Netflix eyeing Latin America, Britain for next international launches..

While Wall Street eagerly awaits word on where Netflix will expand next overseas, the fast-growing home entertainment company has signaled its plans to Hollywood.

According to entertainment industry insiders, Netflix executives have said they plan to expand soon to Latin America -- with Mexico and Brazil considered particularly promising markets -- and Britain.

A spokesman for Netflix declined to comment on the company's plans abroad.

Netflix launched in Canada last September and expected to have as many as 900,000 subscribers there by the end of March. The company previously told investors that if growth in that country continued to be strong, it would expand into other foreign countries in the second half of 2011.

Investors and observers have been looking for clues as to where Netflix will next offer its online video service in order to gauge its global growth prospects.

Britain could pose a particular challenge, as it's the first country in which Netflix will face a direct competitor. LoveFilm, which in January was acquired by Amazon.com, offers a similar service there.

For much more on the challenges Netflix faces, including potential competitors, see the story in tomorrow's Times.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Shortcut to Fabulous Food Near the Sights in Paris!

Shortcut to Fabulous Food Near the Sights in Paris!

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

YouTube to require 'tutorials' for copyright offenders...

Google Inc.'s online video behemoth YouTube toughened its enforcement of copyright laws, requiring violators to attend "copyright school" and pass a test before they can resume uploading videos to the site.

The changes come amid calls -- both in Hollywood and in Congress -- that YouTube do more to combat piracy. Google General Counsel Kent Walker recently defended the search giant's commitment to content protection in testimony this month before the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on intellectual property.

Under the new rules, YouTube users who receive notice that they used someone else's content without authorization must attend "YouTube Copyright School," which entails watching a tutorial and passing a quiz to demonstrate they understand the rules governing content. YouTube also created an online resource center to help educate YouTube user about the nuances of copyright law.

"Because copyright law can be complicated, education is critical to ensure that our users understand the rules and continue to play by them," YouTube wrote in a blog post Thursday notifying users of the new policy. "That's why today we're releasing a new tutorial on copyright and a redesigned copyright help center. We're also making two changes to our copyright process to be sure that our users understand the rules, and that users who abide by those rules can remain active on the site."

YouTube suspends users who have received three notices of copyright violation. Under the new rules, longtime YouTube content creators, who have uploaded "thousands" of videos but nonetheless receive a third strike, can avoid suspension if they successfully complete the copyright school and demonstrate "good behavior over time."

Christopher J. Dodd, the new head of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the industry's lobbying arm, issued a statement applauding Google's recognition of copyright problems on YouTube -- and calling on the search giant to do even more to deter Internet piracy.

"To help demonstrate whether its new program is effective, we would hope that Google shares the data regarding its impact on repeat infringers as well as details on the speed in which it takes down illegal content found on its sites," Dodd said in a statement. "We also hope that Google will now take long overdue steps to address its role as a search engine in providing priority listings and rankings for rogue sites offering stolen movies and television shows."

YouTube has had a Content ID system in place since 2007 that scans videos as they are uploaded to determine whether it is someone else's copyrighted work. If the system finds a match, YouTube follows the rules the content owner has put in place to determine what to do with the new video -- whether to block it, track it or attempt to place advertising against it and share the revenue.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

3Ality Digital to Show New Tech at NAB That Will Make 3D Productions More Cost-E

CEO Steve Schklair also is testing its use for network series.

LAS VEGAS -- 3Ality Digital-whose 3D production technology is currently being used on The Hobbit and The Amazing Spider-man -- is demonstrating new, automated technologies designed to make 3D production work more cost effective at the NAB Show currently taking place in Las Vegas.
OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

James Cameron, Vince Pace to Reveal New Business Model for 3D Broadcasting
While it is aiming to create a new business model, 3Ality also revealed that while the industry has been heavily focused on sports coverage in the area of TV production, it also completed a test for a 3D network series.

3Ality CEO Steve Schklair believes the 2D and 3D broadcast infrastructure needs to be combined, suggesting that a 15-20% premium over 2D seems to be a premium that could support a business model for live 3D events coverage.

