PBS to Add Commercials During Shows...

Public broadcast execs explain the decision by pointing to the steep drop-off in ratings when traditional messages were aired between shows.
PBS is breaking from its long-term model and adding commercials to shows, PBS officials told member stations at a recent conference in Orlando.
Instead of airing breaks every 50 minutes, as the public broadcaster does now, it will air them every 15 minutes beginning this fall, according to the New York Times. Nature and Nova are two of the shows that will contain corporate and foundation sponsor ads, promotional messages and branding every 15 minutes.
Feelings about the move are mixed.
"One of the biggest things they have to sell is that they are noncommercial," David D. Oxenford, a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, which represents several public broadcasters, told the Times.
Said Alberto Ibargüen, a former PBS board chairman and president and chief executive of the Knight Foundation, "My first reaction is that in any kind of marketing opportunity, if you give up something that is desirable and differentiates you from your competition, it's too bad, and that's what this is."
But he said the public broadcaster did not make this move in haste. "The people of PBS would not do this lightly."
John F. Wilson, the chief programming executive for PBS, pointed to the steep drop off of audience members once the promotional spots aired at the end of the shows: "It's almost as if someone pulled the fire alarm and they scrambled for the exits."
(PBS did not provide specific ratings figures.)
"I'd look really carefully at a Masterpiece drama, at how we'd do that or how often we'd do that," he added.
Now producers will have to restructure their shows to contain breaks.
"It's not like this is untested, uncharted territory in some respect," said Wilson.
Antiques Roadshow will begin airing sponsor messages in January "between looking at Grandma's sofa and the 1850s flintlock someone had in their basement," Oxenford told the Times.

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Assembly votes to extend film production tax break..

Assembly votes to extend film production tax break

By ADAM WEINTRAUB - Associated Press | AP – 29 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The state Assembly voted Tuesday to extend incentives for California's entertainment industry for five more years, approving up to $500 million in additional tax credits to help keep movie-making jobs in the state.
The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program enacted in 2009 has already helped keep some $2.2 billion in film and television production and 25,000 crew jobs in California, said Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, a Sylmar Democrat, arguing for the extension.
The Assembly voted 72-1 to extend the program from 2014 to July 2019. The bill goes next to the state Senate.
Supporters said other states and nations have been stepping up their incentives to lure away film and television work.
California lost production jobs for years until the credit took effect, said Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, and it was carefully crafted for economic benefit to the state.
"You had to create the job here to get the credit," he said.
Democrats and Republicans both backed AB 1069 as a way to preserve California jobs, though some GOP lawmakers said other industries needed the help as much as Hollywood.
Only Assemblyman Chris Norby voted against the bill, saying the tax credits tilted the level playing field of business competition.
"This is about picking and choosing economic winners and losers," Norby said. "If you want to support Hollywood, go see a movie. I haven't seen one in a long time."
Los Angeles area legislators had pushed for a production tax credit for years without success until then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got behind the idea in 2008. His backing was pegged to a decision by the producers of the ABC Studios television series "Ugly Betty" to move production from Los Angeles to New York, costing about two-thirds of the 150 crew members their jobs on the $3 million-per-episode show.

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Feature and Short meet in cannes selections around common theme Muslim saves young jews in Paris WW2 a true story

2 Films with a message meet in Cannes around same subject and true story: Muslim saves young jews in occupied Paris WW2

Both films (a feature film and a short film) tell a story based on the true life of Rector of The Grande Mosquée de Paris who saved young jews in 1942 by forging certificates of muslim origin for hundreds of young jews. 500 to 1600 the exact figure is not available, on Schindlers's list there WAS a list!


Free Men (Les hommes libres) written and directed by Ismaël FERROUKHI, produced by Fabienne Vonier starring Tahar Ramin... will screen may 19th in Official selection, a special screening out of competition as one of the two 'School Screenings', aimed at 'secondary pupils'may.


1942, in German-occupied Paris: Younes, a young unemployed Algerian, earns his living as a black marketeer. Arrested by the French police, Younes agrees to spy on the Paris Mosque. The police suspects indeed the Mosque authorities, among which Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit, its Rector, of helping Resistance fighters and Jews by giving them false certificates.
At the Mosque, Younes meets the Algerian singer Salim Halali. Younes is moved by Salim's beautiful voice and strong personality and they become friends. Soon after, he discovers that Salim is Jewish. In spite of the risks it entails, Younes stops collaborating with the police. Confronted by this barbarism, Younes gradually develops from being a politically ignorant immigrant worker into a fully-fledged freedom fighter.
A Pyramide production by Pyramide, screenplay by Ismaël FERROUKHI and Alain-Michel BLANC starring :Tahar RAHIM (le Prophète), Michael LONSDALE (of Gods and Men), Mahmoud SHALABY


Ensemble Directed by Mohamed Fékrane (2010) 12 minutes tell the same story from a different perspective, and with a shorter focus of the Imam's life played by Habib Kadi.
It will be shown as one of the 8 co-winners of Banlieuz'Art competition (sponsored by BNP and Région Ile de France) Salle Bazin May 20th at 2.00 followed by a press conference with the 8 jury members (each supporting their protégé film. Jean-Rachid producer of Grand Corps Malade, an actor, singer, stand up comedian: a man with many talents and tastes.

