CHICAS PRODUCTIONS: UK

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It was once so rich that Concorde used to fly from Caracas to Paris. But in the last three years its economy has collapsed. Hunger has gripped the nation for years. Now, it’s killing people and animals that are dying of starvation. The Venezuelan government knows, but won’t admit it!!! Four in five Venezuelans live in poverty. People queue for hours to buy food. Much of the time they go without. People are also dying from a lack of medicines. Inflation is at 82,766% and there are warnings it could exceed one million per cent by the end of this year. Venezuelans are trying to get out. The UN says 2.3 million people have fled the country - 7% of the population.

Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

U.K. Piracy Fight Aims at Educating a Younger Demographic...

The Industry Trust says there's been a "big spike" in pirated consumption among 11 and 12-year-olds.

LONDON – The fight against piracy in the U.K. has become more about persuasion and less about punishment than about trying to change behavior. And it's having to target an ever younger demographic.
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That's the message from the Industry Trust, the U.K. film and TV industry body backed by everyone from the U.S. studios to retailers and TV banners, set up to look after copyright issues and fight piracy.
At a Piracy and Distribution workshop hosted by the Industry Trust during this year's BFI London Film Festival, a high profile panel of industry reps and commentators discussed the role web search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing play in pushing consumers towards pirated material, the need to educate a generation of movie and TV consumers and the hope that changing habits will reduce piracy.
According to figures presented by the Trust, 40 percent of those infringing copyright are not even aware the sites they are being led too via search engines are illegal.
Kicking off the discussion and debate, Industry Trust for IP Awareness director general Liz Bales said that over the last few years the industry body has seen a "big spike" in pirated consumption among the 11 to 12-year-old demographic.
Bales said the days of trying to scare people off from illegal downloads or buying pirated goods is less relevant as a generation grows up in a digital online age.
"What we are trying to do now is to inspire people to consume it [content] through legal providers. It's all about directing them where to go and create that kind of behavior."
Bales noted that in her eight years of overseeing the Industry Trust fight, piracy was a matter of "habitual behavior" and that concentrating on changing consumer habit via gentle persuasion rather than scare tactics was almost certainly more appropriate, especially among younger demographics.
She also noted that while often genre-led, titles such as Oscar winning The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow had been one of the most heavily pirated releases in 2009 because it had not been as widely distributed as the public's appetite wanted.
The panel also discussed the role of the web search engine powerhouses with Google at the heart of the debate.
"We hope the changes they made to the algorithm will begin to take effect and make an impact," Bales said.
There was also frustration in the room that the much-vaunted Digital Economy Act, a piece of British legislation that is currently languishing in the Treasury government department and has several legal sanctions and measure to combat copyright infringement in the digital age, remains shelved as the coalition government shows no appetite to enact it and make it part of the British legal landscape.
But the softly softly approach to educating children was highlighted with the debut of a short film made for the upcoming National Youth Film Festival for schools and youth groups to point them in the right direction.
It shows two Muppet-like characters talking as the older one watches Fast and Furious 6 on a laptop "that he's streaming".
The smaller, younger puppet suggests that it might be an idea to pay for the film because without the money, there would be no "awesome" special effects and bits of flying debris.
He also suggests that the "seven quid" ($11) the older puppet thinks would make no difference might pay for at least one of Vin Diesel's socks.
The humorous exchange aims to highlight that if people stop paying for content, then the content will no longer be made.

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U.K. Supermarket Giant Tesco Enters Tablet Market With Hudl Launch...

The $191 device includes a button that allows users to watch movies and TV shows via the company's Blinkbox online video service.

LONDON – U.K. supermarket giant Tesco on Monday launched its own tablet, the Hudl, in a challenge to Apple's iPad and Amazon.com's Kindle.

