Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.’s Post

Excellent points by my colleague Jackie Brenneman. Additional point on the WSJ piece, is that it is gossip about corporate jockeying and jealousies masquerading as industry analysis. And this bit of analysis gets things exactly backward: "Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s film school, said the problems in the theatrical business—with consumers going to the theater less than they used to—make it hard to justify heavy spending. That is especially true for a company like Warner Discovery, which is also battling other challenges. Zaslav, he said, “has much bigger concerns” than the stagnant movie business." The business is stagnant because it hasn't been invested in. Jackie shows the effect of that lack of investment, and Zaslav's bigger concerns are a debt-laden and staggeringly unprofitable DTC business and a linear and cable TV business being cannibalized by it. Theatrical tiles provide multiple opportunities for revenue, including streaming, and measurable profit and loss.

How should we define success in the cinema industry? For over a century, our industry has lived and died on the box office as the single metric of success. But this is increasingly problematic in the modern era, and this story by the WSJ (link in comment) blasting the film leadership at WBD is a striking example of the widespread effect of B.O. obsession. I speak regularly to filmmakers and their reps who all say that they WANT a theatrical release but that streaming is often the “only option.” This is partly because studios have dramatically reduced their output, focusing on large tentpoles. As a result, we have lost approximately 50% of the midrange ($50-$100m grossing) titles since 2004--or nearly $2 billion in the domestic market alone. Articles like this are absolutely a key driver of this shift in business. Why? Because streaming is "safer" for filmmakers and execs. *Streaming movies don't have to prove a title's profitability. A streamer can put out data about the number of “streams” (including partial views) and say the results justified the costs. And there is no way to push back. Ask yourself honestly: if you are a studio executive or a filmmaker, do you want to be called a “failure” if your movie “only” recoups 50% of its budget when that same movie can drop for free on streaming—making zero per capita dollars—and be called a hit? *B.O. removes context. As the WSJ pointed out, the rise of tentpoles and recent exhibitor investment has led to a rise in PLF tickets sold. Higher ticket prices also mean higher B.O. But not every movie is released in PLF. This Friday Deadpool v Wolverine (with a significant PLF footprint) made *more money,* but It Ends With Us (with a much wider “standard” footprint) had a *larger attendance* at a lower average ticket price. Which one was more “successful?” Does the overall budget matter? What about the value of the title when it is sold downstream? If we look at B.O. without looking at other metrics, we aren’t getting a full understanding of the success of any title. Back to the attack on WBD. DeLuca and Abdy’s choices are exactly what needed to fully recover in the theatrical and home sector, where theatrical titles dominate streaming views. Yet the WSJ wrote a piece about how their “rich” spending decisions were “rais[ing] eyebrows.” DeLuca and Abdy are investing in the missing middle. They are investing in artists. They are investing in innovation that will bring audiences to theaters. Netflix spent billions of dollars to drive audiences to the home for movies. And that was considered genius. DeLuca and Abdy are giving the audiences what they have already proven they want: more movies in theaters. How about we stop fixating on B.O. and start looking at the full lifecycle of a movie? How about we stop criticizing our champions and start giving them the support they deserve? And let’s not let headlines define our business anymore. Okay? See you at the movies! #movies #cinema #streaming

🌎 Film+TV Productions - August production volumes are down sharply vis-á-vis July 2024. Newly financed, commissioned, greenlit and in-motion projects are monitored globally and daily by Vitrina A.I.'s Global Film+TV Projects Tracker. This gives us a daily pulse on trends, opportunities and companies actively financing, producing, co-producing or commissioning content - helping Vitrina members scout for the right projects and partners. Since our data goes back multiple past years, we know this latest August phenomenon to be more of a seasonal issue (August is not always a big month for productions green-lighting and financing) and a little bit of the continuing slowdown affecting broadcasters commissioning. This week our big report on Banijay Entertainment Group of companies comes out. In the last few weeks, we have analyzed the productions data for industry and compared that to how different groups have handled the slowdown (BBC Studios, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, CANAL+ Group). With more than 180 ProdCos, Labels and Production Houses under #BanijayGroup, it would be interesting to see how this group is doing in the current environment. If you haven't registered for our Banijay session, the link is given below: August Productions: https://lnkd.in/gKDJUi8d Session on Banijay Group: https://lnkd.in/gW4Dmsvu

