ITV

Tag: Hollywood

  • Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    MUMBAI: Brand Sony is getting a makeover. Days after Sony Entertainment Television Network announced its fresh new look, Sony Pix is following suit, starting with a repositioning from ‘Hollywood is here’ to ‘Stay Amazed’.

    The new brand identity will be unveiled along with the world television premiere of Skyfall on 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm on the channel.

    As opposed to the earlier tagline ‘Hollywood is here’, ‘Stay Amazed’ defines what it is about Hollywood that people like, breaking the clutter and making the channel stand out from the crowd. Significantly, it’s a brand promise that viewers of the rebooted Sony Pix will never have a dull moment, whether they’re watching it on television, social media or on-ground.

    Says Sony Pix executive VP and business head Saurabh Yagnik: “The whole idea is to break the clutter and give the audience what they truly want to see and experience. The revamped look propagates the brand philosophy of being fresh, innovative and progressive. Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel.”

    The repositioning has been a gruelling exercise with Team Sony Pix burning some serious midnight oil to brainstorm and understand what Indian audiences really want from in particular English movie channels and in general Hollywood. The channel has rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look.

    The channel rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look

    And the result is for all to see – an all new packaging in eye-catching ‘neon green’, which is part of Sony Pix’s revamped strategy to stay-in-sync with an increasing number of young viewers. What’s more, synergies have been worked out between the upcoming instalment of the Krrish franchise and Sony’s rebranding campaign.

    “The whole revamped look took nearly six months to execute, and we narrowed down on Medialuna after taking a close look at their body of work. We are really glad with the final outcome,” exults Yagnik.

    Coming to the Skyfall premiere, a 360-degree promotional campaign is on the anvil, which promises to engage viewers like never before. The channel is gearing up for the ‘Biggest secret mission ever’ on Facebook – designed to give viewers a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a trip to the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London. (Bond in Motion is the largest official collection of original James Bond vehicles over the past 50 years).

    Says Sony Pix vice president – marketing Neville Bastawalla: “This is something that is really going to get our viewers engaged and get more involved with the channel. The mission will be played over three phases: one to crack a maze of obstacles using clues, second being a first of its kind game where your mobile phone becomes a remote to chase clues, and the third being simply type in the codes that are flashed on the screen during the premiere to win a chance to visit the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London.”

    While the in-house team has designed, conceptualised and executed the on-air promos, the outdoor Skyfall campaign, to be carried out in Mumbai and Delhi, will be handled by Leo Burnett India. Tonic Media will look after the digital front. Approximately 80-85 per cent of the marketing budget has been kept aside exclusively for the repositioning, and the channel is confident of a great response from the trade and audiences alike.

    Snapdeal.com is the presenting sponsor for the Skyfall campaign while Dell and Engage Deos are the powered by sponsors. Other sponsors include Toyota, Lombard suiting, Whirlpool, We Chat and many more.

     

    The new look will unravel along with the premiere of ‘Skyfall’ on 27 October

    In charge of the digital component of the entire rebranding exercise is Tonic Media. With nearly 33,300 followers on Twitter and a little over 3,275 likes on Facebook at the time of penning this article, Sony Pix is looking to intensify its engagement with viewers on social media.

    On the cards is an interactive initiative with NottyPixy, who is touted as this Hollywood insider, who works hard and parties harder, is quirky, has loads of attitude and resonates with the youth. The #NottyPixy hashtag has been launched to promote the Notty Pixy character, with Notty Pixy taking over the @SonyPix handle every Thursday. Further, Notty Pixy will get onto the channel from end-November, every Friday, at 7:00 pm, to run a movie of her choice and interact with viewers through social media as well as on-air with ‘Wow trivia with a Notty Pixy twist’.

    While the repositioning is aimed at taking the channel to greater heights, even presently, Sony Pix appears to be in a good space.

    Movies-wise, the channel has nearly 250 – 300 active film titles, which include the Rocky series, Spider Man franchise, Mission Impossible series, Terminator franchise, animation films like Madagascar, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda plus a recent acquisition – the complete Bond franchise along with the latest flick, Skyfall.
    Pix also boasts some big-ticket releases of 2013 including: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Captain Phillips, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs 2, White House Down, Django Unchained, Grown Ups 2 and After Earth among others. Moreover, the channel is associated with five of Hollywood’s leading studios such as Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, MGM and Universal.

    So does Pix plan to restructure its FPC (Fixed Point Chart) with the implementation of the 10+2 ad cap rule? “Firstly, I really don’t believe that the ruling will make a very big difference to English movie channels, but if it does get implemented, then we are ready for it as we at Pix believe we can deliver engaging content to keep our viewers hooked on,” replies Yagnik.

