How we progressed through the year of COVID-19, according to our Netflix accounts

With social isolation being the predominant theme of 2020, there was a concurrent spike in demand for streaming services. As a bit of festive fun from BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles, we’re taking a look at what shows trended when during this tumultuous year of lockdowns, restrictions, and more- and what it says about ourselves as a whole, too.

Firstly, and as a positive, Netflix would see a boom in foreign-language dramas throughout the year as it opened itself to a wider subscriber base. This was accessed by viewers willing to use subtitles as well as native speakers. Romance and action would also remain key parts of the 2020 landscape no matter what happened- indicative, perhaps, of an urge to escape a lonely year with something escapist.

A very surprising boom would come at the start, however- baking shows! Perhaps accompanying the social media ‘banana bread’ challenge (or causing it), many anchor programs revolving around the soothing art of creating comfort food would see an uptick- well over 50% extra demand!

The euphoria would not last long, however. As lockdown stretched into April and beyond, we would instead see a 30% uptick in demand for sad content and tearjerkers, alongside a greater interest in true crime documentaries and, of course, the phenomenon that was Tiger King. Alongside it would come a demand for stand-up comedy in all its forms. Dating shows and other ‘fluffy’ unscripted reality would also stay strong throughout the year.

In a move that can be seen as positive for humanity as a whole, in the three weeks following the controversial murder of Geroge Floyd, there was a peak in demand for content focusing on the experiences of people of color. This would be the push behind Netflix’s launch of their Black Lives Matter collection.

All in all, it’s a telling look into the mood of a year that’s been like no other, especially for the entertainment industry. The trends we see here will doubtless shape the 2021 orders Netflix places, which means it could also be an interesting knock-on effect for the industry as a whole. BLAKE & WANG P.A will continue to watch (pun intended) with interest.

With red carpets rolled up, how will the Oscar votes be decided in 2020?

The year-end Awards season, culminating in the Oscars, is usually an occasion for glitz, glamour and many cocktails sipped on red carpets. With the disaster that 2020 has wrought on many aspects of the entertainment industry, however, the usual ‘wow’ factor in-person events have been packed away ‘til next season. That doesn’t mean the Oscars won’t be going ahead, however, leaving those with films in the running an interesting conundrum or two to solve. BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer takes a closer look.

Perhaps the most pressing question in the industry currently is, ‘How will I get them to see my film at all?’ Most typical Oscar season campaigning is designed to lure bums-on-seats for the big screen. This year, with even the Award ceremony itself going digital, contenders have to face the fact that their films will be viewed on laptops and home systems, no doubt to be paused frequently and competing with smartphones, snacks, and other distractions. So much of a successful Oscar campaign hinges on getting people to watch the film at all, and preferably in a situation as close to the director’s ideal as possible. A laptop screen just isn’t that.

Nor has this been the ideal year to generate hype or snag pop-culture prominence for your movie. People are burned out by the pandemic, more interested in bingeing something light from Netflix than engaging with complex commentary with a movie. It’s a year where Box Office hits were postponed, little of ‘blockbuster’ status produced, and movies play very much second fiddle to other, more corporeal worries for most. Those who do have contenders have to keep interest in their movies alive until April, too, meaning even the festive season won’t create much momentum for them. Last year saw ‘Parasite’, the first non-English Best Picture winner, take the title through social media hype. Many more will inevitably win through online campaigns this year. How will these be managed, however, is the real question, and it will be interesting to see what contenders bring to the table. BLAKE & WANG P.A, as always, will be here to keep you clued in on new developments.

Will changes to the ‘Best Picture’ qualifying criteria make actual change in the industry?

With new changes tabled as to how the American Motion Picture Academy determines if a production qualifies for Best Picture, opinions are divided. Today BLAKE & WANG P.A takes a look at some of the key issues.

Have the changes gone over well?

To date, the only fair description is ‘mixed’. This would possibly have gone better if the new changes weren’t leaving people completely confused about when and where they apply. Of course, not every AMPAS voter has actually given the matter the thought it needs- some have just seen the word ‘diversity’ and let a knee-jerk reaction take over. Some have catastrophized that dream projects and creativity will grind to a halt. Others have taken the time to look at the matter in depth. While many are still considering all implications, it seems they’re viewing the changes with optimism for the industry.

