INDUSTRY NEWS PRO NEWSLETTER FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018

March 11, 2018March 11, 2018 Leave a comment

WEEKEND BOX-OFFICE: BLACK PANTHER NEARS $1 BILLION & LEADS AGAIN
This weekend’s box-office report, including the juggernaut that is Black Panther, followed by A Wrinkle In Time, The Strangers: Prey By Night, Red Sparrow, and Game Night. The full top 10 is here.
Source Article Here: Box Office Mojo
Author: Brad Brevet

PET CLONING: “JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD.”
What cloning a pet costs, the way that it’s done, and why the author suggests the cost of cloning would be better spent on shelter animals.
Source Article Here: WTOP News (Washington)
Author: Jack Pointer

NEW CONTENT THIS MONTH ON: HBO, NETFLIX, HULU, STARZ, AMAZON & MORE
A look at the new shows, returning series, films and current content unveiling at different points this month via premium cable, streaming services, and more.
Source Article Here: Decider
Author: Jade Budowski

NOT JUST KIDS’ STUFF: 1000’S OF HOURS OF NEW CONTENT PLANNED BY NICKELODEON, DISNEY, CARTOON NETWORK
Nickelodeon, alone, has 800 hours of original content planned and here’s a look at where 3 networks are planning to branch out their audience reach with content risks.
Source Article Here: Fierce Cable
Author: Ben Munson

MR. WRONG: THE CON MAN WHO TOOK $1MILLION FROM WOMEN HE MET VIA ONLINE DATING….& HOW THEY TOOK HIM DOWN
“Relationship scams” online is a $220M dollar racket, grossing 6 times the haul from ransomware attacks, phising, and fake charities combined. Here’s the story of a man who financed his fake identity from over a dozen women, and those who worked together to fix it.
Source Article Here: The Atlantic
Author: Rachel Monroe

THE CONTENT REVOLUTION….YOU CAN’T KEEP UP…&WHY THAT’S A GOOD THING!
Here’s my take, first-hand, on the advent of Peak TV and streaming, as well as why it’s good for both the industry and the consumer.
Source Article Here: LinkedIn Pulse
Author: Karl Gibson

WHY BREAKING UP HURTS LIKE HELL: THEY’RE LIKE KICKING…..HEROIN?
A look at the way the brain works during the pain of a break-up, the addiction to what seems a lost ideal, and how to succeed beyond it.
Source Article Here: Psychology Today
Author: Guy Winch Ph.D.

BRAINWASHING THE CAPTIVE: THE CASE OF PATTY HEARST
The globally striking case of Patty Hearst and how hers was the second case of Stockholm syndrome – hostage identification syndrome – as well as the original case in Sweden that gave it its name
Source Article Here: The Daily Californian
Authors: Kewshwang & Staff Reporting

MADONNA’S ‘RAY OF LIGHT’ AT 20
Rolling Stone reflects on the Madonna album that marked a huge shift in musicality for the artist: “..It was still considered exotic to take Madonna seriously for her music, rather than her image. It took Ray of Light to change that.”
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Rob Sheffield

FLASH IN THE PAN? HOW THE INTERNET SHUT DOWN VIRAL COMEDY SKETCHES
Just 13 years ago (2005), a comedy sketch could be uploaded to YouTube and change its creators’ lives overnight. Now – in the face of algorithms, changing standards of what makes for a viral share, and the decline of outlets that showcased viral sketch comedy – how do you break out, if at all?
Source Article Here: Wired
Author: Brian Raftery

Industry News Pro Newsletter for Sunday, February 25, 2018

February 25, 2018February 27, 2018 Leave a comment

#SCRIPT BUZZ: ‘GET OUT’
Jordan Peele’s debut film, which has grossed over $255M on a $4.5M budget, is the horror film that became a cultural phenomenon and Best Picture nominee. Here’s the Oscar-nominated script.
Source Here: LA Screenwriter
Author: Jordan Peele

US RANKS #19 OUT OF 29 COUNTRIES FOR WORKING WOMEN
The glass ceiling index ranks the best and worst place to be a working woman from 2017 to now, based on 10 indicators, shown in graphs, and where 29 countries fall within.
Source Article Here: The Economist
Authors: The Economist Data Team

“IT’S ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY” – THE 11-YEAR RISE OF JOHN OLIVER
From making his bones as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’s correspondent and anchoring Stewart’s chair , now to his eponymous HBO show, a look at how Oliver sees his show, career, and approach with viewers.
Source Article Here: The Guardian Author: Emma Brockes

“..USE EVERYTHING FROM THE PAST. IF YOU KNOW WHERE YOU COME FROM, IT’S EASIER TO GET TO WHERE YOU’RE GOING.” – QUINCY JONES
Here’s the Quincy Jones interview from this month that went viral for Jones’ blunt takes on everything from Michael Jackson’s “greed” and Marlon Brando’s libido to the state of music today and more.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: David Marchese

