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Disruptive Streaming Service, Vabble, Listed on Mandala Exchange, Powered by Binance Cloud

(finance.yahoo.com)

THE SEYCHELLES, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mandala Exchange, powered by Binance Cloud, is thrilled to announce Vabble as its first premiere listing. VAB will be the first project listed on Mandala Exchange outside of the Binance ecosystem. VAB will be listed alongside 1,000+ trading pairs available on Mandala that share liquidity, order books, and security with Binance. Vabble plans to merge the best aspects of in-theater experience for movie goers with a state of the art production launchpad for scriptwriters, producers and filmmakers to fund and produce content on a global scale.

“Filmmakers want to write, direct, and produce the content that they desire but are held back by traditional financing models. Vabble has created a disruptive, game-changing approach to traditional project financing. Vabble will democratize film financing to the tune of multimillions, eventually billions, by leveraging cryptocurrency liquidity and creating an entirely new creative marketplace where emerging and established filmmakers can thrive!” – John C. Hall Former EVP, Universal Pictures & Partner, Cardinal Trio Pictures.

By: finance.yahoo.com

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Creative Artists Deal for ICM Is Set to Reshape Hollywood’s Talent Business

(nytimes.com)

LOS ANGELES — Creative Artists Agency announced Monday that it was buying its smaller rival ICM Partners for an undisclosed amount, the largest talent agency consolidation in more than a decade and one that could have significant ripple effects in the entertainment and sports worlds.

The agencies’ top executives — Bryan Lourd at CAA and Chris Silbermann at ICM — positioned the deal as a supercharging of the representation business and an opportunity for CAA to expand in both publishing and sports. ICM has a substantial books division and sports assets that include the recently acquired National Football League agency Select Sports Group and the London-based soccer agency Stellar Group.

“We realized that the timing was right for us to join forces, and to not compete against each other, to build a company with resources that could serve clients in a much broader and, hopefully, more effective way,” Mr. Lourd said in an interview. “It’s us thinking about what an agency of the future should look like.”

To some degree, consolidation among talent agencies was inevitable. As tech giants have aggressively colonized Hollywood, spending billions of dollars to build streaming services like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, big traditional media companies like Disney, Discovery and Warner Media have sought to compete by getting even bigger. Smaller companies — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which sold itself to Amazon in July, and now ICM Partners — have found themselves vulnerable.

By: Nicole Sperling and Brooks Barnes

Continue Reading at nytimes.com

(katv.com)

WASHINGTON (SBG) – Movies and TV shows being filmed in California have received $330 million in tax credits, according to watchdog group Open the Books.

“Nothing rankles taxpayers more than taking taxpayer dollars and putting it in the pockets of Big Hollywood,” said Open The Books’ Adam Andrzejewski to Jan Jeffcoat on The National Desk. “Eva Longoria doesn’t need $4.4 million of our money, and neither does Reese Witherspoon with another $10 million for her film.”

The California Film Commission’s executive director told Variety that 61 projects applied for that tax credit. What does the commission look for when deciding to award those credits?

“They judge the films, not only based on merit or budget but also based on who they hire for these films. So that there are diversity counts, there are ethnicity counts and all this is reported on an annual basis,” said Andrzejewski.

By: Elissa Salamy

Continue Reading at katv.com

(katv.com)

WASHINGTON (SBG) – Movies and TV shows being filmed in California have received $330 million in tax credits, according to watchdog group Open the Books.

“Nothing rankles taxpayers more than taking taxpayer dollars and putting it in the pockets of Big Hollywood,” said Open The Books’ Adam Andrzejewski to Jan Jeffcoat on The National Desk. “Eva Longoria doesn’t need $4.4 million of our money, and neither does Reese Witherspoon with another $10 million for her film.”

The California Film Commission’s executive director told Variety that 61 projects applied for that tax credit. What does the commission look for when deciding to award those credits?

“They judge the films, not only based on merit or budget but also based on who they hire for these films. So that there are diversity counts, there are ethnicity counts and all this is reported on an annual basis,” said Andrzejewski.

By: Elissa Salamy

Continue Reading at katv.com

Pandemic Safety Plays Role in New Mexico Films

(usnews.com)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s film industry has come roaring back to life this year and it has so far managed to avoid significant COVID-19 outbreaks.