Paris, 1942, Isaac (inspired by Salim Halali) a Jewish child, escapes the Nazis, he finds refuge in the Mosquée of Paris where Ahmed, the founder and rector of the The Grande Mosquée de Paris, takes him under his protection, teaches him Coran and arab, fakes his certificate....
Ahmed then started to save as many children as possible from certain death. Before he was arrested...
A poignant story based on true events. though it is still impossible to evaluate the number of lives saved through these extraordinary brave acts, the estimates range between 600 and 1500.

Cast: Habib Kadi, Clémence Thioly, Arsene Mosca, DjamelBourriahi, Tony Baillargeat, Styéphane Mercier, Jacques Guillet, Leo Ouadfel, Chistophe Kourdouly and Erwan, the first Emotion Film Factory production (the company was set up by Christophe Kourdouly and Bruno Chatelin)
Crew:Director of photography : Victor Dupuis, Sound: Olivier Roux, Deco: Mark-R, Editing: Wadi Laadam, Color: Lamine Diakite
Produced by Christophe Kourdouly and Bruno Chatelin

The film is available online on Cinando. Ask for a invitation
Click to watch the trailer

Contacts in Cannes
Ensemble: Bruno Chatelin + 33 6 80 99 57 34 brunochatelin@emotion film factory
Free Men: André Paul Ricci +33 (0)6 12 44 30 62 apricci@wanadoo.fr

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Hollywood tailoring movies for overseas audiences...

Hollywood knows pirates and robots travel well overseas. This summer, movie studios will learn if the same holds true for hung-over Americans, alien-battling cowboys and animated cars that detour from Route 66.
And if these movies get hung up at the border, you can't say the filmmakers didn't put in the effort.
With international moviegoers now accounting for up to two-thirds of a blockbuster's total receipts, movies are more than ever being crafted with overseas audiences in mind — from story to casting to setting. Some animated films even substitute vocal talent, characters and jokes country by country.
"If we have storylines that at script-stage feel too U.S.-centric, especially with big action or science-fiction movies, we try to come up with solutions that will make the movie feel more global," says Tomas Jegeus, co-president of 20th Century Fox International Theatrical.
Evidence of that focus has been strong so far this year as more and more theaters enter the international marketplace. The high-octane heist picture "Fast Five," set in Rio de Janeiro and sporting a cast packing global appeal, currently leads the worldwide box office. Its revenues just passed the animated movie "Rio," also set in Brazil.
Both films also opened in selected international territories earlier than North America. That release pattern, once rare, is now commonplace — a concession both to piracy concerns and the importance of the global audience.
"Studios want to make movies that integrate international flavor and in genres that transcend cultures and language," says Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. "This is a global business and it's no longer who the stars are, but where they come from."
This can be seen in the internationally-loaded casting of would-be summer blockbusters like "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," debuting this weekend after its high-profile premiere last Saturday at the Cannes Film FestivAl , and the Brit-heavy "X-Men: First Class."
"If you have the possibility of hiring an actor who travels well, you try to do it," says "Pirates" producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose movie includes two newcomers — Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and England's Ian McShane — in lead roles. "An actor's worldwide popularity can only help with audiences."
Shading humor specifically to countries' cultures is also becoming a popular way to fuel box-office receipts. 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have worked wonders dubbing voices and localizing jokes for their "Ice Age" animated movies. Grosses from the films climbed from $383 million for the 2002 original to the $886 million take of "Dawn of the Dinosaurs," the third entry in the series.
"These movies aren't based on any particular culture, so you can dub them and they become local movies in every country," says Brazilian filmmaker Carlos Saldanha, director of "Rio" and the "Ice Age" films.
Pixar Animation will be following that formula to a degree this summer, localizing "Cars 2" in six different countries by subbing in a different car for a scene that takes place at a Tokyo party.
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon provides the voice in the United States, but will be replaced in the one scene with regional favorites like Australian racer Mark Winterbottom and Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso.
"Pixar is taking a lot of care to make the movie as specific to these countries as possible," ''Cars 2" producer Denise Ream says. "This is Pixar's biggest movie. I like to joke that we built the world for this one."
That kind of heavy lifting can be painful during production but prove rewarding for the bottom line. The first "Cars" movie, which followed its automotive characters in a distinctly American setting, did well commercially in North America. Overseas, however, audiences didn't connect with its nostalgic story, and the film failed to equal domestic grosses, a rarity for the genre.
"Cars 2" takes its characters around the world, an idea its co-writer and co-director, Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter, came up with while traveling to promote the first movie.
"It's always done with the story in mind," Ream says, "and not just for the sake of doing it."
Similarly, the notorious nightlife of Bangkok seemed the perfect setting for "The Hangover Part II." And moving "Fast Five" to Rio represented part of a concerted effort to give the franchise a wider appeal beyond its American automotive roots, says David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures' international division.
"It's not a car movie," Kosse says. "We're picking up people who haven't seen the other movies who want to see a heist movie."
Box-office tracker Dergarabedian notes the common wisdom that epic action movies and superhero popcorn flicks have been friendly genres for foreign audiences. But he says that comedies like "Hangover Part II" work, too, provided the humor is broad.
As for how the traditional international aversion to American Westerns might affect July's sci-fi Western "Cowboys & Aliens," Dergarabedian laughs.
"The combination of themes is precisely why it will work with foreign audiences," he says. "Plus, it stars James Bond (Daniel Craig). They've done their homework."

