Hadn't thought of this, but it's true. If the US Postal Service doesn't deliver mail on Saturdays as has been proposed starting in 2011, then Netflix could be the biggest loser in that deal...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36100708/ns/business-the_big_money/
-Blake
Press release from Content Film (Fireworks) about PINK being at the international MIP-TV market, along with several of their other new "digital" acquisitions like RIESE, GIRL NUMBER 9 and SPLATTER...
http://www.contentfilm.com/index.php/news/347.html
Hopefully they'll sell some new territories!
-Blake
My online series 'PINK' has been rather successful for me over the past several years, and now we've just had the good fortune of landing a foreign distribution deal too. This is no small achievment in general, but especially for a "web series".
Generate, our domestic distributor (and primary owner of the show) did the deal with Fireworks International, the TV and digital distribution arm of Content Film (http://www.contentfilm.com/). They also distribute several high profile series like VALEMONT (from MTV), RIESE, GEMINI DIVISION, etc. and loads of feature films and TV shows. So we're in really good company.
What I personally would like to see happen with this deal is it create the opportunity for a Season 4. I'd really like to do (at least) one more season to wrap up the current story line. We REALLY left the fans hanging at the end of Season 3. :)
I'm also excited to see how it plays in more foreign territories. We of course have had lots of our fan base come from Europe, and now - unfortunately - most of the content will be U.S. geoblocked (meaning it is only viewable domestically). But, this will allow Fireworks to sell to the various Internet portals, and mobile providers throughout the world - and ideally build new audiences and create new fans (and the ones who get geoblocked here should be able to find the show in their home country soon).
I can't wait to see how it all works out!
Here are three links to stories about the Fireworks deal:
Tubefilter:
http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/03/23/pink-goes-international-with-fireworks/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TubefilterNews+%28Tubefilter+News%29
NewTeeVee:
http://newteevee.com/2010/03/23/generates-pink-to-go-international-with-fireworks/#more-44437
PRWeb Press Release:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3762314.htm
-Blake
ARRI's new ALEXA camera looks really great. It's affordable (within reason, especially for rental houses - but some owner/operators), it has 13 stops of lattitude and uses 35mm lenses...
Here's a link to two videos about the camera. The first one is a demo/preview of the actual prototype (that will be unveiled at NAB soon). And the second one is an interview with the main ARRI guy responsible for the design, etc.
http://www.thefilmbook.com/top/techne/arri-alexa-prototype.php
I keep saying this, and it's very true - it's a GREAT time to be a filmmaker.
-Blake
The final episode of this season's FOX TV show 'House" is to be shot on the Canon 5D.
Let me say that again, a NETWORK TV SHOW is going to shoot a multi-million dollar episode of their series on a $2700 camera (sans lens). This is ground-breaking and I don't say that lightly.
Here's a link to the news:
http://www.cinema5d.com/news/?p=2818
I believe this to be accurate too as I got it from Rodney Charters on Twitter - the DP for FOX's series '24'.
The other tidbit is that it appears they might shoot the ENTIRE next season on the 5D. This is to me really amazing. I'm not sure I'd want to have invested a lot of money on a RED ONE or similar recently. Especially when/if Canon allows it's DSLR line to record RAW - and this is in the rumor mill now. I'm not an engineer, but it would only make sense that if it did RAW recording then you've be able to do 2K, 4K, etc. just like RED. Even if you can't, the 1080p video is crazy good already, and if it were uncompressed coming out of the HDMI that would be greatness.
Long story short, it's a very cool time to be a filmmaker. Oh, BTW, we shot my new sci-fi series 'Continuum' on the Canon 7D - the little brother to the 5D and I must say the footage really is stellar (pun intended). :)
-Blake
Really nice interview with Matt Nix, the showrunner for "Burn Notice" and the new series "The Good Guys"...
http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/action-comedy-tv-showrunner-matt-nix/
I like what he's doing Out There.
-Blake
Check out the indieWIRE article on Paramount's new venture (spawned after the success of micro-budgeted "Paranormal Activity")...
http://www.indiewire.com/article/hollywood_studio_boosts_micro-budget_movies/
So, this looks like a pretty cool thing on the surface, and I am interested to see how it pans out (might even try to pitch them myself). But with my recent ventures in the studio world I'd be surprised if 1) they can pull off a feature for $100k, and 2) if the filmmakers will live to tell about it. ;)
While we really enjoyed our WB experience on the soon-to-be-released online series "Exposed" (www.thewb.com) - the amount of notes you get from the studio is substanstial and they don't differ from say a mult-million dollar production or a $100k one. So you're like, "Wow, we should be getting paid more to have to deal with all this." (the studios seem to forget that you're not a well-paid staff writer, or perhaps they don't care?).
I also bet that the "$100k budget" is for "production only" - as they'll likely spend a good chunk more on post, score, and of course distribution. Great marketing hook though.
But hey, I like the "indie spirit" of Paramount Studios here (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one). :)
-Blake