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The seven-inch Android-operated Hudl will go on sale Sept. 30 and cost about $191 (£119), less than the iPad, but around the same as the Kindle and Google Android devices.
The Tesco tablet, which comes in four colors, has a button that allows users to watch movies and TV shows via the supermarket company's Blinkbox online video service, listen to music, shop or check their Tesco club card points. Club card holders can also watch free video content via the company's Clubcard TV service.
"Hudl is a colorful, accessible tablet for the whole family to enjoy," said Tesco CEO Philip Clarke. "The first stage in our tablet offering, it's convenient, integrated and easy to use with no compromise on spec. Customers are quite rightly very discerning about the technology they buy, so we knew we had to be competitive on all fronts."
Addressing the tablet competition in Britain, he said: "Being online is an increasingly essential part of family life, and whilst tablets are on the rise, usage is still quite limited. We feel the time is right for Tesco to help widen tablet ownership and bring the fun, convenience and excitement of tablets to even more customers across the U.K."
According to U.K. media regulator Ofcom, three quarters of British households do not have a tablet yet. "Tesco's research found that many feel that the technology is too expensive or intimidating," the supermarket firm said.
The Wifi-enabled Hudl has 16GB of memory, which can be extended to 48GB. It includes apps for the likes of YouTube and Google Chrome.

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Film London Creates Department for Artists Looking to Make Movies...

The U.K. government-backed agency appoints current production and talent development tsar Maggie Ellis to run the newly formed unit.

LONDON – Film London, the British capital's movie agency familiar to Hollywood's location decision makers, is setting up a dedicated department for artists looking to make movies.

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The U.K. government-backed agency has tasked current head of production and talent development Maggie Ellis with the job of overseeing the newly created department.
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Ellis is named head of Artists' Moving Image and will aim to build on the growth in artists turning to film.
Funded by Arts Council England (ACE), Film London launched its Artists' Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) in 2005 to provide British capital-based artists working in the moving image access to funding, guidance, development opportunities and promotional and exhibition platforms.
The present set up runs the successful Film London Jarman Award, an annual prize which awards $16,000 (£10,000) and a broadcast commission alongside FLAMIN Productions, the commissioning fund behind the multi award-winning Two Years At Sea directed by Ben Rivers and West Hinder by Elizabeth Price, who won last year's Turner Prize, the U.K.'s highest profile art nod.
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: "Over the past seven years we have seen extraordinary growth and development in this sector. This is of course down to the talent of the artists and the work, but in part it is also a result of the work of FLAMIN, which has been integral in supporting and nurturing many of those individuals in this area of work. Maggie has been a guiding force in that work and her appointment as Head of Artists' Moving Image will ensure she is in a position to drive it further."
Ellis said: "When we started this work at Film London we were one of very few voices championing artists' moving image practice. Artists' films are now being released theatrically in cinemas as well as being screened in galleries and across other platforms, commanding large audiences. This work is gaining in profile and momentum – a fact demonstrated last year when three of the four artists nominated for the Turner Prize were moving image artists. We have seen an exciting blurring of boundaries over the past few years, due in no small part to Film London's and ACE's commitment to artist film-makers."
Film London will appoint a new head of talent development and production in the coming months with Ellis continuing to oversee all of the agency's production activity including Film London Microwave and its shorts and training programs.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

U.K. Production Fund Tsar Ben Roberts to Deliver Keynote Address to Producers

The BFI Film Fund director, in charge of the U.K.'s largest single public movie production fund, is expected to lay out his vision for public funding for the next five years.

LONDON – U.K. public funding movie tsar Ben Roberts is lined up to deliver this year's keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (PFM) Oct. 17.

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Producer Marianne Gray to Deliver Keynote at The Film London Production Finance Market
The PFM, staged in association with the BFI London Film Festival during the shindig, is to give the stage to Roberts, the man with overriding responsibility for the U.K.'s largest public film fund, currently at £18 million ($28.8 million) annually and set to rise to £24 million ($38.4 million) by 2017.
Former Universal Pictures International executive and Protagonist Pictures CEO Roberts is expected to deliver his vision for the future of his funding unit and to explain to the industry heavy crowd the whys and wherefores of his fund and its application process.
This year's PFM also promises a "senior producer panel" discussions with Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films), David Parfitt (Trademark Films), Peter Watson (Recorded Picture Company/HanWay Films) and Andrea Calderwood (Slate Films) all signed up for the discussion.
The panel is charged with analysing the challenges producers face making product aimed at the international market and share views on how the U.K. can develop stronger international relationships under the new U.K. funding system.
Running since 2007, the event aims to connect producers and financiers to encourage fresh film financing relationships by facilitating 800 face to face meetings and a further 300 financier-to-financier meetings over the two days.
Film London and British Film Commission chief executive Adrian Wootton said: "I am delighted Ben Roberts will be our keynote speaker this year. Coupled with some of our most successful homegrown film-makers on the producer panel, the PFM will give attendees a taste of how the U.K. industry will effectively engage with the international industry in the future."
The PFM is supported by the BFI, the Mayor of London, MEDIA and U.K. Trade & Investment and runs Oct. 17 and 18.
This year the PFM has corralled 52 producers presenting projects with €305 million ($393 million) of production value, up from €245 million ($315 million) in 2011.
Organizers said there are also a number of new territories – including Turkey, Finland and the Czech Republic – coming to the PFM this year.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

U.K. focuses on development...

