DK Entertainment

The Official Hobbit Trailer

2011-12-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

"I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." Ready to return to Middle Earth? The first full trailer for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of The Hobbit adaptation, has arrived online in high def tonight via Apple; it'll also be playing in front of Tintin. It's a full trailer and, for Lord of the Rings fans like myself, is everything you could imagine and truly feels like seeing an old friend again. Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo, along with Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and many others, likeRichard Armitage as Thorin and James Nesbitt. Time to smile (and cry). Enjoy!

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... The Hobbit, being directed by Peter Jackson in two separate parts, is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in a trilogy ten years ago. The Hobbit films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera technology. The Hobbit follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey arrives in theaters in 3D on December 14, 2012.

This article was brought to you via FirstShowing.net

For the Lucky Few

2011-12-14T00:58:00.000-08:00

Looking to generate the word of mouth that commercials, trailers and 3-D have failed to spur this year, studios are turning to IMAX, once the domain of spectacular documentaries.

On Friday, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol becomes the first big-studio feature to premiere on IMAX. The film hits 300 of the special screens five days before its nationwide release Dec. 21 on standard 35-mm and digital screens.

Some theaters also will feature a six-minute sneak peek of The Dark Knight Rises, also shot partly in the oversize format. The footage, which director Christopher Nolanunveiled last week, introduces the villain Bane (Tom Hardy). The latest Batman installment is due in theaters July 20, 2012. To read more from USA Today click here.

What does this mean? Well think of it like a movie trailer lottery. For the lucky few who happen to see Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol in one of the random theaters selected to show the sneak preview, will make all others jealous.

This is an interesting strategy to try and entice people to go out and see the film. And seeing how the type of audience that would go to Mission: Impossible, would also be interested in Batman.

Do you think this will help attract an audience? Are you excited for the chance to see the sneak preview? Or do you think this is more hype than any real chance to see the preview?

Sources:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/story/2011-12-13/mission-impossible-imax/51889380/1?loc=interstitialskip

http://almostnerdy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Teaser-Trailer-The-Dark-Knight-Rises-HD-720p-1080p-High-Quality.jpg

They Come in Pairs

2011-12-02T09:35:00.001-08:00

With the recently released trailers for the two Snow White films coming to theaters next year, one has to question the motives of Hollywood. The production studio’s say it was just a coincidence that they both made a Snow White film to be released in the same year. I mean they don't follow the same plot line so it must be random, right?

When was the last time we had a Snow White movie that was mainstream? Think all the way back to seven dwarfs singing high-ho.

There must be one guy going around every other year to different studios pitching similar ideas, or the competing studios are so unoriginal they decide to do similar but different films to try and capitalize on the market.

It doesn’t take much to see other examples of films that haven’t been done before or since, but just conveniently we had multiples in the same year. Look at some of these “random” coincidences:

Armageddon vs. Deep Impact
Dante’s Peak vs. Volcano
Finding Nemo vs. A Shark Tale
A Bugs Life vs. Antz
The Illusionist vs. The Prestige

This is reflective of the nature of the film industry. They are taking less and less chances on original film’s, instead opting to look at the bottom line and hoping to capitalize on used ideas. I talk about this more in “Where did creativity go?”.

It isn’t like there is a shortage of new ideas and fresh scripts being written, because I personally have written some great scripts. The sad thing is since these new ideas are deemed to risky; we will get more and more of these similar films that only clog up the box office.

This is a big reason besides ticket prices why less people are making the trip out to the movies. If this strategy was true years ago, as it is today we may be without films like Star Wars, E.T., and The Wizard of Oz.

What do you think? Are you tired of all these similar movies that come out within months of each other?

Sources:

http://blog.media-freaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/free-hidden-object-games-510.jpg

Investing in Entertainment Pt. 2

2011-11-16T12:42:00.001-08:00

This post is an update to Investing in Entertainment.

Earlier it was discussed how an independent filmmaker might finance a film, and we looked at a couple expert opinions to find out how to attract investors. One of the best things to take away is the fact that your approach should be the same as it would with any other business idea, and that is have a business plan!

