TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Friday 21 June 2024

Disney sued for 'fraudulent' move to Florida; UK's new TV studios open; C21 Drama Awards; Quebecor funds TV; TCL's AI program; NFTS Camden campus; 'The Boys' gains viewers; AI benefits creatives.

Today’s Highlights:

• Disney Employees Sue Media Giant for 'Fraudulently' Inducing Them to Move to Florida - In 2021, Disney asked 2,000 employees to relocate to Florida before changing its decision.

• UK's Newest TV and Film Studios Fully Open - Located in Shinfield, near Reading, the site features 18 sound stages, including two of the country's largest.

• C21 International Drama Awards 2024 Open for Entry - The awards are now open with a deadline of September 13, 2024, and the Gala Final set for December 5 during Content London.

• Quebecor Fund to Disperse $1.5 Million for TV Production Assistance - Canadian production companies will receive over C$2.1 million ($1.5 million) from the Quebecor Fund's Television Production Assistance Program.

• S4C & Media Cymru Select Winners of Formats Development Funding - Nine production companies will receive up to £10,000 ($12,800) each in development funding for a global formats scheme.

• TCL US Launches AI-Focused TV & Film Accelerator Program - The TCL Film Machine will support creatives with grants starting at $25k to enhance their films using AI tools.

• UK's National Film and Television School to Open Campus in Camden - NFTS will be the education partner for a new development in North London.

• 81% of Creatives Think AI Will Benefit Their Work, Study Finds - A UTA study presented at Cannes Lions revealed that while most creatives see benefits in AI, regulation remains a significant concern.

• Amazon's 'The Boys' Viewership Grows by 21% with Season 4 - Amazon reports a 21% increase in viewers for Season 4 of "The Boys" compared to Season 3 in its first four days.

• Sky's Katie Keenan on Acquisitions Remit - As group director of acquisitions, Katie Keenan discusses her strategy for selecting properties that resonate with Sky's audience and complement their original content.

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NEWS

Disney Employees Sue Media Giant for ‘Fraudulently’ Inducing Them to Move to Florida in Spiked Campus Initiative

In 2021, Disney asked 2,000 employees to move to the Sunshine State before changing its mind.

From: The Wrap

UK's newest TV and film studios are now fully open

The site in Shinfield, near Reading, boasts 18 sound stages, including two of the biggest in the country at 43,000 sq ft and has already attracted significant feature films and TV series.

From: BBC

C21 International Drama Awards 2024 open for entry

The C21 International Drama Awards are now open for entry, with 100 leading drama commissioners set to decide on the best shows of the past year. Entries close on September 13, 2024, with the Gala Final taking place during Content London on December 5.

From: C21

Quebecor Fund To Disperse $1.5 Million For TV Production Assistance

The Quebecor Fund board of directors has revealed that Canadian production companies will receive financial support in the 48th round of its Television Production Assistance Program, which will disburse more than C$2.1 million ($1.5 million).

From: World Screen

S4C & Media Cymru Select Winners Of Formats Development Funding

The Welsh public-service broadcaster S4C and research and development consortium Media Cymru have unveiled the nine production companies that will receive up to £10,000 ($12,800) in development funding as part of a global formats scheme.

From: TV Formats

TCL U.S. Launches AI-Focused TV & Film Accelerator Program

The shorts program, TCL Film Machine, offers development, financial and production support to working creatives looking to enhance and elevate their films using AI tools. It will start with five entrants this year. Grants begin at $25k but could increase significantly based on talent and project.

From: Deadline

UK’s National Film and Television School to open campus in Camden

NFTS will be the education partner for North London’s development.

From: Screen Daily

INSIGHTS

How Amazon Studios Is Getting Bigger and Other Takeaways from Javiera Balmaceda’s Masterclass at Conecta Fiction 

In the U.S., Amazon has gone from being an HBO-style cable channel with shows like “Transparent” to more network-level mainstream fare like “Reacher,” ventured The Hollywood Reporter’s Lili Ford, who moderated the session. What about Latin America?

From: Variety

It Starts On The Page: Read ‘The Regime’ Finale Script “Don’t Yet Rejoice” By Will Tracy

“Don’t worry. He’s what we want,” exclaims deposed despot Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) to her last loyal aide, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a citizen who has come to their assistance in The Regime finale. “A beautiful, perfect idiot who will do anything for me.”

From: Deadline & Read the Script

USA: YouTube Is Becoming Indispensable

As reported by Hub Intel, 75% of users rank YouTube Premium as a must-have source, a fraction of a per cent behind Spotify. YouTube, YouTube TV, and YouTube Music follow the two platforms.

