tagged w/ studios
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An Introduction to Sunshine's "Cast Me Away" recorded live @ North Avenue Studios. Directed by Alex Purifoy, Produced by David Plakon and B*X. Engineered by Robert Gorini.
northavenuestudios.com
myspace.com/introductiontosunshine
davidplakon.com
alexpurifoy.comAn Introduction to Sunshine's "Cast Me Away" recorded live @ North... more
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Running a studio is a great job but a terrible life. Producing is a great life but a terrible job.Running a studio is a great job but a terrible life. Producing is a great life but a... more
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"Studios join to offer DVD downloads
Paramount, Sony, Warners, Lionsgate join with Film Fresh
Starting today, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warners and Lionsgate will begin offering the first movie downloads that can be burned to disc using virtually any DVD or Blu-ray disc burner for playback on a broad range of devices already in millions of consumer homes.
These studios will offer the downloads through under-the-radar online movie service Film Fresh, which inked the first U.S. movie delivery deal with Divx, maker of a popular video format supported by millions of DVD players, Blu-ray players, TVs, mobile phones, the PlayStation 3 and other devices from the biggest consumer electronics brands including LG, Samsung and Sony. Divx-format downloads can be burned to DVD or Blu-ray disc or transferred to USB drives from any Mac or PC with Divx software for playback in any Divx-certified device.
Film Fresh's ability to offer the first downloads that can be legally burned to disc using standard disc burners could give it an edge over larger competitors in the movie download space. Film Fresh CEO Rick Bolton thinks the Divx ecosystem will allow it to take on Apple, the leader in the movie download arena thanks to the iPod.
Digital download sales are growing fast, but business has been held back some by consumers' limited ability to burn films to disc or easily move them between devices for playback. Currently, Roxio CinemaNow is the only other digital movie company offering major studio movie downloads burnable to disc, but consumers are limited to using a Pioneer or Dell Qflix DVD drive to do so.
Film Fresh will offer all new release films, including tentpoles such as "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and a selection of catalog films from its studio partners and a number of independent and international companies, Bolton said. Film Fresh is selling only download-to-own movies and DVDs for now. It does not offer rental downloads.
Bolton said the company would price newer films between $10 and $13. The site is aggressively pricing recent-release films to be competitive with both iTunes and Amazon.com, the two low-price leaders on digital films. Divx and Film Fresh will each run promotional campaigns around the relaunch of the Film Fresh site today.
Bolton, a former exec at Razorfish and Disney Online, founded Film Fresh using his own money in 2005. The site has sold independent and foreign downloads and DVDs since then. Bolton more recently brought in former Sony exec Mike Arrieta as his business partner.
"We're doing a fair amount of handholding on the site because a lot of people probably do have Divx-enabled devices and don't know it," Bolton said.
The studios have been slow to offer DVD burning of movie downloads because of copy protection concerns. Divx has its own built-in copy protection so that films can be played back only on certified Divx devices that a consumer registers for his downloads."
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With all the tech out there, I think this might be a smart case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em""Studios join to offer DVD downloads
Paramount, Sony, Warners, Lionsgate join... more
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Take a journey with Indie band Mirror Pal as they complete their first album and plan their CD Release Party. As the album nears completion they partner up with the associates of B*X to implement interactive visuals. Relive live entertainment with 'We Are Mirror Pal'.Take a journey with Indie band Mirror Pal as they complete their first album and plan... more
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Part 2 of our look at the top ten UK game studios of the past twelve months. See 8WayMovement.com for more video reviews, previews and features.Part 2 of our look at the top ten UK game studios of the past twelve months. See... more
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Part 1 of our look at the top ten UK game studios of the past twelve months. See 8WayMovement.com for more video reviews, previews and features.Part 1 of our look at the top ten UK game studios of the past twelve months. See... more
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With the Credit Crunch and a glut of film product affecting both film financing and distribution everywhere, Cannes is not immune...
"The Cannes Credit Crunch
Too many films, too little financing put the squeeze on the presale market.
CANNES, FRANCE -- With an oversupply of films, a paucity of risk takers and an uncertain economy, the market for movies is taking a nosedive at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. The champagne may be flowing, but funding is another story. Not only are distributors less interested in deals requiring upfront funding for production in the first place, but they're also more cautious about completed films.
"Like any market, it's a matter of supply and demand," says Jonathan Wolf, executive vice president of the Independent Film & Television Alliance, the trade association for independent distributors and producers. "Film is more elastic than other products and services, but you can't double the supply of films and expect the market to absorb it."
Hardest hit: The "presale" market, a staple of movie moneymen, where distributors finance productions by paying upfront for the right to distribute films after completion. When times were good, buyers flocked and price tags ballooned. The credit crunch dried up that game. Would-be investors are now shopping for finished movies, a far less risky bet.
"In the '90s, the marketplace would come up with up to 100% of the budget." explains Carl Clifton, managing director of The Works International, whose international launch of Anvil! The story of Anvil, a heavy metal documentary film, caused a stir at this years' festival. Clifton estimates funding from presale has dropped below 40%. Others say it's even lower. "Presales still exist for the right product." Clifton explains, "But the risk appetite is lower, and there is more purchasing of completed films."
Buyers "have come to Cannes with specific projects in mind and are finalizing deals which were already in the pipeline," says Peter Carlton, senior commissioning executive of Film4, which scored success backing the breakout hit Slumdog Millionaire.
The presale meltdown is driving filmmakers to "gap" financing, highly risky and priced that way. Gap lenders retain rights to collect ahead of other lenders, charge interest rates north of 8%, plus legal fees, and may also take a back-end piece. If on the maturity date the producers haven't made adequate sales to return money to the super gap lender, this party steps in and acquires equity in the production.
It isn't all gloom. Film4 is actively building a pipeline of projects including festival selection Looking for Eric, which received major buzz on the Croisette red carpet, and Hunger, which took the Golden Camera Award at the festival in 2008.
And "sooner or later people will need product," says Barry S. Babok, of Babok & Levin LLP, a Cannes regular and attorney who specializes in gap lending. "There may have been a glut, but once the credit market gets better, people will be more comfortable spending money, and will again demand product." And Hollywood endings."With the Credit Crunch and a glut of film product affecting both film financing and... more
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Recent times have been brutal for independent film. Studio 'specialty divisions' like Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures, which supported a studio infrastructure for independent films, were shuttered last year, which caused quite a bit of sadness and mourning in the indie film community.
Now, finally, people are starting to catch on that there's something missing....
This article asks "Who killed independent film?"Recent times have been brutal for independent film. Studio 'specialty... more
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1st Episode of Indie Heat Video Magazine, Sope host from the DTP Smirnoff Studios in Atlanta Georgia1st Episode of Indie Heat Video Magazine, Sope host from the DTP Smirnoff Studios in... more
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Situated on 5 acres in the lush northwestern woods of New Jersey, Luna Parc is a perpetual work-in-progress. Since 1989 the house and grounds have become an environmental sculpture park by artist, designer and King-o-Luna, Ricky Boscarino.Situated on 5 acres in the lush northwestern woods of New Jersey, Luna Parc is a... more
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