Since a film idea isn't a typical business, treat it as a film treatment with more details involving the financing and what returns, if any could be expected.

As previously mentioned in Investing in Entertainment, I described how I just put a script together and now will incorporate these methods and utilize them for my film. I will explain the process in a step by step way so you can see exactly how I have done it.

Have an idea for a film.
Put together a organized and finished script.
Create a film treatment.
Figure out your finances and returns.
Gather other relevant data and demographics, like what kind of audience will see your film?
Put together your business plan.
Locate investors locally and nationally.
Make sure all your best is on the table within 5 minutes of any meeting.
Never give up.

The biggest things to take away is that you need more than just a script. Originally I thought all I needed was an awesome idea, but when investor's are listening to your pitch all they want to hear is how much you need, and how it will benefit them.

The most important section outside of the actual script, will be the finances and projections so make sure you have all your costs thought of and don't be shy. Remember that you will likely encounter more problems than you originally plan for, so you should also set aside a contingency fund in your finances.

The last and most important piece is to make sure before you ever reveal any important information, you have anyone who listens sign a non-disclosure agreement of some kind. This will protect you from the possibility of your ideas being used without your consent.

New James Bond Film Name Announced

2011-11-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

It was just announced via iPad this morning, that the 23rd James Bond film starring Daniel Craig will be called Skyfall. First reported by Cnet via the news conference using the Sky News app:

http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/James-Bond-23-moving-forward.jpg

The new film has been languishing in a cell beneath a volcano for a couple of years as film studio MGM faced thespectre of bankruptcy. But now the film is ready to roll -- it pits the sexy superspy with the licence to kill and even more gadgets than our review section against the mysterious QUANTUM organisation hinted at in Casino Royaleand Quantum of Solace.

The next film to feature Britain's top secret agent will again star blond-haired bruiser Daniel Craig as Bond -- James Bond -- with Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes as the villains and French stunner Bérénice Marlohe as the latest Bond girl. Albert Finney and Judi Dench are Bond's bosses, and it's directed by American Beauty and Road to Perdition helmer Sam Mendes. Read the rest of the article here.

What do you think of the new James Bond name? Are you excited for the film, or are you thinking who cares about the name? I want the name of the car that will be featured.

Average Ticket Price Lowered

2011-11-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations viewers for this small victory is the first sign of better days. It was reported today by the National Association of Theaters Owners that the new average ticket price dropped from $8.06 to $7.94 in the third quarter.

What does this mean? Well for starters, the amount of 3D movies is down which plays a part in the lowering. Also this is finally reflecting the fact that sales are down nationally.

Hopefully this is a continuing trend, because up until now the theaters have reacted to the bad economy by doing the unthinkable and raising prices. This has created enough extra revenue to still show an increase in profit, but this came at a heavy premium because it continued to decrease attendance.

This is your opportunity to show you still care about the cinema and take advantage of lower prices. Hopefully the National Association of Theaters Owners and production studios can keep up with the bad economy, and stop killing a source of entertainment that everyone can use to get away from their stress for a while.

Stunt Impossible

2011-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

In the upcoming Mission Impossible movie "Ghost Protocol", there are a lot of intense sequences that we have come to expect and love from the series. What makes these movies even better is the fact that in each one Tom Cruise did his own stunts.

Almost like a hidden signature his stunts range from being in a room where a 16 ton aquarium explodes to being dangled six stories above the ground from a moving helicopter. This film's signature stunt is the most insane yet.

In "Ghost Protocol" there is a scene where Tom Cruise climbs the worlds tallest building, the Burj Khalifa located in Dubai. This is also one of the scenes where they used IMAX cameras, so if you are in an IMAX theater the images will be amazing.

Check out the behind the scenes video of Tom Cruise from "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol":

Also check out the actual trailer here.

Investing in Entertainment

2011-10-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

As an independent filmmaker it can be a tough task to get your idea into motion, and one of the biggest roadblocks is always financing. I have recently put a script together, and before I start pre-production I needed to come up with some ways to overcome this. The biggest question is who will invest in entertainment?

