Showing posts with label Actors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Actors. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Will Ferrel
He CAN be funny, but not only in an original comedy. If it's in something that's based off something known, he sucks. That is all.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Hollywood studios are clueless and in trouble...
Hollywood studios in midst of their own horror show
October 6, 2009
John Horn, Ben Fritz and Rachel Abramowitz
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
{excerpts}
The recent firings and hirings of studio executives at Disney, Universal and elsewhere point to a widespread corporate panic amid sharp declines in DVD sales.
... as DVD sales have collapsed by as much as 25% at some studios, access to outside financing has vanished and production and marketing costs remain sky-high, media companies are cracking under all the pressure.
As the lineup of newly elevated studio executives scramble for solutions, expect an even greater emphasis on so-called "branded entertainment": sequels and movies based on toys, old television shows and other familiar themes. ... There also will likely be far fewer adult dramas and less reliance on movie stars -- many of whom can no longer draw ticket buyers, and are seeing their guaranteed salaries slashed.
"They still haven't found a new business model to replace the old one."
For years, DVD sales, coupled with the growth in international markets, compensated for box office losers.
But as the global economy tanked, so did DVD income.
At the same time, foreign monopolies in paid television have driven down the formerly generous license fees paid to American studios for cable and satellite reruns, while increasingly popular local language productions ... have cut into the international box-office returns for U.S. productions.
As profits vanish, new capital has become as unattainable as the best picture Oscar.
When times were flush, the studios spent like sailors on shore leave, handing out lavish producer deals, flying private jets, adding millions in overhead (including their own compensation) and pouring fortunes into poorly executed projects ...
Thanks to Kidsis for the link.
This just highlights the problems in Hollywood. A-list actors got paid too much. Producers got greedy. Studios chucked money at bad projects because they had too much money available. Studios depended on DVDs to make up for losses on bad projects. We trained people in studios in other countries to make 'American-style' movies, who now make them in their own languages. Their financing has dried up, probably due to referring to investors as "suckers".
What's so sad is that I could make movies for the rest of my life and still make money on most, if not all, of them. Hollywood is clueless as to what really is selling the movies.
October 6, 2009
John Horn, Ben Fritz and Rachel Abramowitz
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
{excerpts}
The recent firings and hirings of studio executives at Disney, Universal and elsewhere point to a widespread corporate panic amid sharp declines in DVD sales.
... as DVD sales have collapsed by as much as 25% at some studios, access to outside financing has vanished and production and marketing costs remain sky-high, media companies are cracking under all the pressure.
As the lineup of newly elevated studio executives scramble for solutions, expect an even greater emphasis on so-called "branded entertainment": sequels and movies based on toys, old television shows and other familiar themes. ... There also will likely be far fewer adult dramas and less reliance on movie stars -- many of whom can no longer draw ticket buyers, and are seeing their guaranteed salaries slashed.
"They still haven't found a new business model to replace the old one."
For years, DVD sales, coupled with the growth in international markets, compensated for box office losers.
But as the global economy tanked, so did DVD income.
At the same time, foreign monopolies in paid television have driven down the formerly generous license fees paid to American studios for cable and satellite reruns, while increasingly popular local language productions ... have cut into the international box-office returns for U.S. productions.
As profits vanish, new capital has become as unattainable as the best picture Oscar.
When times were flush, the studios spent like sailors on shore leave, handing out lavish producer deals, flying private jets, adding millions in overhead (including their own compensation) and pouring fortunes into poorly executed projects ...
Thanks to Kidsis for the link.
This just highlights the problems in Hollywood. A-list actors got paid too much. Producers got greedy. Studios chucked money at bad projects because they had too much money available. Studios depended on DVDs to make up for losses on bad projects. We trained people in studios in other countries to make 'American-style' movies, who now make them in their own languages. Their financing has dried up, probably due to referring to investors as "suckers".
What's so sad is that I could make movies for the rest of my life and still make money on most, if not all, of them. Hollywood is clueless as to what really is selling the movies.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Things are bad all over
We're not the only ones getting canned.
Russia to stop new cinema production in 2009.
7 Apr, 06:12 PM
The Russian Minister of Cultural Affairs Alexander Avdeev has said that Russia will stop new cinema production in 2009, Russian web-site Lenta.ru reports. “We will just continue work on the films that were started last year” – Avdeev said at a session of The State Duma Special-Purpose Committee.
According to Avdeev’s speech, the Russian Ministry of Cultural Affairs will assign about 500 million rubles ($15 million) to supporting documentaries and children’s films. “This way we will save the proportion of money that would have been allocated to making motion pictures and nonfiction films. We will also avoid unemployment in the cinema sphere” – Avdeev said.
Avdeev added that film directors and producers will have to compete to retain their jobs, although he did not specify how. Those that win will be granted funding from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Avdeev also said that the state is ready to help directors who make films touching on specific social problems. The Minister said he was sure that projects based on these themes would attract the interest of many famous directors and actors.
Russia to stop new cinema production in 2009.
7 Apr, 06:12 PM
The Russian Minister of Cultural Affairs Alexander Avdeev has said that Russia will stop new cinema production in 2009, Russian web-site Lenta.ru reports. “We will just continue work on the films that were started last year” – Avdeev said at a session of The State Duma Special-Purpose Committee.
According to Avdeev’s speech, the Russian Ministry of Cultural Affairs will assign about 500 million rubles ($15 million) to supporting documentaries and children’s films. “This way we will save the proportion of money that would have been allocated to making motion pictures and nonfiction films. We will also avoid unemployment in the cinema sphere” – Avdeev said.
Avdeev added that film directors and producers will have to compete to retain their jobs, although he did not specify how. Those that win will be granted funding from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Avdeev also said that the state is ready to help directors who make films touching on specific social problems. The Minister said he was sure that projects based on these themes would attract the interest of many famous directors and actors.