In short, it’s probably too early to tell. Once the immediate feelings of excessive control and ‘false diversity’ have settled, however, cooler heads are likely to see this as an overall positive move forward for the film industry as a whole and the Academy and Oscars in particular.

Will these new regulations make a difference?

There’s no way we can tell at the moment. It’s certainly good that we’re seeing some movement towards these goals, and the intentions are excellent. It’s a forward-looking strategy that not only attempts to address diversity, but also ‘future-proof’ the Oscars to stay relevant as times (and audiences) change.

Nor are the changes just about race. Women, for example, and the LGBTQ+ community have been drastically underrepresented in both the industry and the awards ceremony, and the ‘underrepresented communities’ part of these rules seeks to address this. It’s difficult to know how to reach into the systemic societal mess around these issues and create change, but at least this is trying to make a difference.

There will be no real indication of what wider effects this new ruling has until we’ve seen it in action. With the changes not due to go into effect until the 2024 Oscar season, it will be a while before we fully understand how this pans out. In the meantime, it seems like an interesting step forward.

ROKU- A Streaming Service to Watch?

Steaming has certainly seen it’s already-rising prominence in the entertainment industry rocket during the tumultuous year that has been 2020. Super-streaming video platform ROKU is not alone in seeing huge growth, but it’s one that’s well worth watching. Generally seen as an ‘onramp’ to full internet TV services for consumers, it has boomed during the global health crisis.

The company has humble beginnings. Based in California, it was a unit of Netflix, primarily producing the company’s first set-top boxes. They parted ways in 2007, however, when the more famous streaming partner moved away from hardware. That didn’t slow the company down much. Continuing to make their set-top boxes, they diversified into streaming sticks so they could offer internet video services like Hulu, Amazon Prime and, of course, Netflix, as a third-party ‘super streamer’. It would also go on to license an OEM operating system for Smart TVs, too.

ROKU’s revenue generation model hinges on advertising through the platform and ad-supported services like its own ROKU channel. It also takes a chunk of all pay-per-view and subscription revenue for third-party services it hosts on the platform. In turn, customers are offered convenience as all these niche streaming platforms are compressed into one product.

It’s a model that may well serve the platform well. We’re seeing a rising trend of consumers turning away from subscription streaming to free, but ad-supported internet video networks. Especially as consumers face pressure to tighten budgets and trim the fat from their entertainment allowances.
In short, ROKU has proven able to weather huge revolutions in its business structure and show smart predictive sense regarding trends. While they remain a smaller player in the streaming market, they’re certainly one it’s worth watching.

Nowadays, due to complicated entertainment law policy not easy for every media house to comply with them. You could take the services of an Entertainment Lawyer If you are feeling difficulties in publishing content, contracting, licensing and taxation.

A new administration brings new interest from the entertainment industry

Donald Trump may have been the more ‘obvious’ showman, possibly best known for his fame from The Apprentice, but the upcoming Biden-Harris administration could actually herald a closer tie to the entertainment industry than ever before. Today BLAKE & WANG P.A entertainment law firms los angeles take a closer look at the potential future for the entertainment industry.

If we flashback to the Obama presidency for a moment, there was a Hollywood-D.C social scene that has lapsed in recent years, with the White House hosting celebrity-led workshops, concerts, and even movie screenings. Biden himself also has a history intertwined with the entertainment industry, with issues like trade and piracy having featured in his platforms before. Likewise, many of his incoming advisors have links with the MPA. Not to mention their current chairman was a veteran of the Obama administration.

The National Association of Broadcasters also has Gordon Smith, who served with Biden in the Senate. It’s not all about Biden, however. Harris herself has also campaigned for statewide offices and has many friendships in the Hollywood limelight. She, too, could prove a big asset to the entertainment industry going forward

We may even see broadband access and net neutrality once again rear their heads. The Republican-led FCC repealed it in 2017, and have also been looking to modify Section 230. It’s undeniable that it has been seen as retaliation for what the Trump presidency perceived as ‘bias’ against conservatives by social media, however. It will likely be dead in the water for now. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments this session from the FCC, which should prove interesting if nothing else.