The first thing to consider which is the easiest and safest bet is to ask your family members. Maybe you get lucky and have a bored wealthy aunt who wants some excitement that comes with the red carpet. The best thing when it comes to financing using family and close friends, are the expectations can be more realistic and they won’t chase you down at the first sign of trouble.

Although if you are like me this is easier said then done, so where else could I go for help? To answer this I decided to take a look at traditional methods for getting finances to start other projects or businesses. This led me to a couple investors’ doorsteps.

That’s right traditional investors may be just as interested, or more so in investing in your film just as much as taking a risk investing in a more conventional business. The thing that needs to stay the same however is a proper business plan for your film before you can knock.

Finding these investors can be tricky, and even when you do they will only have a limited time where you can capture their attention. That’s why its important to know exactly what to show and say before you even walk in the door.

To help you with your business plan development I have come across a couple of experts in the field of writing and reviewing business plans who can help shed some light on the key components investors are looking for.

Dave Lavinsky and Jay Turo of growthink.com have been helping companies and individuals develop business plans and capitalize on those ideas since 1999. Dave and Jay graduated from UCLA with an MBA from the school of business.

First think of your business plan as a film treatment, which is very similar. Give a sample script that highlights major scenes and plot details, as well as describes the main characters. After that it should look like any other business plan, which includes your finances, competition, demographics, and other research pertinent to showing why they should invest in you.

Make sure you focus all your time telling them why they should invest in you using supporting examples from the above key factors, like explaining what you need and what their return on investment will be in terms of time and a percentage. You will be lucky to get more than five minutes before they already have made up their mind so prioritize your information. This will still be a difficult task to find enough people to finance your film, so don't be discouraged just continue to be passionate!

Sources

www.growthink.com

http://blog.sceneclips.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/independent-film-industry.jpg

Tonto and The Lone Ranger are Back

2011-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Disney's The Lone Ranger which will have Johnny Depp starring in a not so leading role as Tonto, is officially back on after a production halt due to budget concerns. Filming is now set to begin in February and the new cinema arrival date is May 31, 2013.

The movie initially was scheduled to begin production this month, but in August, Disney brought the project to an abrupt halt. It was clear that the studio had some serious budget concerns -- which were reasonable, as the movie had a budget estimated at $250 million to $275 million.

Reuters explained, Soon after Disney made the announcement that the project had been revived Thursday, producer Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted, "#THELONERANGER....and Tonto...will ride again. Excited for another adventure with Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski. Hi-Yo Silver, Away". Read the rest about Tonto and the Lone Ranger here.

Johnny Depp as stated earlier plays the Native American character Tonto, who is the Lone Rangers sidekick. One of the biggest reasons for wanting the opportunity to play Tonto in the Lone Ranger, was because of the negative portrayal of Native American characters in TV and cinema.

"I remember watching it as a kid, with Jay Silverheels and Clayton Moore, and going: 'Why is the f--ing Lone Ranger telling Tonto what to do?'" Depp told Entertainment Weekly. "I liked Tonto, even at that tender age, and knew Tonto was getting the unpleasant end of the stick here. That's stuck with me. And when the idea came up [for the movie], I started thinking about Tonto and what could be done in my own small way try to -- 'eliminate' isn't possible -- but reinvent the relationship, to attempt to take some of the ugliness thrown on the Native Americans, not only in The Lone Ranger, but the way Indians were treated throughout history of cinema, and turn it on its head."

Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski, and Jerry Bruckheimer have definitely commanded the box office with their collaborative efforts. What do you think, are you excited for a Lone Ranger film?

Sources

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/05/08/johnny-depp-tonto-lone-ranger/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/13/idUS263884485020111013

http://10minutesofbrilliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/LoneRanger-tonto-and-silver.jpg

Avengers Official Trailer

2011-10-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

If all the special endings and hype hasn't gotten you excited for the Avengers film coming to a cinema near you in 2012, then the just released official trailer might.

The trailer was released on Apple's website and firstshowing.net states, "Marvel Studios has revealed the first official trailer for The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, over in HD on Apple today. This is the trailer unveiling we've all been waiting to see, and it features plenty of new footage, but not too much as it is still the first teaser trailer seven months before its release next May". To read the rest of the article click here.

