Film
One Giant Leap for Mankind: First Film Studio in Space by 2024
Space, the final frontier … for filmmaking? That’s right! Studios are eager to launch their projects into orbit. Last year, Russian astronauts and artists teamed up to become the first team to film a narrative movie in space, and the Space Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) has big plans to do it again. By 2024, they plan to set up a film production studio and sports arena on Axiom, the commercial wing on the International Space Station (ISS). Axiom recently won a contract to develop this commercial space (pun intended), and with growing expansions, plans to separate from the space station in 2028. SEE is planning to offer use of the space facility to third parties in the future, all while creating their own content (though the on-site creators joining the mission have yet to be confirmed). SEE co-founders Dmitry and Elena Lesnevsky said that this new space film studio, or SEE-1, “will provide not only the first, but also the supreme quality space structure enabling the expansion of the two trillion-dollar global entertainment industry into low-Earth orbit.” SEE also acts as co-producer of the upcoming Axiom film (to be directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise) and will send their crew to the ISS sometime this year. While films set in space are an industry staple, this new studio will break logistical barriers and make space entertainment’s new backlot.
Industry
Film Set Consensus: With Covid Protocols, What Does ‘Safe Enough’ Mean?
The January 15 deadline for updating your set’s safety protocols has passed and is expected to be extended to mid-February. But Omicron, the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, is making its way through productions, often forcing pauses when crew members test positive for the virus. This leaves workers questioning whether productions are doing enough to prevent these shutdowns. FilmLA rep Philip Sokoloski said, “To date, we have seen more than a dozen productions that originally planned to film in early January call FilmLA to cancel or reschedule their shoots for a later time.” Modifying and strengthening protocols seem to be the best way forward, since the last adjustment was made in July 2021. Another issue that’s arisen is the discrepancy of rules regarding crew members in different zones. For example, ‘Zone A’ workers are those who must often go maskless in scenes. These workers have the strictest rules and must test around three times a week. Post-production workers in ‘Zone D’ “do not require periodic testing after a pre-employment test,” according to the latest agreement. While it remains the employer’s prerogative to deploy testing standards and mandates, industry workers are voicing their concerns over some of the more relaxed sets that may put safety at risk.
Television
Upfront and Personal: In-Person Television Advertising Presentations To Resume This May
Television marketers are planning to hold their in-person upfront presentations in May for the first time since 2019. These presentations are traditionally held at the start of the advertising season. Fox is the third network to schedule an in-person presentation, though their event will look a bit different from previous years. They announced plans to combine their entertainment, sports, and news presentations into a single event. Disney and WarnerMedia have also secured in-person May dates, but all three networks are planning to stream their presentations for those who prefer to attend virtually. While the upfronts will all take place in New York City, Fox has scheduled an earlier presentation to take place in Los Angeles this March. Marianne Gambelli, President of Advertising Sales at Fox, said in a statement, “As a 100% ad supported portfolio, staying connected with our valued partners is a huge priority, and we can’t wait to see everyone in person.” Other large network presenters have yet to set in-person dates, but this is expected to change as more companies begin feeling safe enough to schedule gatherings.
Streaming
A Sea of Streaming: New Platform for Filmmaker Discovery
While the demand for content is high, distribution is still a big barrier in the entertainment industry. A newly emerging company called Filmhub is looking to solve many of these distribution problems with a platform that can distribute content to over 100 streaming channels. Started in 2016 by film composer Klaus Badelt and tech veteran Alan d’Escragnolle, Filmhub has recently announced a $6.8 million seed round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). After working on over 100 titles, Badelt noticed productions decreasing in cost, which allowed for more movies to be made. But many films suffered due to distribution barriers in place. The platform’s process begins with filmmaker interviews to ensure that each project meets streaming technical specifications. Then through automated technology and the power of their own sales team, Filmhub gets the content on as many platforms as possible. Filmhub’s co-founders do want to make clear, however, that this platform is not just for feature-length movies—it can be used for any professionally produced content, from short films to series. The platform is also useful to push older films and classics that may have missed the spotlight before. Currently, FIlmhub is growing their streaming network, hoping to create their own direct-to-consumer streaming service to highlight filmmakers’ work.
International
How Streaming Is Strengthening the Paris Production Workforce
Audiovisual production is reaching new heights in Paris. The city has around 160,000 technicians on hand to meet the rising demands of international streamers. As film production has climbed back to 2019 levels, television production in the City of Light more than doubled between 2020 and 2021. Production is ramping up to meet consumer demands, and local broadcasters are also rapidly scaling their operations. According to Remi Bergues, Managing Director of Film Paris Region, “Local broadcasters need to up production in order to remain viable, to maintain their economic model, and to not lose their audiences.” Instead of producing films, many of these broadcasters are opting for longer series to meet these demands. With these changes, there has been a 42% increase in local projects, with international projects increasing threefold. This number will likely grow again in 2022, as Netflix, HBO, and Apple are looking to establish productions that start in April and run for the rest of the year. In general, Paris production will also undergo a lot of change as new initiatives are requiring the reduction of carbon emissions and other sustainable practices.
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