In Sub-Saharan Africa there are and have been numerous impressive filmmakers, but only Nigeria and South Africa have fully developed industries in which films can be funded, shot, edited and gotten to a wide public, all domestically. But the continent is full of growing markets that Netflix would like to enter, the company has plenty of money to fund...
"U.S. video streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are looking to the Indian market to power their global growth. But their shows are facing the wrath of Hindu nationalists, often linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP, which wields increasing clout over what is acceptable entertainment. Now, the government has stepped in, raising fears about...
While Britain hasn’t seen the cash influx — about $2 billion — that streaming and traditional media companies have spent snapping up the American podcasting companies in recent years, listening numbers here have surged. Nearly a fifth of the British adult population, more than 10 million people, now regularly listen to podcasts; entertainment and tech companies, investors and advertisers...
No, really. "Sharing user names and passwords with even your closest relations can have woesome consequences" - and the Netflix crackdown might help save your identity in the future. - Wired
That is, the fast food chain, not underground trains. The reason: "Product placement in TV shows is a reality the world over. But South Korea’s terrestrial stations are prevented from inserting commercial breaks during programming, meaning many Korean companies must be creative about getting their wares in front of viewers." - The New York Times
That's what it's poised to do in 2024, or so the predictions say (on the other hand, who could have predicted that every family with children would be stuck at home needing some Disney to stream when Disney+ debuted in 2019?). - The Guardian (UK)
Good: "Some film insiders are privately asking an uncomfortable question: How do you tastefully campaign for trophies when more than 1,000 Americans a day are still dying from the coronavirus?" Not as good: "Calling off the campaigns is not an option for Hollywood, where jockeying for awards has become an industry unto itself." - The New York Times
Here we go: "When users open the Netflix TV app, they will be asked to verify their account with a code that is either texted or emailed to the account holder. If they aren’t the account holder, users will be reminded, 'If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.'"...
The details: "Actress Corinne Masiero took the stage in a donkey costume covered in fake blood, before stripping down to a faux gore-soaked gown and, finally, fully undressing altogether, while presenter Marina Fois looked on in shock and (eventually) the audience applauded." The message? Arts workers need a lot more support. - Vulture
Every time a Black-led film makes tons of money - say Girls Trip or heck, even Black Panther - the same stories pop up. Black-led films can make money! There will soon be more! But, a new report says, if Hollywood chose to address racial inequities, "the industry could generate an added $10 billion in revenues a year." -...
" means being ready to expose yourself to her satisfaction, in exchange for having one of the world's great empaths help you reshape your public image. As with the best therapists, you are exposed, but in some fundamental sense you are also safe: You bring the raw material; she helps you put the narrative together." - Slate
"Tens of millions of people around the globe consider themselves creators, and the creator economy represents the “fastest-growing type of small business,” according to a 2020 report by the venture capital firm SignalFire. But as the market gets more and more competitive — and the platforms and their algorithms remain unreliable — creators are devising new, hyper-specific revenue streams."...
The conflict over the podcast's, and producing company Gimlet Media's, diversity and equity problems unfolded amidst a fraught unionization campaign and negotiations for the acquisition of Gimlet by Spotify. While important steps have been taken as a result of the controversy, there's been some collateral damage. - The New York Times
When Reply All, Gimlet's tentpole podcast, began airing a four-part series about the reportedly unhealthy and racially exclusionary workplace atmosphere at Bon Appétit magazine, former Gimlet employees began accusing the company itself of those very problems, and the series was abruptly pulled. Reporter Nicholas Quah investigates, finding that Gimlet's problems, especially regarding exploitation and equity are fairly typical of...
