Archive for April 1st, 2008

The media and entertainment (M&E) industry estimates that while 63 per cent of the revenues for a film are generated from the box office and around 13 per cent from home video sales, other sources contribute anywhere between 2 and 25 per cent of a movie’s earnings today.

Industry experts at FICCI-FRAMES 2008 said that Bollywood has been quick to cash on the various emerging opportunities to make money. “Film-makers have shifted their focus from just box office collections. They now view new media and merchandising as not just promotional tools but also as potential revenue streams,” said Saurav Varma, chief marketing officer (Filmed Entertainment), Reliance Entertainment.

Darshana Bhalla, CEO, MATES, concurred: “The emerging revenue streams include in-film advertising, brand associations, digital platforms like mobile and internet, online gaming, in-flight entertainment, podcasts, and out-of-home entertainment.” MATES conceptualised Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om’s brand associations. Bhalla said that a revenue Rs 5 crore was generated from in-film advertising while brand associations with Maybelline, Nokia, Shoppers Stop and Sia created media hype worth Rs 18 crore for Om Shanti Om. Through merchandising, the film earned Rs 8 crore, and music earned approximately Rs 3 crore.

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For the first time, a basketball game has been televised in high-definition 3-D to a theater audience. The game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks was transmitted live via satellite from the American Airlines Center in Dallas to Landmark Entertainment Group’s Magnolia Theater in Dallas. Both the Mavericks and the theater are owned by former Internet entrepreneur Mark Cuban. About 300 invited guests wearing 3D glasses watched the game on a 42-foot screen. In a statement, Andrew Stucker, director of Sony Electronics’ digital cinema systems group, said, “Our 4K projection technology again proved that it is the perfect complement for alternate content, taking the movie-theater experience to a new level and transforming an audience from viewers into virtual participants. Even courtside seats couldn’t deliver this type of action and excitement.”

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NatureSweet, a producer of bite-sized tomatoes, is teaming up with Disney to promote healthy snacking options for kids and moms. The brand is promoting its sweet-tasting Cherub tomatoes to drive trial with an on pack offer for free music downloads from Walt Disney Records upcoming “Disneymania 6” CD.

Starting next month, packages of Cherubs will contain a code people can enter at http://www.cherubsradiodisney.com, to download a song from the CD before its May 20 release. One free download will be available per package. NatureSweet, which is owned by Desert Glory, will release other songs over the next several weeks. The site launches April 3.

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Forget about the D list. With the number of celebrity-themed shows about to hit prime time, broadcasters may be forced to draw from the E, F and G lists.

On April 8, CBS launches Secret Talents of the Stars. For summer, NBC is prepping Celebrity Circus and a just-announced celebrity version of Family Feud while it renewed Celebrity Apprentice for a second cycle. And with Friends star Lisa Kudrow, NBC is developing Who Do You Think You Are?, a show that traces the family trees of stars.

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Tony Ponturo, President and CEO of Busch Media Group, spoke at the Future of Television conference. Tony observed the increasing complexity of marketing as the number of channels has exploded from the basic three back in 1972 to hundreds of thousands today with the web.At the same time, the consumers are getting more sophisticated, diverse and elusive. Tony describes how the demographics of college markets are changing rapidly, in particular the increasing share of women in the college ranks and how that will change their marketing in the future.

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Beginning with the May survey period, Nielsen will provide live-plus-three-day ratings in local people meter and metered markets. Up until now, Nielsen had been providing live- and live-plus-seven-day data streams.

The news came out Thursday at the Television Bureau of Advertising’s annual conference in New York.

Unlike the network TV ratings streams, which are based on commercial-minute ratings, the local TV ratings will be based on program averages. But many buyers say that’s inadequate for the needs of local markets.

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TV Land has lined up a new advertising partner in Texas Tourism, mapping out a multiplatform deal that includes a linear call-to-action spot, a long-form online vignette and a sweepstakes. The deal coincides with the network’s push to attract a younger audience of fortysomethings, a demographic sub-phylum flush with the discretionary income that finances family vacations.

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US cable network to throw some new laughs on the telly, mates.

HBO has acquired the hit Australian comedy series Summer Heights High.

The pay cable network will launch the eight-episode mockumentary series, created, written, and performed by comedian Chris Lilley, in June.

High chronicles high-school life through three characters, all played by Lilley: Mr. G, a self-important, high-strung drama teacher; Ja’mie, a haughty, private-school female exchange student; and Jonah, a delinquent, break-dancing obsessed student. The show was shot on location at a real high school and features real-life students and faculty.

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Considering all the speculation that surrounded the casting of the upcoming “Star Trek” movie, it wouldn’t seem like a stretch to think that Tom Cruise might be one more late addition to the roster.“Tom visited the set of the movie and chatted with J.J. Abrams,” a source close to the actor said.

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