CATCH UP TV: 14 TV SERIES ENDING IN 2018
From Scandal to Portlandia, a look at the 14 series ending this year, the total episode count, and finale dates.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Devon Ivie

BROADCAST PILOT SEASON REPORT: 2018’s STATS ON DIVERSITY & WOMEN
Are we there yet? Not quite. A comprehensive breakdown on the diversity and female-led stats of the 2018 broadcast pilot offerings.
Source Article Here: Deadline Hollywood
Author: Nellie Andreeva

#OTT BUZZ: A TALE OF TWO SUBSCRIBER RACES – CBS & HBO
CBS forges ahead in the OTT world, yet not at the level of HBO’s subscribers. A look at the stand-alone servicesand where the majority of their customers are coming from.
Source Article Here: Madison.com Author: Adam Levy

WANT TO BREAK INTO TV WRITING? THE LATEST THINGS TO KNOW
Top entertainment execs offer their advice to writers wanting to get into the TV business, including the vital skill of knowing the marketplace beyond a creative silo, how to handle pitch meetings, and more.
Source Article Here: Variety
Author: Danielle Turchiano

The Past 48 Hours: March 14, 2016

March 14, 2016 Leave a comment

What Water Crisis? Beverly Hills’ Water Wasters Put On Blast: “It’s Not Brain Surgery.”
The Gist: California’s State Water Resources Control Board ordered Beverly Hills residents to reduce usage by 32% compared to 2013 levels. So why isn’t it happening? Now, fines are being handed out in the five figures and some of the A-list water wasters – most blaming “pipe leaks”- are being publicly named and shamed.
Source Article Here: The Los Angeles Times
Author: Matt Stevens

“These girls are hauntingly real to me, and should be to everyone.” – The Case Behind The “Beware The Slender Man” Documentary
The Gist: An update on the real-life case of two 12 year-old Waukesha, Wisconsin girls who – thinking an Internet meme was real – stabbed a classmate 19 times in the woods, is now an HBO Documentary that premiered at SXSW last Friday. The victim survived the 2014 homicide attempt and it is still in appeal whether the teenagers will be tried as adults.
Source Article Here: Twin Cities
Authors: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Sexy” experiences that are anything but; a desire for stability foiled by an inability to make concrete life choices.” – The Millennial Sitcom Trope
The Gist: Girls, Broad City, Love, and Master of None are just some of the millennial sitcoms reflecting the demographics of those “who have had the world’s information at their fingertips for most of their adult lives, and learned to take in conflicting information from different sources at once.” A comparison/contrast is here.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Jenny Jaffe

A Living Testament: Life After Death In Social Media
The Gist: It’s estimated that 8,000 Facebook users die each day and 30 million Facebook users passed away in the first 8 years of the platform. Yet, many accounts are left open to comment and persusal, which can be helpful to future family and generations. Here’s a look at how living databases are progressing in the social media sphere.
Source Article Here: BBC
Author: Brandon Ambrosino

Fake IRS Thieves Netting $26.5 Billion: How To Avoid The Latest Scams
The Gist: Scammers posing as IRS agents who ask you for your social security number or any other information have even created alter Caller IDs to mimic the federal agency. The IRS Commissioner: “The IRS won’t be calling you out of the blue asking you to verify your personal tax information or aggressively threatening you to make an immediate payment.”
Source Article Here: Forbes
Author: Kelly Phillips Erb

Zadie Smith’s Top 4 Books Ranked
The Gist: A literary-world favorite since her 2000 debut novel, White Teeth, here’s a look at her Top 4 books, in advance of the Fall 2016 release of her next novel, Swing Time.
Source Article Here: Ebony
Author: Demetria Irwin

The Past 72 Hours: March 12, 2016

March 12, 2016 Leave a comment

“See, I just do things, and I never see the consequences.” – Kate del Castillo On The El Chapo Connection
The Gist: Kate del Castillo was already a working actress in Mexico when she landed a career-catapulting role as fictional drug trafficker Teresa Mendoza in the 63-episode series La Reina del Sur. In 2012 she tweeted to El Chapo and he actually responded. The New Yorker interview with del Castillo at home in Brentwood, The Go-Between, is here in its entirety.
Source Article Here: The New Yorker
Author: Robert Draper

Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer: 1944 -2016
The Gist: Keith Emerson was a founder, keyboardist, and one-third of the eponymous progressive rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, whose 1970 recording of Lucky Man is a classic rock staple and featured Emerson’s Moog synthesizer work. The Santa Monica police department is investigating Emerson’s death at home as a suicide.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Jackson McHenry

Media Industry Comings & Goings As of 3/11/16
The Gist: A one-page listing of who’s gone where and who has left (for now). Companies include: The New Yorker, Star Magazine, OK!, Wrap Media, Collab, Prodigy PR, and more.
Source Article Here: Mediabistro

