke, author of “100 Years of Oz.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Economic effects from Japan's disasters and a weak job market have helped put the brakes on the year's strong start for media firms.
November 15 - Los Angeles Times
By Meg James
A year that began with a bang was interrupted by a quake, and now is ending with a whimper. Next year is projected to be better — but not for everybody.
November 15–LA Times, 2011
By Richard Verrier
Location filming on Los Angeles streets continued to slide last week due to a steady falloff in local TV shoots.
The decline was led by a 37% drop in production days for TV shoots compared with the same time a year ago, according to data from the film permitting group FilmL.A. Inc. Television production has been down 15% in the last six weeks over last year.
November 14 – Los Angeles Times
By Richard Verrier
Santa Clarita is rolling out the red carpet for its storied movie ranches.
The City Council for the suburban community in northern Los Angeles County recently approved a new zoning designation intended to promote filming on local ranches within a 30-mile radius.
To read the entire article, click here.
November 11 - Variety
By Clifford Coonan
Gov to set up special office under the Ministry of Commerce
China is underlining that it's serious about cracking down on piracy by setting up an office to help the campaign against infringement of intellectual property rights and counterfeit products.
Filmmakers, both domestic and foreign, regularly complain that rampant piracy in China makes it a difficult market to operate in.
November 10 – Washington Post
By Hayley Tsukayama
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers answered criticism from the Association of National Advertisers, saying that its new top-level domain program adequately protects trademarks and prevents fraud.
November 4 – The Hollywood Reporter
Who owns Fellini's 1960 masterpiece? A new lawsuit spans 50 years of international film history in search of an answer.
Paramount Pictures is going to court to prove that it owns the copyright toFrederico Fellini's classic film, La Dolce Vita. Since the film's release in 1960, ownership on the film has changed hands several times, leading to a complicated chain-of-title dispute that Paramount wishes to put to rest once and for all.
November 3 - Variety
By Ted Johnson
Cites 'phenomenal amount' of coin from biz lobbyists to push anti-piracy bills
The leader of the Consumer Electronics Assn. suggested that support for major anti-piracy legislation is motivated by hefty political contributions to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
"The content community is a phenomenal fundraiser, phenomenal. And they play in the Judiciary Committee," Gary Shapiro,
November 3 – Los Angeles Times
By Nicole Sperling
It's the end of an era for a West Hollywood movie house that has been a mainstay of the independent cinema scene for the last 20 years.
Laemmle Theatres will stop operating the Sunset 5 at the end of the month after being unable to come to terms with the landlord on a new lease.
Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas will take over the five-screen complex Dec. 1 and will temporarily close it for renovations, with plans to reopen in late spring.
November 1 - Variety
By Variety Staff
Helmer produced 14 Oscarcasts, steered Geffen Playhouse
Gilbert "Gil" Cates, the versatile director and producer who produced a record 14 Academy Awards telecasts, has died, Variety has confirmed. He was 77.
Cates, whose film producing credits include "I Never Sang for My Father" and "The Last Married Couple in America," most recently oversaw the Oscars as executive producer in 2008, the 80th annual kudofest. He produced his first Oscarcast in 1990, which earned him a Primetime Emmy for his work.
October 31 - Variety
By Peter Knegt
Awards Season Launch: The Best Picture Race
Going into this season's Oscar race, a series of rule changes made by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences could significantly alter how many categories pan out.
October 31 – Variety
By Sam Thielman
Gold Coast Studios offers free space for army stories
A new studio on Long Island is looking to attract business with a novel proposal: support the armed forces, and we'll support you.
Gold Coast Studios topper Lyndsey Lostritto is offering a month of free space to television shows and features "that will help Americans learn more about the challenges and needs of military families." She's doing it, in large part, because her fiance is deployed in Afghanistan.
October 31 – Variety
By Dave McNary
TV producer draws Producers Guild kudos
The Producers Guild of America has tapped live-event producer and director Don Mischer to receive its Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.
The PGA said the presentation to Mischer will mark the first time it's honored a live-television producer with the Norman Lear accolade.