Funding will likely grow to $11 mil next year
By ROBERT MITCHELL

Ben Wheatley's dark comedy "Sightseers," which played at the Toronto film festival, was developed with coin from the BFI Film Fund.

BFI Film Fund director Ben Roberts says a key area of the org's focus is developing talent and projects, with 150 funding opportunities planned each year.

"Development is the bedrock," says Roberts. "We talk about areas where the U.K. is underdeveloped. Everyone says, 'Where are our animation, comedy, family films? Why aren't you supporting them?' but we're not getting them. That's a development issue. There's a cost to comedy writing, so we have to understand those costs. There's a paucity of people writing for family; we need to understand what the development issues are."

The rise in BFI spending will encompass different areas. "This year we are spending about £14 million ($22.5 million) on production and about $6.4 million on development," says Roberts, who adds that such spending will likely grow to roughly $11 million next year.

John McVay, chief executive of U.K. trade association Pact, says development funding will be key to the U.K.'s independent sector. Although private funding for development in the U.K. is increasing, often via tax incentives, the majority of such coin still comes from the BFI and broadcasters BBC Films and Film4.

Film4 is one of the largest providers of development funding, spending approximately 15%-20% of its $16 million-$24 million overall annual budget on front-end coin. "Nearly half our team is involved in development," says Tracey Josephs, Film4's head of production. "There has been a marked increase in (this) activity in the past couple of years." Josephs says development spending at Film4 in the past year has reached nearly $4.8 million. Ben Wheatley's "Sightseers," which unspooled at Toronto, was developed by shingle Big Talk with money from Film4 and the BFI Film Fund.

BBC Films' Joe Oppenheimer says few distributors get involved so early in the production process, and most production companies aren't resourced for such spending. "That said, companies like Focus, Working Title, Studiocanal and Fox all spend money on development," he says. "Producers give up certain rights but that's the same with us or Film4."

Larger production companies such as Shine Films, Exclusive Media Group or Big Talk also have development coin. The European Union's Media program provides several development funds for producers with at least one distributed feature on their resumes, and regional bodies such as Creative England, Creative Scotland, Film Agency Wales and Northern Ireland Screen provide talent development activities and support.

Oppenheimer believes companies working together on development allows for better scripts. "We have a limited budget," he says. "If we share development costs, it helps get more films made."

BBC Films' development funding pool is unspecified, but flexible. The broadcaster's budget was recently cut from $19.25 million to $17.6 million, but it remains one of the country's biggest supporters of film.

Roberts says the BFI also is making a "massive" commitment to first-time filmmakers. Better still, a producer doesn't cede rights to the BFI, which recycles all money recouped from any development investment for future projects by that producer.

Prime minister David Cameron stirred a hornet's nest in January when he called on Britain to make more "commercially successful pictures," but Roberts feels no pressure to take this as a marching order.

"The joy of a creative industry, to a degree, is not having any clue what's going to work and what isn't," he says. "We wouldn't need a public fund for film if there was certainty.

Thank you Variety

Creative England to Invest $1.56 million in Digital Companies...

Article from Aug 2012

The British regional funding giant will pump the cash into small and medium sized companies to support digital fiction projects for the BBC and Channel 4.

LONDON – U.K. regional government-backed funding agency Creative England will pump £1 million ($1.56 million) into the digital creative sector with its latest round of funding into the so-called Digital Fiction Factory (DFF).

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The cash will be distributed to support small and medium sized companies across the North of England to develop new digital fiction formats, meaning TV-like content for online and mobile platforms, for the BBC and Channel 4.

Described by Creative England's business development director Jim Farmery as a "21st century production and development center," the DFF is billed as a "creative partnership between Conker Media, the BBC, Channel 4 and Creative England."

The arrangement marks one of the first creative commissioning partnerships between the two U.K. broadcasters.