Many credit the stringent protocols put in place by the industry, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Film and TV productions in New Mexico got the green light to resume in September 2020.

According to the New Mexico Film Office, from Sept. 1, 2020, through Sept. 1, 2021, there have been 176,598 COVID tests administered throughout the various productions. Of those, 183 were positive.

“This is a testament to the film industry as they want to mitigate and remain safe,” said Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director. “There have been less than eight productions that have paused for their own safety during the last year.”

As of Aug. 31, there were 18 film and 24 TV productions in various phases currently in the state.

When the film industry paused in March 2020, leaders spent months developing protocols that would be put in place when it resumed.

In June 2020, the White Paper was created by a Task Force of the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee describing health and safety guidelines to resume film and TV production.

It outlines protective measures to be used, including regular screening, diagnostic testing, use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfecting work sites and appropriate response should an employee contract COVID-19 or be exposed to it.

The New Mexico Film Office also created Back2One, which promotes increasingly safe and healthy work practices and workplaces for the film/TV community, specifically in regard to the spread of infectious diseases. It also ushers in a smart and safe return to production and help ensure sustained success.

Dodson said one example of a protocol put in place for a New Mexico production is that each production has to give the Film Office its test results and if someone tests positive, the state has to be notified within four hours.

Heather Shreckengost is a health and safety manager for Tareco S/4 and works daily to ensure that productions are following the rules.

“The studios are the ones who write and develop the protocols,” Shreckengost said. “They do vary by production. My main role is to ensure that all on set are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) properly.”

Being on set has changed in the last year.

When the cameras are rolling, masks don’t have to be worn, Shreckengost explains.

“Once filming stops, the masks have to come back on,” she said. “Everyone also has to maintain a safe distance of at least 6 feet. It can be difficult with small shooting locations, but that’s when size limitations are put into effect.”

By: Associated Press

Continue Reading at usnews.com

New Mexico Film booming through a global pandemic

(koat.com)

“We’re bound for success right now.”

Through a global pandemic, New Mexico film is booming. Amber Dodson is the director of New Mexico Film; she says New Mexico is even more appealing post-COVID-19 shutdown.

In the year before COVID-19, the film office pulled in around 525 million dollars in indirect spending. That number dropped significantly in 2020 because of COVID-19, but they have bounced back in a big way.

“In fiscal year 21, we hit $623.8 million in direct spending. That shattered all previous records,” Dodson says.

A big part of the surge has been the large-scale productions that have chosen New Mexico as their home. So what makes New Mexico so appealing for talent like Dedee Pfeiffer and the cast of “Big Sky,” who is returning to New Mexico for season 2?

“I was so excited to come to New Mexico because this is where you want to go when you’re into spirituality and history and everything a little unknown. The cast is really excited this year. I think everybody really loves Albuquerque,” Pfeiffer says

Pfeiffer believes New Mexico is very different from other film hubs like LA.

“Sometimes, when people are nice to you in LA, they want something from you. So, we’re like, why are you nice to me? What do you want for me? And they’re like, No, I’m just really nice. I’m from New Mexico. I don’t want anything from you. I’m just nice!” Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer says she wants one thing before her journey in New Mexico comes to an end.

“Hopefully, an abduction over at Roswell! That would be awesome,” she said.

“It’s just an amazing clean industry, a growing industry, and a high paying industry. So why shouldn’t New Mexico be the leader,” Dodson said.

By: Angel Salcedo

Continue Reading at koat.com

Hollywood received $330M in tax credits, says watchdog group

(katv.com)

WASHINGTON (SBG) – Movies and TV shows being filmed in California have received $330 million in tax credits, according to watchdog group Open the Books.

“Nothing rankles taxpayers more than taking taxpayer dollars and putting it in the pockets of Big Hollywood,” said Open The Books’ Adam Andrzejewski to Jan Jeffcoat on The National Desk. “Eva Longoria doesn’t need $4.4 million of our money, and neither does Reese Witherspoon with another $10 million for her film.”

The California Film Commission’s executive director told Variety that 61 projects applied for that tax credit. What does the commission look for when deciding to award those credits?

“They judge the films, not only based on merit or budget but also based on who they hire for these films. So that there are diversity counts, there are ethnicity counts and all this is reported on an annual basis,” said Andrzejewski.

By: Elissa Salamy

Continue Reading at katv.com