Kudo will be presented to Mischer at the 23rd annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Jan. 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
October 30 – The New York Times
By Michael Cieply
LOS ANGELES — Bette Davis, the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, held the job for two months before quitting in frustration. That was in 1941.
October 28 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Georg Szalai
The news comes after Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, said the studio is looking at possibly lengthening the current 28 days delay.
NEW YORK - Several Hollywood studios are considering doubling a 28-day delay on DVD rentals offered by the likes of Netflix and Coinstar's Redbox DVD rental kiosk operator,Bloomberg News reported.
October 28 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Paul Bond, Georg Szalai
The Google-owned site's partners include BermanBraun, WWE, HSN, Ashton Kutcher and Amy Poehler.
In a low-budget early effort to compete with satellite and cable TV providers, YouTube announced Friday that it has partnered with several entities to roll out television-style channels with professionally produced shows that will strike a sharp contrast to the short videos of crazy cats, skateboard wipeouts and other amateur content that made the site famous.
October 28 – BBC News
An Iranian actress who was sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes has been released after three months in custody, according to Amnesty International.
Marzieh Vafamehr was detained for appearing in 2009 Australian film My Tehran For Sale, about an actress whose stage work is banned.
Amnesty said the flogging had been overturned and her sentence commuted.
October 27 - Variety
By Ted Johnson
MPAA chairman spoke at the SMPTE confab
MPAA chairman Chris Dodd spoke to Hollywood’s foremost technical groups Wednesday and sought to portray showbiz as being on the cusp of innovation despite perceptions that it is clinging to outdated business models and often pitted against the interests of Silicon Valley.
To read the entire article, click here.
October 27 - Variety
By Ted Johnson
House Judiciary Committee introduces Stop Online Piracy Act
Leaders of the House Judiciary Committee introduced their long-awaited Stop Online Piracy Act on Wednesday, with support from a wide spectrum of Hollywood studio and labor, but opposition from tech companies.
October 26 – Los Angeles Times
By Sam Quinones
Employees of the Santa Monica business get a 2% raise and other guarantees, concluding a two-year battle that included labor organizers and support by local clergy.
For years, workers at the Bonus Car Wash in Santa Monica, like those in many of the carwashes that Southern Californians frequent, had a familiar routine. They showed up when the boss told them to — but couldn't clock in until customers arrived.
October 26 - Variety
By Brian Lowry
Contest looks like a David-and-Goliath mismatch
The Academy of Arts & Sciences is about to elect a new chairman, and from afar the contest looks like a David-and-Goliath mismatch: Bruce Rosenblum, president of the Warner Bros. Television Group; and Nancy Bradley Wiard, formerly a producer on "The Young and the Restless," and now a freelance producer and consultant.
Like Florida, however, academy elections can yield surprises.
October 25 – Los Angeles Times
By Richard Verrier
The world's fourth largest theater chain is betting that moviegoers are willing to pay a big premium to watch films in high-end movie houses. Cinepolis, based in Mexico City, opened its first U.S. outlet in Del Mar, plans to open two more in Southern California next year and is in negotiations for several more.
Reporting from Del Mar, Calif.—
Carlos Wellman is hoping to bring a Mexican revolution to the sluggish U.S. cinema industry.
October 24 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Etan Vlessing
Eastwards shift of major studio production in Canada continues as the westernmost province fails to keep pace with Ontario and Quebec on tax credit savings.
TORONTO – Vancouver is losing ground to Toronto and Montreal in attracting Hollywood film and TV shoots.
The latest activity report from British Columbia Film + Media indicates foreign, mostly Hollywood producers spent $778 million
locally in the western most province in 2010, the last year surveyed…
October 24 – The Hollywood Reporter
By Michael O'Connell
Analysts suggest the beleaguered company will report greater subscriber losses than it initially forecasted.
In anticipation of the company's quarterly earnings call on Monday, Netflix projected a loss of nearly 600,000 subscribers in the third quarter, but analysts suggest the figure is considerably higher.
Bloomberg cites a survey of 10 analysts, which places the U.S. membership down at 23.8 million at the end of September, a loss of 780,000 subscribers.
