The Young Executive

Around the time Jim Carrey was paid $20 million to star in the CABLE GUY birthed the era of quotes. From then on actors were able to set the bar very high in terms of how much they got per movie. Recently with the decline in revenue studios no longer can keep signing the big checks. Higher production costs have led to a shrinkage in profit margins. Also fewer movies are being greenlit which leads to a  decrease in available jobs. Now actors essentially have to take what they can get or leave it.

A recent LA Times article brings up some great examples of this recent trend. Check it out: Hollywood Gets Tightfisted in Deals

Nikki Fink is a reporter that revolutionized entertainment reporting with her blog DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD. This is where nearly everyone in Hollywood gets the latest breaking news about what’s going on in the business. Its a standard resource to know in this town.

Check it out: Deadline

Check out this article that measures the overall performance of studios

Movie Studio Report Card

This is an old article from Harvard Business School but still VERY relevant and very dead on when it comes to analyzing the traits of the business. If your breaking into the business you might want to consider these 10 observations that they point out.

check it out: Hollywood Aprrenticeship

In the trend of up and coming commercial directors to get signed. Here is Arev Manoukian who just signed with WME.

Here is the short that got him signed: Nuit Blanche

I think a really good source of inspiration and sometimes source material can come from blogs of concept artists. They are constantly putting up some of their most recent work on the web that can be stunning.

Check it out: Android Jones

Also check out concept robots: Concept Robots Blog

Ticket prices are higher than ever. It’s no surprise that the bar continues to be raised for highest grossing film. Back when Titanic hit the record tickets were roughly between $5-$9. Nowadays its upwards of $15 a ticket. Therefore is it fair to call Avatar the most successful film ever? There’s a great article in the LA Times today that discusses how box office records should be based on ticket admissions rather than dollar gross. I would have to agree.

Check it out: LA Times Article on Avatar Number One Record

Every now and then young people from around the industry learn how to centralize information to make it easier to look up. A recent one popped up around town that helps you keep track of the latest specs being shopped around town or open writing assignments (OWA). As for open directing assignments (ODA) that changes very frequently around town. These are projects already set up at studios that need a writer to come in for a rewrite. Really good resource if you want to know what new specs executives are reading around town.

Check it out:  Its On The Grid

This group called La Blogotheque in France has the most interesting music video project. They basically film spontaneous concerts from a wide variety of groups. It definitely feels fresh! Looks like they will be getting signed to William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Check it out:  LA BLOGOTHEQUE VIDEOS

It’s a time for Hollywood to descend upon the snowy town of Park City, Utah. For those who are not familiar with Sundance, it’s a festival that began in 1978 with the help of Robert Redford in order to attract American filmmakers to film in Utah. Over the decades it has grown into one of the most famous film festivals around the world. The most notable indie filmmakers from around the world premiere their work in this week long festival. It’s transformed into a bidding ground for studios and mini majors to acquire films. It’s also a great place for agents and managers to scope for new talent. The majority of the festival can be described as non stop partying, films, and great skiing. I’d recommend making plans early if you plan to try to attend because this little town gets flooded with people.

Most notable movies to watch out for are THE RUNAWAYS, BLUE VALENTINE, ANIMAL KINGDOM, BURIED, and ABEL. I’m sure people will hear the echoes of these titles after the festival is over.