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech

2011-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

*In memory of Steve Jobs 1955-2011*

http://www.leadership-with-you.com/images/stevejobs.jpg

Steve Jobs was a big reason for the amazing technological advances that I have been able to see over my lifetime.

Things that were once reserved for the cinema, and unimaginable in reality ten years ago are now at our fingertips almost 24/7.

Today we crave the constant evolution of new technology on levels that almost make us spoiled. In the end this is what makes the world so exciting, and unfortunately with so much more to be discovered we lost a pioneer. Thank you Steve Jobs for your contributions to they way we live.

The following blog post that discusses Steve Jobs Stanford commencement speech given in 2005, was originally written on April 4th 2011. Read the original post here.

- D.W.Olson

Sources:

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

http://www.leadership-with-you.com/images/stevejobs.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Will this Idea Sink or Swim?

2011-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

With the recent re-release of "The Lion King" into theaters both in 3D and regular film, Disney has opened up a new way for film's to be tastelessly re introduced to theaters all in the name of profit. What started as a unique way for Disney to market and create a buzz for the upcoming release of "The Lion King" onto Blu-Ray, the idea has turned into pure profit. The re-release has toppled their box office predictions and has been the number one film in theaters for the past two weeks.

Now the floodgates have opened, and every past box office success will probably be regurgitated all in the name of greed. Not surprisingly James Cameron has announced the release date for Titanic 3D, which if your interested in seeing the ship sink again in 3D it comes to theaters April 2012. Even James Cameron in a recent interview with TheWrap admitted what is all too obvious. "Cameron said that whatever doubts there were among the two studios re-releasing "Titanic" in 3D have "pretty much evaporated." Paramount and Fox are planning to release Cameron's 3D-converted "Titanic" next April. "Lion King 3D" took in $30.2 million this past weekend. "They see this potential," the filmmaker said. "All it takes is a little healthy greed. And doubts tend to go away." To see the rest of the article click here.

I will definitely admit that if converted properly, there are a few past favorites that I would be tempted to see. I just think the reasons for doing this are all too obvious, and the film industry already is becoming increasingly unoriginal. Hopefully this is a limited fad, which will probably be tied to the future of 3D. What do you think, are you excited to see past favorites in 3D? Or do you think this a big sign for the decline of original films?

Sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/22/us-jamescameron-3dmovies-idUSTRE78L0HS20110922

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/03/340x_titanic.jpg

Mickey Mouse meets the Na'vi: Disney announces plan for Avatar land

2011-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Disney has just released plans for an Avatar style land to be built in the existing Animal Kingdom Park. Walt Disney Co. was able to come to an agreement with James Cameron and Fox Film Entertainment to gain the license to the rights for the park.

As reported by Reuters, they describe the project. Under their agreement, Disney -- which typically sticks to its own franchises and properties in designing rides -- won exclusive global theme park rights to the Avatar franchise. It will eventually take Avatar "lands" beyond Orlando's Disney World.

"Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park-goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of 'Avatar' with an unprecedented sense of reality," Cameron said in a statement. To read more from the article click here.

This is the biggest licensing agreement since Universal Studios came to an agreement with J.K. Rowling to build the Harry Potter World. After seeing the success and reduced ticket sales from Universals new gem, this seems to be a direct attempt to regain some attention with this move.

Construction is to begin in 2013, and will be the biggest addition to Animal Kingdom since the ride Expedition Everest opened in 2006. This will also coincide with the opening of the expansion of Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom, which will be fully completed in 2013.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that The Avatar land should provide a huge jolt in the arm for the 13-year-old Animal Kingdom theme park. The youngest of Walt Disney World's four theme parks has been criticized by some park fans for lacking attractions and not amounting to a full-day experience on par with the Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

Although a precise date hasn't been set for completion of the Avatar attractions in Animal Kingdom, an opening sometime in 2016 could allow Disney to capitalize on a fresh wave of fan interest in the 'Avatar' film franchise from the two sequels currently in development. Cameron said the tentative plan is to release the first sequel around Christmas 2014 and the second around Christmas 2015.