    A 360 degree campaign will be carried out for the repositioning

    Currently airing (14+2) 16 minutes of advertisements per hour of programming and second only to Star Movies in the English movie channel space, Pix has seen a 35 per cent growth in terms of its reach pre-DAS and post-DAS, and a 36 per cent growth in terms of TSV (Time Spent per Viewer), so while the channel is well placed, it is also making all the right noises to pip competitors at the post.

  • Shuddh Desi Romance wins hearts, collects Rs 22.2 crore

    Shuddh Desi Romance wins hearts, collects Rs 22.2 crore

    Zanjeer, the supposed remake of the 1973 film by Salim Javed of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the 1967 Hollywood spaghetti Western, Death Rides A Horse, which went on to become a classic hit, was adapted by Apporva Lakhia and so mutilated that it has turned out to be a disaster that it deserved to be. From its poor casting to mediocre execution the film lacked on all counts, accounting for a poor Rs 9.45 crore for its opening weekend.

     

    Shuddh Desi Romance, a small budgeted entertainer catering to the thoughts of the contemporary youth, seeking company, relationship and sex sans commitment has worked well and is on its way to becoming a hit. The Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor starrer has collected Rs 22.2 crore.

     

    Madras Café starring John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri has not worked with the audience as it collected Rs 8.1 crore in its second week to take its total to Rs 39.55 crore for two weeks.

     

    Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara has earned the flop title, adding just Rs 50 lakh in its third week to take its three week total to 55.05 crore.

     

    Chennai Express that paired Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone once again after Om Shanti Om has collected Rs 4.7 crore in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 199.4 crore.

    B.A. Pass has collected Rs 30 lakh in its fifth week thus taking its five week total to Rs 7.7 crore.

  • E lounge unwind

    E lounge unwind

    NEW DELHI: Celebrities, Entertainment, Films – all have great resonance with people in India. From gossip to the latest happenings, there remains great curiosity. To bring the best of entertainment to its viewers, CNN-IBN presents ‘E Lounge Unwind’, a new weekend entertainment show which will set the spotlight on the newsmakers of Bollywood and Hollywood.

     

    From big releases of the week to the buzz and controversies surrounding the stars, this half-hour show will cover everything from the big screen to the small screen; even going behind the scenes to get the latest on entertainment industry’s headline hunters.

     

    On the show, viewers can catch their favourite stars talking about their work, sharing their opinions, and making candid confessions.

     

    Tune in to ‘E Lounge Unwind’ to get a sneak peek into the life of your favourite stars from September 7th, 2013, Saturday @ 10:30 PM, only on CNN-IBN.

     

    Speaking about the programming, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN Network said, “With its new weekend entertainment show, CNN-IBN is trying to redefine and repackage how entertainment news is consumed. With a lot of emphasis on the content of the show, the aim is to give our viewers an unrestricted access to Bollywood as well as Hollywood.”

  • “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” returns in its eleventh season with happy hour at 3pm on Zee Café starting this September

    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” returns in its eleventh season with happy hour at 3pm on Zee Café starting this September

    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is the daytime destination for laughter and fun on television. Slated to air weekdays at 3pm, Zee Cafe brings a refreshing perspective to daytime television. Voted the ‘funniest person in America’  Ellen’s charming personality and inimitable take on everyday life invite a relaxed and candid environment and allow her guests to engage in entertaining and thoughtful discussions on topical issues. The environment the host creates always leads to having moments of unpredictable fun, illuminating celebrities “in the moment,” and saying and doing things viewers won’t experience anywhere else! When members of Hollywood’s A-list and Ellen get together, anything can happen—from dancing with First Lady Michelle Obama to Christmas Caroling with Britney Spears to catching George Clooney after setting numerous “Clooney traps.”

     

    The show features a diverse mix of celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience participation, and segments spotlighting everyday people with extraordinary stories and talents. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” continues to be a destination for the world’s biggest stars. In addition to Clooney, guests have included Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake, Penelope Cruz, Halle Berry, Drew Barrymore, just to name a few.
    In addition to celebrity interviews, the show includes chart-topping musical performers and breaking new acts. The show has featured an eclectic catalogue of performances ranging from music legends Cher, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Prince, and Sir Elton John to pop superstars Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Pink, and Mariah Carey to smooth R&B and hip-hop artists Kanye West, The Black Eyes Peas, and Mary J. Blige .The show continues to prove itself as a leader in the daytime talk show genre by blending genuine warmth, humor, and unparalleled celebrity interviews.

     

    With the eleventh season Ellen DeGeneres continues to deliver uplifting, inspiring, and hilarious experiences to viewers. Ellen’s talent, personal warmth, and insight have earned her recognition as a global entertainer and household name. Through her show, she brings her humor and talent for tackling topical issues into viewers’ lives with her distinctive style touching every aspect of the show.
    “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was launched in September 2003 to great success and critical acclaim.  In its launch year itself, the show won four Daytime Emmys, while Ellen has won ‘Outstanding talk show host’ four years in a row! Premiering on the 10TH of September, in its eleventh season the show airs Mondays to Fridays at 3pm exclusively on Zee Cafe.

