June 1, 2012
Emmys to combine acting awards for movies, minis
By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmy Awards competition will be getting fiercer among TV movie and miniseries performers.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said Thursday that it will merge the leading and supporting acting categories for longform programming.
Starting with the 2013 awards, new categories for outstanding actor in a miniseries or TV movie and outstanding actress in a miniseries or movie will each include six nominees, equal to other performing categories.
Previously, the four movie and miniseries acting categories included five nominees each.
The TV academy already chipped away at the long-form categories last year, combining the outstanding TV movie and miniseries nominees into one field.
At the 2011 Emmys, Kate Winslet of HBO’s “Mildred Pierce” and Barry Pepper of ReelzChannel’s “The Kennedys” took lead miniseries or movie acting honors, while supporting awards went to Maggie Smith for PBS’ “Downton Abbey” and Guy Pearce for “Mildred Pierce.”
The academy’s decision didn’t sit well with at least one channel. Lifetime called it “disappointing,” especially in the wake of the consolidation of the movies and miniseries categories, and said award-worthy projects and performances will be slighted.
“Movies and miniseries represent some of television’s finest programming and it is our firm belief the industry should honor each category separately,” Lifetime Networks programming executive Rob Sharenow said in a statement.
The change announced Thursday coincided with an indication of how robust the competition will be for this year’s miniseries and movie Emmys, which will be the last to recognize lead and supporting actors separately.
History channel’s “Hatfields & McCoys,” which broke basic cable ratings records this week, included critically acclaimed performances by leads Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, as well as by cast members such as Tom Berenger, who likely would compete for supporting actor honors.
HPA issues call for entries for Creativity and Innovation AwardLOS ANGELES–The Hollywood Post Alliance® has opened its Call for Entries for the HPA® Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation in Post Production. Conceived to recognize companies and individuals who have demonstrated a notable step in post production from a technical, creative or efficiency perspective, the Award has consistently attracted the most thoughtful and forward thinking companies and individuals in the industry. A jury of peers and industry experts will judge the award submissions. This year’s ceremony will mark the 4th year that the Award for Creativity and Innovation in Post Production has been given.
The Creativity and Innovation Award acknowledges the significant contribution to creative storytelling and/or technical innovation. Submissions can include content such as a unique movie, TV program or commercial; a workflow, proprietary technical development, hardware or software toolset, or other creative approach that is not eligible for consideration in other HPA Awards categories.
The submission period for the Creativity and Innovation Award is May 10, 2012 through June 22, 2012. The dates have been extended to accommodate the growing interest in the award. Judging is set for early August. Winners of the Creativity and Innovation Award will be announced on November 1st, 2012 during the 7th Annual HPA Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
Complete guidelines can be found by visiting www.hpaawards.net.
One Show Entertainment Finalists AnnouncedNEW YORK–After weeks of judging by leading creatives in advertising and entertainment–headed by jury chair Chris Bruss, VP of branded entertainment at Funny or Die–The One Club has announced the finalists of its 4th annual One Show Entertainment competition. Winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Pencil awards will be revealed June 13, 2012, when the advertising and the Hollywood entertainment communities gather for the awards presentation hosted by “Supersize Me” and “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” filmmaker Morgan Spurlock at the new Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, Calif.
Entries were received by some 35 countries with the most finalists coming from the U.S. which tallied 112, followed by Australia with 15, Canada and the U.K. with eight each, and then Germany with six. For a complete list of all One Show Entertainment finalists, log onto www.oneclub.org.
“Today’s consumers are actively seeking out compelling and engaging branded entertainment,” said Kevin Swanepoel, president and interim CEO at The One Club. “It makes perfect business sense that advertising agencies have adopted this new strategy and expanded their offerings, joining forces with media and entertainment companies to create and distribute more branded entertainment across devices, from TV and motion picture screens to mobile phones.”
