News
February 20, 2018
February 16th News Report from your Los Angeles Representative
Happy Friday everyone,
Another week, another shot across the bow in what increasingly looks like a battle between Netflix and traditional network broadcasters. Hollywood roiled this week on news that super producer Ryan Murphy - the creative force behind Glee, American Horror Story and Nip/Tuck - will leave Fox to make shows for Netflix. As reported in the LA Times below, Murphy's five-year deal could be worth as much as $300 million.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-disney-fox-netflix-ryan-murphy-20180215-story.html
At least one traditional broadcaster's digital ambitions seem to be bearing fruit, and attracting consumers. The Times also reported this week that CBS Corp.'s two streaming services — CBS All Access and Showtime — have racked up a combined 5 million subscribers and that the network plans to launch CBS Sports service this month and a celebrity-rich "Entertainment Tonight" digital product this fall.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-cbs-streaming-earnings-20180215-story.html
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined filmmaker Ava DuVernay and producer Dan Lin on Monday to launch a new fund aimed at boosting diversity in the entertainment industry. As detailed in the Hollywood Reporter below, the Evolve Entertainment Fund (EEF) is a public-private partnership that plans to raise $5 million by 2020 to award grants to various entertainment industry organizations.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-mayor-plans-grants-boost-entertainment-industry-diversity-1083897
SAG-AFTRA has released a “Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment” instructing its 160,000 members how to deal with the issue. As reported in Variety below, the code is part of a broader program to protect its members and to confront harassment and advance equity in the workplace.
http://variety.com/2018/film/news/sag-aftra-code-of-conduct-sexual-harassment-2-1202694631/
Finally this week, Oscar night is fast approaching and I'm one of many Ontarians with fingers crossed for The Breadwinner to win best animated feature and The Shape of Water to take home the best picture prize. The Location Guide this week published an eye-opening article on how Ontario was transformed into 1960s Americana for the film.
http://www.thelocationguide.com/2018/02/the-shape-of-water-transformed-ontario-into-1960s-america/
Warmest regards,
Kelly
Kelly Graham-Scherer
Los Angeles Representative
Toronto/ Ontario Film Office