"Now it is 120% because you have a separate crew," he said. "It has to be a combined broadcast."
He suggested that a 10-20% premium over 2D for episodic series seems to a sweet spot.
"We are having episodic discussions," Schklair told The Hollywood Reporter, emphasizing that it is essential to meet not just the budget, but the 2D schedule. "We just completed a test for a major network episodic show."
"They did the test as a hard-core budget test," said 3Ality's Lucas Wilson. "They are getting into the budgeting process."
The new 3Ality products that will be displayed at NAB include IntelleCal, designed to automatically align two cameras on a stereo rig, without the intervention of a technician; and IntelleCam, designed to automatically control the convergence and the interaxial spacing of the cameras, without the need for a separate convergence puller at each rig.
"Typically there is one convergence operator per camera. If there are 12 cameras, that's 12 people," Schklair said. "If you eliminate these roles (including hotel, airfare, etc.), maybe you are cutting $80,000-100,000 (on a live production). That is a big number toward making a business case that works."

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Online Ad Revenues Hit Record High in 2010

Advertisers spent a record $26 billion in the U.S. marketing their wares online last year, putting the Internet ahead of newspapers for the first time.
The 15 percent year-over-year surge in online advertising put the Internet second to television as the leading medium for generating ad revenue.

Television, which includes local, cable and broadcast spending, brought in $68.7 billion. Newspapers took in $22.8 billion.

The data was released Wednesday in a 26-page report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The report also compares the Internet's 16-year-growth trajectory as an advertising medium to the early days of broadcast and cable TV. Even adjusting for inflation, the Internet has been more impressive.

After the first 16 years of broadcast TV (beginning in 1949), the medium was raking in $16.1 billion in the U.S. Cable TV after its first 16 years (beginning in 1980) was generating $7.3 billion in ad revenue.

Internet advertising, though, has taken a rocky path to get to this point, reaching $8 billion in 2000 but taking four years to surpass that amount as the bursting Internet bubble had advertisers fleeing.

Online advertising took another hit in 2009 because of the recession.

But the IAB report touted five straight quarters of growth. The 2010 rebound, said PwC's David Silverman, "points to a continued focus on digital media ad spend, with dollars catching up to the eyeballs."

Search, the area dominated by Google, accounted for 46 percent of the online ad revenue generated last year, while display stood at 38%. Revenue from digital video commercials surged 40 percent to $1.4 billion, about 5 percent of the $26 billion spent last year.

For the first time, the IAB and PwC measured mobile advertising, which came in at $550 million-$650 million last year.

The biggest advertisers online in 2010 were retailers, accounting for 21 percent of the money spent, followed by telecom (13 percent), financial services (12 percent), auto (11 percent) and computing products (8 percent).
Further down the list of big advertisers were media (4 percent) and entertainment (4 percent). Those two industries spent $1.1 billion to advertise over the Internet last year. If combined into a single category, it would be tied with computing products for fifth on the list of largest online advertising industries.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Le bout de plastique qui va révolutionner l'électronique

Le bout de plastique qui va révolutionner l'électronique

Il suffisait d'y penser, une société française l'a fait : le panneau solaire transparent

Par CLÉMENT PÉTREAULT
source:http://www.lepoint.f

C'est une petite avancée technologique qui pourrait donner lieu à un véritable bond en avant. La société française Wysips a mis au point un film photovoltaïque souple et transparent, capable de recharger un téléphone portable à la lumière du jour. La démonstration a été faite avec un smartphone, mais n'importe quelle surface peut être habillée de ce film souple. Une fenêtre, une façade, une voiture ou encore un ordinateur peuvent ainsi transformer la lumière en énergie pour un coût raisonnable. Une fois développée, cette technologie pourrait intégrer des tissus qui deviendraient, eux aussi, capables de produire de l'énergie. Le rendement énergétique est d'environ 10 % (soit 100 watts par mètre carré). C'est environ 30 % de moins qu'un panneau photovoltaïque classique que l'on retrouve sur les toitures.

Six heures pour recharger pleinement la batterie

Un prototype de téléphone équipé de ce film vient d'être dévoilé. Les démonstrations ont prouvé que le film, épais de 0,1 mm, ne venait pas perturber les capacités tactiles des appareils. En l'état actuel de la technologie, le système ne permet pas de recharger intégralement la batterie de ce téléphone (6 heures en plein soleil pour une recharge complète, c'est long), mais l'autonomie de l'appareil est largement améliorée. La révolution est en marche.

"Nous venons de finaliser un premier prototype et, d'ici à six mois, nous fabriquerons les premières unités en série. Comme nous sommes sur un modèle de licence non exclusive, à terme nos technologies seront accessibles à tous les fabricants", explique Ludovic Deblois au Point.fr. Ces modules solaires permettront de ne pas augmenter la taille des batteries des smartphones, qui ne seront, a priori, jamais en panne. Les pays en voie de développement sont aussi un coeur de cible privilégié pour la société française. Wysips prévoit de vendre chaque film pour moins d'un euro aux fabricants d'électronique. Un prix modique au regard du progrès accompli.

