News
November 7, 2014
November 7th News Report from your Los Angeles Representative
Weekly Update from Kelly Graham-Scherer, Los Angeles Representative
Happy Friday everyone,
It's been hectic this week as American Film Market gets underway and filmmakers from around the world descend on Santa Monica for a whirlwind of parties and meetings. It seems as though there are more Ontario producers here this year than ever: it's been a pleasure catching up with some of them over the last few days and I look forward to touching base with more people in the coming days.
The summer of 2014 was a slow one for Hollywood as detailed in a Los Angeles Times article this week which reports that leading movie studios are coming off one of the worst summer box-office seasons in recent memory.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-movie-studio-earnings-20141104-story.html
American television shows that are finding new audiences in China may soon face stricter regulations there. The Times reports this week that stricter government screening procedures on online video portals that license the programs and make them available just hours after their U.S. debuts will put such arrangements in serious jeopardy.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-china-streaming-us-shows-20141104-story.html
On-line streaming stateside however, shows no sign of slowing and Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos has put movie theater operators on notice. As reported in the Times below, Sarandos this week defended his decision to release next summer's sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Netflix on the same day that it opens in Imax theaters and said "traditional approaches to movie distribution are outmoded".
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/onlocation/la-et-ct-china-film-sarandos-20141105-story.html
There was another interesting story in the Times this week regarding the soaring use of drones in film and television production. As reported below, drone manufacturer Aerial, whose website lists clients such as Nike, Tesla, MTV and Chrysler, offers drones that weigh from 10 to 50 pounds and rent for as much as $15,000 a day.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-onlocation-20141105-story.html
And finally this week, Playback heralded the rebirth of "Canada cool" in a recent interview with Mark Slone, eOne's new EVP of theatrical distribution.
http://playbackonline.ca/2014/11/03/eones-mark-slone-on-rebirth-of-canada-cool/