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U.K. Film, TV Directors Support Rejection of 'Fair Use' Copyright Policy...

Hargreaves Report says the U.K. Government should not introduce measures to allow copyrighted content to be used for free.

LONDON – Directors U.K., the body representing over 4,000 directors working in film and television, said a report looking at copyright and deciding against the introduction of a U.S. "fair use" regime is a good thing.
The report, authored by Ian Hargreaves, said the Google-backed proposal to allow copyrighted content to be used for free, is not something the Government here should aim to introduce in changes to copyright law making.
"We welcome the clear and firm support given to the importance of copyright as a stimulus for creativity, innovation and growth, and for the support for effective enforcement of copyright against theft," said Directors U.K. CEO Andrew Chowns. "We are pleased that Professor Hargreaves has decided against the introduction of a U.S. "fair use" regime.
Hargreaves' report, published Tuesday here, called for 10 changes to archaic regulations that he argued are stunting the growth of the creative and technology industries.
The review was commissioned by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Proposed changes include creating a "one-stop shop" for digital rights clearance and lifting restrictions on parodying copyrighted material.
"We also welcome Professor Hargreaves' vision for modern, efficient and accountable collecting societies operating a flexible copyright licensing regime. Directors U.K. believes the concept of the Digital Copyright Exchange is well worth consideration as a means of licensing digital uses efficiently and we welcome the opportunity to participate in this project," Chowns added.
"We welcome the assurances regarding better enforcement at home and abroad and the measures to assist in rights clearance where there is market failure but we are concerned about a number of recommendations which will have an impact on the film industry including proposals related to exceptions on copyright and linking the Digital Copyright Exchange to enforcement.
After the report was published, Christopher Marcich, president and managing director, Motion Picture Association, which reps the major Hollywood film studios, issued a statement.
Marcich said the MPA is ready and willing to "engaging with the government on these proposals to ensure that the vital safeguards provided by IP protection, which give the creative sector its value, are maintained and that any changes are carefully considered in the context of their potential impact on the market place."

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WGAW Report Shows Lack of Diversity Among Film, TV Writers...

"The current recession has done little to help women, minority and older writers move ahead in the Hollywood industry," the study says.

The writers' rooms are still lacking in diversity, according to a new report from the Writers Guild of America West.

The study, titled "2011 Hollywood Writers Report," examines employment status and earnings based on age, gender and ethnicity for writers in 2008 and 2009.

"The current recession has done little to help women, minority and older writers move ahead in the Hollywood industry relative to their male, white and younger counterparts," the report says.
Among the findings is the fact that the percentage of working writers who were women dropped by one percentage point from 2007 levels to 24% in 2009. In addition, the earnings gap between male and female TV writers increased from $5,109 in 2007 to $9,400 in 2009. On the film side, the gap shrunk to its lowest level in eight years ($14,017).

Meanwhile, the share of minority writers working in TV rebounded to 2005 levels (10%), but the report noted that minorities are still underrepresented by a ratio of 3-to-1. The earnings gap for minorities widened to its largest level in at least 10 years ($23,325).
In film, the ratio is 7-to-1, with the share of minorities employed in writing jobs declining to its lowest level in at least 10 years (5%). But the earnings gap shrunk from $38,542 in 2007 to $20,864 in 2009.

Elsewhere, the employment rate for the largest group of "older writers," defined as those aged 41-50, has remained flat at 61% since 2005.

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Incentives Update May 21st 2011

MICHIGAN REDUX

The Michigan Senate has approved a ceiling of $10 million, considerably less than the $25 million in the Governor's proposed budget, but more than the zero amount approved by the House. The Michigan Film Office says that this eliminates the incentives program from the tax code, which will allow it to now be part of an appropriations process. The Governor is proceeding with his plan to allocate $25 million from a tobacco settlement fund. Meanwhile, legislation was introduced last week to leave the program largely intact, but change the amount to a negotiated figure between 10% and (up to) 40%. Stay tuned.