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Theater chains escalating fight with studios as premium video-on-demand looms

With the launch of a new premium video-on-demand initiative that will get movies from the theater to the TV screen a lot quicker around the corner, the nation's largest theater chains are waging a public war with the Hollywood studios involved.

Representatives from Regal Entertainment and AMC Entertainment have been meeting with movie studios this week to inform them that they will not play or promote any movies that will be part of "premium VOD," through which the movies would be available to rent in homes for $30 eight weeks after they launch. The exhibitors think some people wouldn't go to theaters to see movies that are available to rent so soon and that theaters would end up a marketing vehicle for a business in which they don't participate.

Regal, the nation's No. 1 chain, has taken it a step further. It is reducing the number of trailers it plays from the four studios that are poised to launch premium VOD soon -- 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. A person familiar with the matter said that's because Regal has not been informed which movies will go premium VOD.

Regal and AMC want studios to tell them ahead of time which movies will be released on premium VOD so they know which to play and promote and which to ban, according to people close to the situation. The chief executive of Cinemark USA, the third-largest exhibitor, recently expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

Combined, those three companies represent about 16,000 of the nation's roughly 40,000 movie screens.

By cutting back on trailers and banning certain movies, the exhibitors could cost themselves ticket sales in the short run. That's an indication of how big a threat they believe premium VOD is to their businesses and how high-stakes a game they are willing to play.

"It is simply not in Regal's best interest to utilize our resources to provide a marketing platform for the release of premium video-on-demand movies," Amy Miles, chief executive of Regal, said in a statement this week.

Similarly, AMC said in a statement, "As [release] windows shrink and threaten our industry's future, it is only logical to expect AMC to adapt its economic model."

This is far from the first time that theater owners have expressed their fierce opposition to such plans. When the Los Angeles Times reported in March that DirecTV was poised to become the first provided of premium VOD and that its chief executive had floated a time frame of four to six weeks after theatrical launch, Miles and AMC chief Gerry Lopez said they wouldn't play movies under such circumstances.

Tensions have only heightened since then, as news has leaked of specific movies that may launch on premium VOD as soon as late April, such as Sony's Adam Sandler comedy "Just Go With It."

Distribution executives at several studios declined to comment on the matter, citing the sensitivity of ongoing talks.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Funky dress made of multi-colored Legos by Michael Schmidt.

Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie got into the kid-friendly spirit at Nickelodeon's 24th Annual Kids' Choice Awards, sporting a funky dress made of multi-colored Legos by L.A.-based designer Michael Schmidt. But she's not the first band member to make a fashion statement out of the retro-cool building blocks: will.i.am rocked a Lego hat and necklace at last year's American Music Awards.

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

2011 Great Lakes International Film Festival Call For Entries

onsidered among the top 100 most popular film festivals in the world and a 501c(3) non-profit organization, the 10th annual Great Lakes International Film Festival has officially opened its Call for Entries and will accept submissions internationally of independently produced feature length and short length films and scripts in the genres of documentary, horror, experimental, Religious/Spiritual, animation, and all genre of music videos and Gay/Lesbian for the 2011 festival, September 22nd thru October 1, 2011.

Our film festival has reached a global echelon launching our festival interactively online allowing independent filmmakers and fans to watch and enjoy the films world wide on the go, from work and from the comfort of their own homes. In this technologically advanced world we live in, where communication and convenience MUST be at the tips of our fingers, we knew this was the next evolution in film festivals.

Since launching our fest online we have gained even more popularity among the film viewing public and filmmakers, not to mention production houses and distributors because they no longer have to travel to find the next film that will make Hollywood sit up and take notice. In this day and age, convenience is the name of the game, especially for the independent film industry.

Much like most other festivals, ours was limited by time in how many films we could screen at the fest. Simply put, if a film is good, it will be accepted and screened without time constraints. Films will not be available for download, but shall be presented in a video on demand system that will allow users to watch the films. The V.O.D. system will be secured and can be viewed from any computer.

Unlike other festivals streaming films online, films in this festival cannot be downloaded, the films HAVE NO EMBEDDING CODE and our HTML code if copied and pasted, the films will not play, therefore they CANNOT be placed on other websites.

The only time and place they can be viewed is in our festival. In short, we have gone to great lengths to set this system up to protect the safety and security of each filmmaker's film always keeping the filmmaker in mind. Basically, it is just as secure as a brick and mortar theater screening, only much better.

