Siobhan McKenna

I discussed YTD UK box office performance and expectations for the year to come with Screen International's Mona Tabbara. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ee7sY-Sb #boxoffice #ukbusiness #movies #filmindustry #recoveryispossible

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Helldivers 2 initially sold over 12 million copies in its first three months. However, the game has since experienced a significant decline in player count due to questionable decisions by #Sony and #ArrowheadGameStudios. According to Steamdb, the player count has dropped drastically to 29,380 from an all-time peak of 458,709 just three months ago. The recent #PlayStation Network (PSN) controversy, where Sony restricted the game in 180 countries, has led to declining community support and contributed to the game's downturn. Despite quickly reversing its plans, Sony's handling of this issue has further distanced players. The lack of new content, such as the underwhelming Polar Patriots Warbond and a limited leveling system of up to 150, has left players with little motivation. #PS5 #Playstation5 #PSN #Helldivers #Helldivers2

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“The UK recorded music industry grew for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, bringing in £1.43 billion. Streaming and physical music saw growth, and the independent sector also enjoyed an increased share of album sales and streams. This is all according to a new stats pack from BPI The BPI has published its annual ‘All About The Music’ report on the British record industry's performance in the previous calendar year. The topline stat is that revenues grew by 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43 billion. That’s the ninth consecutive year of growth. According to the record industry trade group’s stats pack, more than half of that (58%) came from subscription streaming, sync and public performance combined contributed 13.6%, vinyl sales 9.9%, ad-funded audio and video streams 9.5%, and CDs 6.8%. Physical media actually saw stronger percentage growth than streaming last year, with CDs, vinyl and other formats all up individually, and collectively up 12.8% on 2022 - vinyl seeing the biggest jump, up 18.6% year-on-year. Streaming overall saw revenues rise by 8.4%, with ad-funded streaming growing fastest at 12.4%. In terms of actual revenues, physical brought in £243.4 million, while streaming generated £962.1 million. In terms of what people were listening to, Miley Cyrus came out top with her song ‘Flowers’, which enjoyed ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart. This run helped female artists to score a record tally of weeks at the top of the UK top 40 - 31 out of 52 weeks. Women appear in seven slots in the top ten for the full year, including Raye, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and SZA.” #BPI #UK #Streaming #Artists #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #MusicBusiness #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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The harsh reality of the barriers to ‘making it’ in the TV / Film / Media industry if you don’t have the means to support yourself in the early stages of your career means more and more people from working class backgrounds are turning their backs on the creative industries, and who can blame them. There’s so much appetite amongst production people to address this but with budgets squeezed and generally less work out there the ability to take on new talent and pay and support them appropriately is getting harder and harder. Fundamentally what is needed is more investment from govt and industry bodies but we all know what the current government feels about the creative industries - just look at the cuts happening across higher education for humanities subjects.

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This insightful post by Nasreen Eldawi نسرين الضوي offers valuable insights into the role of the Director of Photography (DoP) in film production. Learn how DoPs collaborate with directors, create the visual style, and ensure a cohesive look throughout the film. This post is a must-read  #videography #creators #productiontips

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new work... new website coming... new reel coming... new start... keep them peeled & follow re:production to keep up to date with we're all up to. #tvproduction #socialproduction #filming #producers #postproduction #editing #sound #dronepilot #SFX #VFX #grade

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The final episode of The Playlist on Netflix is in a fictional near future were artists are fighting for a better deal for the use of their recordings. Overall I enjoyed the series, while being very aware of some serious pieces of unhistorical technical and industry detail but ... Here is the thing Spotify is what a way better fully personalised radio is now for 30%+ of listeners. Podcasts, and their injected ads, have cemented the deal, a thing the series does not touch on at all. Which also explains why it does not, and can not, really make much money for the vast number of music artists that are not huge and have leverage, radio never did either, particularly in the USA. The real issue is, it seem to me, is the same issue Pirate Bay caused and that Spotify did not objectively address, despite this being the premise of many retellings, including The Playlist. Permanently purchased and owned recordings are now largely gone too, and despite being a huge fan of band tee-shirts, I am wearing a Nick Cave one right now I bought at his most recent gig, is that enough to replace mass but still collectable physical recordings as a source of revenue for artists and their managers ? It does strike me that if there are bands, or even spoken word talent, you love, you need to do everything you can to replace those CDs, tapes, records and the rest with what ever that collectable is now. Because what it is not, is Spotify. Ironic thing for a digital steaming guy to say, I know.

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Tim Richards, CEO of Vue testifying to the British Film & High-End TV Inquiry: "This year there are some amazing films coming out of all genres both British, foreign, and Hollywood. But there’s just not enough of them. In 2022, there were 35% fewer films than pre-pandemic. Last year, 20%. This year is probably gonna be close or slightly worse than last year. The good news is that film production has been ramping up. I think we’re gonna see a large number of films return. This is a business worth saving. It’s not broken. We revitalize high streets, we drive footfall to shopping centers. We have been going from strength to strength and I think we’ll see that return.”  https://lnkd.in/eG9Ymgqv

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When less is more in Live Production Last year, we took a bold step with a redesign of our Dizplai platform that might raise a few eyebrows (and you can point fingers at me for this one): we cut features. Yep. In an industry where piling on more and more is the norm, we decided to focus. Why? Because I've seen too many live producers get tangled in unnecessary complexities that just don’t add value. And we know what our role is. It's laser-focused on ensuring live creators and producers can create engaging, data-rich & interactive experiences across sports, news and entertainment programming. And the result? Producers are now using our platform in far more ways than before, and we’ve given ourselves the confidence to know that if it’s in the platform, it’s there for a very good reason. #sportsbiz #sportsindustry #broadcast

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A new debate on the cost of cool, which digs into the environmental impact of increasing vinyl sales and rising concerns among several major artists. In summary, some counter-argue that the tech behind vinyls is significantly evolving, notably with BioVinyl, whilst others mention the environmental cost of storage data from streaming platforms. For me, it is entertainment, it is what consumers want, and it is the same debate as EV cars vs. good old gas. It’s evolution meets nostalgia. What do you reckon? 

