Mr Iger blamed some of Disney's woes on an emphasis on quantity over quality, as it tried to expand its offerings for the streaming service. He said the company was now focused on producing fewer, better titles, which could help improve its profits and popularity. - BBC
Sag’s hard-won agreement includes performance-based bonuses for actors on streaming shows that become big hits. For the studios represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or A.M.P.T.P., the concept was a non-starter before the strike. Now it’s Hollywood’s new reality. - The New Yorker
The mood in the entertainment capital is decidedly mixed, as celebratory feelings compete with resentment over the work stoppage and worries about the business era that is coming. - The New York Times
Studios may be able to use AI to deepfake performances or write scripts, but given enough runway the tech could be used to cut studios out of the picture altogether. - Wired
“This was not a financial decision for either one of us. I mean we’re two both very strong organizations financially. This is purely about being stronger together and better serving the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts community.” -InsideRadio
Cinematographer Yaroslav Pilunskiy uses his skills to give the best possible sense of depth and scale to, say, trenches hidden in forests. Film editor Ivan Bannikov compares surveilling the enemy to planning the edit of a film scene: "It’s the same here, you are looking for the right angle." - The Guardian
The actor was not found personally liable, but his Canal Productions was found liable for former staffer Graham Chase Robinson's "emotional distress and reputational harm." Jurors rejected Canal's $6 million countersuit against Robinson alleging embezzlement and financial malfeasance. - BBC
These results come after a quarter that saw an exodus of 12.5 million Disney+ Hotstar subscriptions amid a strategy shift to move away from low-margin subscribers. - Variety
Eliminating the intervening week between episodes meant they could fracture their narratives. They used flashbacks, flashforwards and even flashsideways to begin episodes without totally disorienting viewers. - The Hollywood Reporter
Despite the huge drop, streaming revenue at Max, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, were up 5 percent—with a 30 percent year-on-year jump in advertising revenue. These numbers raise a big question for the streaming industry: People like Max, but they don’t really want to pay for it. - Wired
"We talked to 13 major publishers around the world about how they’re using Channels. They stressed it’s too soon to define an official Channels strategy, especially since WhatsApp doesn’t offer much in the way of metrics. … Still, they shared some of what they’re seeing early on." - Nieman Lab
"In truth, we’ve learned a ton. The industry’s problems with overproduction and the disconnect between capital expenditures and audience return were writ large on SAG-AFTRA and WGA picket lines. … The biggest takeaway is that Hollywood's labor contract negotiating process needs to be taken apart and rebuilt for the modern era." - Variety
"The two sides spent the last several days putting the finishing touches on the deal, which will see the first-ever protections for actors against artificial intelligence and a historic pay increase. The deal will see most minimums increase by 7% — 2% above the increases received by the Writers Guild." - Variety
"The creator fund was originally introduced in 2020, with the company promising to pay out $1 billion over the course of three years to people making the app’s viral content. … TikTok didn’t respond to questions about whether it had paid out all of the $1 billion." - The Verge
"The gunman gained entry into the home-based radio station of provincial news broadcaster Juan Jumalon by pretending to be a listener. He then shot him twice during a live morning broadcast in Calamba town in Misamis Occidental province (on the island of Mindanao), police said." - AP