You hear so much about the environment and global warming it got us thinking. When you realize how much power is used during the film fest – electricity for the building, natural gas for heat and the gasoline the people use to get to the fest it left one hell of a carbon footprint. By doing the whole festival on line, it actually helps cut down on greenhouse gases.

We shall accept all ranges of music videos, along with entries of short and feature length screenplays, stage plays, and teleplays of all genres and niches.

The 2011 Great Lakes International Film Festival will accept all forms of religious, Christian, and spiritual films including African, African American, Gay/Lesbian, Black, Hispanic, Islamic, Latino, Native/Aboriginal and student films from the United States and around the world.

The Great Lakes International Film Festival horror categories for scripts and films will include Horror, Thrillers, Science Fiction, Suspense, Grindhouse Horror, Horror Documentary, Horror Animation, and student films and scripts.

The annual screenwriting competition is a way for new and veteran scriptwriters to possibly get the break they need.

If there is anything as universal as the ageless storytelling of motion pictures, it's the music that makes up life's soundtrack.

The 2011 Great Lakes International Film Festival shall accept music videos from around the world of cross-continent and cross-genre productions. We shall accept music videos of all ranges from pop, punk, rock, alt-country, country-western, folk, reggae, hip-hop to electronica, jazz, blues, Zydeco, industrial, gothic, karaoke, avant-garde, world music, and experimental.

The Great Lakes Film Festival Scriptwriting Competition offers a $1,000.00 cash award to our first place winner of the 2011 competition among other prizes. The winning script will be forwarded to agents and industry professionals for consideration.

www.greatlakesfilmfest.com

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

SAG, AFTRA Inch Closer to Merger...

The next big step will be committee formation in May.
Efforts to merge the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are moving ahead, though not quite so fast as some have suggested. The next big step in the process will take place in May, when SAG and AFTRA hold their respective national board meetings. According to sources close to and directly involved in talks between the two unions, those meetings will likely see the creation of committees charged with drafting a formal merger plan.
RELATED TOPICS
•Labor
"What will come out, hopefully, from the AFTRA plenary is an order from the national board to go forward and seat the official committee that will do the official work of combining the unions," said AFTRA president Roberta Reardon, whose board meets May 14. "[The committee] will create the plan."
A report Friday in Variety claimed that a formal plan to marry the two unions "will probably emerge when SAG's national board holds its plenary meeting on April 30 and May 1." Reardon and other sources who spoke to Back Stage emphasized that no formal plan has been drafted or will be introduced at or around the May meetings.
Reardon and SAG president Ken Howard have for the last few months been participating in a "listening tour" to gain member feedback on merger. Reardon characterized the work being done at those events and by the joint Presidents' Forum for One Union—on which both she and Howard sit—as "a very high-level, informal" process. She also said that the time frame for merger will likely be discussed at the April 2–3 meeting of the President's Forum in New York, but added, "I certainly don't expect it [the merger plan] to be done this year."
One source close to talks between the unions shed light on what the next step will be once the merger committees are seated.
"The plan will be developed by the full merger committee, which cannot even be formed until both unions meet at their spring plenaries," the source said. "Assuming the two boards decide to proceed and form their respective committees, then the combined committee will meet, and whatever plan is agreed to will be brought back to the two national boards for their approval."
Once any plan gains approval from the national board, it will be sent out to the full memberships of both unions for ratification. The last attempt to merge the two unions failed in 2003, when AFTRA members voted in favor of merger, but the SAG vote fell just short of the 60 percent needed to ratify the plan.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

MPAA Sues Movie-Streaming Service Zediva...

UPDATED: It files a copyright infringement suit, claiming Zediva illegally streams movies to its customers without obtaining required licenses from the movie studios.

The MPAA is taking action against one of the hottest, if legally questionable, online streaming services, Zediva, which has gained a boisterous following since its launch earlier this year by going places that Netflix won't -- streaming relatively recent films like The Fighter, The Social Network and Black Swan.

Zediva claims its business model is innovative yet completely legitimate. The company rents its users a DVD player and a DVD, and customers use their computers like remote controls, playing a movie from afar. Streaming 10 movies costs users only $10, a cheap enough price that consumers, perhaps looking for piracy alternatives, have been signing up in growing numbers.
The question, though, is whether Zediva needs a studio's license before exhibiting these films to audiences.