UTAH

The Governor has signed legislation that raises the incentive (rebate or refundable credit) to 25%. The Legislature also approved an ongoing tax credit fund of $6.8 million for the Motion Picture Incentive Fund (MPIF).

FLORIDA

New legislation has been passed (but not yet signed by the Governor) that will make some changes to the successful Florida program, including $12 million in additional tax credits for the last three fiscal years of the program. A 5% bonus for shooting in underutilized locations has been added; another 5% can be added if using a "Qualified production facility". There is a bonus for hiring students or recent film school graduates; however, in no event can tax credit awards exceed 30% of the Florida qualified spend.

Unfortunately, there are now some complicated restrictions that could make television series production, difficult - if not impossible. Hopefully, these concerns will be resolved prior to the Governor signing the new legislation, as Florida is an important production center, with a good incentives program.

MARYLAND
The Governor signed new legislation on May19, 2011, which provides a refundable tax credit of 25% (27% for television) of qualified expenses. $7,500,000 is available per fiscal year, with any unused amounts carrying forward to the next year.

WASHINGTON STATE

The Washington House has approved legislation to extend the incentives program past its sunset date of July, 2011. The measure now goes to the Senate. Washington offers a 30% cash rebate, with $3.5 million appropriated each year.

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Dish Wooing New Customers by Giving Away Subscriptions to Blockbuster...

Incoming CEO Joe Clayton says acquisitions and other initiatives are in store as it steps up competition with Netflix.
Dish Network said Thursday its new customers will become subscribers to Blockbuster By Mail for three months free.
The initiative is an example of the synergies Dish had in mind when it purchased Blockbuster out of bankruptcy for $228 million last month.
Blockbuster By Mail is a subscription movie service that competes with Netflix.
Separately on Thursday, Joe Clayton, who will take over as CEO of Dish when Charlie Ergen steps down next month, told the Associated Press he's looking for more companies to acquire. He hinted at stepping up the competition against Netflix, especially in streaming.
"If I were them, I'd be watching what's going on," he told the AP. "I'd stay tuned. Because no one's going to have a monopoly on this and I'm sure it's not just our company that's looking at trying to take a small piece of the pie from Netflix."

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Riviera market revival Cannes buyers in feeding frenzy after famine of the past

CANNES -- The Croisette was abuzz last week over helmer Lars von Tier's declarations of Nazi sympathy and subsequent condemnation by Cannes Festival officials. But Cannes is also about commerce, and that scandal couldn't overshadow the upbeat news coming from buyers and sellers: after a decade's gathering gloom, the robust, near-dramatic market vigor of 2011's Cannes suggested an international film biz that's finally turning a corner.
"The energy in the marketplace hasn't been seen in years," says Focus Features Intl.'s Alison Thompson. "We needed it."

Much of that energy comes from a healthy appetite for product, especially commercial pics. Other factors in play thatcreated an exciting marketplace include the promise of muscular new territories such as Russia and Latin America, and a plethora of product that sometimes led to bidding wars. While one mart cannot predict a whole industry's future, the Riviera revival points to a far healthier market-led scenario than the easy-money bonanzas of yesteryears.

Cannes' trading bravado is doubly remarkable given the international market isn't really coming back: DVD sales are in general decline and TV deals difficult to snag.

"The current market situation is driven only by product," says Constantin honcho Martin Moszkowicz.

After a famine, a feeding frenzy's natural.

"The market's partly recovered from crisis. Secondly, new product quality is way better, on both big and mid-range movies," says Lionel Uzan at France's SND. "With less silly money around, projects simply have to be better, with more attention paid to audiences."

Echoing Uzan, Summit Intl.'s David Garrett says, "Given the amount of seemingly good high-profile product at Cannes, people were keen to lock down what they can get here."

By the first weekend, Summit had pretty well sold out Paul W.S. Anderson's "Pompeii," and "Tarzan 3D," both from Germany's Constantin.

"This is the best market we've had in terms of volume of business done in a short period of time," says Garrett.

Buyers flocked to Lionsgate's "Great Hope Springs," Sierra/Parker seller "Ender's Game," and "End of Watch," sold by Exclusive Media.

Also flying off shelves: IM Global's "The Last Days of an American Crime," and Sam Worthington and James Wan's "Spectre." FilmNation's untitled Oren Peli project did good biz.

"We're delighted at the volume and breadth of deals across multiple projects," says IM Global's Stuart Ford. "This market reflects the number of strong buyers in all major territories."

Big business didn't stop there: Focus Features Intl.'s $100 million-plus "Cloud Atlas" racked up steady sales, lowering its estimated budget to buyers later on in the fest; Exclusive Media's "Snitch" attracted buyers' attention, especially after a mid-market Summit U.S. pickup.

There's also a new sense of confidence.

Entertainment One outbid rivals for various titles, including Summit's "Pompeii," while Alliance/Momentum, mirroring the activity of the Weinstein Co., threw some serious money down for bigger pics.

