The Past 24 Hours: January 28, 2016

January 28, 2016February 14, 2016 Leave a comment

Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner: 1941 – 2016
The Gist: The co-founder of the iconic band has died at 74.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Jackson McHenry

Quentin Tarantino’s Father’s Pro-Police Film Release Plan: “…Speaking out is not enough.”
The Gist: Tony Tarantino, 75, will release his feature film about cops battling drug cartels, Prism, in 11 months and has pledged to donate 10% of the film’s profits and ancillary revenue to Los Angeles Police Protective League.
Source Article Here: Daily News
Author: Thomas Tracy

Amazon & Netflix: Changing Perception From “Bargain-Bin Buyers” To Bonafide Player$
The Gist: The Washington Post calls Netflix and Amazon the “Big Stream” and as their buying power allows them entrée to Hollywood’s content market, a clear-cut disruption is changing the competition for acquisition deals.
Source Article Here: The Washington Post
Author: Drew Harwell

Campaign 2016: The Celebrity Endorsement Factor
The Gist: From Jenna Jameson to Phil Robertson, celebrities’ social media cache can absolutely boost Presidential hopefuls’ online relevance. Take a look at 5 nominee hopefuls and the view counts and comments by the numbers when a star chimes in.
Source Article Here: Adweek
Author: Lauren Johnson

How to Use Data to Make a Hit TV Show
The Gist: This TED Talks video podcast was uploaded today and explains, in under 13 minutes, why data analysis – in and of itself – isn’t enough to guarantee the best outcome
Source Article Here: TED YouTube Channel
Author: Sebastian Wernicke

#Tech Buzz: The Inside Track On Expected Layoffs At Yahoo Next Week
The Gist: The inside scoop on what people expect to happen after Yahoo’s earnings call scheduled for next week, including layoffs.
Source Article Here: re/code
Author: Kara Swisher

Flashback Read

Brittany Murphy: “What worked for her as an actress made for a troubled life.”
The Gist: The life and death of Brittany Murphy whose passing at the age 32, in 2009, left more questions than answers. Here, a family intimate, shares an overview of a talent in free-fall.
Source Article Here: Yahoo! Movies via The Hollywood Reporter
Author: Alex Ben Block

The Past 24 Hours: January 27, 2016

January 27, 2016February 14, 2016 Leave a comment

Sundance’s Big Spenders? Amazon and Netflix
The Gist: Amazon is the clear buying winner so far, outspending Netflix by $3M in its acquisition of theatrical festival titles. The two companies have spent $27M during Sundance and here’s why Amazon is ahead.
Source Article Here: The New York Post
Author: Claire Atkinson

As The Ratchet Turns: “I made it so we could wear tight jeans.” – Kanye West
The Gist: Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa are worth more than a combined $137M, but that didn’t stop their Twitter beef over Kanye’s next CD title from becoming a hot mess. Here are the tweets as they unfolded, plus a clap-back from their ex, Amber Rose.
Source Article Here: Entertainment Weekly
Author: Madison Vain

Digital News – Over 29 Sites, Number of Views & Strategies -By The Millions
The Gist: The current playing field of how online news outlets are doing, their strategies, the demos they’re trying to woo, and how they rank via illustrated charts, from Vice to the NYT.
Source Article Here: Forbes
Author: Lewis DVorkin

Eight L.A.P.D. Officers Cleared In Opening Fire On Wrong Vehicle In Search For Murderous Ex-Cop Christopher Dorner
The Gist: The shooting case – that non-fatally wounded one of two women delivering newspapers in Torrance during the vehicle look-out for ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner in 2013 – results in no charges. The officers involved mistook the sound of a newspaper hitting the ground for a gunshot.
Source Article Here: The Los Angeles Times
Authors: Joseph Serna and Kate Mather

‘The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus On What To Expect When Season 6 Returns
The Gist: The series’ fan favorite as Daryl Dixon gives a hint of the AMC smash’s return on Feb. 15th with a new nemesis, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Source Article Here: Empire
Author: Phil De Semlyen

Casting Update For 4 Projects
The Gist: Casting updates for four projects, including Netflix’s take on Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events and ABC’s Marvel’s Most Wanted.
Source Article Here: Moviehole
Author: Ash

FLASHBACK READ

“The Trashiest Show Of The Aughts” – A Look Back At ‘Cheaters’
The Gist: This brisk flashback piece from 2014 remembers the syndicated heyday of infidelity and intimate malfeasance…via Cheaters.
Source Article Here: Uproxx
Author: Stacy Ritzen