Zediva believes itself to be akin to a traditional brick-and-mortar rental company like Blockbuster in the 1990s. It points out that when a customer "rents" a movie, that film is taken out of circulation. Zediva doesn't create a digital copy. Instead, it's just playing a video remotely at a customer's bequest in what it deems to be a private exhibition.

In a federal copyright lawsuit filed Monday in California District Court, the MPAA disputes the private nature of the streaming service. Instead, the movie industry believes that Zediva is infringing its "exclusive rights to perform their works publicly."

According to the complaint, Zediva's comparison of its service "to a rental store is disingenuous, and Defendants are attempting to rely on technical gimmicks in an effort to avoid complying with U.S. Copyright Law. Defendants operate an online VOD service, not a neighborhood rental store."
Zediva will likely hope a court will see this issue similar to how the Second Circuit Court of Appeals saw a plan a couple years back from Cablevision to begin offering its customers remote storage DVR capabilities for television programming. In that lawsuit, studios sued on the ground that Cablevision was violating its copyrights and its exclusive authority over public performances, and similarly to the latest lawsuit, claimed Cablevision had created "an unauthorized video-on-demand service."
The Second Circuit disagreed, ruling that Cablevision had no control over what programs were being delivered and saying that a single customer transmitting to oneself wasn't any more public than a customer recording a program with his or her own DVR.
However, television is a different bulwark than movies. By the time Cablevision's remote-DVR plan had hit the court, services like Tivo and Slingbox had already established itself on the marketplace without much legal challenge. Cablevision was merely asking a court to let it take a step a few mere inches forward.
In contrast, movie studios are arguing that Zediva's plans will upend their business model and relationships with iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, and others, and can point to its own body of favorable case law on the subject.
Copyright scholar James Grimmelmann, for one, points to several cases that will work against Zediva, including one involving a brick-and-mortar rental store named Maxwell's, which rented videotapes to customers, along with private 4'x6' exhibition booths in the rear of the store. Similar to how Zediva operates, Maxwell's customers reserved a so-called "private exhibition" of these movies as the video stores' clerks queued up the videos from afar. A court later found this operation to be "not distinguishable in any significant manner from the exhibition of films at a conventional movie theater."
It was, in the court's opinion, a "public performance."
The MPAA is claiming maximum statutory damages in the amount of $150,000 per infringement for Zediva's alleged copyright violations.
Zediva hasn't yet issued a response to the movie industry's claims.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Unions Speak Out Against Piracy...

Joining federal lawmakers at a piracy press conference, the labor organizations denounced "profiteers" who traffic in illegally obtained content.
Representatives from the DGA, AFTRA, IATSE and SAG joined Congressional lawmakers at a press conference today on Capitol Hill to discuss fighting copyright infringement and Internet theft.
RELATED TOPICS
•Labor
The unions released a statement decrying "Illegal downloading and streaming of the content made by our members" and stating that those practices "pose a devastating threat to the future of the hundreds of thousands of working men and women who make up the American entertainment industry."
The release noted that those guilds and unions represent 300,000 creators, performers and craftspeople who create films, television programs and sound recordings. The Writers Guild was not part of the press conference, but both the WGA West and East have spoken out against piracy as well.
The union statement argued that "Professional content is a driving force behind the massive popularity of the Internet" and blasted "profiteers who knowingly traffic in content they have obtained illegally and played no role at all in creating or financing."
The press conference did not appear to be connected to any new legislative efforts to address unauthorized downloading or streaming.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

In One Day, $100 Million to Be Handed Out by California Film Commission....

We will exhaust all $100 million in tax breaks on June 1st," says Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission.
The California gold rush started 162 years ago but on June 1, there will be another kind of gold rush in the golden state. That morning, movie and TV producers can drop off applications for a share of $100 million in annual state tax credits for productions that meet certain requirements and shoot in the state during the year.
What's the rush? "We will exhaust all $100 million in tax breaks on June 1st," Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission said Friday morning at a commission meeting and breakfast for producers in Los Angeles.

In other words, the entire amount allocated by the state legislature for the year will be spoken for the first day that applications are accepted . Actually, more productions will seek tax breaks than is available for the year on that one day.

The commission, with help from the California Highway Patrol, will randomly choose among the entries submitted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to assign them a priority number and notify those chosen the next day.

Those that do not make the cut go on a waiting list. If and when qualified productions drop out or are cancelled, they become next in line for possible approval.

That has been the way it has gone since July 2009, when the state first funded a program of tax incentives for productions designed to compete with tax breaks offered by more than 40 other states, as well as Canada and countries all over the globe.

