Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: 20th Century Fox, Arts, DreamWorks, Kung Fu Panda, Lizzy Caplan, Penguins of Madagascar, Television, Warner Bros.
Nickelodeon is preparing an animated series to debut early next year to be titled “Kung Fu Panda: The Series” that will be based on the DreamWorks film released last year. The two companies have worked well together in the past: Nickelodeon recently premiered “The Penguins of Madagascar,” which was based on DreamWorks’ “Madagascar” movies. The New York Times (5/13)
The premiere Tuesday of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” set a record for the popular franchise, with 1.72 million total viewers and 1.26 million in the 18-to-49 demographic. Separately, the first part of a reunion special featuring the cast of “The Real Housewives of New York City” attracted 2.29 million viewers. Broadcasting & Cable (5/13)
FOX renewed its frosh drama series Lie To Me starring Tim Roth for a second season. Shawn Ryan, creator/executive producer of The Shied also joins the series as an executive producer and show-runner. Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television produces. In addition, FOX picked up two new series, the drama Human Target from Warner Bros. TV, DC Comics and Wonderland; as well as the single-camera comedy Sons of Tucson from 20th TV and J2TV. Mark Valley headlines Human Target as Christopher Chance, a freelance security guy who takes on the identities of the people in danger he is hired to protect. Sons of Tucson stars Tyler Labine as a charming hustler employed by three young brothers to act as their father while their real dad is serving a prison sentence for a white-collar crime. (Cynopsis 5/14)
Starz approved a second season of Party Down, its new 30m comedy about a Los Angeles catering team made up of Hollywood wannabes hoping to catch their big break. Starz Media produces the series which has an ensemble cast starring Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Lizzy Caplan. (Cynopsis 5/14)
Broadcast networks will see their ratings among the coveted 18-49 audience plummet next season, says Turner Broadcasting researcher Jack Wakshlag. Both Jay Leno’s move to NBC prime time and the conversion from analog to digital will cause younger viewers to flee to cable, he claims. (Iwantmedia 5/14,http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/05/turner.html 5/13)
BET’s season two finale of its gospel competition series Sunday Best posted a 1.3 BET Coverage rating with 1.2 million plus households and 1.7 million viewers watching.
MGM is quickly selling its MGM Prime-Time Sunday Movie package to The CW affiliates. The movie package is secured in 65% of the US on Tribune Broadcasting Company-owned CW stations in addition to other broadcast groups with CW stations including Sunbeam TV Corporation, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Gray Television Inc., Freedom Communication, Inc. and the CW Plus station group. (Cynopsis 5/14)
(Below) F Boxee! This is the hotness…and already plugged into your set-top box experience if you are indeed a Verizon FIOS subscriber. Yet another reason that I will be switching from Time Warner Cable to Verizon. Shame though on the Hulu/YouTube front but I’m guessing that Hulu would bring Hulu’s supreme content offering too front and center for a MSO to be comfortable with…
Verizon Communications later this quarter is expected to launch a service that will bring about 7 million online video clips to TVs using its FiOS TV offering. The clips will be culled from sites such as Dailymotion, Veoh Networks and Blip.TV. Those from YouTube and Hulu.com will not be included. Multichannel News (5/13)
Charter Communications has won a temporary restraining order against DirecTV related to an ad campaign by the satellite provider that Charter claimed — and a federal court agreed — was misleading. The campaign gives the impression that Charter, which is in the middle of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, is no longer able to offer new services. Reuters (5/13) , Multichannel News (5/13)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Arts, Disney, DreamWorks, Movies, NBC Universal, Steven Spielberg, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Company
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is on the verge of announcing a six-year, 30-film distribution deal with Disney after the collapse of negotiations last week with NBC Universal‘s Universal Studios. The move will bring to an end Spielberg’s 30-year relationship with Universal. (Iwantmedia 2/9, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f27f3d68-f612-11dd-a9ed-0000779fd2ac.html 2/8)
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Filed under: Feature, TECHNOLOGY | Tags: 3D, Concurrent Versions System, DreamWorks, inTru3D, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Lionsgate, Monsters vs. Aliens, My Bloody Valentine, NBC, PepsiCo, Real3D, RealD, South Beach Beverage Company, Super Bowl
3D FILM AND TV: THE HOTNESS OR THE WACKNESS?
