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Seems American audiences aren’t the only ones who dictate the latest Hollywood fare:

The rising clout of international audiences is a sea change for Hollywood. Decades ago, a movie’s foreign box office barely registered with studio executives. Now, foreign ticket sales represent nearly 68% of the roughly $32 billion global film market, up from roughly 58% a decade ago, according to Screen Digest Cinema Intelligence Service.

The result is that one of the most American of products is now being retooled to suit foreign tastes. Studios have begun to cast foreign actors in American-themed blockbusters like “G.I. Joe.” Scripts are being rewritten to lure global audiences. And studios are cutting back on standard Hollywood fare like romantic comedies because foreign movie-goers often don’t find American jokes all that funny. Several Hollywood studios have gone as far as financing, producing and marketing original movies for markets like South Korea and Brazil.

Source:  WSJ  

The public library is not only a great place to check out books, but it has also become one of the most popular spots to rent a film:  

According to the survey released by the Online Computer Library Center, public libraries in the U.S. lend an average 2.1 million videos/day, which edges out the 2 million discs shipped by Netflix and almost as much as the combined total of DVD rentals at Redbox (1.4 million) and Blockbuster (1.2 million).

Short URL: http://con.st/10009511

In yesterday’s WSJ Opinion Page, Peter Funt argues that customers will pay for online content:

Yet often overlooked is the fact that virtually all trend lines in recent communications history have moved, with success, from free distribution to some form of pay model. The viewing and listening public has demonstrated repeatedly its willingness to spend for content, so long as there is some degree of perceived value.

Could this mean the proliferation on the web of subscription based video sites?  David Lynch has been experimenting with this model: www.davidlynch.com.  There are already several established sites like Hulu, Jamon, The Auteurs, and Netflix that are offering this service.  But could this model also work for an individual or group of independent filmmakers?  Will there be a time in the near future when all cinematic genres, styles, and tastes are represented by independent subscription-based video sites?

Wanted: Innovative TV Programs, Films, Websites and Games with Educational Value

The JAPAN PRIZE 2010 has begun accepting entries on April 1.

Outline of the Contest:

Established in 1965 by NHK, the JAPAN PRIZE has been widely acknowledged as a unique contest contributing to the development of educational broadcasting and media. The targets of the current contest include not only TV programs but also movies, websites, games and other audiovisual materials. Last year we received entries from 65 countries/regions, and we hope more and more productions with educational value will be entered.

Schedule:

·      Entry deadline: July 31 (No entry fee is required)

·      Announcement of the Preliminary Selection: September 1

·      Announcement of the Awards: October 27

Divisions and Categories:

·      Audiovisual Division (Target media: TV programs, films, websites, games, etc.)

o      Pre-school Category (around age 6)

o      Primary Category (around age 6 to 12)

o      Youth Category (around age 12 to 17)

o      Continuing Education Category (around age 18 and over)

o      Welfare Education Category (for any age)

·      TV Proposal Division (Target: TV producers in countries/regions with limited means)

Awards:

·      Grand Prix Japan Prize (USD 5,000) (Selected from among the Best Works)

·      Best Work Prize in Each Audiovisual Category (USD 3,000)

·      Best Proposal Prize (USD 8,000)

·      Special Prizes (USD 2,000~USD 3,000)

For more details„ please visit our website:

http://www.nhk.or.jp/jp-prize/english/index.html

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

日本奖事务局里有会中文的职员在籍。

如果有要求，请询问。

JAPAN PRIZE Secretariat

Phone: +81-3-3465-6199

Fax: +81-3-3481-1800

E-mail: s01602-japan-prize@nhk.or.jp

According to a recent article in the WSJ:

“Arty, sometimes obscure videos have long been produced by fashion houses looking for a subtle way to peddle their brand to a discriminating audience. But such efforts have been limited to the big brands and scattershot, reflecting the high cost of production and screen time. While getting a 30-second television commercial can be expected to cost at least $1 million, an online fashion video can average $50,000 to produce with no distribution costs, executives say.

With the Internet and digital technology, industry executives say short online videos have become an essential part of the fashion marketing tool box, offering customers a new way to interact with a brand and show clothing in motion. Yves Saint Laurent, Marni, Rebecca Taylor and Steven Alan—none of whom have ever advertised on television—have all released online films within the last six months, timed to coincide with runway season as well as to the arrival of in-season clothes in stores.

 The lower production and distribution costs also allow fashion houses to be more daring and experimental in their efforts. Marni’s video for the 2010 Summer collection, released in January in collaboration with video artist Rohan Wadham, is a two-minute stop-motion vignette starring two almond-eyed white dolls. Prada’s “First Spring,” by artist Yang Fudong, is an esoteric, noirish nine-minute black-and-white film in which no one speaks a word.”