Inferno virtually sold out "The Host" by May 15 after intense major-territory bidding wars. It was a good market for the outfit. President of international sales Kimberly Fox says Inferno left the market with the vast majority of territories sold on its films.

Emerging markets also boosted confidence. Russia's Paradise/MGN alone picked up "Pompeii," "Tarzan 3D," "Switch," "Ender's Game," plus four Focus titles.

Latin America used to rep around 5% of a pic's budget. Now sales agents are asking for 8% or even 10%, says one Latin American distributor.

Newer market trends gathered force as well, with genre titles, such as SND's "Livid" and "The Incident," Spain's "Inertia," making a splash.

"If relatively original in concept, with high production levels, genre films work well," says Gonzalo Sagardia at Spain's Vertice Sales.

Indeed, L.A.-based Arclight fully financed "Tell," with Brendan Fraser, out of pre-sales, undercoring market demand for family-skewed adventure, per Arclight honcho Gary Hamilton.

Behind new product and enlarged appetite, however, longer-term factors are at play.

Hollywood's studios have largely given up on making mid-budget films, yet around the world, deep-pocketed indie distribs still need tentpoles or star-studded medium-budget movies to compete for key playdates and drive TV deals.

With the majors out of the game, a new breed of heavy-hitters is stepping into the breach, some producing quasi-studio films, many with large ambitions.

With close to 80% of StudioCanal's titles now mainstream, English-language films, "we've had steady growth, selling ever-stronger titles and doing ever-bigger deals," says StudioCanal's Harold Van Lier about the past couple of years.

Another bright factor in the market revival is the re-entry of two particularly troubled markets -- piracy-whammed Spain and local production-focused Japan -- in the pre-buy game, Van Lier adds.

Indie production still labors under large pressures.

"It's still important to bring budgets in at a range that's affordable, says Exclusive Media topper Alex Walton. "That's important to TV buyers too."

For pure-play arthouse, "The new trend is that art films with strong assets -- cast, director, big fest selection -- can sell," says Frederic Corvez, at France's Urban Distribution Intl. "But life's very hard for small films from first-time directors."

Just how long the boom will last is another question, but for now, why ask?

Nick Holdsworth and Emiliano de Pablos contributed to this report.

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Fox International Announces Chinese Film Development Award (Cannes)

Recipients will receive a cash grant and a first-look deal with the studio.

CANNES -- Fox International Productions and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) have announced the creation of the annual Fox Chinese Film Development Award, which is accompanied by a first-look deal with the studio and a cash grant of HK$100,000.

"We believe that there is a wealth of unrealized filmmakers in China," FIP president Sanford Panitch said during a press conference in Cannes. "One of the goals of FIP is about finding this talent and introducing them to the rest of the world."
The award is part of FIP's latest effort to break into the local-language film business in the worlds' fastest growing movie market.
Submissions are open to any Chinese-language project, or a project with the potential to be adapted into a Chinese-language film. They can be submitted by the copywriter of the project, whether a director, producer, writer or other talent.
The call for entries is open from now through Oct. 30. Projects will be judged based on their creativity, originality and Asian cultural content, as well as their potential for being made into a full-length feature.
Five projects will be shortlisted. The first winner will be announced at the HAF awards ceremony in March 2012.
"We are most grateful to Fox for their award," said Roger Garcia, executive director of the Hong International Film Festival society, which oversees HAF. "Fox's decision to make their award at HAF shows that Hong Kong continues to be the hub our our region's cinema."
Now in its 10th year, HAF supports cinema culture in the Asian region by selection projects from various countries to take part in the three-day event. HAF funding and awards have contributed to more than 50 film projects, many of which have have gone on to play at major film festivals and secure distribution.
The Fox Chinese Film Award comes as Hollywood studios amp up their efforts to make Chinese co-productions, and take part in the moviegoing boom in China.
FIP's first mandarin-language co-production, Hot Summer Days, made in 2009 with Beijing-based partners Huayi Brothers, was shot for $2.4 million and grossed $22 million. A sequel is in the works and FIP hopes soon to be able to announce its 2011 release in China.
FIP's second China foray, The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, also with Huayi, cost less to make (under $1 million) and made less back (about $3 million), but exceeded the studio's expectations by launching an unknown director with great potential, Panitch says.
Director Wuershan, an ethnic minority from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, moved from his feature debut with FIP to direct the sequel to the 2008 hit Painted Skin, from Hong Kong director Gordon Chan, that grossed about $33 million at China's box office.
"With the directors we're finding, it's not about the future, it's about now," Panitch said in an earlier interview, noting that Wuershan's debut film The Butcher would help form the first slate of films launching the recently announced Fox World Cinema label.
Jonathan Landreth reported from Beijing.

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The New 3D Technology Behind 'Pirates of the Caribbean'...

The James Cameron and Vince Pace-created Fusion 3D camera system has a new feature that makes it easier to shoot in challenging locations.
When the production of Disney's 3D Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides tapped the James Cameron and Vince Pace-created Fusion 3D camera system, it used for the first time what might be a promising development in that technology.

