Perception vs. Reality & Other Sub-Genre news for Sept.26.2019
This week, the NYT reported that Female Artists made little progress in Museums, based on research from ArtNet. The study showed that while the perception is one of growing gender equity in the art world, the reality is that just 11% of museum acquisitions were of female artists in the last decade. And women artists make up just 2% of the global auction market.
Reading this article, I was reminded of a recent Screen Magazine article about who is funding women filmmakers, which has been making the rounds to positive acclaim in my social media feed lately. When I read it, as much as I loved the work being done, I was depressed, as many of the funds and organizations mentioned were clearly, well, under-funded. This isn’t a knock against these groups. It was clear they are doing their best, but with very little actual capital, and that means there’s likely been a similar perceptual shift in film, with little actual change.
We need some systemic change across the arts, and that’s going to take substantial investment and donations, and real thinking about how to change the status quo. The conversation is definitely going on, but that conversation can lead to a perception of actual change, when the reality - to me - seems to be that less has changed than we should have seen by now. Which Anne Hubbell confirmed in the Screen Article, stating: “In the past couple of years, there has been lots of talk and reporting on women directors and more female representation. But the numbers have not really changed. Statistics show that we still have a long way to go."
I've been lucky lately to work with a few brands who are paying attention to gender (and diversity) issues, but in addition to bigger investments from individuals, organizations and funds, we need to see brands who are making content taking bigger actions to hire women filmmakers to shoot their films, as well as more women subjects and stories. Corporations can have a bigger impact here as they move into the content space. And they can "up" the investment in women in film. I'll be pushing this with my colleagues more, and hope everyone does the same.
WHAT I"M READING: FILMS AND STREAMING Quibi Already Has a Better Lineup Than Apple TV+ says Gizmodo. And most of the industry that I’ve spoken with lately. My bet remains on Apple TV+, but Quibi is investing more like someone who wants to survive on content (Apple can give it away, if you stay on their devices). Amazon’s Brilliant ‘Undone’ Highlights The Promise And Peril Of The Streaming Era - Forbes reports on the sad fact that in an economy of abundance, it’s hard to get attention. Many great shows get lost. Including Undone, which features some uncanny rotoscoping animation done by my friend, and great artist - Tommy Pallotta. So add it to your queue. But seriously, we have a discovery and remembrance problem with streaming that is only getting worse by the day. Facebook is launching a streaming device that watches you while you watch TV - FastCompany reports on yet one more creepy Facebook idea. You’d almost think they had early investment from the CIA or something? Investors Claim AT&T Created Fake Streaming Service Accounts to Hide Failure - Law.com reports on another creepy company doing something a bit untoward - AT&T doesn’t have the customers it claims, and created fake accounts to gin up the numbers. Maybe Elliott Management is right to be pressuring this company. Why streaming services are the new credit card rewards binge - The LA Times has the story on how more consumers are earning credit card rewards when they pay for their streaming. Smart move, credit card companies. How Much Would You Spend on Streaming Services Per Month? And Infographic: How Much Is Too Much For Streaming Subscription? -PC Mag and the International Business Times both take a look at what consumers are willing to spend to be inundated with too much content - really, shouldn’t we be talking to one another or getting outdoors instead - anyhow, they find that most people want to pay around $30 bucks a month. That means some blood in the water soon.
Speaking of blood in the water,Netflix CEO Chews Out Content Creators In Post-Emmys Locker Room Tirade Congratulations: You just outlived MoviePass - AVClub has a nice little story on the death of MoviePass. But Ted Farnsworth isn’t done yet. Former MoviePass Chairman Ted Farnsworth Trying to Buy Failing Company. This may get interesting.
‘The Devil and Daniel Johnston’ Filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig Remembers the Late Austin Legend - If you don’t know Daniel Johnston, or Feurzeig’s film about him, do yourself a favor and go watch it now. IndieWire’s report is one of the many obits that ran after Johnston died recently, and it’s among the better ones. I was a huge fan, own two pieces of his artwork, and listen to many of his songs, so this was a tough one.
The difference between distributors and aggregators - Jon Reiss pens a nice break-down on the differences between these two parties, and what filmmakers should keep in mind. This is in response to the recent death of Distribber, which is causing much consternation for filmmakers.
My Bogota, Colombia speech/podcast is now up - I recently travelled to Bogota, Colombia for BAM, to be interviewed about the future of film and branded content by Alex Stolz of Film Disruptors, and the podcast is now live. If you want to hear me prognosticate, you should check it out. It was fun. The link also allows you to check out his other interviews in Bogota, with Netflix and Annapurna, and Liam Young. Alex is also hosting a conference on the Future of Film, check that out here.
WHAT I"M READING: Branded Content
Fossil Fuel Ad Campaigns Emphasize 'Positives' After Climate Science Denial PR Lands Industry in Hot Seat - DesMog has the goods on just how slick and evil oil companies can be with their ads, pr and branded content.
Of Course Brands Ruined ‘Storm Area 51’ In another bit of bad Brand news, Vice took a look at how brands ruined the recent Storm Area 51 non-phenomenon. I think people being people ruined it, but they make a good case.
Welcome to McDonald’s. Would You Like a Podcast With Those Fries? A look at how trendy podcasting has become with brands. But it often works. A Guide to a Decade’s Worth of Brand Films in China - China Film Insider recently launched a section devoted to branded content in China, and it’s worth a look at what is trending there, as China leads the way in just about everything. The same folks ran a guide to China’s streaming services - which make our plethora of options seem tiny - that’s worth a read as well.
WHAT I"M READING: VR/AR/Miscellany Snapchat Uses AR Billboards in Los Angeles to Back 2 of Its Snap Originals Show AdWeek takes a look at Snapchat’s recent use of AR in billboards for its originals. We’ll be seeing a lot more of this, and as it matures, it will probably get more interesting. The Music Industry and Trump Want to Blow Up Copyright Protection Bloomberg takes a look at the fight between composers and others in the industry around copyright. It can seem confusing, but it’s actually pretty simple - we need less restrictive copyright interpretation for creativity to flow. Copyright is supposed to strike a balance, and this change would do that, and that’s good, even if Orange-Man is supporting it. This Apple patent may be the key to AR glasses we’d actually want to wear FastCompany looks at the possible future of AR glasses that project on your retina. Much more interesting than what we have today.
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