News From The Web - On The Industry
Season 3 Archive
Writers Mindset – How Old Is Too Old For Hollywood
David Silverman
Hollywood Therapy
The unfortunate truth is there is ageism in Hollywood. However, that doesn’t mean writers in their 50’s can’t get jobs or writing assignments. It just means your chances get harder, especially if you’re over 40. But it can be done.
First, let’s examine why ageism happens.
WGA Data: 87% Of All Scripted TV Shows Are Packaged
David Robb
Deadline Hollywood
Nearly 90% of all TV shows are packaged by talent agencies, and nearly 80% of those shows are packaged by WME and CAA, according to data collected by the Writers Guild of America West. In a review of the 2016-2017 television season, WGA West found that 87% of the more than 300 series produced that year were packaged by the agencies, and that “packaging is dominated by WME and CAA,” which accounted for 79% of all the packaged series.
The Grim Box Office Fate Of 'Annihilation' Was An Inevitable Tragedy
Scott Mendelson
Forbes
In a different time, Annihilation would have been an A-level theatrical event. It’s a decently-budgeted sci-fi horror movie with a buzzy cast from an acclaimed director. The film, based on a well-received recent sci-fi novel, arrived onto the scene with mostly rave reviews. Yet, the mere $11m debut weekend isn’t just a relative failure, but an all-too-predictable disappointment.
For Old-School Film Projectionists, the Pictures Never Got Small
Simon Abrams
Vanity Fair
“It’s very convenient to blame the projectionists for everything,” says Mike Katz. He would know: Katz has been working as the main projectionist at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, or BAM, since 1997. When customers tweet or e-mail about problems at screenings—the volume wasn’t loud enough; the screen was too dark—that’s on Mike.
How I Learned to Stop Counting on Miracles and Love Self-Distribution
Screencraft
“Did you get distribution?” It’s a question any indie film producer that’s spent valuable years of their lives raising money, executing, and then debuting a film at a film festival has heard. Even indie film neophytes seem to somehow know: you’re not somebody who’s somebody until you’ve sold your movie to a distributor.
If you’re a first-time director, you may be wondering how you’ll even finish your movie. Here’s How to Avoid First-Time Director Pitfalls.
A24 Picks Up Horror Script From Author of Viral Short Story "Cat Person"
Borys Kit
The Hollywood Reporter
A24 has made its first-ever spec script acquisition, picking up a horror screenplay from Kristen Roupenian, the author of the viralNew Yorker fiction story "Cat Person."
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is the name of the screenplay, but the logline is being kept six feet under for now.
How I Got My Feature Film On Amazon Prime and How Much I have Made
Tom Kerevan
Chris Jones Blog
This is a tough blog to write. How did we break into the top 80 movies on Amazon Prime in the UK? Well, I’m afraid I can’t give you the magic formula to the Amazon Video algorithm because I don’t know it!
However, after a lot of trial & error there are a few things I’ve noticed that seem to work, and a few that don’t. So what I’ll do is share the highlights of 2 years worth of research into releasing a film online.
Studio-by-Studio Profit Report: Disney Reigns, Viacom Stems Losses
Paul Bond , Georg Szalai
Hollywood Reporter
Paramount in the black? Not yet, according to THR’s annual film and TV analysis, which reveals a steep slide at Fox, plenty of hits (and misses) at Warners and growth for only half of Hollywood’s six (soon to be five) majors.