The Past 24 Hours: January 26, 2016

January 26, 2016February 14, 2016 Leave a comment

Abe Vigoda: 1921 -2016
The Gist: New York native Abe Vigoda was 50 years old when he became a pop-culture fixture after his role in The Godfather. He parlayed that into TV series work, including the series Barney Miller and his own spin-off, Fish.
Source Article Here: BBC

#Sundance 2016 Review: ‘Holy Hell’
The Gist: A look into the “chilling” documentary, Holy Hell, about The Buddha Field spiritual group that formed in 1985 in Southern California, as well as the disturbing revelations that followed and had some of its subjects crying from their seats at the Sundance screening.
Source Article Here: The Telegraph
Author: Gregory Ellwood

“Liquid Death” – The Poisoning Of Flint, Michigan
The Gist: People losing tufts of hair in the shower, children irreversibly brain-damaged by untreated tap water from the Flint River in Michigan– already a highly toxic river for decades – are just the tip of the iceberg where lead-filled water, greed and neglect have created an American tragedy in real-time.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Stephen Rodrick

13 New Books For Your Radar This Week
The Gist: The most buzz-worthy new books out this week, with cover art and a synopsis for each, including: The Poison Artist, Why We Write About Ourselves, Anna and the Swallow Man, 25 Women: Essays On Their Art, and The Evening Spider.
Source Article Here: Publishers Weekly

Threats to “the very existence of civilization” at most crucial point since 1984
The Gist: Scientists cite climate change and nuclear arms as the biggest threats to global life in their new study that puts the world at “3 minutes to midnight.”
Source Article Here: Time
Author: Daniel White

#L.A. Food Buzz: The End of An Era For L.A.’s Burger Joints
The Gist: This piece takes a look at the fading era of a Downtown L.A staple: the independent burger stand, with only 20 remaining. A look at the rise, fall and resurgence of the downtown scene since the ‘20s and where it’s headed.
Source Article Here: The Guardian
Author: Max Podemski

Viral Vid: ‘Jurassic Park’ Trailer Re-Edited
The Gist: This fan-made, re-edited trailer for 1994’s Jurassic Park was uploaded to YouTube last Friday and is getting some attention for its suspenseful cuts. The original Jurassic trailer is included, for comparison.
Source Article Here: iDigital Times
Author: Aric Suber-Jenkins

Flashback Read

“I don’t know who you think I am, bitch, but I’m not that person.”
The Gist: A lot has changed for Britney Spears for the better, but “the canary in the coal mine” nearly lost it all less than a decade ago. Rolling Stone documented her crisis in this cover story from February 2008.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Vanessa Grigoriadis

The Past 24 Hours: January 25, 2016

January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 Leave a comment

The Movie Mogul & The “Slow-Motion” Implosion Of Relativity Media
The Gist: New York magazine’s feature on the 11 year trajectory of Relativity Media and its founder, Ryan Kavanaugh.
Source Article Here: New York/Vulture
Author: Benjamin Wallace

The Jinx, Game of Thrones, The Big Short Take Producers Guild Awards Honors
The Gist: The full list of winners from this past weekend’s PGA Awards.
Source Article Here: E! Online
Author: Corinne Heller

Beyond The Oscars Backlash: Hope For The Creative Community
The Gist: My post from the weekend looking beyond the entertainment audience’s social media outcry over the Oscars and why the creative community is up to the challenge.
Source Article Here: LinkedIn Pulse
Author: Karl Gibson

Roll ‘Em! : Trailer For ‘11/22/63’ JFK Fantasy-Drama Based On Stephen King Novel
The Gist: The trailer for Hulu’s original 9-hour series adaptation of King’s novel centered on the JFK assassination. James Franco stars; the series premieres February 15, 2016.
Source Article Here: Hot Press
Authors: Hot Press Newsdesk

Shonda Rhimes: “Women are smart and strong. They are not sex toys or damsels in distress.”
The Gist: Shonda Rhimes’ remarks after receiving the Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Achievement Award. On her network entry in 2004: “Maybe content creators were afraid, maybe they had been hitting brick walls, maybe they had had their spirits broken.”
Source Article Here: Women and Hollywood/Indie Wire
Author: Inkoo Kang

#Viral Vid: Snowboarding Through Manhattan To The Tune Of 30M Views In 2 Days
The Gist: The 2:42 clip of Casey Neistat being pulled by his Jeep on a snowboard through Manhattan during the blizzard of Jonas that some mistook for a guerilla Jeep ad.
Source Article Here: Digiday
Author: Jordan Lavinsky