Disney's `Pirates' $346 Million Opening Fourth-Biggest Worldwide Debut Ever at Weekend Box Office
A new, modular "x frame" system is "going to be a part of almost every" Cameron-Pace supported 3D project going forward, Pace, co-chairman and CEO of Cameron-Pace Group, told The Hollywood Reporter. Going forward, that might include support for features, documentaries, episodic TV series -- and Avatar 2 and 3.
For this latest Pirates movie, director of photography Dariusz Wolski (who also lensed the three earlier Pirates films) and his team incorporated this new x frame approach into the shoot, which used the Fusion system with Red MX cameras. Production involved shooting on location in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles and London.
Simply put, x frame is about reducing the size of the system -- which is something that the industry as a whole is working toward when 3D gear is concerned. "They had to be able to go from studio rigs, to handheld, to Steadicam -- and had to do it in the jungle in Hawaii," Pace told THR. "In some places the road was about 3 feet wide. There was no way to bring in heavy equipment on trucks. ... We had to treat this almost as a military operation, so if they had to take equipment on a helicopter and transport it to a beach -- which they did -- they were not restricted by a large support infrastructure.
"We concentrated on reducing the size as much as possible and increasing the mobility and making the rig robust enough to handle that kind of environment," Pace explained, saying that the company is now able to configure a Fusion system that in some cases might be 30-40 percent smaller than anything it did before.
As each production has different demands, the plan going forward is to use this x frame approach to create customized Fusion systems for anything from a small movie to a tentpole. "There are so many different recording options and configurations that it's hard to create a one size fits all," Pace said. "The package that gives you good 3D and a good workflow doesn't have to be the Avatar package."
Pace sees the potential of the x frame system extending beyond features, and at some point, contributing in the young area of 3D television programming production. "Where it really starts to pay off is when you are getting into episodic television," Pace suggested. "I think (the x frame system) will migrate to that type of television work where you want to make sure your footprint is mobile and has the least amount of impact on the set."
Pace also believes this system could be useful to filmmakers who what to shoot nature documentaries. "They can bring (only) the necessary equipment."
To begin to get this system in the hands of filmmakers, the x frame technology has already been shipped to Budapest, where Fusion rigs are being used to shoot 47 Ronin.
Development of Cameron-Pace's Fusion camera system began more then a decade ago. Since then it has been used in a variety of situations, including a dive to Titanic to shoot Cameron's 3D documentary Ghosts of the Abyss and recently on location with Michael Bay on the upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

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Belgium Launches First 3D Film Market...

3D Film Mart Runs Dec. 7-8 in Liege, Belgium and will feature some 20 projects in development with about ten equity investors will be invited.

COLOGNE, Germany - Belgium will launch the first ever film market exclusively devoted to 3D films. The 3D Film Mart, or 3DFM will bow for the first time Dec. 7-8 in Liege, Belgium and will offer a platform for producers of 3D features, animation, documentaries and TV fare to hook up with co-producers, financiers, sales agents and distributors from around the world. The inaugural 3DFM will feature some 20 projects in development and about ten equity investors will be invited.
Organizers, which include TWIST, organizers of Belgium's 3D Stereo MEDIA conference, and German consultancy group peacefulfish, hope the market will spur the production of 3D features in Europe.
The European Commission's MEDIA program will help bankroll the market. The first 3DFM is currently accepting submissions for projects and participants for the inaugural event. Information will be available from June 6 on www.3dstereomedia.eu. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 1.

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Jafar Panahi not in Cannes for This Is Not a Film premiere

Banned Iranian director who received prison sentence for criticising regime stars in movie smuggled out of Iran

by Catherine Shoard, guardian.co.uk, Saturday 21 May 2011 12.45 BST

Most prints for films premiering at Cannes are delivered to the Croisette by private helicopter, or clutched in the sweaty paws of their devoted directors. Jafar Panahi's new film, This Is Not a Film, was smuggled into the country on a USB stick buried inside a cake posted from Iran to Paris.

Panahi, the virtuoso neo-realist who won a prize at Cannes for his debut, The White Balloon, in 1995, and, at 50, now has one of the most sagging mantlepieces in cinema, is currently stuck in Iran, awaiting the verdict of his appeal against a six-year prison term, and 20-year-ban on film-making, talking to the press and travelling abroad. The sentence was passed in December 2010, after the Iranian government accused him of "colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country's national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic". Panahi denies the charges.

So This Is Not A Film was presented by its nominal director, Mojtaba Mirtahasebi, who spends a day with Panahi in his high-rise apartment, sipping tea, chewing sugarlumps and watching the director map out scenes from a screenplay he's been working on. It sounds earnest: in fact it's fantastically entertaining, full of incidents that would be too far-fetched for the wildest farce: endless animals get dumped on the director to babysit, for instance, including a 6ft iguana which paces the apartment restlessly, as unhappy to be cooped up as his temporary master.

