Sandy Wax

California Production Coalition: Fighting to Keep Hollywood Filming in California. https://lnkd.in/g-BtDZgq Entertainment Partners is excited to be part of the California Production Coalition to ensure California remains THE place to film! California has phenomenal resources and over 100 years of experience in productions. Excited to see this coalition being launched today! It's very important to note, Productions in California bring high-paying jobs and economic activity to every part of our state. And I'm proud to be part of the fight to protect that. Are you ready to join the fight for film, TV, and streaming production in California?   Along with nearly early three dozen film, television, and streaming production businesses and associations have formed the California Production Coalition to advocate for policies that strengthen California’s film industry. It’s a pleasure to be working alongside other businesses to improve conditions for filming in our home state. The group, including members like the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Television City Studios, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, aims to address declining production activity, which has been slow to recover after the pandemic and last year’s strikes.   Representing prop houses, equipment leasing firms, payroll companies and other service providers, the coalition is focused on expanding California’s film tax credit program. Their first priority: supporting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to increase the annual program from $330M to $750M. This expansion could boost local jobs and revenue, building on the $961.5M in tax revenue and over 110,000 jobs supported by the credit between 2015 and 2020, per the LAEDC.   The coalition, which began organizing last summer, aims to educate policymakers and the public on the benefits of keeping productions in-state. They also advocate for reducing red tape to make California more competitive with rivals like Georgia, New Mexico, Canada, the UK and Australia.   With production volumes down 17% globally and reality TV shoots in Los Angeles declining by 56%, coalition members warn of the economic ripple effects on businesses that rely on a thriving production ecosystem.   The coalition’s mission: ensure that Hollywood’s legacy and economic contributions remain rooted in California, while creating a stronger, more competitive future for the state’s film and TV industry.   https://lnkd.in/gxXi4BuQ https://lnkd.in/gxXi4BuQ Entertainment Partners #CaliforniaProductionCoalition #CaliforniaFilmIndustry #TaxCredits #Hollywood #jobs

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Two days until our film financing/production seminar at UCLA (attend in person or virtually, or order a taped version - details on that last one soon). We're going to drill down on how to finance films (studios, streamers, equity, debt, pre-sales, tax credits, and philanthropy) with special guests from these worlds. And we're going to review the critical path once you have the funding. https://lnkd.in/g-n7HSr3

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O P T I M I S T I C ! ! ”Los Angeles Film and TV Production Sees Sluggish Rebound From Strikes, but There’s Optimism” according to a report from FilmLA which notes an anemic return to filming in the region but that jobs appeared to return in full force in March. Filming in Los Angeles has been slow to bounce back after production in the region was decimated by Hollywood’s historic season of strikes.  The main reason for the sluggish rebound: A double-digit drop in television shoots compared to the same period last year.  Also playing a factor in the decline were reductions in content spend across most major studios, series cancellations and runaway production.  While the difference was steep in January (30.6 percent fewer jobs, totaling 2,282), it was modest in February (5.1 percent fewer jobs, totaling 3,061) and nearly unnoticeable by the end of March (a 0.4 percent increase, totaling 3,274 jobs).  There’s optimism in production levels for feature films. The category rose slightly in the quarter, picking up 634 shoot days to finish an estimated 7 percent ahead of the same months last year. Movies in production included Beverly Hills Cop 4, Atlas, and Lurker, all of which are getting tax credits to film in California.  FilmLA also flagged the loss of commercial production — which slipped nearly 10 percent year-over-year and more than 33 percent below the five-year average — to other jurisdictions as a concern. Filming for smaller, lower-cost shoots, such as documentaries, music videos and still photography, similarly fell by roughly 5 percent. Entertainment Partners https://lnkd.in/g5veEE6R https://lnkd.in/gjhbnQdG

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Music Business Association Music Biz 2024 coming up in May. Find out more about Reactional Music and what we are delivering across interactive music, music personalisation, in-game economies, generative composable music and the possibilities for creators, composers, artists and developers