Attending A Film Festival As A Filmmaker? 8 Tips To Keep In Mind
The Gist: From not avoiding people, to post-festival follow-ups and not being late to your own panel, here’s a guide to best practices if you’ve made it to the festival circuit.
Source Article Here: Stage 32
Author: Kelly Hughes

FLASHBACK READ

Paying Dues As An Assistant: “The worst thing to be called is a really good assistant.”
The Gist: Access has its perks, but there is a time to move on, as shown in this article, The Assistant Economy, from 2015 in Dissent. The highs and the pitfalls of being an assistant are here, as well as examples of assisting notables such as Robert Altman, Scott Rudin, Darren Aronofsky, and Susan Sontag.
Source Article Here: Dissent
Author: Francesca Mari

Most Viewed Articles For The Week Of 1/18/16

January 24, 2016 Leave a comment

Here, in random order, are the most-viewed stories for the week of 1/18/16:

#Television: 2016-2017 Pilot Season – The Latest Details
The Gist: This posted on TV Line’s site on January 20th and updates daily. Here’s the rundown on TV’s next season of hopefuls and misses.
Source Article Here: TV Line
Author: TV Line Team

Mos Def: “I’m retiring from the musical recording industry … and also from Hollywood effective immediately.”
The Gist: The above quote is contained in an audio message the musician-actor, 42, posted on Kanye West’s website after South African officials charged Mos Def with immigration law violations and living there illegally for over a year.
Source Article Here: USA Today
Author: Maria Puente

Sundance Film Festival Offering Over 12 Virtual Reality Experiences – For Free – Until Feb. 12th
The Gist: Watch over 12 virtual experiences free, with either the “Milk VR app for the Samsung Gear VR or a Google Cardboard and a smartphone.” (Google Cardboard site is here)
Source Article Here: Wired
Author: Angela Watercutter

“It’s not an internment camp. If you’re that fearful, then get a job.” – Chelsea Handler
The Gist: Chelsea Handler’s 2-minute video clip with Howard Stern discussing former Chelsea Lately writer and panelist Heather McDonald’s admission, in a prior interview, that the Handler set was a place of daily fear for her.
Source Article Here: Fishbowl LA
Author: Richard Hogan

Ghosts Of Heartbreaks Past & The Stories We Tell Ourselves
The Gist: Study findings about why some break-ups feel random and others feel intensely personal and life-defining….and how to soldier on.
Source Article Here: The Atlantic
Author: Lauren Howe

3 Ways To Network Like The Business A-List
The Gist: This article takes into account the outdated notions of networking as a successful person in your respective field of work. A look at the 3 ways to network in the new landscape of limited time and a deluge of cold contacts.
Source Article Here: Harvard Business Review
Author: Dorie Clark

The Top 100 InDemand Employers On LinkedIn
The Gist: LinkedIn’s 2015 list – on one page – of the “most sought-after employers” in North America. Each company on the list has a thumbnail on its number of employees, top skills, headquarters, and a link to follow them via their LinkedIn page. Dive in!
Source Article Here: LinkedIn InDemand

Actress Janet Hubert’s Response To Jada Pinkett Smith On Oscar Boycott: “Y’all ain’t Barack and Michelle Obama…Get real.”
The Gist: Hubert, 60, played opposite Will Smith as Vivian Banks in the first 3 seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her frank response to Pinkett Smith’s Oscar reaction video, We Must Stand In Power, is here in its 4-minute entirety. Jada Pinkett Smith’s video, via Facebook, is here.
Source Article Here: The Washington Post
Author: Bethonie Butler

#Viral Vidz: The Most Epic Lip Sync Battles, From Mike Tyson to Tracee Ellis Ross
The Gist: A collection of lip sync battles from the eponymous Spike series, with millions of views tallied, including Taraji P. Henson vs. Terrence Howard, Mike Tyson vs. Terry Crews, Anthony Mackie vs. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more.
Source Article Here: Essence
Author: Lauren Porter

Why Social Media Skills Are Crucial To Employers & The Scramble To Teach Peeps
The Gist: $70 billion will be spent to educate the US workforce this year, from Millennials to Boomers, on social media know-how as consumers’ $1.3 trillion dollars are up for grabs to those who know how to do it well.
Source Article Here: Fast Company
Author: Ryan Holmes