For most of the film, Panahi endeavours to exploit a loophole in his sentence by being in front of the camera, rather than behind. But he becomes disillusioned with the project – "Why would you make a film if you could just talk through it?" – and he's a compulsive director, filming his companion and any visitors on his iPhone; documenting the scenes outside the window. The pair even manage to have some fun with the censorship – the end credits give special thanks to a blank screen; that title feels more tongue-in-cheek than drum-beating.

"We have a saying in Iran," said Mirtahasebi, "that when hairdressers get bored they cut each others' hair. That is what we were doing: filming one another." The image is as amusing as it is poignant: for both, simply the documentation of events is enough to make such a project valuable.

It's also a tool in lobbying round the world for Panahi's liberty. "I think making a film is like giving birth to a child – it's a very complicated thing," said Mirtahasebi. "But I think at the same time to spread it around is more difficult – it's like actually raising a child. And that is the function of festivals like Cannes."

It is also the function of emerging technologies: Panahi speaks passionately about the role of the digital world in creating lasting archives, even if they cannot be shared at the time. Mirtahasebi, too, suggests that a familiarity with the online world gave them a natural advantage over the Iranian establishment, which he suspected of ignorance about both cinema itself and the internet: "They don't realise that they can't adapt it to fit their own vision." Indeed, Panahi watched the Cannes press conference unfold through a Skype and an iPad camera – although all interaction was, by necessity, one way.

His colleague, meanwhile, was visibly nervous to be presenting the film in public, eager to emphasise how closely he needed to monitor his words to protect his own safety once he returns to Iran (even the type of cake was information not deemed shareable). Solidarity with his colleague, he confirmed, was a fraught business.

"We have decided to take the risks of what we're doing. Step by step, we are trying to fight. This has a price. But we wanted to use that energy that is not being used in film-making. We didn't want to give up."

Panahi's arrest in December was not his first. During last year's Cannes festival, Panahi was on hunger strike in prison in Tehran to protest against being imprisoned on unspecified charges. The actor Juliette Binoche paid tribute to him in an emotional press conference, and, accepting the best actress award for Certified Copy (directed by the Iranian film-maker Abbas Kiarostami), held up a placard bearing Panahi's name. These actions were widely believed to have aided his release less than a week later.

But his freedom proved shortlived. One might have forgiven Mirtahasebi and Panahi for feeling sceptical about the potential leverage of cinema. Martin Scorsese, Ken Loach, and thousands of others have signed petitions and campaigned for his release. Yet to no apparent avail. Surely there must be some disillusion? "Not at all," said Mirtahasebi. "Hope is what is guarding us. It's how we are able to work and to carry on. Hope is the last thing we've got."

Thanks The Guardian!

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Retransmission consent fees to hit $3.6 billion in 2017...

For years, the broadcast television industry has griped about the unfair advantage the cable industry has because its business model is based on two revenue streams -- subscriptions and advertising -- while broadcast only gets money for commercials.

It's time to stop complaining.

A new report from SNL Kagan says that the broadcast networks and local television stations will be pulling in more than $3.6 billion annually in so-called retransmission consent fees from cable and satellite operators by the end of 2017. In 2010, SNL Kagan said retransmission consent generated about $1.14 billion.

Although the gains are impressive, broadcast fees still pale in comparison to what cable networks get in carriage deals. Kagan says a typical television station in a top market gets less than 75 cents per subscriber, per month, while ESPN is getting $4.76. TNT and Disney both average about $1 per subscriber.

Going forward, cable operators will have to find a way to stomach the rising costs of programming. It all can't be passed on to the consumer. Distributors may finally have to get tough on cable networks that are not delivering big ratings but whose subscription fees continue to rise.

In the past, cable operators have struggled to lower fees or drop networks that are not delivering big numbers. Part of the reason for that is that most cable networks are owned by a handful of companies who bundle their properties together, making it difficult for distributors to pick and choose which ones to carry.

As for what the broadcast networks will do with their retransmission consent loot, it could be used to pump up investments in programming and sports. Or they'll just save it for bonuses.

Thank you Los Angeles Times

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MPAA Moves To Shut Down Online Rental Service Zediva...

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Nintendo adds 3-D video channel, Netflix streaming to 3DS...

Nintendo on Wednesday said it will launch a dedicated channel featuring short form 3-D videos and movie trailers for its 3DS handheld game console, set to hit stores later this month.

The announcement, made at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, was one of several new features Nintendo is layering onto the 3DS to help it compete against Apple's iPhone and iPad, which have made major inroads into the market for mobile games once dominated by Nintendo.

Reggie Fils-Aime, head of Nintendo's U.S. operations, said the 3DS will be able to support Netflix's instant streaming service and, by late May, be able to connect to the Web via 10,000 wireless Internet hot spots hosted by AT&T.