Creative England, founded in 2011, is an organization that provides funding support to independent film, TV and other creative businesses in all regions of England except for London. It is backed by regional governments.

Funding packages of between £10,000 ($15,600) and £150,000 ($234,571) will be posted to companies to develop proof-of-concepts and prototypes, which may be taken on to full production by either of the partner broadcasters.

The cash boost follows the recent plans for Creative England's $1.56 million business investment fund and marks the second strand to be made available through Creative England's £5 million ($7.8 million) Regional Growth Fund awarded to stimulate jobs and growth within the digital and creative sectors.

BBC North director Peter Salmon said: "The Digital Fiction Factory was originally created between the BBC and Conker Media to create a pan-industry partnership to find new ways to engage with the audience in the digital space. Following Channel 4's recent membership we are delighted that Creative England is now joining and that one of the first companies to benefit is a Newcastle-based digital company" named Riff Raff.

Channel 4 head of online Richard Davidson-Houston said: "It's great that Creative England has seen the potential and is joining in."
So far, 244 businesses are already part of the DFF network.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter :)

U.K. Freesat TV Venture to Offer Paid-For Content

The satellite TV venture of the BBC and ITV is launching a VOD service called Free Time.

LONDON - Freesat, the U.K. satellite TV joint venture of the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV, said Tuesday that it will launch a VOD service called Free Time and is looking to add paid-for film, TV and music content offers from partners yet to be announced.

Netflix, Amazon.com's LoveFilm, Vevo and BSkyB's Now TV are possible partners for those offers.
On-demand TV programming via the BBC iPlayer and the ITV Player is coming to the service and will be followed by on-demand content from Channel 4 and Channel 5. Users will be able to scroll through the electronic programming guide to watch past shows up to eight days after they aired.

The service will be available via a new set top box, which will cost £279 ($443) and be available later this month.

"TV is a simple pleasure that technology can make even better, not more complicated," said Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat. "We want to help viewers find something great to watch the minute they sit down, so they can spend less time searching and more time watching the TV they love."

Freesat was launched in 2008 as a free-to-air offer to rival pay TV giant BSkyB, in which Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. owns a 39 percent stake. Freesat currently has signed 2.6 million customers.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

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Social Media Research Firm Fizziology Launches in U.K....

The company will provide information on U.K. buzz to entertainment companies and brands.

LONDON - Social media research firm Fizziology has launched a research arm for the U.K. to provide new geographically-focused information on social media buzz to entertainment companies and brands.

The company uses sentiment analysis to track audience opinions on a movie or TV shows based on what people share on Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Based on its work, it also provides box office predictions, advertising analysis, guidance on casting decisions and other things.

While social media trackers typically collect global data, Fizziology uses a three-layer language and geo-location approach to capture only U.K. social media conversations. "Fizziology is able to deliver U.K.-based intelligence to help studios, networks and brands better determine how to craft their marketing strategies for the U.K. without the noise of additional markets," the company said.

It plans to launch similar services in other international markets as well.

"Every market is a little different," explained Ben Carlson, president and co-creator of Fizziology, the need for geographically targeted data. "Different characters and storylines or lines pop in different markets. And some programming only airs in one. This gives us the ability to parse it and provide a much truer look for decision makers who are making or marketing the show."

The company provided a recent example of a show that ended its season in the U.S., while it was still in full swing in Britain.

"For example, when analyzing conversation around a TV show like The Newsroom, we can determine which social media conversations are taking place amongst the U.S. audience versus those that occurred in the U.K.," said Jen Handley, COO and co-creator of Fizziology. "With the trend towards same-day international release dates for movies and television shows, the ability to know whether a certain conversation trend is coming from the U.K. or another audience becomes even more important."

She said British social media conversations about The Newsroom focused more on the relationships between characters than in the U.S., for example, which TV network marketers could use to tailor their marketing messages.

"In addition to being able to better measure U.K. social media buzz from a data perspective, we are focused on providing understanding and intelligence tailored to the U.K. market," said Carlson. He said the coding of social media conversations is being handled by people in the U.K. who can pick up regional cultural references and analyze phrases that may be lost on U.S. researchers.

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

U.K.'s Production Film Market Pacts With India...

The British producers' meet and greet will link with Primexchange in Goa aiming to ignite Euro-Indian collaborations.