October 24 - Variety
By Elsa Keslassy
Amendment was passed on Friday by the National Assembly
Gallic industryites are up in arms about a game-changing amendment, passed on Friday by the National Assembly, allowing the government to divert money to offset the country's budget deficit from coin collected by film board CNC to fund the biz.
October 21 - Variety
By Dave McNary
WGA East supporters protest unionization holdup
About 25 supporters of the Writers Guild of America East have staged a protest outside the New York offices of ITV Studios as part of a long-running dispute over unionization.
October 20 – Los Angeles Times
By Dima Alzayat
Apart from hosting shows such as Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" and History Channel's "Ice Road Truckers," Alaska isn't exactly a hotbed for film production.
But after the state implemented generous film incentives in 2009, Hollywood has begun to warm up to the Last Frontier, sending several new feature film productions its way…
October 20 - Variety
By Dave McNary
Guild names director of arbritations & legal affairs
Nicole Livolsi has been appointed as director of arbitrations & legal affairs for the Producers Guild of America.
PGA Executive Director Vance Van Petten made the announcement Thursday…
To read the entire article, click here.
By Etan Vlessing
September 6, 2011
TORONTO -- Former American Zoetrope president Fred Fuchs has done a good job figuring out how to structure internationally co-produced TV dramas of out Canada.
By Richard Verrier, 9/4/11
Hollywood moguls and unions ask California Legislature to extend a $500-million tax credit for film and television show productions in the state.
Sat., Sep. 3, 2011
By Dave McNary
Biz buoyed by offerings on the market
Bullishness is back in the indie world.
Riding a wave of strong sales that began earlier this year, the folks headed to the Toronto film festival are in a decidedly upbeat frame of mind, a sharp turnaround from 2008 and 2009. And while the current optimism is tempered by recent memories of downturns, there are also concerns that Toronto may even see some overspending and over-production.
9/2/2011 by Jonathan Handel
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, including whether studios agreed to pay for casting assistants during pilot season. The ratification meeting is Sept. 15.
8/23/2011 by Georg Szalai
NBC's fall season schedule features fewer minorities in major roles, while KNBC Channel 4 in L.A. has been called out over the lack of Latino anchors.
Long-term incentives ground TV series in Gotham
By Sam Thielman
Tue., Aug. 23, 2011
New York is boasting a record number of TV series lensing in state this year on the heels of the legislature's five-year renewal of its film incentive tax program
Network defends recent move to delay online availability of shows for most as a plan that will ultimately result in "maximum benefit" for all TV viewers.
8/23/2011 by Eriq Gardner
Courtney Solomon and some of his companies are on the guild’s strike list. In an apparent first, the union has emailed an advisory regarding some of his other, non-struck companies.
8/13/2011 by Jonathan Handel
By ERIC PFANNER, New York Times
August 3, 2011
PARIS — Britain plans to legalize something that many of its citizens have been doing already, perhaps unaware that they were breaking the law: copying music or movies from compact discs or DVDs onto other storage devices, like iPods.
Read More
Fourth highest level of the year last week
By Dave McNary, Variety
August 3, 2011
A wide variety of features shooting in Los Angeles drove activity to its fourth highest level of the year last week, with 175 permitted days.
The online streamer that competes with Netflix has teamed with filmmaker Morgan Spurlock for a show called "A Day in the Life."
8/3/2011 by Paul Bond, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s not exactly House of Cards, which Netflix is committing $100 million to, but Hulu is also delving into original long-form programming, its first effort being with filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
Sherak re-elected to third term
By Justin Kroll, Variety
August 2, 2011
Tom Sherak has been re-elected to a third term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which also chose Tuesday night to honor Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith with honorary Oscars.
By Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times
August 2, 2011
A federal judge has ordered the movie streaming service Zediva to temporarily halt its operations in a ruling that was hailed by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Hollywood's chief lobbying arm.
The awards dinner is set to take place Saturday January 28, 2012.
By THR Staff, The Hollywood Reporter
July 29, 2011
The Directors Guild of America’s 64th annual awards ceremony has been set for Jan. 28, the last Saturday in January, the same time slot that it occupied on this past year’s awards calendar.