In short, with a Biden/Harris presidency close at hand, things are not looking bad overall for the entertainment industry’s relations with the White House. It will be interesting to see how things develop further as we inch towards Inauguration Day.

California Theaters Finally Set To Reopen

With harsh COVID-19 pandemic restrictions still in place, California has been one of the very last states to see its beleaguered exhibition industry return to business. Finally, we are seeing an increasing number of Santa Clara and San Francisco theater locations owned by Cinemark reopen, albeit with a revised way of doing business designed to still cater to local lock down restrictions.

That’s not to say all will be back to normal. A key part of these restrictions involves the 25% occupancy limit placed on movie theaters. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the total occupancy limit remains at a 100 person total occupancy limit and concessions cannot be sold at all in key markets like Santa Clara and San Francisco.

While reopening under these restrictions has, in fact, been an option in the state since late September, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen an across-the-board delay in any movement to get the screens up and running. With concessions off the table in some areas, and such harsh bums-on-seats restrictions, many theater owners are reluctant to open the doors at all, seeing it as less expensive to simply stay shuttered. Yet they will need to reopen to prove to studios that exhibition is still a relevant market, creating an interesting catch-22 situation.

We’ve finally seen Cinemark opt to reopen as of late October, however. With a San Francisco multiplex, several San Francisco Bay locations, Alameda County, and many locations in Santa Clara County all on the table to reopen, this is perhaps the biggest development in state-wide reopening we’ve seen in recent weeks.
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We may not see a huge buy-in from other theater chains while concession sales stay off the table, but at least this move towards reopening the state can be seen as a positive step forward for the exhibition industry overall. BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles hopes they see a rapid return of the theater-going public and plenty of state-wide support.

Georgia’s studios banking on filming returning to the state, but the tax incentive under pressure

On the back of news of Fayette County’s Pinewood Atlanta Studios surprise rebranding, studios are confident business will be returning to the area. Trilith Studios, as the site will now be renamed, will be focusing on a mixed-use model, retaining the 1,400 homes and 60 on-site businesses already. As we’ve noted before, Georgia has been pushing since May to get the film industry reopened within the state, and both studios and local government seem confident that the increase in filming in the area will continue to boost the state economy. What’s the attraction? A 2005 tax incentive program that allows up to 30% tax credit if more than half a million was spent in the state and the peach logo is included in the work. Despite its popularity among producers, It hasn’t been without its detractors, who suggest it’s generated less economic impact than hoped. It’s also been suggested that some projects have claimed tax credits through fraud. It’s also become a talking point now COVID-19 has impacted state budgets so heavily.

Despite introducing new restrictions to iron out these issues as of January, the state has remained very film-friendly, pushing the idea that entertainment production will be a backbone of the state’s post-COVID recovery. Georgia’s been able to open up early in comparison to more well-known filming locals, and this is enabling them to make bank off of Hollywood projects looking for a place they can get down to businesses.

Hollywood’s unions have already created a framework agreement with film studios on what constitutes adequate safety on set, including strict testing protocols, and Georgian studios have taken care to comply, adding safety protocols of their own too.

Overall, the state of the entertainment production industry in Georgia is looking positive and set to grow, perhaps fulfilling the predictions that it will be a key part of stimulating the rest of their economy, too.

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WGA standoff with agencies finally coming to end

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While somewhat overshadowed by the unfolding dramas hitting the entertainment industry in the wake of the global health crisis, the Writer’s Guild Association standoff with top-tier agencies over packaging has been ongoing for well over a year now. Finally, it looks like it might be coming to an end, and we certainly can’t argue that it isn’t time. BLAKE & WANG P.A take a closer look at recent developments.