OTT platforms have transformed film distribution by making it more accessible, cost-effective, and diverse. They offer new opportunities for filmmakers and audiences alike, challenging traditional models and fostering innovation in the film industry. In this article we will explore how OTT platforms are changing the game for film distribution. Learn more at 👉 https://lnkd.in/gF-rtbKB #ott #mogi #mogiio #filmmaker #filmmaking #filmproducer #filmdistribution #filmdirector #OTTPlatform #Whitelabel #vod #Videostreaming #VideoOnDemandPlatforms #TopLiveStreamingPlatforms #EnterpriseVideoStreaming #LiveStreamingSolutions #VODPlatformProviders #WhiteLabelStreaming #OTTPlatformProviders #WhiteLabelOTT #VideoStreamingSolutions #LiveStreamingSolutions

In today's edition, we cover a diverse range of stories from across the industry. From the triumph of Ukraine's 'Screaming Girl' at the Berlin Co-Production Market to Disney+ expanding its Korean originals slate. Foxtel's strategic moves with its new streaming platform Hubbl showcase the dynamic landscape of content creation and distribution. Meanwhile, the People's Choice Awards winners list celebrates outstanding achievements in entertainment, with notable victories for Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' and Dandelooo's new cinema division for kids and families animated films. Additionally, we delve into insights from the European Film Market, Lily Gladstone's upcoming project 'The Memory Police,' and Martin Scorsese's reflections on the future of cinema. Plus, we explore the shifting dynamics in the streaming industry as Netflix faces competition from MBC Group's Shahid VIP in Arabic countries. From groundbreaking productions to insightful analyses and major deals, today's roundup offers a comprehensive snapshot of the ever-evolving entertainment landscape.  #IndustryNews #EntertainmentUpdates #StreamingWars #FilmIndustry #TVIndustry #ContentCreation #AwardsSeason #GlobalMedia #CinemaInnovation #DigitalTrends

🎥 Film Distribution Evolution 🎥 The theatrical window is shrinking. What does this mean for filmmakers? Uncover the details in this article by William Stertz 👉 https://lnkd.in/gBXXkQyz #FilmDistribution #Streaming #IndependentFilm

From ScreenDaily: Netflix is as interested in acquiring third-party titles as it is in producing original films, said Larry Tanz, Netflix VP of content for EMEA. Tanz underlined the importance of films to the streamer on a visit to Netflix’s European production hub in Tres Cantos on the outskirts of Madrid. “What we care about is bringing the best films and series to our members,” said Tanz. “If it’s a huge film from Constantin that’s in theatres and then on Netflix, if our members love it, that’s great. If it’s something that we commission, that’s great as well. “We know that we need to deliver great films, including local films, to satisfy our members’ love of films.” Netflix has pay-one licencing deals with theatrical distributors including Constantin Film in Germany, STUDIOCANAL in the UK and SF Studios in Sweden. It recently struck a deal with new Italian distributor Piper Films which will see Paolo Sorrentino’s Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes Competition title Parthenope stream on Netflix after its theatrical run in Italy. “That benefits the film because we’re financing, and that benefits us because we get an amazing film from Sorrentino,” said Tanz.  But Tanz emphasised commissioning original films remains key to Netflix, particularly “big films” but also local comedies and “other types of films that maybe are getting made less and less for theatrical”. Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s VP of content Spain, Portugal & Nordics, added: “From a #Spain perspective, film is super central to what we do. [Netflix viewers] don’t differentiate where a great film is coming from, whether it originated within Netflix or elsewhere.” All of Netflix’s global top 10 non-English language films come from the EMEA region, the streamer said. Norway’s Troll is the most popular of all time, followed by Spain’s Society Of The Snow, Nowhere and The Platform. Next up is France’s Under Paris, then Through My Window from Spain, AKA from France, Germany’s Blood Red Sky, Italy’s My Name Is Vendetta and Sweden’s Black Crab. Netflix was keen to emphasise the amount of European content it produces in countries such as Spain. It comes as many European countries, concerned about the growth of US-owned #streaming services at the expense of public service broadcasters, are introducing investment obligations or streamer levies to mandate spend on European content. Asked about Netflix’s strategy for #Europe at a time when many streamers have reduced spend, Tanz said Netflix is continuing to invest in local #films, series and unscripted. “Variety is important, from having that medical drama [like Breathless] they’re going to love to that period drama [The Lady’s Companion]… No #entertainment company has tried to programme that breadth and with that ambition. So as part of that, we’re continuing to invest.” He said all of Netflix’s European shows that have been hits with international audiences had first been successful on their home turf.