By AUSTIN CONSIDINE, New York Times
July 29, 2011
ASIAN roles in Hollywood have come a long way since Mickey Rooney played a Japanese neighbor in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” But the dearth of Asian lead characters today suggests that there is still a way to go.
Films will be packaged under the Sundance name and offered for viewing on some of the Internet's biggest video platforms, including iTunes, Amazon.com, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube.
July 28, 2011|By John Horn, Los Angeles Times
Court rules against Internet service provider
By Diana Lodderhose, Variety
July 28, 2011
Hollywood majors have won a landmark piracy test case against the U.K.'s biggest Internet service provider, BT, forcing the telco giant to block access to the Newzbin2 website, which links to pirated content.
By Daniel Holloway, Back Stage
July 24, 2011
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists concluded its four-day national convention in Seattle on Sunday having re-elected New York actor Roberta Reardon to a third two-year term as the union's national president. The result had been widely anticipated, as she faced no serious challengers for the post. In a statement made to the convention early Saturday, shortly before the election results were announced, Reardon reiterated support for the current effort to merge AFTRA and the Screen Actors Guild.
Read MoreMember Frank Mejerski files class action suit
By Ted Johnson, Variety
July 22, 2011
A Teamsters member has filed a class action suit against a Hollywood payroll company, claiming that he and others have been deprived of full benefits because the firm failed to withhold disability payments or pay unemployment insurance.
Read More
Nonprofit shingle turns brings in suprising coin on 'Earth'
By Gregg Goldstein, Variety
July 22, 2011
EXCLUSIVE: Artists Public Domain just scored one of the most profitable sales in the history of Sundance. It's celebrating a 10-year anniversary. But even if you're in the film industry, chances are you've never heard of this nonprofit producer.
Subtle but significant shift reshaping syndie marketplace
July 21, 2011
By Andrew Wallenstein, Variety
The licensing pact unveiled this week between Hulu and Debmar-Mercury for the Fox reality series "Hell's Kitchen" underscores a subtle but significant shift reshaping the syndication marketplace.
Quiet start to the third quarter
By Dave McNary
Daily Variety
July 19, 2011
On-location filming in Los Angeles turned warmer last week following a quiet start to the third quarter, with the weekend's closure of the 405 Freeway -- dubbed "Carmaggedon" -- appearing to have little impact.
Read More
The 23rd annual awards show will also introduce split reality TV into three separate categories.
By Gregg Kilday
The Hollywood Reporter
July 19, 2011
The 23rd annual Producers Guild Awards, which will take place Jan. 21, will, for the third time, field 10 nominations for its Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, its top film award.
By Scott Roxborough
The Hollywood Reporter
July 19, 2011
New initiative capped at $4.2 million per project.
Prexy declares solidarity with local industry
By John Hopewell
Daily Variety
July 19, 2011
Motion Picture Assn. of America prexy Chris Dodd slipped easily into his role as Hollywood's ambassador to the world Tuesday, expressing his solidarity with Spain's piracy-ravaged film industry at a Madrid meeting.
Reed Johnson
Los Angeles Times
July 10, 2011
More actors from Mexico are working on both sides of the border in English- and Spanish-language productions, a trend sparked largely by the surging Latino population in the U.S.
Daily Variety
Entertainment dealmaking poised for a comeback. Click here to read the entire story.
By PETER CARANICAS
Daily Variety
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON, JILL GOLDSMITH
Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts scores dream deal. Click here to read the entire story.
Danny Woodburn received the DREAM Award at the Disability Rights Legal Center's Annual Gala on November 19, 2009. DREAM stands for Disability Rights in Entertainment, Arts & Media and recognizes achievement in promoting access and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Acceptance Speech by Danny Woodburn
(California Commercial Code Section 9613)
Los Angeles (January 15, 2009) -- Screen Actors Guild today released the following message for distributors and Screen Actors Guild signatories in response to press reports that studio-affiliated distributors have raised concerns about their potential obligations as distributors of motion pictures produced under Guaranteed Completion Contracts in the event of a SAG work stoppage.
SAG’s message to distributors was mailed today from the office of SAG NED and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen. The message follows:
“January 15, 2009