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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“In 2022, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) accepted a (near) music industry-wide settlement to improve songwriters’ streaming royalty rates in the United States from January 1, 2023. The settlement – known as ‘Phonorecords IV’ or ‘CRB IV’ – will see songwriters and music publishers paid a headline rate of 15.35% of a given interactive streaming service’s US revenue by 2027. That rate is being ‘phased in’, because ‘Phonorecords IV’ covers the five-year period between 2023 and 2027: In 2023 (starting January 1), songwriters and music publishers were to be paid a headline rate of 15.1% of a US service’s revenue; in 2024, this increased to 15.2%; in 2025, it will increase to 15.25%; in 2026 it will increase to 15.3%; and in 2027 it will reach 15.35%. The deal also included a number of changes to other components of the rate, including increases to the per-subscriber minimums and the “Total Content Costs (TCC)” calculations which reflect the rates that services pay to record labels.” #Spotify #NMPA #Streaming #Legal #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #US #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Songwriters #MusicPublishing #RecordLabels

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MARTIN GROVE'S WEEKEND BOXOFFICE BUZZ: Now playing below -- a quick look at the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend.   . Universal/Illumination Entertainment's PG rated animated sequel DESPICABLE ME 4 is opening 7/3 at about 4,000 theatres. It's expected to generate colorful boxoffice fireworks with around $140M for five days -- or more, which is usually the case these days! The RT critics are haters at 63%, but that won't keep families away. It's tracking best with men under 25 (13 points over norm) and next best with women under 25 (12 points over norm).   . Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions' R rated Indian action crime drama KILL is opening wide 7/4. Pundits are guessing $4-6M for four days. RT critics love it at 95%, but that's based on just 20 reviews. It's tracking below norm for all demos.   (See more at www.ZAMM.com)   #movies #boxoffice #martingrove

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This is officially my first personal post on LinkedIn. I won’t share company media mentions, the theatrical industry, data insights, or movies of any kind. No one is ill. No hardship. All is well, but asking for some help from this amazing network… at a minimum, give me two minutes of your time… promise you won’t regret it. THE BACKGROUND A few years ago, my son (11 at the time) and I visited the beach with a family project in mind. No paddle ball. No boogie board. Instead, we brought a tape measure, a pad of paper, and an objective to get exact measurements of a Los Angeles County Lifeguard Tower... Mission accomplished and then we set out on the “big” goal – build a replica out of Lego.  We ordered tons of bricks… coordinated the colors… found the right bathing suit clad mini-figures, etc… and once complete - posted the build on Lego’s “Idea platform” where fans can vote on their favorite projects with the goal of a submission becoming a produced set. Unfortunately, ours wasn’t selected… But that’s okay. As the Rolling Stones would say “you can’t always get what you want”. Lego helped with that life lesson and to quote another song… “Everything is Awesome.” BUT - Years later, chatting with my daughter (now the same age), recognize that there’s more that can be taught through this project and Lego… Persistence, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship. For the family to see this project through, it’s about the hustle… the hard work…  the sales… the marketing that was all absent during our initial effort.  New child and a new lesson. We’ve learned and have reposted the project. Now, thanks to some professional photographs, some great copywriting, a drive to never give up, and her suggestion to use socials to drum up awareness, we have a real marketing campaign… the missing element(s) that many in this network know is critical. THE ASK The project needs 10,000 votes for consideration.  We need you to click on the link and “support” the project.  “Liking” this post won’t get the job done. You have to “support” via the link.  https://lnkd.in/epe43qvq It’s all anonymous so no one will know it’s you… and Lego won’t send you spam! When you’re done, you’re going to feel incredible because you did something kind… all while going down the rabbit hole of Lego’s website with super cool creations. Please REPOST… Send the link to your friends. Your parents. Tell your kids, your nephew, your niece, your neighbor about how awesome you are for doing this… “This guy is trying to demonstrate the nuances of business and the power of marketing through Lego”.  It won’t cost you a nickel, but a moment of your time. Turn this initial “building project” into a successful “entrepreneurial project”… and perhaps create a great conversation starter for you and anyone under the age of 12. Thanks in advance… now back to the regular job --- the LEGO Group The LEGO Foundation LEGO Education City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County Fire Department