"The timing seems to work out well in terms of the sequels," Cameron said. "Really, what we need to resolve is how much of the elements of the second and third films are incorporated into the Avatar land." To read more from the Orlando Sentinel click here.

Sources:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-parks-announcement-20110920,0,5194769.story

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/20/us-disney-avatar-idUSTRE78J5AK20110920

http://theworldtrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/experience-thrill-avatar.jpg

Power to the Consumer

2011-09-20T11:16:00.001-07:00

The amount of information we have at our fingertips at any single moment is amazing. Just years ago, we had to rely on other resources for the answer’s to our questions but today we can just “Google it”. What this means is that we now have a new ability to figure our things ourselves without needing to seek out and some times pay someone for the information. On the other hand this scares businesses to the core, because it changes the way they need to do things and also eliminates jobs all together.

Just look at the film industry for example. When a film is released into theaters the consumer is instantly able to find reviews from hundreds of people who either like, love, or hate the film. What do this mean? If the public and the reviewer have a negative perception of a movie, that movie is doomed on release. Previously the movie had at least a few weeks to try and catch a following, as well as regain some finances.

As Phil Contrino, editor of BoxOffice.com, says, "The mainstream media is guilty of this. They look at the opening weekend — and instantly a movie is a success or a failure." But the truth is way more complicated than that. Sometimes, a film can do well in its first weekend and then stumble in later weekends. Or a film can develop "legs," like Christopher Nolan's Inception, and win a few weekends in a row. To read the rest of this article click here.

Another good example from this year, is the film Cowboy's and Alien's. This was one of the most hyped and commercialized films for 2011, and instantly was dead in the water by the negative reviews that flooded sites. With a little over a $150 million budget, domestically the film was a disaster not even able to break the $100 million barrier.

Hopefully this new method will force the film studios to produce better films, and not just have the ability to over market and hype it up in an attempt to gain as much ticket sales as possible before the public realizes it for what it is. So continue to enjoy your new powers wisely, and watch businesses scramble for a solution.

Sources:

http://io9.com/5747305/how-much-money-does-a-movie-need-to-make-to-be-profitable

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dAHBVHHDX4s/TTMyH9VBscI/AAAAAAAAAeg/EKiOGkI5fsk/s1600/cowboys-and-aliens-movie-2011-daniel-craig.jpg

Entertainment Law Tips

2011-08-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Working in the entertainment industry is a thrilling and fast paced environment that creates a lot of excitement. Unfortunately it can also create a lot of problems when it comes to the legal side, like copyright and trademark issues as well as remembering to collect all the necessary forms and agreements from all parties involved in anything you do. I was recently able to discuss some of these common issues in the entertainment industry with Deborah Hrbek, a senior attorney and founder of Hrbek Law LLC.

Deborah received her law degree at King's College, Cambridge University, and went on to qualify as a barrister in England. Focusing her practice on entertainment and small business law, Hrbek represents creative professionals, entrepreneurs and artists, including indie labels, TV and film production companies, directors, talent, writers, managers, spokespersons, musicians, filmmakers, visual artists, graphic artists and photographers, as well as investors in the arts. Hrbek's Featured Client artist roster includes an Oscar winning film production team, Internet sensation "Obama Girl," and a novelist short-listed for the Booker Prize. To read more information about Deborah or her law firm from her companies website click here.

The first thing we talked about was how to avoid getting into copyright and trademark issues. Deborah said the best thing to remember is if you ever find yourself dealing with anything you didn’t create yourself, for example when making a commercial using someone else’s music in it, make sure you have the correct permission to use it from those who legally can give it. Even the smaller items like graphics pulled of the Internet can cause problems if used without permission, so make sure everything you use for commercial production avoids copyright and trademark violations. If you have any other questions with copyright or trademark laws and policies check out the USPTO website by clicking here.

Deborah and I also discussed when working on productions for things like commercials, you need to make sure to get all the proper agreements that go along with the production. Some of the agreements you will need include a performer agreement, director agreement, location agreement, and for the production company a production services agreement. This seems like it may be overwhelming, but Deborah said a good way to cover yourself is to have some sort of written agreement with every person involved in the project your doing. These agreements protect you by detailing the terms of the agreement, which states exactly what each party expects. Also depending on the nature of the work, non-disclosure agreements can help protect your work even further.