From: Señal News

Issa López ‘Watched a Really Good HBO Show That Some American Did’ and Then Had to Make ‘True Detective: Night Country’

At IndieWire Honors, Issa López again praised Nic Pizzolatto's original run of the HBO series, which inspired her to make her own version.

From: IndieWire

Sebastian Maniscalco On How ‘Bookie’ Is Here To Stay; Teases Guest-Filled Season 2 – Crew Call Podcast

There was a time when most stand-up comedians, post-Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, dreamt of their own sitcom based on their material. However, when Chicago stand-up Sebastian Maniscalco arrived in LA in the late 90s, it wasn’t really his m.o.

From: Deadline

Is The Mission Possible For Paramount’s Crowded Corner Office? CEO Troika Settles In As Layoffs And Asset Sales Loom

Paramount Global’s unorthodox Office of the CEO, which started as a presumed placeholder, is becoming a longer-term fixture poised to reshape the tempest-tossed company again.

From: Deadline

Streaming’s Beachfront Property, The Home Screen, Draws Interest From Advertisers

S. Charles Lee, the architect of hundreds of ornate Art Deco movie theatres, had a famous saying about his goal of engaging audiences before they settled into their seats: “The show starts on the sidewalk.” A century later, streaming services take a similar tack, leveraging their new place in the American living room by welcoming viewers with home screen advertising.

From: Deadline

Don't impinge the binge: Why viewers choose to binge-watch television series

Recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, the study "Planning-to-binge: Time allocation for future media consumption" analyses why viewers binge-watch.

From: Medical Xpress

Seven talking points from CineEurope 2024

Q2’s box-office wobble, the return of animation, and potential closures in the UK were on the agenda.

From: Screen Daily

My Screen Life: Fernando Meirelles on quitting architecture and his fears for the future

Meirelles directed episodes of Sympathizer and Sugar.

From: Screen Daily

DQ100 2024/25 – Part two

In the second part of the DQ100 2024/25, DQ picks out a range of shows to tune in for, the actors, directors and writers making them, and some of the trends and trailblazers worth catching up with.

From: Drama Quarterly

81% of Creatives Think AI Will Benefit Their Work in New Study, but Regulation Remains Majority Concern

UTA introduced “AI Takes Center Stage: The Real-Time Impact of AI in Creative Media & Marketing” at Cannes Lions on Thursday

From: The Wrap

Sky’s Katie Keenan On Acquisitions Remit

As group director of acquisitions for the U.K., Ireland and Europe, Katie Keenan is tasked with spotting properties that will resonate with Sky’s user base and complement its raft of originals. On the heels of attending the LA Screenings, Keenan talks about her acquisitions remit.

From: World Screen

Disney’s Aggressive Bid for Streaming Ads Leaves Video Rivals Scrambling

Disney is soaking up new commitments from advertisers in one of the driest “upfront” markets seen in recent years, and the company’s efforts to win those ad dollars from Madison Avenue have some rivals spitting out dust.

From: Variety

“There Really Is Nothing Funnier Than a Fart Joke”: Ramy Youssef, Taylor Tomlinson, Alex Edelman and the Stand-Up Roundtable

Plus, comics Mike Birbiglia, Jacqueline Novak and Jenny Slate on truth, trauma and the last person they want to see in the audience: "You don’t really want your friends to be there when you’re stripping."

From: The Hollywood Reporter

‘I’m a Virgo’s Secret Sauce: Anti-Capitalist Messaging and a Briefcase Full of Dolls

Creator Boots Riley, star Jharrel Jerome and other cast and crew discuss what made shooting the surreal superhero story supremely unique — from "Lord of the Rings elf-style" shooting to Olivia Washington rewriting testicle jokes.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Michael Von Würden Talks Formats Franchise Management

Michael von Würden, managing director of Snowman Productions, spoke about the enduring success of Married at First Sight and innovation in the formats space at the TV Real Festival.

From: TV Drama

TV Real Festival Highlights True-Crime Trends

GRB Media Ranch’s Sophie Ferron, TVF International’s Poppy McAlister and Woodcut Media’s Kate Beal, who also chairs the Association of True Crime Producers, told TV Real Festival delegates about the trends shaping the business of crime docs.

From: TV Real

Arthur Smith Talks Reality TV Trends

Arthur Smith, the chairman and CEO of A. Smith & Co. Productions, offered up a big-picture view of the state of reality television in the U.S. as the TV Real Festival came to a close today.

From: TV Real

‘The Boys’ Viewership Grows by 21% With Season 4, Amazon Says

According to Amazon, season 4 of “The Boys” has made a strong debut. The studio says that the new episodes achieved 21% more viewers in its first four days of streaming than Season 3’s launch reached in the same amount of time, though exact figures were not provided.

From: Variety

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