About 150 people attended the California Film Commission event which included film commissioners from 22 of 50 locales around the state, along with Los Angeles, who met, mingled and made brief "speed dating" presentations to producers of movies, TV and commercials who were on hand.

Lemisch noted that since the program kicked off, the state has spent $300 million on film incentives. Last year that helped keep 116 productions in California. Those productions direct spend in state was $2.2 billion, which includes $728 million in compensation for California-based crewmembers.

Lemisch said that resulted in employment for 25,000 "below the line" crew, 6,000 performers and 170,000 background extras.

The California program offers 20% tax breaks for features and cable TV series, and 25% for qualifying independent movies and TV series that return from other locations outside the state. Of the annual $100 million, $10 million is specifically set aside for independent productions, but they must have budgets of at least $1 million to qualify, and can earn incentives up to $10 million of their budget. Features must have budgets of $1 million to $75 million that can qualify.

While California was one of the last states to offer tax breaks, and its program is not as generous as states such as Louisiana (with over 40% in tax breaks), it does offer other unique advantages, according to Lisa Bruce, co-executive producer of last year's movie No Strings Attached, and a veteran line producer.

Bruce says because California has a larger pool of experienced crews, more stages, special effects companies, labs and other facilities than any other state, there are significant savings due to problems caused by inexperienced crews and waste. She also noted working in California often eliminates travel, lodging and other location expenses, and most involved in the production are happy to be close to home.

What California offers in incentives "actually becomes more money than the incentives offered by others," said Bruce. "I'm really happy we have it and hope it continues."

On Saturday April 2 there is also the 4th annual California Only Locations event, from 1 to 6 p.m. in Century city. RSVP at www.4thcaonly.eventbrite.com.

From June 3 through 5, the Association of Film Commissioners International will hold their annual conference in conjunction with the annual Producer's Guild Produced By Conference, which this year is being held on the Disney studio lot in Burbank. Info at www.ProducedByConference.com.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Music labels lash out at Amazon's cloud service...

Amazon is in a battle royale with music labels over its digital music locker service.

Launched on Monday, Amazon's Cloud Player is drawing criticism from record companies chagrined that the Seattle company did not secure music licenses from labels and publishers before releasing its service.

Sony Music Entertainment said in a statement, "We are disappointed that the locker service that Amazon is proposing is unlicensed by Sony Music, and we hope that Amazon will resolve the situation quickly by agreeing to a license with us. We are keeping all our legal options open."

Sony's spokesperson, Liz Young, declined to define "legal options" and whether the company's statement suggests Amazon's service violates any sort of copyright law.

On Tuesday, Amazon fired back that it didn't need licenses to launch its Cloud Player, which lets users upload songs and play the music from any Web browser or device that uses Google's Android operating system.

Because the files belong to users, Amazon isn't required to obtain licenses to be able to store them on its servers and make them accessible to users. But that requires users to upload their music, a process that could take hours if not days for large song collections.

Competing services such as Rdio, which has licenses from the major record labels for a locker service, scan a user's computer to take an inventory of songs on the hard disc drive, a process that takes minutes if not seconds, and instantly make those songs available to stream.

Amazon continues to negotiate with record labels for locker licenses, according to an executive with a major record label. But Amazon's preemptive strike in launching the service without those licenses have irked the record companies. One executive told Billboard that Amazon's service was "third-rate."

Sony has hesitated to jump on board with so-called cloud services because of concerns about users uploading pirated songs to the lockers, along with legitimately purchased music, according to executives familiar with the negotiations.

If this tune sounds familiar, it's a variation on another kerfuffle the online retailer had last year with book publishers. Amazon triggered an uproar last year by insisting that Kindle versions of new releases be sold at $9.99. Publishers rebelled, saying the low price cannibalizes sales of hardcover bestsellers, priced at $25 to $30. The upshot? Amazon caved in, allowing some publishers to set the retail prices for Kindle versions of their titles.

Can't we all just get along?

Thank you Los Angeles Times

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

On Location: Making a film about being film friendly...

It looked like any other film shoot in Los Angeles. About 70 cast and crew members converged on a neighborhood in Studio City last week.

Only this wasn't just any ordinary film production. The actors, crew members and vendors were there as volunteers, donating their services to produce a short public service announcement touting the economic benefits of filming in L.A.

The segment will be one of several spots that will be shown at Mann Theatres this summer as part of a campaign, dubbed Film Works, recently launched by FilmL.A. Inc. to promote L.A.'s signature industry, which has been increasingly leaving California.