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“Facebook parent company Meta and Universal Music Group have signed an expanded global, multi-year deal. UMG said in a press release on Monday (August 12) that the new deal will “further evolve the creative and commercial opportunities” for UMG artists and Universal Music Publishing Group songwriters across Meta’s global network of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and, for the first time, WhatsApp. The inclusion of Meta’s instant messaging service, WhatsApp, means that its users can now share licensed music from UMG within the app. UMG said on Monday that its partnership with Meta to license music for WhatsApp unlocks “new value for UMG artists and songwriters in the future”. Plus, as part of their new partnership, Meta and UMG said that they will work together “to address, among other things, unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters” Read the full article for more: #Facebook #Meta #UMG #UniversalMusicGroup #Instagram #Messenger, #Horizon #Threads #WhatsApp #MusicLicensing #Global #Artists #Songwriters #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #IP #IntelectualProperty #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Creators #Songs

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In the world of entertainment, the concept of residuals is both fascinating and vital for those who create the content we love—be it films, television shows, or digital media productions. Residuals are essentially forms of additional compensation paid to actors, writers, directors, and other creatives after the initial release of a project. This payment is not just a bonus but a right, often secured by unions, to ensure that creatives receive their fair share of the revenues generated over time from their works. https://lnkd.in/eutQDFdt

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Deepna Devkar, Ph.D. what a treat having you on the podcast! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building your personalised experience on Max, this is the episode for you. Tune in to hear from one of the minds leading the build of the platform experience!

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Ever wanted to learn about how AI is evolving the production space?    As part of the Film Summit, San Diego Media Pros asked me to introduce the "Using AI to Level Up Your Production & Editing" presentation with David Newman of GoPro and Eric Addison of 100 Acre Films.    David discusses how he used AI to create his short film, "Whispers of the Night Market," and Eric gives an overview of the latest Adobe tools that use AI to make post-production more efficient. If you are in the industry, you'll want to watch this: https://lnkd.in/g4xDMNyr

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Not to be left out of the rapid AI video innovation, Runway today announced Gen-3, which is, in its words, "a major improvement in fidelity, consistency, and motion over Gen-2, and a step towards building General World Models." Runway's General World Models will be AI systems that build an internal representation of an environment and use it to simulate future events within that environment. It's an interesting way to train AI video models and will no doubt provide rendering that is more realistic and gives users more control over output. Runway has said in the past that they're building something that will be better than OpenAI's Sora, so we'll see how it stacks up. Check out the announcement here:

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From the Latest FilmLA Report • Scripted TV production in Los Angeles dropped 99% in Q3 2023 compared to 2022. • FilmLA calls for a significant expansion of California’s $330 million production incentive due to a 20% drop in local filming. • Other jurisdictions like New York, Ontario, Georgia, and the U.K. offer more competitive, uncapped or larger subsidies, putting California at a disadvantage. • Strikes in 2023 and a decline in Peak TV also contributed to a production slowdown. • Global production declines occurred, with Georgia and the U.K. also seeing reduced TV releases. • California temporarily boosted its incentives in 2021, but ongoing state budget deficits limit further expansions. • FilmLA warns California must act to support its entertainment industry or face continued market share losses. FilmLA Seeks 'Vast Expansion' of California Tax Credit (variety.com) https://lnkd.in/gps_6c9A

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“Sony Music Entertainment is set to acquire the catalog of legendary rock band Queen in a landmark deal worth GBP £1 billion (USD $1.27 billion at current exchange rates). That’s according to Hits, which reported on Wednesday (June 19), citing sources, that Sony Music has emerged as the winning buyer for Queen’s recording and publishing rights, as well as royalties from previous deals with Disney Music Group and Universal Music Group. Disney owns the band’s recorded music catalog in North America, while UMG has a global distribution agreement with Disney. Separately, Queen band members Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – plus the Freddie Mercury estate – each own equal shares in the company Queen Productions Ltd, which owns the group’s recording catalog outside the US and Canada, Music Business Worldwide noted in a report last year. UMG, as Disney’s distributor, will reportedly retain distribution rights in North America, although Sony will receive the royalties. UMG’s worldwide distribution rights will then transfer to Sony in 2026 or 2027, making Sony Music the sole distributor and owner of all Queen content globally, Hits explained. The deal also reportedly includes name and likeness rights, opening doors for merchandise and other ventures. Meanwhile, Queen’s founding members, May and Taylor, who continue to tour with vocalist Adam Lambert, will reportedly retain control of revenue from live performances.” Read the full article for more: #Queen #SonyMusic #UMG #DisneyMusicGroup #UniversalMusicGroup #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Creators #Artists