All these agreements and licenses require proper legal documentation, and unless you have prior knowledge, the best thing to do before getting involved in big productions is to get help from an entertainment lawyer. Remember its better to be safe than sorry, especially when you and your company are on the line.

Sources:

http://www.hrbeklaw.com/

Austin Powers 4 is Confirmed

2011-08-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

As reported by HitFix, Mike Myers has officially signed on to reprise his roles in Austin Powers 4. This comes as somewhat of a surprise, because it has been so long since the last film Goldmember was released in 2002. It has also been a while since Myers has starred in anything worth remembering, with his last film's Shrek the Fourth (2010) and The Love Guru (2008) being not up to par with his other hits.

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/6/3/4/1/orig-146341.jpg

Other than Myers signing on, we still haven't heard who the director is or what the plot will involve, although there is a rumor that Jay Roach who was the director for the previous Austin Power films will return.

Do you like the idea of another Austin Powers movie? Or do you think it will be just another "for profit only" sequel?

Monthly Movie Trailers

2011-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

We have recently updated our monthly movie trailer page to include the recently released trailers for Sherlock Holmes 2 and Mission Impossible 4 both of which come out December of this year. We hope you enjoy! Here is a link to the page.

Thank you Readers!

2011-08-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Thank's to all my viewers support, my last two articles I Believe that's my Idea and The biggest Problem is Ignorance were ranked as the top two most viewed blogs this week! The paperblog team also tagged these articles as editor's picks.

Also just as a reminder don't forget to become a member by clicking on the "join this site" button on the left side of any page on the DK Entertainment site. As a member you will have access to extra's such as being able to view our upcoming site that will help connect the entertainment community with their fans.

-Dwolson

I Believe that's my Idea

2011-08-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Recently the 9^th U.S. circuit of appeals court reinstated a case where two writers argued that NBC stole their idea for a show, which is being aired as Ghost Hunters. Bob Egelko of the San Francisco Chronicle states, “The court reaffirmed and broadened its 2004 ruling allowing suits against studios for allegedly misappropriating concepts from writers. The companies argued that such claims exceeded the scope of federal copyright law and were joined by other television networks and the Motion Picture Association of America.”

"It's a big issue for the entertainment industry," said Graham LippSmith, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. "It means the little guy is still going to be protected, people trying to find their way into the entertainment industry." Read more from the Chronicle here.

This ruling really changes the game of running new shows on a network, because it adds an element of breach of implied contract and uncertainty between a network like NBC and a writer pitching an idea, because even if the actual show is way different than idea there is still room to fight this battle in the legal system.

To give you a better grasp of this situation Eriq Gardner of the Hollywood, Esq explains

“The duo asserted a claim for a "breach of an implied contract," which essentially means that when a screenplay is submitted and accepted for review, there's an expectation that if the material is later used, the writer will get something. Smart plaintiffs have been arguing contract breaches instead of copyright infringement ever since the Grosso case six years ago involving the film Rounders prompted judges to set a high bar in analyzing similarities between copyrighted works and allegedly stolen ideas.” To read more from this source click here.

Thomson Reuters provided statements that are in a disagreement with the ruling. Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain said Montz expected to receive compensation and credit for use of his work only because he also expected copyright protection. Nothing in the complaint qualitatively distinguished the breach-of-implied-contract claim from a copyright claim, the judge wrote.

Judge Ronald M. Gould also dissented, warning that the majority's decision will lead to uncertainty by making state law available to litigants who bring nebulous state law claims that in substance assert rights over copyright. Read more from the article here.

What do you think? Should this be used as a precedent for other writers hoping to connect a network show with their idea? Or is this an example of how networks try and push away the “smaller” guy by taking their idea and changing it enough so they can claim full ownership?