LONDON – The Film London Production Finance Market (PFM), backed by the British Film Institute, the mayor of London, Europe's MEDIA program, U.K. Trade & Investment

Producer Marianne Gray to Deliver Keynote at The Film London Production Finance Market
Europa's Le Pogam gives PFM keynote

The fresh links with Primexchange will see one U.K. or European producer from the 2012 PFM, selected by Film London, given a ticket to India's Film Bazaar, the seven day professional training program which takes place in Goa.

Primexchange is a co-production workshop, founded and organised by Berlin based Primehouse.
It provides a forum for independent European and Indian producers meet and greet and talk movie funding.

Through Film Bazaar it offers an integrated approach to further develop film projects.
Film London in collaboration with Primehouse will select producers "with project(s) that are relevant for an Indian market, in terms of where the film will be shot or its commercial viability."

Film London chief executive Adrian Wootton said the pact would build on his organization's long running relationship with the Indian film industry.

"The Film Bazaar is a great opportunity which we are a delighted to be offering a successful PFM producer," Wootton said.

The PFM returns for a sixth year running Oct. 17 and 18 in association with the BFI 56th London Film Festival.

The Market already has existing partnerships with Toronto International Film Festival's International Financing Forum, Melbourne International Film Festival's 37ºSouth Market, Rome International Film Festival's New Cinema Network, Ile de France Film Commission and the Nordic Co-Production Market at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund.

Thank you Hollywood reporter

More info:www.hollywoodreporter.com
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U.K. Commission Confirms BSkyB Has No Material Advantage in Pay TV Movies

UPDATED: The Competition Commission cited the rise of streaming video providers Netflix and Lovefilm in the field it was asked to review, but it also signaled that BSkyB may have "too much" power overall.

LONDON - The U.K. Competition Commission on Thursday confirmed its recent provisional findings that pay TV giant BSkyB has no material advantage in pay TV movies these days.

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The organization also confirmed that it would not suggest any regulatory action after in late May citing the rise of streaming video providers Netflix and Lovefilm in revising its stance from last summer.
"The Competition Commission has decided that Sky's position in relation to the acquisition and distribution of movies in the first pay window does not adversely affect competition in the pay TV retail market," it said in its final report Thursday.

But it suggested that BSkyB's has a dominant role in the broader pay TV market in the U.K. "Together with Sky's large number of existing subscribers deriving from its historical position (Sky's incumbency advantage) and the restricted geographical coverage of Sky's main historical competitor, Virgin Media, it appeared to us that these factors resulted in Sky having too much market power in the pay-TV retail market," the Commission said.

It was only asked by Ofcom to look at pay TV movies though, and on that front the Commission was happy with the level of competition. It wasnt immediately clear if any of the comments in the final report could trigger calls for a look at another aspect of BSkyB's market power.

"In its final report, the CC has concluded that Sky Movies, which currently offers the first pay movies of all the big Hollywood studios, is not a sufficient driver of subscribers' choice of pay TV provider to give Sky such an advantage over its rivals when competing for pay TV subscribers as to harm competition," the Commission said in a summary of its findings.

BSkyB acknowledged the final report in a statement. "Sky considers there to be overwhelming evidence that U.K. consumers are well served by strong competition between a growing number of TV providers, including those offering movies," it said. "As this dynamic marketplace continues to evolve, we remain committed to innovating for customers so that U.K. consumers continue to benefit from choice, value and innovation."

The agency has looked at BSkyB, because it holds film rights from the six major Hollywood studios in the first subscription pay TV window. This led competitors and critics to argue that the company, in which Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. has a 39 percent stake, has too much market power.

The Competition Commission now believes that the competitive landscape has changed with the market entrance of streaming video providers Netflix and Amazon.com's LoveFilm. As a result, BSkyB "no longer has a material advantage" over rivals, the CC said in May.

Laura Carstensen, chairman of the CC's inquiry group, said: 'We have seen significant change in pay TV movie services in the course of our inquiry and have considered the implications of these developments carefully in reaching our final views. It is clear that consumers now have a much greater choice than they had a couple of years ago when our investigation began."

She added: "LoveFilm and Netflix are proving attractive to many consumers, which reinforces our view that consumers care about range and price as well as having access to the recent content of major studios; and the launch of Sky Movies on Now TV, which ends the requirement to buy Sky Movies alongside a basic pay TV subscription, is a further significant development. Overall, we do not believe that Sky's position with regard to first pay movie content is driving subscribers' choice of pay TV provider."

