Friday, January 30, 2009
YouTube and William Morris Said to Be Close to Video Deal
YouTube and the William Morris Agency, the Hollywood talent agency, are close to signing a deal that would place the company's clients in made-for-the-Web productions.
By becoming a partner with a talent agency, YouTube is demonstrating that it wants to be a major destination for Hollywood content. Its sponsorship of a live concert in November, YouTube Live, sent the same message
(from The New York Times).
this posted by David August at 12:35 PM - 0 comments - 
Monday, January 26, 2009
Internet Cannibalizes TV
The time spent using the Internet will continue to increase at the expense of television and, to a lesser extent, print media,said Karsten Weide, program director, Digital Media and Entertainment at IDC.This suggests that advertising budgets will continue to be shifted out of television, newspapers, and magazines into Internet advertising.
(from IDC - Press Release, via Details). This is written almost a year ago.
Labels: technology, trends
this posted by David August at 6:30 PM - 0 comments -
SAG and AFTRA Plan to Negotiate Commercials Together
The National Boards of Directors of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) have worked with the AFL-CIO to establish a framework in which the two unions will negotiate the AFTRA Television and Radio Recorded Commercials Contracts and the SAG Television Commercials Contract under the rules of an expanded Phase One Agreement
(from sag.org, and aftra.org).
this posted by David August at 11:52 AM - 0 comments -
Friday, January 23, 2009
Broadway 'West Side' Cast Maria from YouTube
Arthur Laurents needed a Maria for his upcoming Broadway revival of "West Side Story." The 91-year-old director, who wrote the libretto for the legendary 1957 musical, found her on YouTube.
Josefina Scaglione was an Argentine stage actress working in Buenos Aires. She spoke English with a rich Spanish accent, was unknown to American audiences and was exactly what Mr. Laurents had been searching for
(from The Wall Street Journal). You can read about video and social media on one of my other blogs.
this posted by David August at 7:21 PM - 0 comments -
ABC Combines TV Network and Studio
ABC on Thursday became the second major broadcaster to combine its television network and production studio into a single unit
(from Los Angeles Times). NBC in 2004 combined their network and studio.
this posted by David August at 10:33 AM - 0 comments -
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Check Your Props Guns Too
As I've mentioned before, check your props yourself, every time; An actor was shot in head when a prop gun turned out to be real and loaded. Caveat actor.
Labels: process
this posted by David August at 10:29 AM - 2 comments -
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Census Takers Sought by Actors Fund/Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is in most need of census takers, who will commence working in February 2009, with work continuing through December 2010. As a result, most census takers will be hired during the month of January 2009. The Actors Fund will be working with the Census Bureau in sponsoring group testing for entertainment and performing arts professionals in New York and Los Angeles. For more information, in New York, please email blevinso@actorsfund.org and in Los Angeles msalerno@actorsfund.org. For those not living in New York or Los Angeles, specific information about the type of jobs, how to apply, etc. can be found at: census.gov/2010censusjobs/
(from actorsfund.org). This is all I know about this; caveat actor.
Labels: day job
this posted by David August at 6:04 PM - 0 comments -
Monday, January 05, 2009
Studio and Networks More Vulnerable Now
This union was founded in 1933 during the Great Depression. We achieved our first contract with the studios in 1937. Despite general unemployment then at 25%, working actors formed Screen Actors Guild to resist the studios demand that all actors take a 50% pay cut because of the economic hard times for the entertainment industry in the 1930's. Actors then, at great risk to their careers, stood together and refused management's rollbacks.
The economic crisis puts pressure on both sides of the table in the TV/Theatrical contracts negotiation. The studios and networks are much more vulnerable today than they were a year ago facing the WGA
(emphasis added, from sag.org).
this posted by David August at 11:58 AM - 0 comments -
