From florists to prop rentals to catering and beyond, production services and craft businesses are the hub and spoke of L.A.’s film and TV industry. But many of these businesses — some of which have been family-operated for generations — are struggling to weather a post-pandemic slump in film activity. - Los Angeles Times
The partnership will see the companies develop movies drawing on the lives and music of WMG‘s roster of artists and songwriters. - Music Business Worldwide
You’ve fallen prey to “trend simulation”: the marketing tactic of paying people online to post opinions they don’t necessarily hold, endorsing music they don’t necessarily care about, so as to trick social-media algorithms—and users—into regarding a band as more popular than it really is. - The Atlantic
Renowned as much for its taste as for its marketing acumen, the 13-year-old studio has developed a cult following not just for its films and shows but for the A24 brand itself. It was valued two years ago at $3.5 billion, more than 10 times the valuation of its closest indie rival, Neon. - The Hollywood Reporter
If you are a lower or mid-level television writer right now, you are not failing. You are navigating a market that has structurally reduced the number of positions available to you. That is not a referendum on your talent; it is a reality of the business. - New Story
“Salinas would give Eckardt the target budget number for his company’s bid and ‘effectively guarantee that Unbreakable would be awarded the work,’ the lawsuit states.” And when the plaintiff stopped paying, he says, the work dried up. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
“This year, Hollywood studios are mostly on the sidelines. But for more than 78 years, Cannes has been an unparalleled showcase, and sun-dappled circus, for some of the best in cinema.” - Seattle Times (AP)
“This is the cigarette story in reverse. Smoking rates did not plummet in the United States and other nations because of taxes alone. They plummeted because the social meaning of smoking flipped.” - The New York Times
Gawker, which shut down 10 years ago this August, was guilty of lapses in judgment — former staffers interviewed for this story admit as much. It could be withering, puerile and gratuitously nasty. But, at its best, it rebelled against media piety and the growing, often indiscriminate power of the digital world. - The Hollywood Reporter
“The hip current events platform targeted at Millennials, which sought to be ‘The Economist for young people’ during the decade (2014-2023), is now being resuscitated by company founder Shane Smith, both as a social-platform-first outlet for his podcast and news reports and as a brand partnership vehicle.” - The Hollywood Reporter
The New York-based media company released its first-quarter earnings report Wednesday, which included a $2.9-billion loss. That amount includes $1.3 billion in restructuring expenses, including updated valuations for Warner's declining linear cable television networks. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
“Since taking power in 2010, Orbán and his Fidesz party reshaped the country’s media to promote themselves and demonise their opponents, sending press freedom rankings plunging and leaving swathes of the country living in an alternative reality.” Soon after last month’s election, Magyar vowed to suspend and reform state media he compared to North Korea’s. - The Guardian