Thank you Hollywood Reporter

U.K. aiming to lure U.S. productions

U.K. aiming to lure U.S. productions
Tax-incentive strategy would also help keep homegrown shoots
By LEO BARRACLOUGH

"Episodes," produced for Showtime and the BBC, is set in Los Angeles, but shot in the U.K.

"Downton Abbey," which shoots in the U.K., is one of the few Brit-produced shows to do so.

With the U.K. government set to introduce in April what's likely to be a generous tax incentive for big-budget TV productions, it appears that the sector, given a shot in the arm by the success of "Downton Abbey," might be on the verge of a true breakout -- and Hollywood is taking notice.
While "Downton," produced by NBC-Universal's London shingle Carnival and shot in the U.K., is the exception rather than the rule -- most high-budget TV shows produced by U.K.-based companies are not lensed in Blighty -- with tax credits on the horizon, that is set to change. Many see a future that offers heightened worldwide marketability for U.K.-produced fare and increased collaboration with the U.S., underscored by speculation recently that Sony Pictures Television is interested in buying Blighty's Left Bank Pictures.

The tax incentive plan is hazy, with details still being formulated, but a U.K. production biz lobby group, the TV Coalition, is pressing for the incentive to be based on the nation's film tax credit. If its proposals are adopted, the incentive would be worth 20% of the U.K. spend, with a requirement for a minimum budget level of £1 million ($1.6 million) for an hourlong.

As well as persuading productions to stay home, the incentive could also lure more U.S. network shows to Blighty. At present, even skeins that could be considered culturally British are shot elsewhere. For example, Showtime's "The Tudors" and Starz's "Camelot" used locations in Ireland.

For most U.K. producers, shooting locally is too expensive when there are countries nearby that offer production tax incentives.

"Parade's End," Tom Stoppard's adaptation of the Ford Madox Ford novels, shot 43% of its scenes and undertook more than 80% of its post-production in Belgium. U.K. production house Mammoth, which produced the series for HBO, the BBC and its international sales arm BBC Worldwide, says that if a tax incentive had been in place, the lion's share of the filming and almost all the post-production would have taken place in the U.K.

Even countries some distance away attract Blighty TV productions. Action series "Strike Back," which Left Bank produces for Cinemax/HBO in the U.S. and satcaster BSkyB in the U.K., is shot almost entirely in Hungary and South Africa.

According to a recent report by Stephen Bristow, associate director at media consultancy RSM Tenon, and Charles Moore, a partner at law firm Wiggin, a 20% tax incentive is likely to bring more than $545 million in additional production spending per year to the U.K.

High-end TV drama is very mobile in terms of location, and the existence of a tax credit is central to a country's appeal, the report states. "HBO, for example, said that 10 years ago, 10% of their production spend was shot in locations where incentives were offered. Today, this figure has increased to 85% of their total production spend," the report notes.

Armed with a tax incentive, the U.K. could become a rival even to Canada in vying for U.S. network shows, says Andy Harries, chief executive of Left Bank, which produces Kenneth Branagh-starring crime series "Wallander" for WGBH Boston and the BBC, as well as features, such as "The Queen."

"(The U.S. networks) will be looking to the U.K. in the same way that they look to Canada: If it is cheaper to (film) in the U.K. and they can deliver a product that works in their domestic market, they will(come)," Harries says.

Maria Kyriacou, managing director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment, the U.K. broadcaster's international distribution arm, says U.S. cable networks already are far more willing to consider shows from international producers.

"There are lots of opportunities right now for co-productions and for them to buy shows," Kyriacou says, adding that streaming outlets such as Netflix and Hulu have been having success with some of their high-end dramas.

Kyriacou says that incentives could mean more spending-power for U.K. production companies, enabling them to add well-known thesps or high-end special effects that improve the chances of sales in the international market.

"Recognizable talent helps people pay attention to the shows," Kyriacou says. For example, the casting of Jeremy Piven as the lead in costume drama "Mr. Selfridge," which ITV Studios Global Entertainment is distributing, is helping the show's worldwide sales. In the U.S. "Mr. Selfridge" has been picked up by PBS' "Masterpiece," home to "Downton Abbey."