Sources:

http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/California/News/2011/05_-_May/9th_Circuit_revives_‘Ghost_Hunters’_suit_against_NBC/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/court-ruling-clears-way-nbc-185760

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/05/BU111JCGIO.DTL

http://www.bleed-green.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Court-Ruling-Gavel-Large.jpg

Cinema Theater Ignorance is a Problem

2011-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

I recently went to see the final chapter of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. I was especially excited, because it was at an IMAX cinema theater in 3-D with digital surround sound that blew me out of my seat, so this was the complete experience. Minutes into the film however I became aware of a loud crying sound, and found out that the lady two rows behind me had for whatever reason, decided to bring in what looked to me like her newborn baby. Seriously? Maybe you couldn't find a babysitter but really, you thought that a baby could sit through the intensity that was Harry Potter IMAX? I would understand Winnie the Pooh or something similar but thats just inexcusable.

http://sunnyskeptic.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/crying-baby-party-56800676.jpg

This hit it on the head for me, on what may be the biggest problem the cinema theaters are facing. Its not the expensive tickets, or the way overpriced concessions, or the movie showtimes, but it's the other people in the movie that for whatever reason decide its ok to ruin the experience for everyone else. In the last three movies alone I can specifically remember moments that took me away from the film and ruined it for me. Along with the lady with her newborn (and unfortunately this happened again during Captain America), unattended kids that run around and talk the whole time, or the person that decides to text or look on their bright phone through the whole movie need to show respect for the rest of us who pay to see the film.

One solution is that there should be some restrictions on who can be let in to see non kid films like it is with a rated R movie. Other than using common sense, which should be understood before bringing a little kid into an intense movie, then this would cut out the rest of the people that just don't understand. Either way even if you decide to be courteous (thats a big IF) and take your kid out when crying, you will end up missing most of the movie anyways. What is the reasoning here? I mean it should be obvious like it is supposed to be, but since people are becoming more and more self absorbed there needs to be a restriction.

As long as you are seeing a movie showtime with hundreds of others, you will never get fully past this problem like the person who wants to text the whole time. The real issue is that it is becoming harder and harder to put up with it when you have to spend so much to see a movie. I was so excited the other day to see Harry Potter in IMAX, and after the $40 dollars or so I spent on tickets and concessions one lady with her crying newborn ruined it. I for one will definitely think hard before I want to go risk spending that kind of money at a cinema theater for a 2 hour movie with no assurance that I won't have distractions next time.

What do you feel is the biggest problem with cinema theaters? Read my other blog that talks about some other problems they are facing.

ESPN Monday Night Football Production

2011-07-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was recently able to participate in the production of the ESPN Monday Night Football commercial featuring Hank Williams Jr. I am sure most people recognize the famous song he sings "are you ready for some football?", Hank even did a spanish version for the ESPN Deportes channel which was especially fun to see.

The whole process was really exciting because I not only had the chance to work on this big production, it also got me thinking about the hopeful upcoming NFL season. Seeing how we recorded a version of the song for all 16 weeks, the feeling in the room was that this season is most likely going to start on time.

So for all you football fans start getting out your gear and ask yourself this "are you ready for some football?".

Hobbit photos released today

2011-07-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a first look at photos from the upcoming "Hobbit" films. Click here for the rest of the pictures and descriptions of the characters.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in "Last Stand"

2011-07-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Its official, Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming back to a theater near you. Ever since his last days as the “Governator”, many people expected he would return to doing films, which is what made him famous. Unfortunately for Arnold right when it seemed he had a few film projects lined up including his re-entry into the "Terminator" series, his scandal broke and ended with a divorce to his longtime wife Maria Shriver. During this scandal Arnold announced that he would put everything on hold for the immediate future giving him time to clear up his mess and finalize his divorce.

Well now it seems Arnold is ready to get back to work as he has recently been in talks with a director, maybe as an attempt to get his mind off everything negative going on around him. The LA Times states:

“The director Schwarzenegger was said to be meeting was Kim-ji-Woon, helmer of the western "The Last Stand," to which the former governor had been attached before the love-child scandal hit. On Monday his representative confirmed that a deal was completed just a few days ago and that Schwarzenegger would indeed make his return to acting with Kim's film. It will be Schwarzenegger's first significant part since "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" in 2003.” See the full article here.