It’s clear we’re in the midst of an exciting era of transformation. From the rise of streaming services and the impact of social media, to the innovative strides of independent filmmakers and the technological advancements reshaping production, the future of filmmaking holds endless possibilities. As we journey into this future, one thing is certain: the film industry will continue to evolve, adapt, and innovate.

<Holdback System in the Korean Film Industry> A. Current Situation ▢ The concept of holdback, referring to the period before a movie is released on other platforms like IPTV or OTT after its theatrical run, was originally established as a sort of gentleman's agreement to maximize the overall revenue of the film industry. However, amidst declining theater revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a call for flexibility in the holdback system. • Holdback regulations in the Korean film market are not specified in legislation but are rather determined through agreements among associations or organizations representing various sectors of the film industry. • With the emergence of new business models in the media landscape, holdback periods are individually negotiated between content providers (CPs) and operators. ▢ Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, movies typically had a theatrical run for about a month, followed by two months on IPTV, two months for single-purchase Internet VOD, and distribution to subscription VOD (SVOD) platforms like Netflix approximately 9-12 months after release. ▢ The Korean film industry witnessed a significant decline in audience numbers and revenue in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a 73% decrease in audience numbers and a 59% decrease in overall industry revenue. • Prolonged pandemic conditions led to cases where movies couldn't be released in theaters, prompting production companies to seek revenue from online ancillary markets such as OTT platforms like Netflix and TVing, resulting in the collapse of the holdback system. • The traditional holdback period, typically considered around 10 weeks, was shortened to within 4 weeks amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. B. Relevant Issues and Conditions ▢ The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the 'Video Industry Leap Strategy (11/14/2023),' supporting holdback compliance to underpin the recovery of cinema demand. • This involves mandating holdback compliance for existing venture funds (culture funds) that primarily invest in SMEs and supporting voluntary agreements within the industry for other works, without specifying concrete conditions yet. ▢ Stakeholders such as theaters, distributors, and production companies generally support holdback as a means to aid the stagnant film industry. • According to the Korean Film Council, in 2023, the number of moviegoers was only 56.6% of the average annual attendance before the COVID-19 crisis, indicating a high dependency on theaters for the Korean film industry, which accounts for about 70% of total film revenue. • However, for movies with poor box office performance, there's a stance favoring immediate release on OTT platforms to potentially secure high values, opposing the holdback system. ▢ The OTT industry views holdback as a regulatory constraint on consumer choice, expressing concerns that mandating it could fuel illegal downloads and potentially lead to 'theater monopolies' favoring large multiplexes.

In today's TV, Film, & Media Industry News Roundup for Thursday, 7 March 2024, the UK Government introduced a 40% indie movie tax relief to bolster local production. BBC Studios secured a substantial debt facility to amplify its investment in programming. Executive movements, including Imagine Entertainment's appointment of Jeb Brody and Ravi Ahuja's role at Sony Pictures, signal a reshuffling of creative leadership. Initiatives like Foxtel's Video Futures Collective and IAG's partnership with Covenant House emphasise collaboration and philanthropy. The closure of Rooster Teeth underlines the dynamic interplay between innovation and tradition. Amidst these changes, new projects, adaptations, and the ever-evolving strategies of streaming giants like Apple and Netflix offer a glimpse into the future of storytelling and distribution.