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The 2020s Have Been A Movie Revolution

If you look closer, this has actually been one of the most innovative decades that cinema has ever seen. Whether down to technology or desperation, the film industry has spent these last few years figuring out new ways to make films that simply could not have existed even at the turn of the decade. - The Guardian

Netflix Has Broken Its Model

Of late, Netflix’s investors have been shocked to find that viewers aren’t returning for the second seasons of even some of its biggest hits. - Slate

The Odessey And The Culture Wars

This mapping of contemporary Western values onto the plot of a Greek epic poem is the true artistic project of Mr. Nolan’s film, and it makes for a better political debate than anything about colorblind casting or imagined D.E.I. - The New York Times

A Year Ago Congress Killed CPB. What’s Public Media Look Like Now?

For consumers, the most noticeable change is that NPR and local stations are constantly reminding people that the federal money is gone and asking them to become a supporter or to increase their gift. - NPR

Microseries Are Now A $150 Billion Industry (And That’s Not Including China, Their Biggest Market)

“The vertical video economy has increased 41% compared to last year,” according to their first-ever State of Microdrama report. “The male audience for (the) microseries platform MyDrama increased by 2,800% in the past seven quarters, jumping from 1.1% of monthly active users to 30.3% users.” - TheWrap (MSN)

One Year After Losing All Federal Funding, South Dakota Public Broadcasting Bounces Back

“Just like that, six decades of bipartisan support and funding were gone” when the Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration withdrew previously-approved grants and ended future federal support. “The state network laid off a bunch of journalists. It canceled some shows. And then … some surprising things started to unfold.” - NPR

The Film Indian Censors Have Been Blocking For Three Years

Satluj, director Honey Trehan’s feature about an activist whom police tortured to death after exposed atrocities committed during a 1990s crackdown on violent Sikh separatists in Punjab, was withheld by India’s national censorship board since 2022. When Trehan released it online last week, it was taken down on government orders. - The Guardian

European Union Okays Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger — With Conditions

“The European Commission … said that even with a Paramount-Warner combo, enough competitors would exist across markets like film production and streaming in its 27-nation bloc. Still, when it comes to distributing movies to theaters, the Commission warned of high concentration,” leading to worse terms for cinema operators. - AP

The 100 Most Powerful Directors In Hollywood (Per New York Magazine)

They’re divided into such categories as “Big Fish in Small Ponds,” “The Old Guard,” “Masters of Genre,” “Solid Commercial Filmmakers,” “Middle-Class Auteurs,” “Animation Specialists,” “IP Guys,” “A24 Boys on the Rise,” “The Haute Bourgeoisie,” “Wunderkinds,” “Trusted Hands,” The New Hotness,” and “The Most Wanted.” - New York Magazine

Writers Guild Adds A Motion To Block Paramount/Warner Merger

In a motion filed early Wednesday in federal court in Oakland, the WGA‘s legal team argued that the transaction “is presumptively illegal in the market for writing services for anticipated top grossing films,” noting that the combined companies would have a 35% share of that market. - Deadline

Are Opponents Of The Paramount/Warner Merger Defining The Movie Market Wrong?

By focusing narrowly on the theatrical release market, the AGs and judge are like Norma Desmond clinging to a bygone era. The same is true of the deal’s union opponents in Hollywood who worry the merger could result in fewer of their films premiering on the big screen. - The Wall Street Journal

Disney Cutting Hundreds Of Creative Jobs

Disney is cutting several hundred positions, with Pixar and National Geographic among the divisions most affected by the move. - Deadline

What Leading Classics Scholars Have To Say About Christopher Nolan’s “Odyssey” Film

Both Emily Wilson, who published a widely acclaimed English translation of The Odyssey in 2017, and well-known professor/writer/editor Daniel Mendelsohn are glad the movie is out there and doing so well, and they praise a number of the film’s elements, but they each think Nolan missed something crucial in the original. - AP

Netflix Paid Over Half A Billion Dollars — Cash — For Ben Affleck’s AI Startup

“Netflix disclosed in an SEC filing Friday that it paid $587 million for InterPositive, in cash. … InterPositive was formed in 2022 as (Affleck) began to explore the AI space, with a particular emphasis on upending visual effects without impacting the creative part of filmmaking.” - The Hollywood Reporter

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