The 25 Top Paying Jobs In The U.S. Right Now
The Gist: Glassdoor’s list of the 25 highest paying jobs by median salary, as well as how many job openings exist for each title. The list is on one page for ease of viewing.
Source Article Here: Glassdoor
Author: Glassdoor Team

The CW Renews 11 Shows For 2016-17 Season
The Gist: Jane The Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and The Flash are among the 11 renewed TV shows, including Supernatural, making history for the network as it’s renewed through Season 12.
Source Article Here: Entertainment Weekly
Author: Natalie Abrams

#Video Watch: “I was the 7th C.E.O. In 61 Months.” – Charlie Rose Interviews Yahoo’s Marissa Meyer
The Gist: The entire hour-long interview with Yahoo’s C.E.O. and President on mobile growth, declining revenue, talent acquisition, Alibaba, talent flight, activist shareholders, and the work-from-home controversy. Mayer: “We haven’t turned Yahoo around yet.”
Source Article Here: CharlieRose.com

The Fast Rise & Low Simmer of An App: What Happened To Meerkat?
The Gist: Meerkat became the darling of SXWS in 2015 – the live-streaming app that showed real-time tweets in response to content streaming on your smartphone. The media, partnerships, and $14M in funding came fast, but then came Periscope and Facebook Live. CEO Ben Rubin has no regrets, but admits mobile broadcasting isn’t feasible for 99% of users. The story of Meerkat’s year-long glide back to earth is here.
Source Article Here: USA Today
Author: Edward C. Baig

The Past 24 Hours: March 9, 2016

March 9, 2016June 13, 2016 Leave a comment

With An Oscar Firmly In Hand, Is Leonardo DiCaprio’s Cinematic Chill Mode Next?
The Gist: Vulture’s cover story features an overview of all of Leonardo DiCaprio’s film performances and posits that with “Oscar bait” out of the way, there may be some new surprises.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: David Edelstein

Peeple – The App That Rates You On Your Professional, Personal, & Dating Reputation – Goes Live Today: ‘Peeple has hit a nerve…It’s also terrifying.’
The Gist: Julia Corday, the talent recruiter who created the Peeple app, dubbed a “Yelp”- style of rating human beings, received death threats and a storm of criticism when she announced the app in 2015. Now it’s available for a free download, with tweaks. Here’s what you need to know. Corday: “Right now, you’re at the mercy of trolls.”
Source Article Here: CNET
Author: Ian Shorr

Legal Denials & Corporate Backlash In Kesha’s Battle With Sony Music Over Producer Dr. Luke
The Gist: Attorneys for the Sony-based producer “Dr. Luke,” Lukasz Gottwald, deny reports that the label is going to terminate his deal, which is set to expire in 2017. A look at the support from artists in the social and print media sphere, and a heightened outpouring for Kesha since filing suit with allegations of mental, physical and sexual abuse by the producer.
Source Article Here: Los Angeles Times
Authors: Gerrick D. Kennedy and Lorraine Ali

John Goodman: “‘Cloverfield’ was bupkis.”
The Gist: Text and audio from John Goodman’s interview with Howard Stern on sobriety, drinking vodka on the set of Roseanne, his shrinking encounter with Kristen Wiig (“I shrunk down to atom size.”), working with Brie Larson on the upcoming Kong: Skull Island, and his one SNL hosting gig he felt ran out of steam.
Source Article Here: HowardStern.com

Google’s New Travel Tool, Google Destinations, Gives You Research, Flight Info, Hotel Booking & Cost Estimates In One App
The Gist: The New York Times’ review of the app, which debuted today and is available on your browser, Google, or Anroid and iOS devices. Type in a location and get estimates, select hotel star-ratings, flights and pricing without opening multiple sites.
Source Article Here: The New York Times
Author: Stephanie Rosenbloom

#Trailer Watch: ‘I Am Wrath’
The Gist: The trailer for the film, and the eponymous back tattoo sported by John Travolta as he becomes a vigilante to avenge the murder of his wife. Christopher Meloni and Rebecca De Mornay co-star. The film’s VOD window begins April 15th; theatrical release is May 13, 2016.
Source Article Here: Coming Soon

Skype Ending Support Of Its Smart TV App
The Gist: The BBC was first to notice, via a Skype support page, that the Skype TV app, which was pre-loaded into some TV models (Samsung and LG) and available for download via three other TV brands, will no longer receive updates after this June 1. The reasoning is that mobile devices are where Skype thrives most for viewers, not their TVs.
Source Article Here: Tech Crunch
Author: Jon Russell

FLASHBACK READ

‘San Francisco Is The Second Temple of The Second Tech Boom. But Nothing Lasts Forever.”
The Gist: The culture clash and policy differences between the tech industry arrivals in San Francisco and the native residents who loathe them. The article, California Screaming, is below.
Source Article Here: The New Yorker (July 7 & 14, 2014)
Author: Nathan Heller