The big questions here though are, is it too soon to be doing films? And will the audience have a negative reaction after his scandal, impacting him at the box office? Only time will tell obviously, but it seems that since this scandal broke to when this film will actually be in theaters (probably within two years) will give him enough time to either win back fans, or have it completely in the back of their minds that they are just eager to see Arnold doing what he does best.

Sources close to him say, "Arnold wants to be back on a set making movies, make no bones about that. He wants to put this chapter of his life behind him, and make hit movies,” What do you think? Does this make sense from a PR standpoint, or is it still too early?

Sources:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/07/arnold-schwarzenegger-last-stand-new-movie-acting-comeback.html

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/07/arnold-schwarzenegger-return-acting-finalize-divorce

Tips for Negotiating in the Entertainment Industry

2011-06-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

In the entertainment industry there is a lot of negotiating that goes on behind the scenes to bring together the things we enjoy like going to the movies. Most of the negotiating takes place over contracts with the studios, actor’s, and director specifically and this can be a tough process. A recent example is Hugh Jackman’s current negotiations to play a role in “Les Miserables” (click here for the article). Some of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to these negotiations are entertainment lawyers. I recently got a lot of great negotiating tips from an entertainment lawyer Edward Elkins who practices in the state of Florida. Here is some information about him from his site:

Mr. Elkins has been interviewed for articles regarding the entertainment business and entertainment law by MSN, Smallerbox.net, and StartupGrowthExpert.com. Mr. Elkins has published more than 100 legal articles online including the Entertainment Law Articles “The Day the Mouse Got Away: The Walt Disney Company’s Character Copyright Challenges and the Law that Mickey Built” and “In The Money: The Pirating of Music on Websites, Its Prevention, and How the Industry is Able to Make Money from it”.

For more information about Mr. Elkins, a link to his site and blog are provided at the bottom of this article.

Some of the best things to remember when going into a negotiation is what exactly do you want from the deal, and also what does the other party want? Then you need to weigh certain factors like role, possible leverage, and affiliation. A persons role plays a big part in negotiations, especially in terms of negotiating with actors because getting a deal done with an up and coming actor is a lot easier than someone like Brad Pitt. When you stick with the same scenario in terms of affiliation Brad Pitt is more likely to negotiate a movie deal with an established production studio as opposed to one with less affiliation.

Some ways to help you when negotiating deals with these scenarios is possible leverage and a BATNA. Leverage can be hard to obtain in these situations unless your Brad Pitts 2^nd cousin, but anything is better than nothing. Another way of helping you in negotiations is having a BATNA, which is basically your back up plan. If you have another actor picked out for the part that wants to be in your movie, then this may help you get Brad Pitt because you will go into the negotiation more confident knowing even if you can’t come to an agreement you have another option.

Mr. Elkins also has a lot of great tips in his blog, and this article is especially helpful for first time negotiators.

Sources

http://edwardelkins.com/

http://thefilmstage.com/2011/06/15/hugh-jackman-negotiating-for-lead-role-in-les-miserables/

Hangover 3

2011-06-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just recently got out of "The Hangover 2", and as much fun as it was re-living the first story just retold in a foreign country instead, and a few different twists it definitely left a stale taste of unoriginality. Half of the time I thought I was having the "hangover" struggling to recollect the past events because everything seemed so similar yet less interesting.

As I have discussed earlier in Where did Creativity Go?, the film industry will try and capitalize on success as much as they can even if the final product could never live up to the standards that were created by the success in the first place. As I was leaving the theater I joked with my friends about the creators making "Hangover 3", not really thinking they would be able to fool everyone a third time.

Well it seems as if my premonition has come true, because it has just been announced that Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. are unofficially in the works on part three. This comes on the heels of the huge box office success for "Hangover 2 " which pulled in over 200 million dollars worldwide over the memorial day weekend. Phillips has said that he may forgo the pre-wedding blackout blueprint, and at least this gives a glimmer of hope for another original story revolving around "the wolf pack".

Will you be excited for a third film, or are you fed up with the recycled stories that we are fed just because of the promise of a big payday?