Universal Ads, as the new venture is called, was announced Monday as a collaborative effort to combat the domination of Google, Meta and other tech giants when it comes to “SMBs,” the trade term for small and mid-sized businesses. - Deadline
"Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members opened Jan. 8 and was originally set to close on Jan. 12. Deadline is now Jan. 14. The nominations announcement, originally scheduled to be announced on Jan. 17, has moved to Jan. 19." - BBC
Colin Furze demonstrates that in certain corners of the creative economy an individual with minimal overhead can work on select attention-catching projects and earn a generous upper-middle-class income. Beyond this relatively modest scale of activity, however, the returns on additional investment rapidly diminish. - The New Yorker
On the site of the old CBS Television City complex, a developer plans to build 980,000 square feet of offices, sound stages, production facilities and retail space on the 25-acre property. The Los Angeles City Council approved the plan unanimously despite some heavy neighborhood opposition. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
Fiasco’s station, created in partnership with MIT and called "Endless LUP," is planning to run 24/7, with music generated by AI software "trained on the intricacies of Lupe’s distinctive style. Each track will be unique, never repeated, offering listeners an endless stream of fresh, Lupe-inspired music." - Inside Radio
"Dive-ins are a time-honoured tradition in (inland) Australia, where residents can’t easily access what much of the nation takes for granted on a hot summer day: proximity to the coast or an air-conditioned cinema." - The Guardian
On the face of it, “The Golden Key” is a digital toy you can interact with to generate wild yarns. But on a deeper level it offers “an encounter with a future in which machines are telling us stories” — in this case, faux folk tales. - The New York Times
In the past, Globe voters have been eager to put new television shows on the awards map. But not this time. And Globes voters veered toward movies that few Americans have seen. - The New York Times
Though Mr. Wolf is finally entering streaming, the debut of “On Call” is really a moment that underscores how the streaming world — and the television universe — have gravitated back to Mr. Wolf. - The New York Times
Turns out the improvisational process he goes through with his actors is similar for the set designers. "I discover the story as the characters are developed. It is a case of dipping in and out and learning as much as I can,” says designer Suzie Davies. - The Observer (UK)
Maybe it’s The Outlander effect, but “tourism bosses hope successful productions can see Scotland follow the likes of New Zealand - where the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films were shot - and Northern Ireland, which saw a tourism upswing from Game of Thrones fans.” - BBC
“Since producers — genuine producers — have such all-encompassing responsibilities on films, maintaining faith even as doors slam in their faces (and working without much remuneration until relatively late in the process), their claim on the Oscar for best picture is a strong one.” - The New York Times
Part of that is because of the strikes: 2024, not to put too fine a point on it, pretty much sucked for movie theatres. But next year? Things might improve. - BBC