According to Harries, incentives might lead to a growing number of shows that combine the best of U.S. and U.K. creative talent. "What probably one would try to achieve is some kind of hybrid that will have some American casting for sure, but somehow marries American and English content satisfactorily, (and will play in both countries)," he says. "The tax break will undoubtedly add energy and financial imperative."

Harries points to comedy series "Episodes," produced by the U.K.'s Hat Trick Prods. for the BBC and Showtime Networks, as an indication of the way the biz may develop. Set in Los Angeles, the show stars Matt LeBlanc, and is penned by Hollywood scribes David Crane ("Friends") and Jeffery Klarik ("Mad About You"), but is shot almost entirely in the U.K. Production for the second season included a six-day shoot in Los Angeles for exteriors, but the rest of the show was shot at London studios, and at locations around the city that doubled for Los Angeles.

Hat Trick wouldn't reveal the budget, but Harries says he was told it was about half to two-thirds of what it would have been if it had been shot in the States.

And with incentives, that number would be friendlier still.

Thank you Variety

More info: www.variety.com

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Third-quarter audience trends have been "disappointing" so far for U.K

"Disappointing" recent audience trends should improve in the fourth quarter, and lower ratings for the return of "X Factor" "may build" as the season continues, UBS says though.

LONDON - Third-quarter audience trends have been "disappointing" so far for U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV amid the BBC's strong ratings for its coverage of the Summer Olympics, UBS analyst Tamsin Garrity said Monday in lowering her full-year 2012 and 2013 advertising revenue forecast for the company.

Olympics 2012: BBC Reaches Biggest Average Audience With Closing Ceremony
"Audience has been disappointing through the third quarter, though ITV has a strong programming slate for the fourth quarter," she said in a research report.

For 2012, the analyst lowered her advertising revenue estimate for ITV to growth of 0.5 percent, down from 2.5 percent previously, but still ahead of the consensus expectation for no change. For 2013, she expects no gain, down from her previous projection of 1.5 percent growth, "although this is offset by better interest and tax," which should help profitability, Garrity said.

The UBS analyst also said that ratings for ITV should improve in the fourth quarter, and lower ratings for this weekend's return of Simon Cowell's X Factor "may build" as the season continues.
"ITV management stated it is confident audience share will be stronger in the fourth quarter," Garrity wrote. "On the weekend, ITV proceeded with the return of the X Factor and a rejuvenated Red or Black; initial viewing was low at 8 million (last year 11 million), however this may build." And she highlighted that other returning shows over the near-term include Downton Abbey.

Jefferies analyst Will Smith said X Factor "is very visible, so people take note," even though most analysts don't spend much time on individual shows.

"It sounds like September is tracking a bit better than expected on ad spend," Smith said though.
Garrity echoed that. Announcing its latest results last month, ITV said that ad revenue in September will come in between unchanged from 2011 to down 5 percent, leaving the first nine months of 2012 unchanged. "Media buyers think this is slightly pessimistic," she said.

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Record High for U.K. TV Ad Revenue

With $6.85 billion spent, TV advertising is expected to have outperformed the total U.K. ad market in 2011.

LONDON - Television advertising revenue in the U.K. increased by 2.2 percent year-on-year to a record £4.36 billion ($6.85 billion) in 2011, as advertisers such as Internet giants Google and Groupon ploughed millions into TV commercials for the first time, according to The Guardian.

U.K. TV exports soar by 25% in 2008

The U.K. TV market was buoyed by 887 new or returning advertisers – defined as those who have not run commercials for at least five years – according to research conducted by TV marketing body Thinkbox and Nielsen Media Research.

Google, which has historically shied away from TV and brand advertising, spent $8.2 million on TV ads in the U.K. last year – 23 percent of the $35.4 million that Google spent in the U.K. on all forms of advertising – including Internet, outdoor, press and radio – according to figures from Nielsen.
Tess Alps, chief executive of Thinkbox, said the rise in U.K. TV ad revenue was an encouraging performance particularly given that in 2010 the market rose 16 percent year-on-year in the recovery following the downturn, making a further rise last year all that more difficult to achieve.
"The strength of linear TV advertising investment reflects commercial TV's record viewing and the further acknowledgement by advertisers of its ability to create business profit," said Alps.
In January, Thinkbox produced its annual TV viewing report, showing U.K. viewers watched an average of four hours and two minutes of television per day. Each viewer watched an average of 47 TV ads per day in 2011.