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Nikkita Oliver on Creative Justice: Youth-Led Solutions for a Brighter Future As The Day With Trae 2024 season comes to a close, we're taking a moment to reflect on some of the year's most impactful interviews. One conversation that continues to resonate is Trae’s discussion with Nikkita Oliver, whose work with Creative Justice is a guiding light for youth impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. "There isn't a single program at Creative Justice that we developed because I or another staff member dreamed it up. It is literally because young people will come to us and say, the next thing I think Creative Justice needs to do is x, y, z." This statement from Nikkita Oliver encapsulates the heart of Creative Justice, an organization that is disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline by centering the voices and needs of youth. As Oliver explains, Creative Justice is an "art space, healing, engaged space for youth and young adults" impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. Through arts-based projects and civic engagement, young people are empowered to practice self-determination, explore their creativity, and manifest the future they want to live in. Creative Justice's commitment to youth leadership is evident in every aspect of its work, from hiring practices to program development. By creating a space where young people feel safe to share their experiences and advocate for their needs, Creative Justice is fostering a generation of leaders who are equipped to transform their communities. The organization's Creative Cafe, for example, provides job training and a pipeline to employment, while also serving as a cultural hub that centers Black joy and Indigenous artists. Through innovative programs and a steadfast commitment to youth-driven solutions, Creative Justice is creating a model for how communities can come together to support young people and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. By providing safe spaces, opportunities for creative expression, and a platform for civic engagement, Creative Justice is empowering youth to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities. The Day With Trae returns on Monday, January 6th at 11am

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“Apple Music is rolling out a new ‘premium’ data analytics toolkit for its record label and distributor partners. The new ‘Apple Music Partner Program’ features various tools for Apple Music’s partners to track trends on its streaming service as well as global radio plays using Shazam technology. According to the landing page for the platform, it offers “access [to] more tools to break the next talent, spot emerging trends, and uncover new insights about your content”. “Apple Music already runs another analytics platform in Apple Music For Artists, which was made available for every artist on Apple Music in August 2019. Apple Music For Artists allows artists to monitor the volume of their streaming plays on Apple Music, all within a data set that updates daily. Spotify launched its own Spotify For Artists app in 2017 (an evolution of the ‘Fan Insights’ tool it introduced two years earlier) to provide artists and their teams with information pertaining to their popularity on the service. Like Spotify for Artists, the Apple Music For Artists service is available as both a desktop interface and a standalone mobile app.” #Apple #AppleMusic #Artists #RecordLabels #Spotify #Fans #Fandom #Streaming #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicTracks #MusicStreams #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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Comcast's recent announcement of the StreamSaver #bundle with Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV + , marks a significant step forward toward "Cable 2.0" in the streaming industry - where streaming wars are moving from platform vs. platform, to bundle vs. bundle. The new offering, set to launch next week, packages Peacock's ad-supported premium tier with Netflix's basic ad tier and Apple TV+ for $15 a month, yielding savings of around 35% compared to subscribing to these services separately. Bundling provides consumers with a comprehensive entertainment package at a more manageable price, addressing the financial constraints many face when choosing between multiple streaming services. This approach mirrors the traditional cable bundles, making it easier for consumers to access a wide range of content. Media companies are under pressure from investors to scale their streaming services and achieve profitability, while also facing stiff competition from tech giants like Amazon and YouTube. These proposed ‘mini bundles’ not only offer a more reliable revenue stream for companies but also helps mitigate the issue of subscriber churn, which has been a persistent challenge in the industry. The entertainment industry is in a transition, with rising content costs and market saturation driving prices higher. Bundling services not only provides a more reliable revenue stream for companies but also helps stabilize the market by offering consumers more value. Unfortunately, this also means the end of the ad-free, a la carte offerings that many consumers have come to enjoy, as the focus shifts towards comprehensive bundles that limit flexibility but enhance overall value. #LITrendingTopics #StreamingWars #Bundling #SubscriberChurn https://lnkd.in/esZpwnEJ 

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