The Japanese game company also said it will launch eShop, an online marketplace similar to Apple's iTunes app store, to sell downloadable games for its 3DS.

Set to go on sale in the U.S. on March 27 for $250, the 3DS features two screens, one of which displays stereoscopic 3-D images that can be viewed without glasses. Nintendo said it will distribute a number of handpicked 3-D videos as well as 3-D movie trailers to the device beginning in late May.

But Fils-Aime emphasized that "the primary function of the 3DS is to play games." About 18 games, priced at $40 apiece, are slated to launch with the device later this month, including Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Ridge Racer 3D and Super Street Fighter IV 3D.

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China Opens $690 Million Animation Facility Near Beijing...

The port city of Tianjin's new facility looks to take on foreign cartoons like 'Kung Fu Panda 2.'

BEIJING – China has opened a 4.5 billion yuan ($690 million) animation facility in Tianjin, the port city nearest the capital, Beijing, giving the domestic cartoon industry a much-needed boost just as Kung Fu Panda 2 reminds China how far behind Hollywood it is.
More than 180 firms have signed up for animation production and related services at the state-backed 190 acre base, located in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, about 30 minutes by high-speed rail from Beijing, the Xinhua news agency reported over the weekend.
Kung Fu Panda 2's opening on Saturday to packed cinemas in Beijing was a strong reminder that no animated Chinese feature has ever made it big outside China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, yet Hollywood is able to co-opt a Chinese symbol and laugh all the way to the bank.
In 2008, DreamWorks Animation's original Kung Fu Panda was the first animated feature to gross more than 100 million yuan at China's box office, which, three years ago, equaled about $15.2 million.

At an opening ceremony for the new Tianjin facility on Friday, China's Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, said that animation production was a part of China's overall development plan for its cultural industries from 2011-2015.
China's one-party central government, which is expected to undergo a leadership transition in 2012, introduced its latest five-year plan earlier this year. Much was said about the importance of media in promoting China's image overseas.
According to Xinhua, Cai said that over the past two years the culture ministry and the Tianjin government had worked together toward the development of a domestic animation industry that would include fund raising, financial and technology services.
The Tianjin animation base will be developed into a center for production, trading, exhibition, training, research and development and international exchanges, Cai said, according to Xinhua.
Earlier this year, Legend of a Rabbit, a feature-length 3D cartoon about a humble bunny who takes on a badass panda to save a kung fu school, was announced as the Tianjin Film Studio's $12 million attempt to give Kung Fu Panda 2 a run for its money.
Kung Fu Panda made $633 million worldwide. No Chinese animation character is known much wider than Greater China.

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China on forefront of major film market growth...

China on forefront of major film market growth
Changes likely to bring liberalization
By CLIFFORD COONAN

BEIJING - China is on the cusp of a golden era of growth, which will see it become the world's second biggest film market and bring with it more market liberalization, a report by the China Film Association Research Center shows.
The report is due for release in coming weeks and weighs in at a hefty 560,000 words, divided into an annual report, a special topic section and market research.

As well as becoming the second biggest film market in the world, by 2015 the market will see an end to monopoly control of the biz by state-owned groups, cinema-construction will spread to the second-tier and third-tier cities, there will be better branding of cinema chains and animation will become a big part of the biz.

This could be a reference to a loosening of the quota system, which allows around 20 overseas pics a year into China, but which biz figures insist is becoming less strict.

"The figure of 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) box office last year is one of the highlights of our report, but we are not only interested in the headline figure, but also the positive way in which the whole industry developed, and the focus on structure," said Liu Haodong, director of the China Film Association Research Centre and chief editor of the report.

Production, financing, cinema construction all expanded in 2010, and the scale of the industry grew significantly, the report said, while 3D and Imax technology also performed strongly.

The report notes that the make-up of the auds is changing, with more and more middle-aged people going to the movies, whereas previously cinema-going had been largely the preserve of 20- and 30-somethings.

Also a flurry of mid-sized cinemas in central and western China were helping boost the industry.

Film themes remained limited, the report said, so there needed to be more genres.

Zhou Tiedong, prexy of China Film Promotion International, said the report showed that Chinese films have little market abroad.

"We are now at the same stage of development as the US in the 1970s, and it's time to start promoting overseas sales. We've been connected with the international industry, except in marketing.

ing period as 1970s in US, and now it's time to promote the foreign-market development. We've been connected with the international film industry in a lot ways, except the marketing way.

"All the film productions which could go to the international market now are co-productions, and many are not representative of China's industry. We have 526 film productions, and almost 500 of them are stopped at the gate," he said.

Thank you Variety

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Call for Entries - 10th Urban Mediamakers Film Festival

The 10th Urban Mediamakers Film Festival takes place October 14-16, 2011 in Duluth, Georgia. UMFF 2011 is seeking animations, documentaries, shorts, features, scripts, key art designs, music videos, web/TV series for competition. Submit today http://www.umff.com/mpages/submissions.html.

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