Last night, I headed out to Union Square in NYC to catch My Bloody Valentine, the horror re-make of a 1981 Canadian film of the same name. This film is the first R-rated film to be projected in Real 3D technology. 3D film used to require 2 projectors to create the visual. Real 3D only uses 1 projector. My Bloody Valentine 3D was released on 1,033 screens nation-wide, the highest number of screens in distribution of a Real 3D film. It was released both in 3D and its standard format although viewers have chosen so far 6:1 to see it in 3D. So, people seem to dig this 3D stuff.
But the question still remains, is it really the hotness? The film and television studios sure think so.
This Sunday, during the Super Bowl, viewers who remembered to pick up their nifty glasses at one of these retail locations will be able to watch 2 ads in 3D. The first is a trailer for the animated DreamWorks film Monsters vs. Aliens debuting in March in theatres. The second is an ad for PepsiCo‘s SoBe LifeWater energy drinks. Both will feature inTru3D’s technology which features a high-powered chip from Intel. The difference between Real 3D and inTru3D? DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg would say that this technology provides more vibrant colors than others. Katzenberg is so dedicated to this new technology that he has proclaimed (yes like God) that all feature films from DreamWorks will be authored in 3D this year. You tell it Katz…
And here I thought I was being slick by keeping my RealD glasses from last night to use for Sunday. Yahhhh…turns out they won’t work. Awesome. I can’t wait to walk into my local 1st Avenue CVS and calmly ask for some 3D glasses. Keep in mind that on former occasions at this same pharmacy, employees weren’t sure where the cotton balls were. Great.
And finally, keep those inTru3D glasses you painstakingly located at CVS after a heated discussion surrounding their existence, for the season premiere of Chuck coming to NBC Monday night at 8. Check out the preview below.
Now, I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty excited to see what 3D looks like at home on my own television. But the jury’s still out for me on whether this will be cool for a minute in theatrical time or go the distance. From what I saw last night from My Bloody Valentine, it’s intriguing but not enough for me to pay extra for. Yup, that’s right. I didn’t really answer the question. That’s just how I roll.
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- DreamWorks to hand out 150 million 3D glasses for Super Bowl ad (cbc.ca)
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- Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Promo to Air During the Super Bowl (perezhilton.com)
- Tips For HD and 3D Viewing on Superbowl Sunday [HDTV] (i.gizmodo.com)
- Do you care about the Super Bowl 3D commercials? I don’t. (crunchgear.com)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Monsters vs. Aliens, New York, Real Housewives of Orange County, Super Bowl, United States
During NBC’s Super Bowl XLIII broadcast on February 1, viewers will need 3-D glasses to view a 90-second commercial promoting the March release of animated movie Monsters vs. Aliens from DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said the 90-second commercial plus giving away 150 million pairs of 3-D glasses through 28,000 retail locations via the Pepsi/SoBe Life displays will cost “tens of millions of dollars” and he calls the deal “perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history.” A single 30-second ad in the Super Bowl is tabbed at approximately $3 million. (Cynopsis 1/6)
Is it wrong that I want to rubber band the glasses to my mom’s dog and see what happens? All in good fun…
The eighth season opener of A&E’s “The First 48″ attracted a record 2.3 million viewers, according to the network. The episode, which originally aired Jan. 1, won the much-coveted adult 18-to-49 and 25-to-54 demographics as well. Multichannel News (1/5)
Bravo is back in Manhattan as season two of The Real Housewives of New York City debuts February 17 at 11p following the finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County. The series will shift to its normal time slot of Tuesdays at 10p starting February 24. (Cynopsis 1/6)
To promote the new season of “Big Love,” a drama about a polygamous family, HBO is installing billboards in New York and Los Angeles that feature headphone jacks that allow passers-by to plug in and listen to people confess secrets. The campaign, by BBDO New York and other shops, is based around the tag line, “Everyone Has Something to Hide,” and also includes a microsite and performing street teams in major cities. The New York Times (1/5)
NBC News is denying a Drudge Report story claiming that conservative author Ann Coulter has been banned from the network after “Today” dropped her from Tuesday’s program because of breaking-news events. “We look forward to welcoming her back in the future,” says NBC. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i27e6523c216f71f782c2de31d9dec3fb 1/5)
If only they could ban Crazy Train Coulter… And yes, I say this with full liberal bias.
