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International
French VFX: How Production Incentives Fuel Market Growth
Incentives such as the 10% bonus for international productions spending over $2.1 million locally have spurred impressive growth in France’s VFX sector. Studios like the Yard, with bases in Paris and Montpellier, have enhanced their capacities by recruiting talent worldwide. This empowers them to manage major productions internally, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Sustainability
Studios Going Green: BAFTA’s ‘albert’ Shows Significant Improvement in Industry
BAFTA's albert, through its Studio Sustainability Standard, has unveiled the results for its second reporting year, 2023/24, showing significant advancement. With over half of the studios achieving a 'very good' grade or better, there's been a 15% uptick in average scores compared to the previous year. The program assesses studios across various criteria, with a strong focus on climate, and provides customized action plans for implementing suggested enhancements.
Streaming
Streaming Team-Up: Disney+, Max, and Hulu Come Together in New Bundle
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to launch a streaming bundle this summer, merging Disney+, Hulu, and Max services. There will be both ad-free and ad-supported options, catering to diverse consumer preferences. This collaboration targets a market gap, offering a broad spectrum of entertainment choices, potentially boosting subscriber numbers and enhancing retention for both companies.
Television
The New New Hollywood: Independent Writers Have Big Hopes for New Projects
A cadre of writers and directors is striving for a TV counterpart to the 1960s New Hollywood movement, aiming to make a splash with fresh independent TV ventures. Led by filmmaker Mark Duplass, this new wave of creators is prioritizing budget-friendly projects to captivate audiences and secure studio deals.
Industry
Voices for Social Impact Storytelling: A-listers Pen Open Letter to Hollywood
Prominent industry figures like George Clooney and Ava DuVernay have written an open letter urging Hollywood to uphold social impact storytelling due to Participant Media's closure. The letter stresses the significance of values-driven narratives in broadening discourse, nurturing empathy, and grappling with societal intricacies.
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