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Myriad new opportunities for content creators
The Variety Entertainment &Technology Summit addressed the online digital world, and Mel Lambert reports on how content creators are grasping the opportunities.
Anthony Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise and the new BlackBoxTV channels on YouTube, keynoted at the summit, which took place against a backdrop of recent change in the landscape of digital-delivery mechanisms that utilize the internet and other OTT topologies, and highlighted the myriad new opportunities that exist for content creators.
UltraViolet – the consumer speaks
One sign of the increasing momentum of the potentially giant snowball that is UltraViolet was yesterday’s Academy on UltraViolet in Los Angeles. The no-press-allowed event was, said the organizers, “a unique chance for the home entertainment industry’s key stakeholders to come together to determine how to ensure the success of UltraViolet technology”. The topic is now on the agenda for just about every content delivery conference, and the PEVE event in London had two consumer panels that highlighted the fact that the consumer, on the whole, is not that au fait with the initiative. We went out to find out how both the driving forces behind UltraViolet and the end users view the progress.
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Kiosks: the musical
The kiosk has been seen by many in the industry as one factor in the continued longevity of the movie on disc. Now, kiosks go live with music as the Ovation Tower, the music industry’s first live digital media distribution kiosk and HD digital advertising platform, developed for major music venues, has announced deals with Nederlander Concerts, MediaNet, Abbey Road Live, SeePoint Technology, Aderra Media Technologies and YCD Multimedia.
Continue reading »Testronic incorporates new Deluxe Digital tool
Testronic Labs has announced that its File-Based QC Lab has implemented a Veristream testing tool designed by Deluxe Digital Studios. “Studios are actively exploring solutions that incorporate highly developed automated tools to improve production efficiency,” noted Seth Hallen, CEO of Testronic. “To that end, we have been working with Deluxe Digital Studios to support this development and to implement their toolsets into our workflows. We are very excited by what Deluxe’s powerful new tools can do in the hands of the Testronic team.”
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Happy Birthday, Oscar
On this day, May 16th, in 1929, the first motion picture Academy Awards were given out, and were a far cry from today’s global star-studded media frenzies: about 270 people attended the first ceremony. The silent movie Wings, released by Paramount in 1927, was chosen as best picture. [For more on the history of Paramount, 100 years old this year, see our article in the May issue of D2D.]
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Casablanca Blu-ray celebrated with free screening
Warner Bros Digital Distribution has announced that the legendary film Casablanca – which critic Leonard Maltin calls "the best Hollywood movie of all time", and winner of three Academy Awards, can be viewed directly on the Casablanca movie Facebook Page today. For one day only, US movie fans will be able to enjoy a complimentary showing of the timeless love story at 7 pm ET and 7 pm PT.
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TV still most popular viewing platform
As video consumption increases and viewing devices vary, consumers are still using televisions most often to watch video, according to The Evolving Video Landscape study released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). “Consumers are watching more video than they have in years past and they are seeking devices and technologies that deliver a quality video and audio experience,” said Shawn DuBravac (pictured), CEA’s chief economist and director of research.
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Tablets causing headaches for e-readers?
Dedicated e-readers are losing their hold, according to a Book Industry Study Group (BISG) survey, and paving the way for publishers to introduce richer e-book content on multi-function devices. The research indicates that, over the course of just six months, consumers’ first choice preference for dedicated e-readers declined from 72% to 58%. Tablet devices are now the most preferred reading device for more than 24% of e-book buyers, up from less than 13% in August 2011.
Continue reading »MovieLabs Issues RFP for trusted device list registry
Non-profit consortium MovieLabs is inviting vendors to submit proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) regarding the creation, operation, support and automation of a Trusted Device List (TDL) Registry for Digital Cinema. MovieLabs has developed specifications for the TDL in collaboration with the six major US Hollywood studios, exhibitors, distributors, deployment entities, integrators and device manufacturers.
Continue reading »CDSA accreditation for EDC in Germany
Entertainment Distribution Company GmbH (EDC) has announced that it recently achieved accreditation for the CDSA’s Content Protection Security Program. The accreditation, which forms part of the CDSA’s Anti-Piracy & Compliance Program (APCP), is the second granted to EDC, which has held accreditation in the Copyright and Licensing Verification Program since 2002.
Continue reading »Royal remastering by JCA
London-based digital specialist JCA had announced its digital remastering in HD of A Queen is Crowned for ITV Studios Global Entertainment. The lavish documentary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, narrated by Laurence Olivier, won a BAFTA Certificate of Merit in 1954, the year of its release, as well as a Golden Glove for Best Documentary of Historical Interest, and an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, Features. It is timed to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrated this year.
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Magazine Features
DOING IT IN DIGITAL - Repeating the physical success of home entertainment
Fireside chats, rock star moments, and consumer panels were the highlights of this year’s PEVE conference, and D2D reports on some of the many topics covered at the event.
Every conference has its rock star moment, and this year’s PEVE was no exception. Danny Kaye, keynote speaker on the first day, took to the stage to the rousing strains of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, which brought goofy smiles to just about everyone (at least everyone of a certain age) in the audience. Kaye, the EVP Global Research & Technology Strategy, Twentieth Century Fox, showed a video clip of some of Hollywood’s latest and greatest movie moments and declared, “It’s this kind of content that compels consumers to buy.”
Reducing seasonal susceptibility - The merger of two packaging giants
AGI Media was bought by Atlas Holdings last year, changed its name and identity and then merged with Shorewood. Tony Garnish, European CEO of AGI Shorewood, tells Elizabeth Toppin how the company has overcome various associated challenges – but isn’t yet ready to reveal a new name.
LINES OF DEMARCATION Old and new technology models at NAB
This year’s NAB event focused on looking forward to 3D, second screens, and Smart TV - whatever the heck that is, Dan Daley muses. New technologies offered a refreshing focus after a year spent on seemingly endless legal and legislative issues.
The NAB Show in Las Vegas (16th-19th April 2012) showed decent stats: exhibitor numbers rose slightly to just over 1,600 and they splayed out over more space (815,000 square feet versus 745,000 in 2011). Attendance was flat, though, at 91,932 from 151 countries, according to NAB’s preliminary figures, and substantially below the 108,000-plus who attended in 2007, just before the recession hit.
DIGITAL OR BUST IN VEGAS? The physical media market under scrutiny
A realization that maybe it’s time to figure out a way to jump on the digital bandwagon dominated the proceedings at Packaged Media & Beyond 2012, reports Larry Jaffee.
Maybe it was the Association of Independent Media Manufacturers Association (AIMMA) joining forces with the Media-Tech Association (MTA) and the Colonial Purchasing Co-operative to produce a US show like the latter did in the two previous years. Or maybe it was the zany Day Two keynote presentation by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman whose oldest running US independent movie studio has been making independent, non-mainstream movies for nearly 40 years.
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD - Paramount and Universal Turn 100
Two major studios celebrate their centenaries this year and a lot has changed since they were both founded. Jill Bilzi looks at how they are coping with box office fluctuations, changes in home entertainment delivery, and the increasing power of social media.