The One Show Entertainment competition features a broad range of categories including television, film, motion graphics, music, gaming, branded applications, online branded entertainment, events and installations, and innovation in branded content. Three new categories were added to this year’s competition: best brand channel, promos and title sequences.
Facebook launches Mideast office in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Facebook executives are hoping the company’s first office in the Arab world can help boost sales even as its share price struggles.
The social networking company said Wednesday the office in Dubai’s Internet City business park will start out with a staff of three employees.
It aims to attract more advertising revenue directed at the 45 million users that Facebook says it has in the Middle East and North Africa.
The launch follows Facebook’s May 18 initial public debut, one of the most anticipated stock offerings in history. The stock had lost 24 percent of its value ahead of the Dubai launch.
Joanna Shields, Facebook’s vice president and managing director for Europe, the Mideast and Africa, says employees are “just getting on with” their work despite the share price slide.
DirecTV’s content exec to leave by end of the year
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — DirecTV Inc. said Tuesday that it is hiring a former AT&T Inc. executive to replace Derek Chang, its executive vice president of content strategy and development.
Dan York, who will join the satellite TV company in July, is taking over for Chang, who is stepping down at the end of the year. The company said Chang had led the acquisition of programming, original content, regional sports networks and ad sales for more than six years.
York will be the chief content officer and executive vice president of programming. He had previously served as president of content and advertising sales for AT&T.
Level 256 produces 60-plus VFX shots for “The Dictator”
LOS ANGELES–Level 256 Visual Effects, a digital artistS collective and visual effects production studio, and its owner Scott Davids, have produced more than 60 VFX shots for “The Dictator,” the latest film from Sacha Baron Cohen.
The new film, released May 16 by Paramount Pictures, marks the third collaboration between Davids and Baron Cohen. Previously, Davids contributed VFX work to the comedian’s films “Borat” and “Bruno,” for which Davids also served as one of the editors.
For “The Dictator,” Level 256 produced a diverse array of visual effects sequences. These included a number of “split screen scenes” in addition to other VFX work, such as 3D sign replacements, wire removals and a number of green screen shots.
Scott Davids said, “Specializing in the creation of visual effects for comedy films, our goal was to work closely with [“The Dictator”‘s VFX supervisor] Eric Robertson, whose eye for color and integration is first rate, and VFX Editor Todd Fulkerson to ensure that the scenes that included visual effects in ‘The Dictator’ allowed the comedic work of the characters to be continuous and seamless, while always moving the story forward.”
Pitch THIS! Returns to Ottawa Animation Fest’s TAC event
OTTAWA–TAC, the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s (OIAF) industry event, has announced the return of its Pitch THIS! program, presented by 9 Story Entertainment.
Pitch THIS! allows content creators the opportunity to pitch their project ideas to a panel of international broadcasters. Following the five-minute pitches, panel members will share their insight and provide valuable feedback to the presenters.
The panelists will assess each pitch based on their creative, innovative and financial merits as well as their marketability and overall appeal.
Animators are encouraged to submit their ideas. To qualify for the program, proposals from animators must include the following:
• Project synopsis, including target audience, technique, format, rough budget (1-2 pages)
• One episode synopsis
• Bio of key executives
• Short paragraph indicating your current stage of development and any additional information (i.e. interactive components, merchandise, etc.)
• Concept art (2 or 3 images)
TAC will be accepting proposals by email (tac@animationfestival.ca) until August 1.
Running September 19-20, the first two days of the OIAF, TAC is a specialized industry forum designed for professionals in animation content creation, development, production, distribution and marketing.
Held at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in downtown Ottawa, TAC brings together 300 key professionals for two days of panels, seminars and keynote addresses.
For further info about TAC and the Ottawa International Animation Festival, visit www.animationfestival.ca.
Mexico’s Michel Franco wins Cannes sidebar prize
CANNES, France (AP) • “After Lucia” by Mexican director Michel Franco has won the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival’s sidebar competition, Un Certain Regard.