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U.K. Government Drops Website Blocking Plan...

Business secretary Vince Cable announced the change following a review of the policy by telecoms regulator Ofcom.

LONDON -- Plans to block websites that host copyright infringing material are to be abandoned by the government, according to the BBC.

MPAA Wins U.K. Court Case Against File-Sharing Site
Business secretary Vince Cable announced the change following a review of the policy by telecoms regulator Ofcom.
Website blocking was one of the key provisions contained in the Digital Economy Act.
Internet Service Providers had objected to the idea that copyright owners could compel them to cut off some sites.
In the past week, the Motion Picture Association - a group representing film studios - successfully applied for a court injunction requiring BT to block access to an infringing website called Newzbin2.
The action was taken without using the Digital Economy Act, prompting some observers to question the need for the legislation.
Speaking to the BBC, Vince Cable appeared to suggest that the Newzbin2 case had opened up other legal avenues.
"We've discovered that the drafting of the original laws, which took place a year or so ago, were not tight.
"There are test cases being fought in the courts, so we're looking at other ways of achieving the same objective, the blocking objective to protect intellectual property in those cases, but in a way that's legally sound."
The government's decision to drop the DEA's blocking provision was criticized by UK Music, the body which represents musicians and record labels in the U.K.
Its chief executive, Fergal Sharkey said: "Who wants to tell the 80% of music businesses that employ fewer than five people, and the thousands of artists who self-finance the production of their own albums, that to enjoy the protection of the law, all they need now is to have millions of pounds and spend years in court to protect their work."
Mr Cable also announced a raft of measures intended to update the U.K.'s copyright laws.
The changes are based on the Hargreaves Review which was set up to examine current legislation's fitness for purpose in the digital age.
One of the most significant recommendations that the government plans to implement is the legalization of "format shifting" - where users rip content from CDs or DVDs for their own personal use.
"We are talking about big changes," said Mr Cable.
"Bringing the laws more up-to-date to have a proper balance which allows consumers and businesses to operate more freely, but at the same time protect genuinely creative artists and penalize pirates."
The business secretary said the economy would benefit by £8 billion ($13.12 billion) over the next few years by updating the legislation.

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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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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.

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Mayor of London Confirms Film London Funding...

oris Johnson will continue to fund the agency to the tune of $2.1 million for 2011/2012, a 22% decline from last year's level.
LONDON -- Government-backed movie agency Film London breathed a sigh of relief after securing £1.3 million ($2.1 million) in funding from the London mayor's office for 2011/2012 despite the total repping a 22 percent drop from last year's level.
The agency remained upbeat about the commitment from the capital's mayor amid tough economic climes that has seen subsidy funding slashed across a host of arts bodies.
Film London's CEO Adrian Wootton said: "This funding settlement allows us to deliver new opportunities for the capital's aspiring film-makers and enrich the city's film culture."
The cash helps secure a future for Film London initiatives including the micro-budget production program Microwave, the sales event London U.K. Film Focus and the annual Production Finance Market.
As of April 1, Film London will be taking over the UKFC's responsibilities for inward investment -- including absorbing the office of the U.K. Film Commissioner.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

U.K. Piracy Fight Aims at Educating a Younger Demographic...

Thursday, October 31, 2013

U.K. Supermarket Giant Tesco Enters Tablet Market With Hudl Launch...

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Film London Creates Department for Artists Looking to Make Movies...

Monday, October 15, 2012

U.K. Production Fund Tsar Ben Roberts to Deliver Keynote Address to Producers

Sunday, October 14, 2012

U.K. focuses on development...

Friday, October 12, 2012

Creative England to Invest $1.56 million in Digital Companies...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

U.K. Freesat TV Venture to Offer Paid-For Content

Social Media Research Firm Fizziology Launches in U.K....

Saturday, August 25, 2012

U.K.'s Production Film Market Pacts With India...

U.K. Commission Confirms BSkyB Has No Material Advantage in Pay TV Movies

Thursday, August 23, 2012

U.K. aiming to lure U.S. productions

Third-quarter audience trends have been "disappointing" so far for U.K

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Record High for U.K. TV Ad Revenue

Saturday, August 13, 2011

U.K. Government Drops Website Blocking Plan...

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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

Sunday, April 24, 2011

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

Monday, March 28, 2011

Mayor of London Confirms Film London Funding...