"The goal is to highlight the economic importance of the industry that plays a vital role in our region and to remind people that when a film shoots in your neighborhood or on your street there are long-term benefits to L.A.,'' said Todd Lindgren, spokesman for the FilmL.A., the nonprofit organization than handles film permits in the region.

FilmL.A. co-produced the spot with the help of Shoot Movies in California, another nonprofit group that has been fighting so-called runaway production. "It's important to send a message to the community of L.A. that there is a problem and the problem is that work is not only leaving the city, but the state,'' said Ed Gutentag, the group's founder.

The 90-second segment features a monologue from actress and singer Tia Carrere ("Wayne's World," "Rising Sun" and "True Lies"). As she steps out of her trailer and walks toward the set, Carrere talks about the role of craft services workers, hairdressers, prop makers and others, pointing out how their work filters down to prop houses, catering companies, equipment suppliers and scores of other vendors.

"When a movie company like this shoots here in California, it puts close to $15 million back in the economy,'' she says. "We need more movies to be shot in California to help California."

That message will be coming soon to a theater near you.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

China's Top Online Search Engine Baidu Encourages Music and Movie Piracy

A report on so-called "Notorious Markets" by the United States Trade Representative showed that Baidu linked to illegal pirating websites.
BEIJING – Baidu, China's top online search engine, perpetuates theft of copyright and undermines respect for the rule of law, a report on so-called "Notorious Markets" issued late Monday by the United States Trade Representative said.
RELATED TOPICS
•International News
The USTR accused Baidu, the most visited website in China, of "inducing" consumers to consume pirated movies and music by producing search results linking websurfers to illegal third party web sites.

China has more websurfers on earth than any other nation – numbering more than 450 million by the end of 2010 – and Baidu is among the top 10 visited websites in the world.

The NASDAQ listed company declined media requests for comment Tuesday in China.

Shares in the Beijing based company were down nearly 2% in early Tuesday trade in New York to $118.86 each.

The USTR report comes weeks before China is supposed to tell the World Trade Organization how it has moved to comply with a Dec. 2009 ruling insisting it allow greater foreign participation in the distribution of copyrighted cultural content. Critics say that China protects domestic Internet, movie and music companies by freezing out competitors visiting from overseas and wishing to do business.

The USTR said that the production and sale of pirated goods is bad for the growth and success of legitimate businesses across the globe. "Piracy and counterfeiting undermine the innovation and creativity that is vital to our global competitiveness," USTR's Ron Kirk, President Barack Obama's principal trade advisor, said in a statement.

By Baidu's own admission, its popularity stems in part from a service that aggregates links to illegal materials, including pirated music and movies. The Recording Industry Association of America said in a statement. "Few if any of the links provided by Baidu connect the user to legitimate versions of copyright-protected materials. It is undoubtedly one of the largest distributors of infringing music in the world," said Neil Turkewitz, RIAA evp, International.

The RIAA is to the music industry what the Motion Picture Association is to Hollywood. The trade organization claims its members create, manufacture and/or distribute about 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced and sold in the United States.

The USTR report named 33 violating companies in total, including Canada's isoHunt and allofmp3.com clones in Russia and Ukraine.

"Whether online or in the physical space, these are firms who either directly profit from the sale or other distribution of illegal materials, or who profit from facilitating such theft -- in many cases through the sale of advertising," Turkewitz said.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Canadian Co-Pro Market Adds Australian Focus...

Australian state agencies sending local producers to Halifax to fill out budgets for indie projects.
TORONTO – Australian film and TV producers are to get their close-up at the upcoming Canadian co-production conference Strategic Partners.
Organizers added Australia to U.S. and South Africa as focus countries for their summer gathering.
State agencies Film Victoria, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, ScreenWest and South Australia Film will send their best and brightest producers to the Halifax marketplace in search of co-production coin.
Strategic Partners is set to run from Sept. 15 to 18 in Halifax, bridging the Toronto International Film Festival and the IFP Independent Filmmaker Project in New York City.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

Theater Owners Fuming Over Studios' VOD Plan...