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The full story, first. Please watch below a small sample of what we’re about.

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Right sizing is a big deal. I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea, but a way to make smarter content decisions. Invest in the people that are making the content that sparks interest vs. just passive viewing.

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Perhaps the most significant word in this report about the state of 8K video production is “optimistic”. Whilst I applaud any innovation that drives the live visual experience forward and am keen to see the live 8K streams produced during the Paris Olympics, the industry as a whole has taken a reality check on delivering resolution for resolution’s sake. UEFA ⚽ has decided to produce the Champions League Final and then the Euro Championship from Germany in a host feed of HD 1080p HDR where it is the high dynamic range which carries greater visual impact with viewers. There are similar discussions in the US, where Amazon Prime is producing Thursday Night Football, (NFL) 🏈 in 1080p HDR. Could it be that Higher Frame Rates (HFR), included within the UHD specifications, becomes the next goal for sports? An increased frame rate, up to 120fps displayed at 120Hz, would give greater picture clarity for fast moving sports action and deliver an enhanced feeling of being at the game than a simple 4K image. I’d be keen to hear your opinion. Should the industry accelerate a shift to HFR (with HD WGC HDR) for OTA and OTT? 📺 Or have solutions that deliver video quality enhancements, in any form now reached their limit given the budgetary restrictions on technology upgrades? https://lnkd.in/es3bfSz7 #uhd #hfr #hdr #ott #outsidebroadcast #livevideoproduction

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The first slate of AI tv shows are being released on a new platform called Showrunner. What's available now is downright bad and feels like cheap copies of existing shows (South Park for example). But the idea is not so much to score with originals, but rather to offer a platform that allows users to make their own shows. Not sure this specific platform will have a lot of traction - I rather think users will adopt these tools and then upload shows to the existing social video platforms. https://lnkd.in/eH44F77J

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#RegulatoryUpdate Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting convened a meeting with industry associations yesterday on 11 June to discuss compliance with the new guidelines issued by it on 5 June. The industry's request for a time extension is unlikely to be entertained. So the deadline remains 18 June. It has also been reiterated that MIB does not have the locus standi to intervene on the subject, as it merely executes Hon'ble SC's orders. The aggrieved will need to implead before the SC after courts reopen in July. 📀New self-declaration mechanism for Advertising and its compliance obligation from 18 June 2024📀 ⏯ Starting 18th June, advertisers must submit self-declaration forms before running ads on print, TV, and the internet. Specifically, they need to confirm that the ad does not make misleading claims and complies with all relevant regulatory guidelines by submitting a self-declaration form on MIB portals. (The form will include details of ads such as title, description, and full script) ⏯ Context & Sequence of Events ♦ Indian Medical Association filed a case against Patanjali prccs for misleading claims following which the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India issued warnings to Patanjali, and eventually placed temporary bans on its ads. Patanjali was also directed to publish apologies in newspapers etc. ♦ On 7 May 2024, SC extended the scope of the case to all ads, making it sector agnostic, and announced a mandatory self-declaration regime for running ads, urging Ministries to establish procedures that will encourage consumers to lodge complaints. ♦ Specifically, it directs MIB to create a dedicated portal within 4 weeks ♦ On 5 June 2024, MIB operationalizes portals and issues guidelines for compliance ⏯ Nature of Compliance – The Advertiser must upload a self-declaration form on www.broadcastseva.gov.in and www.presscouncil.nic.in before any ad is issued on the TV/print/internet. Proof of uploading is to be shared by the Advertiser with the concerned broadcaster/printer/publisher/TV channel/ electronic media. No Ad is permitted to be run without uploading the self-declaration. These are to be treated as laws declared by the SC under Section 141 of the Constitution of India ⏯ Grey Areas – ♦ The complex and nuanced nature of digital ads esp. via automated tools is yet to be defined. ♦ Clarity on scope – mediums impacted, the format of declaration, the mechanism to operationalize the order ♦ If the self-declarations are made public on the two portals, it will create privacy risks and become anti-competitive ⏯ Compliance burden on small businesses (as always) – Smaller players hugely rely on digital ads for visibility and promoting their business ⏯ Key Recommendations ♦ Extension of go-live date of 18 June ♦ Different approaches for digital ads ♦ Exemption for small businesses ♦ Consider an initial trial period for roll-out ⏯ Next Steps- MIB will convene a meeting on 11 June with key stakeholders to ensure implementation and peruse

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Some great YouTube tips here from Graham Swallow in 10 bite sized chunks!

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A great piece from Screen International about the challenges for docs in the UK theatrical market. Some of this is from the Bafta talk on Monday night and some is from conversations the reporter has had with distributors and it's a great overview. Some great points from Zak Brilliant at Met Film and many others "While the BFI is doing what it can with its National Lottery funds, as the organisation notes itself it can’t support everything especially with its funding reduced in recent years. “I find it disheartening that there is always a conversation about production funding but very rarely people talk about distribution support,” Brilliant reflects on the challenges facing the sector. “You can make 100 films but if no-one is seeing them, what is the point?” In theory, the new UK 40% tax relief on films budgeted up to £15m could help documentary production too. But getting the films made won’t mean anything if they can’t find an audience. “I would welcome any kind of initiatives from government bodies that look at distribution and P&A funding alongside production funding. Ultimately, why go to the effort of making great content if no-one is going to see it?” Brilliant asks." https://lnkd.in/eJwpyyUf

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