The Independent Spirit Awards cloaks itself with the aura of a maverick and virtue but is not shy about embracing the luxury side of corporate America. The independent-film awards counts as main sponsors luxury wristwatch Piaget, Jameson Irish Whisky, upmarket Lincoln automobiles, T-Mobile cell phones and indie film TV channel IFC for its Saturday awards, which come one day … [Read more...] about Sponsors Embrace Brash Spirit Awards
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Oscar TV Ad Sales Sizzle
Advertising sales for the Feb. 24 Oscar telecast are brisk, according to trade newspaper Advertising Age, which attributes strong demand comparison to recession-depressed rates in the past year and a belief a revamp this year will pull viewers. The performance of the Oscar telecast is of keen interest to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) because it … [Read more...] about Oscar TV Ad Sales Sizzle
Unofficially Yours: Oscar Night Hanger-ons
It seems every Oscar season, corporate America entities without any formal association try to wiggle their way into Hollywood’s greatest night. Here are some outfits that jumped on the Academy Awards bandwagon without official status: *UK gambling site Sky Bet is laying odds and taking bets for all the Oscars categories. It’s got 10-to-1 odds for "The Descendants" to win … [Read more...] about Unofficially Yours: Oscar Night Hanger-ons
Oscar Best Pix Count to Vary from 5-10
After watering down the Oscars in quest for TV audiences, the motion picture academy reversed some of the damage done two years ago when it expanded the Best Picture category to 10 movies. Yesterday, it set the nominees for Best Picture category to anywhere from 5-10 films, depending on clearing a benchmark in secret votes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences … [Read more...] about Oscar Best Pix Count to Vary from 5-10
Oscars Present Two TV Screens
ABC Television has built a website to present behind-the-scenes activity at the Oscars awards www.oscar.com/all-access, which attempts to keep viewers glued to its screens…whether TV or computer. “Trying to exploit viewers’ two-screen behavior, the television network has built a companion Web site with behind-the-scenes video streams, so Oscar winners will be seen accepting … [Read more...] about Oscars Present Two TV Screens
Battle Over ‘King’s Speech’ Profanity
The Weinstein Co. (TWC) is trying to get filmmakers behind “The King’s Speech” to accept edits to secure a PG-13 or PG rating, so the Oscar nominated period drama can play to a wider audience. A ‘Los Angeles Times” article by Ben Fritz says TWC is asking the film’s director Tom Hooper to agree to changes clipping swear words, and a revised cut would then be submitted to the … [Read more...] about Battle Over ‘King’s Speech’ Profanity
‘Waiting for Superman’ Another Oscar Outrage?
The Oscars have a long history of passing over famous films for consideration in the documentary category and this year’s surprise is the exclusion of “Waiting for Superman,” which is a critically-praised film about America’s dysfunctional public education system. “New York Post” columnist Kyle Smith attributes the snub to Hollywood’s liberal elite in the Academy of Motion … [Read more...] about ‘Waiting for Superman’ Another Oscar Outrage?
Fox Uses iTunes to Deliver Awards Films
Update Jan. 16: Paramount and Focus Features later join Fox and Fox Searchlight in offering movie screeners to film awards voters via complimentary iTunes downloads. /update The super-secure iTunes ecological system wins kudos from 20th Century Fox Pictures and Fox Searchlight, which on Friday announced they will make downloads of three prestige movies available to awards … [Read more...] about Fox Uses iTunes to Deliver Awards Films
‘Transmedia’ Credit for Cross-Platform Role
A quasi-marketing function is getting some respect at the Producer Guild of America! The PGA just approved a screen credit for “Transmedia Producer.” “As technology evolves, it’s no longer adequate to think of a project as simply a television show or a movie,” PGA President Marshall Herskovitz says in a press release announcing the new screen credit. “We now understand … [Read more...] about ‘Transmedia’ Credit for Cross-Platform Role
Oscars Rap Producer for Electioneering
An inexperienced Hollywood producer’s campaigning for his Oscar nominee ran afoul of Academy Award regulations because he instructed colleagues to minimize voting for “Avatar” so his film “The Hurt Locker” could win Best Picture. Nicolas Chartier, one of four nominated producers for Best Picture nominee “The Hurt Locker” and whose main contribution was money, sent emails to … [Read more...] about Oscars Rap Producer for Electioneering