News of the DirecTV deal, which is likely to include titles like Sony's "Just Go With It," adds new twist to CinemaCon.
LAS VEGAS – Feeling blindsided, theater owners were furious Thursday that four Hollywood studios didn't brief them on plans to launch a new premium VOD service on DirecTV late next month, followed swiftly by Comcast and VUDU. Exhibitors could respond by changing how they book films and play trailers.
OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS
DirecTV to Launch Premium VOD in April
Adding to their ire, word of the service broke just as exhibitors and studios were together in Las Vegas for CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners. Throughout Caesars Palace, home of the show, meetings between distributors and exhibitors ended abruptly as theater owners scrambled to make sense of the news.
Warner Bros., Fox, Sony and Universal are all on board, according to insiders. The movies will be available 60 days after their release in theaters for $29.99. Fox Searchlight titles will be offered 60 days from the date that they go wide.
In a strongly worded statement, National Assn. of Theater Owners John Fithian said the VOD service could fundamentally alter the economic relationships between exhibitors and the studios taking part in this "misguided adventure."
Theater owners say the shortening of the theatrical window could damage their businesses. Today, the average window is 120 days, although exhibitors have been amenable to a 90-day window in some cases.
"As NATO's executive board noted in their open letter of June, 16, 2010, the length of a movie's release window is an important considering for theater owners in whether, how widely and under what terms they book a film," Fithian said.
Fithian also said exhibitors could reevaluate how they play trailers for the films that are going to be made available on premium VOD.
While exhibitors knew there were discussions going on between the studios and DirecTV, they didn't know the deal had been finalized. They say the studios had assured them they'd be kept in the loop.
"Theater operators were not consulted or informed of the substance, details or timing of this announcement. It's particularly disappointing to confront this issue today, while we are celebrating our industry partnerships at our annual convention – CinemaCon – in Las Vegas," Fithian continued. "In the end, the entire motion picture community will have a say in how the industry moves forward. These studios have made their decision in what they no doubt perceive to be their best interests. Theater owners will do the same."
Theater owners aren't likely to speak out themselves until early next week, after they've returned home and checked with their boards. They always have the option of refusing to play a film.
Throughout the history of the film business, there have been dramatic showdowns between theater owners and studios over the window issue.
While DirecTV will offer the service to its to customers nationwide, Comcast and VUDU will do so only in select markets, at least initially.
Studios are hoping that premium VOD can help offset the decline of the DVD business, once a major source of revenue.
But some in the industry question whether consumers will want to pay up to $29.99 for a movie.
There's also concern over piracy. Paramount isn't taking part in the premium VOD service because of this issue.

The Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more

ony Online Entertainment Slashes Hundreds of Jobs, Shutters Three Studio...

As part of the restructuring, the game publisher cancels the release of the long-in-development action espionage massively multiplayer online game "The Agency."
Sony Online Entertainment has closed three of its game studios and laid off 205 workers as part of a massive restructuring. The game publisher has also canceled the release of the long-in-development action espionage massively multiplayer online game, The Agency.
"As part of this restructuring, SOE is discontinuing production of The Agency so it can focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games," the company said. "All possible steps are being taken to ensure team members affected by the transition are treated with appropriate concern."
SOE has shuttered its studios in Denver, Tucson and Seattle, where The Agency was in development. Acquired in 2006, the Denver studio had been focusing on digital card games based on SOE properties like Free Realms, Star Wars Galaxies, Legends of Norrath and Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures. The Tucson studio was overseeing the online strategy game, PoxNora.
SOE still has its Austin studio, which is home to DC Universe Online and Star Wars Galaxies, and its headquarters in San Diego, where games like EverQuest, PlanetSide, Vanguard and Free Realms are run. Both studios were also impacted by the layoffs with as many as half of each studio's staff let go.
"SOE will transition development efforts for the Denver and Tucson studios' suite of products to its San Diego headquarters in order to better position SOE to remain a global leader in online gaming and deliver on its promise of creating entertaining games for players of all ages and servicing the 20 million players that visited SOE servers in just the past year," the company said.
After rising to prominence in 1999 with its subscription-based EverQuest MMO game, SOE in recent years has expanded beyond its core fantasy role-playing games. Over the past few years, the company has targeted families and younger gamers with free-to-play titles like Free Realms, which has more than 17 million registered users. Last fall, SOE released its second Star Wars game, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures. Based on the popular Cartoon Network series from George Lucas,the free-to-play game world offered accessible mini-games and social networking experiences.
The company released the mainstream-focused, subscription-based DC Universe Online MMO game for PC and PlayStation 3 earlier this year. Jim Lee, co-publisher of DC Comics, served as executive creative director of the game, which features classic superheroes like Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

------------------------------------------------------ --> Submit to:

Show contact info

In order to avoid all the SCAMS, we decide not to publish all the info of the recruter in the job postings. You'll find the Daily Password in our Monthly Newsletter. You can Subscribe to our Newsletter here Thanks. A. www.chicas-productions.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --> Translate post:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read more