It was chosen Saturday from a slate of 20 films by a jury headed by British actor Tim Roth.
Un Certain Regard focuses on new and emerging filmmakers.
The jury gave second prize to French film “Le Grand Soir” by Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern, and a “special distinction” citation to Bosnian film “Djeca” (“Children of Sarajevo”) by Aida Begic.
Twenty-two films from around the world are competing for prizes in the festival’s main competition. Winners will be announced Sunday.
Favorites for the top prize, the Palme d’Or, include Michael Haneke’s “Amour” and Christian Mungiu’s “Beyond the Hills.”
TV executive behind Ellen, Tyra Banks shows diesLOS ANGELES (AP) – Jim Paratore, who developed and steered series including “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “The Tyra Banks Show,” as a Warner Bros. TV executive, has died. He was 59.
Paratore suffered a heart attack Tuesday while bicycling in France, Warner Bros. said Wednesday.
Paratore was Warner Bros. Telepictures Productions president from 1992-2006 and executive vice president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution since 2002.
He built Telepictures Productions into a top producer of syndicated shows and a supplier of prime-time reality shows including “The Bachelor.”
In 2006, Paratore founded TV production company paraMedia, which had an exclusive deal with the Warner Bros. Television Group. He was an executive producer of DeGeneres’ talk show and the “TMZ” TV magazine.
He is survived by his wife, Jill Wickert, and his daughter, Martinique Paratore.
Playwright, screenwriter William Hanley dies at 80
NEW YORK (AP) – William Hanley, a Broadway playwright and award-winning screenwriter who scripted a pioneering TV film that dealt with incest, has died. He was 80.
His daughter, Katherine Hover, said he died Friday at his home in Ridgefield, Conn.
Hanley’s works include “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground” and “Mrs. Dally Has a Lover” and the teleplays “The Long Way Home” and “The Kennedys of Massachusetts.”
He won Emmys for the TV movies “The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank” and “Something About Amelia.”
“Amelia,” which first aired in 1984 on ABC, explored the largely taboo topic of parental sexual abuse. Ted Danson, then the star of hit sitcom “Cheers,” portrayed a doting, well-to-do father exposed as having had sexual relations with his teenage daughter. Glenn Close played the mother in the critically acclaimed, top-rated program, which also won Emmys for outstanding drama special and for young Roxanne Zal, who played the abused daughter.
In addition, Hanley wrote the screenplay for the 1969 film, “The Gypsy Moths,” as well as several novels.
Hanley is also survived by another daughter, Nell Hanley; a sister, Patricia Hanley; and three granddaughters.
TV director-producer Robert Finkel dies at 94
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Emmy Award-winning TV director and producer Robert Finkel has died. He was 94.
Publicist Dale Olson said Friday that Finkel died April 30 of age-related complications at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif.
In his long career, Finkel produced TV series with Andy Williams, Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Diller and other stars. Finkel won a Peabody Award for a show with Julie Andrews and directed sitcoms including “Barney Miller” and “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Finkel also produced specials with Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and John Denver, among others.
A Pittsburgh, Pa., native, Finkel is survived by family members including his daughter, Terry.
$18.5M settlement for ‘Transformers 3’ injury
CHICAGO (AP) – The family of a woman left with brain damage after an accident during the filming of “Transformers 3” has reached an $18.5 million settlement with Paramount Pictures.
Gabriela Cedillo was working as an extra in 2010 when she was hit in the head by a piece of flying metal during the filming of a stunt sequence in Hammond, Ind. An investigation found a weld connecting a car to a tow cable failed.
Her attorney says the 26-year-old needs constant care. Part of the settlement will be set aside for monthly payments to ensure Cedillo has care for the rest of her life.
Paramount spokesman Robert Lawson says the studio is pleased the family agreed to “move forward with the settlement.” He calls what happened “a tragic accident.”
