Exclusive
Introducing Crew Corner: A VIP Pass Behind the Scenes To the World of Entertainment
This Wednesday, Cast & Crew unveiled its first edition of “Crew Corner,” starring CAPS’ Todd Dyer and his guest, seasoned artist manager Stuart Ross. The two experts in live events weighed in on the world’s “Return To Live”—when it will happen and what it might look like once it is safe to attend shows again. In this first edition of what will be a multi-part series (going live every Wednesday in March), Todd and Stuart chat about all things “live entertainment” and the potential changes on the horizon that may transform live entertainment as we know it for years to come.
TV
Ready, Set, Binge: TV Announces an Impressive Lineup Despite Lingering Production Delays
As quarantine-fatigued, content-hungry fans turn to social media platforms like Clubhouse and Instagram’s “Live Rooms” for entertainment, major production studios are stepping in to fill the void, serving up more traditional fanfare. Thanks to Disney+, Paramount Plus, Nickelodeon, FOX, Netflix, Comedy Central, and more, tuned-in TV fans who have been tuned out for too long can now look forward to hours upon hours of fresh, at-home entertainment with binge-worthy series, including the fourth season of No Activity, the mockumentary-style comedy series Drama Club, the second season of The Moodys, and an hour-long South Park Vaccination Special to boot.
Film
Production Stays Afloat: Producers Get Creative and Go Tropical With a Steady Stream of New Releases
After scouring a handful of locations, U.K.-based MSR Media producer Philippe Martinez has landed on the Caribbean island of Nevis to shoot six back-to-back films. With the pandemic still raging in many countries, Nevis Island has stringent protocols in place and boasts few cases and no deaths. “One has to think outside the box when you’re a producer. We decided to shoot in the Caribbean when we saw that the pandemic was not abating,” said Martinez, who shot two films in the U.K. despite COVID-19 restrictions (Father Christmas Is Back with Liz Hurley, Kelsey Grammer, and John Cleese—which he directed and produced—and Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop with Nathalie Cox and Grammer).
Business
Game On: Streamline Media Group Announces North American Expansion With Its Growing Business in Entertainment and Enterprise Video Games
On Wednesday, Streamline Entertainment announced its expansion of game development and services to its U.S.-based headquarters in Las Vegas. The company decided to formally expand its presence in the Americas and is hiring developers to join a growing global team. This expansion plan supports the growth of Streamline Media Group's multiple lines of business, including Streamframe, its proprietary game development platform.
Music
Pressing Pause: Country Music’s CMA Fest Canceled for 2021
As the world looks to outdoor festivals for clues as to when live entertainment will be safe again, the Country Music Association announced this week that the CMA Fest is not quite ready to make its reemergence. Equally surprising to some as it is obvious to others, downtown Nashville is erring on the side of caution, much to the dismay of country music fans. In a recent statement, the CMA announced, “We know our fans near and far have hoped that the festival could safely return this summer … and while we are encouraged to see COVID-19 vaccines becoming more widely available, we still face several challenges that prevent us from bringing our fans around the world the CMA Fest experience they have come to expect.”
High five! Another Friday Five is going live next week—same time, same place. We know what caught our eyes, but we’re all ears. Tell us what you’d like to learn more about in our upcoming editions by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Be sure to tag #FridayFive in your comments.
See you next Friday at 10 a.m. (PT).