This week we saw the WGA send both CAA and WME a proposal which will allow them to finally be enfranchised with the guild. If accepted, it will finally put the 18-month long conflict to bed. There is still something of a large ‘if’ around the matter, however. CAA and WME are the last 2 agencies which haven’t arrived at some form of deal with the WGA, which has been mostly successful in forcing agencies to accept a proposed end to packaging fees for writing services by a Jun 2022 deadline.

The potential deal has been a long time coming, with the crux of the issue being the need for both to reduce their ownership shares in production entities to meet the ‘20% or less’ guidelines set by the WGA. Supposedly terms were accepted last month by the CAA, but the WGA have countered that their asked-for accommodations were unacceptable, stalling the deal again. The WGA also claims a lack of corporate transparency from both agencies around their disclosure of their corporate structures, making it difficult to continue with the deal.

All the same, it does look like the 18-month standoff could well be drawing to a close in which the WGA has prevailed with its wishes to a remarkable extent. We will watch the situation as it unfolds with much interest.

What caused the demise of North Carolina as a Popular Filming Venue?

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North Carolina has seen a resurgence as a location shooting venue in recent years. After a boom in popularity in the early 2010’s, changing tax legislation and other restrictions saw the area lose popularity as a filming location. With 2019 and 2020 figures suggesting a strong new upswing in the state’s popularity as a film and TV hub, what setbacks occurred to kill the industry here in the first place?

2014 saw the state end legislation providing incentive funding to film crews shooting in the area. This included the Film Tax incentive, offering 25% reduction and tax credits up to $20,000,000 to productions. This was the primary cause of death for North Carolina’s reputation as ‘Hollywood on the East Coast’. It was claimed the incentive did little to benefit the state, but the jury is out on the exact figures.

The introduction of HB2, the ‘bathroom bill’, in 2016 was also seen as an unattractive rollback of diversity and equality, plunging the state into the dogbox among many industries. Estimates as high as 4 billion dollars lost to the bill over time have been floated. The bill is finally set to repeal at the end of 2020, although some argue the floated repeal is still not good enough.

So what’s bringing business back? While the devastation of the Coronavirus is not to be ignored, the way North Carolina has chosen to handle the crisis has created a space where production can continue fairly easily. Whilst urban enough to remain relevant, big cities like Charlotte are also less crowded than other production centers like NYC and Chicago, keeping crews safer. Additionally, they’ve recreated some grants and incentives that, while not quite as appealing as the original offerings, and a little more select in who they choose, have also set the stage to ensure a resurgence in the state’s popularity as a filming venue.

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Blake & Wang P.A well-renowned entertainment lawyers are assisting award-winning producers and directors in various phases from production to distribution. If you are looking for the best entertainment attorney services then you could visit the Blake & Wang P.A website.

Heavy is the hand that holds the…camera? The SAG-AFTRA/AEA dispute explained

2020 has been a rollercoaster year for the film, TV, and stage arts, that’s for certain. Not only have we seen strikes and conflicts from 2019 roll into the 2020 year, most notably the WGA-ATA strike, but we’ve also seen industry-wide shakeups with the Coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps it was inevitable that there would be a rise in union clashes along with the drastically altered work environments and lean pickings on offer. As one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles has, we’re always here to keep you in the loop- so here’s what you need to know about this latest conflict to rock the industry.

SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity Association find themselves locked in a territorial battle over the filming of live theatre. For many years now, SAG-AFTRA has had jurisdiction over such recorded performances, but have offered AEA a waiver intended to help fellow actors while live-action theatre is shut down. AEA, however, has rejected the offer.

Their executive director, Mary McColl, is on record explaining the move. AEA believes this is an attempt by SAG-AFTRA to ‘claim jurisdiction in Equity workplaces.’ Far from the offered olive-branch of assistance, AEA sees this as an attempt to disrupt solidarity in the workplace, and damage employer-actor relationships, with knock-on effects to the workers.

The matter is pretty complex, and there’s more to the story than initially meets the eye- something we will be looking at in greater depth shortly. However, with the conflict currently sitting in something of a stalemate, it’s definitely a situation that entertainment law firms San Francisco-wide are going to want to keep a careful eye on. As always, BLAKE & WANG P.A will be here with all the inside information you need to stay on top of the entertainment world happenings.