As more cable channels produce must-see programs, a top-rated cable outlet could come to reach as many viewers as one of the broadcast networks, according to industry analysts. Within three or four years, “you probably could lose one” of the major broadcasters. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=133514 1/5)
TV and film company Lionsgate has acquired the TV Guide Channel and TVGuide.com from Macrovision for $255 million. For Lionsgate — which controls channel FearNet with Sony and Comcast and soon will launch pay-cable movie channel Epix with Viacom and MGM — the move represents deeper involvement in the cable arena. The Wall Street Journal (1/6) , Advertising Age (1/5)
CBS plans to reduce capital spending to $350 million this year and would sell more radio stations at the right price, according to CEO Les Moonves, speaking at an investor conference. He adds that he is optimistic advertising will recover: “CBS is going to get the bulk of that revenue.” (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a87gPx6Opxhk 1/6)
WGN America formed a new partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to begin airing the first-run, original show WWE Superstars beginning this April. WWE Superstars, a 60m weekly series produced by WWE, will highlight various Superstars and Divas from the three WWE franchises. The program will air Thursday nights at 8p and 11p and with a third run on the weekend. (Cynopsis 1/6)
New York viewers will get extra financial insight into the current economic crisis as The New York Times business reporter/columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin hosts a new seven-episode series It’s the Economy, NY! What’s Happening and What It Means to You. From WNET.ORG, the series opens this Thursday on New York public television stations THIRTEEN at 8p and WLIW21 at 1130p. During each episode, Sorkin will interview top financial leaders focused on topics important to New Yorkers. (Cynopsis 1/6)
Time Warner Cable is signing a new deal to carry CBS’s flagship network and Showtime premium channel. CBS and Showtime will be part of Time Warner Cable’s “Start Over” feature that lets viewers restart shows and the “Look Back” service that makes programs available for three days. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aISSWRB.Occo 1/6)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: Broadcasting & Cable, CNBC, DreamWorks, Federal Communications Commission, Jeffrey Katzenberg, JVC, Sensio, WIRELESS
TECHNOLOGY
JVC has partnered with Sensio for its first 3-D projection system, a development that will allow home-theater owners the ability to watch 3-D movies at 1080p resolution without leaving their house. The DLA-RS2, which is expected to debut next year, will feature JVC’s Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier system and a 30,000:1 native contrast ratio. ElectronicHouse.com (11/5)
Now that 3-D technology has matured enough to transform the movie-going experience, some industry experts are wondering how long it will take before advancements in 3-D make it to HDTV screens. In an interview, DreamWorks‘ Jeffrey Katzenberg said there were still a few challenges to overcome. CED Magazine (11/2008)
Dell will put the unused part of television frequencies — known as “white spaces” — within reach of laptop owners by installing radio chips that connect with the spectrum into notebooks and other wireless devices, the company said without giving a time frame. Technology companies such as Dell, HP and Google lobbied heavily for the FCC to approve exploiting the spectrum, saying its frequencies could expand broadband’s reach and encourage innovation in wireless devices. Network World/IDG News Service (11/6)
Financial cable network CNBC is in the vanguard of using videoconferencing equipment as a way of getting far-flung analysts on camera without the expense of sending video crews out. And with today’s new “telepresence” technologies, reaching financial analysts at remote locations produces video that’s far higher in quality than in the past, said Steve Fastook, vice president of operations and engineering for CNBC. Broadcasting & Cable (11/5)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: David Geffen, DreamWorks, Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Steven Spielberg, United States, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios
DreamWorks made a new seven-year distribution deal with Universal Pictures reports Variety. The arrangement includes six films per year giving Universal an 8% distribution fee for releasing DreamWorks’ films. The pact technically can begin next year, although the first film in the new collaboration will likely be released in 2010 since Paramount Pictures is set to distribute DreamWorks films through the end of 2009. (Cynopsis 10/14)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: DreamWorks, Michael Bloomberg, New York Times, Paramount Pictures, Rupert Murdoch, Steven Spielberg, Viacom, Wall Street Journal
Since buying the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch now wants to own the New York Times, according to Vanity Fair columnist Michael Wolff, who is writing a biography of the media titan. “I’ve watched him go through the numbers, plot out a merger with the Journal’s backroom operations …” (Iwantmedia 9/2, http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/10/wolff200810 9/08)
Steven Spielberg is expected to announce a deal with India’s Reliance Communications to restart the DreamWorks studio that he is relocating from Viacom‘s Paramount Pictures in an acrimonious split. Reliance could become a 50% owner of the Hollywood director’s new studio. (Iwantmedia 9/2, http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2008/db2008091_384222.htm 9/1)
Fewer people went to the movies this summer than last, confirming Hollywood’s fears that this year’s slate of pictures would not match the crowd pleasers of 2007. But higher ticket prices and a “Batman’ sequel delivered near-record revenue to the major studios. (Iwantmedia 9/2, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/business/02movie.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 9/2)
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