  • ‘CBGB’ film to premiere on DirecTV ahead of theatrical release

    MUMBAI: CBGB, a film about the New York nightclub where US punk rock music was born, is to premiere on DirecTV, the satellite company announced recently.

     

    Directed by Randall Miller and starring Alan Rickman, Malin Akerman, Ashley Greene and Rupert Grint, the film will debut 5 September and air through 2 October, prior to its theatrical release set for 11 October.

    “By providing exclusive, premium content in an earlier window we can offer our customers an entertainment experience they can‘t find anywhere else,” said DirecTV VP marketing Alex Kaplan. “At the same time filmmakers have a new platform with 20 million viewers to distribute their work. We‘re excited to work with XLrator Media to give our customers an exclusive look atCBGB before it hits theaters.”

     

    “We are delighted to be working with DirecTV and applaud them for putting forth this innovative program for top independent films,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

     

    “Movie-watching habits have evolved, and consumers will always drive the market. DirecTV’s exclusive program is both consumer and filmmaker friendly. CBGB will have access to an enormous national platform coupled with massive marketing and promotional support, and consumers will have an opportunity to see a great movie before it hits theaters.”

     

    “This is totally punk,” Miller said. “We are excited to get the movie out in the most exciting way! 20 million people getting to talk about the film and enjoy it at home… I have one word, ‘awesome!‘”

  • Hollywood attorney Irwin Russell dies at 87

    Hollywood attorney Irwin Russell dies at 87

    MUMBAI: Entertainment attorney Irwin Russell, who represented industry notables including Michael Eisner, Jim Henson, David Wolper and Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), passed away on 23 August from complications related to Leukemia. He was 87.

     

    “Irwin Russell was a brilliant lawyer, an insightful executive, an eloquent writer and, in all things, a true gentleman,” said Eisner, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. “He represented me for 40 years, including my tenures at ABC, Paramount, Disney and, until the day he died, at Tornante.”

     

    Eisner added: “He was able to write – and get all parties to agree to – a one-page deal, something unheard of in American business. Ethics, doing it right and being fair were embedded in his DNA. This is a deep loss for all of us.”

     

    Born in 1926, Russell arrived in Los Angeles in 1971 after experience serving on the National Wage Stabilization Board in Washington, DC and working in private practice in New York City. He was involved in the takeover of the Walt Disney Company in 1984 and served on the Disney board.

     

    Among the many industry deals he is credited with, Russell helped bring the Muppets to Sesame Street and Candid Camera to television. The lawyer is survived by his wife, Suzanne. A memorial is set for September.

  • MSM appoints Neville Bastawalla as SONY PIX marketing head

    MSM appoints Neville Bastawalla as SONY PIX marketing head

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) today announced the appointment of Neville Bastawalla as its new marketing head for its premium Hollywood movie channel SONY PIX.

    Neville Bastawalla with his experience and understanding of the business will help to consolidate Pix’s position in the genre

     

    A marketing professional with over 14 years of multi-brand experience, Bastawalla’s previous stint was with Star India where he joined in January 2011 as marketing head for its English channels and was most recently head – marketing for STAR’s Hindi movies channels since February 2013.

     

    Prior to joining Star India, Bastawalla was head marketing at Mid-Day Infomedia where he spent about four years. He joined Mid-Day in 2007 after a brief stint with Nickelodeon as senior marketing manager. A management graduate in marketing, Bastawalla also has worked with HSBC, Walt Disney Company, Contract Advertising and Mudra Communications.

     

    Announcing Bastawalla’s appointment SONY PIX EVP & business head Saurabh Yagnik said, “We are delighted to have Neville join the team and we are certain that his experience and understanding of the business and our audience will help us consolidate our position in the genre. We look forward to a long and fruitful working association with him.”

     

    “I am delighted to begin my association with Sony PIX.  The channel has always uniquely positioned itself in the English movie genre, with a strong content library and innovative campaigns for its premieres and other properties. The channel showcases the best of Hollywood movies. I look forward to taking up this role and delivering on the business objectives for the channel,” said Bastawalla.

  • Kodak now supplies film to six major Hollywood studios

    Kodak now supplies film to six major Hollywood studios

    NEW DELHI: Kodak has concluded a new agreement with 20th Century Fox to supply motion picture film to its movie and television studios.

    "This is great news for our business," said Kodak‘s Entertainment & Commercial Films Division‘s president and GM Andrew Evenski, which includes the motion picture film business.

    "This agreement shows that this medium remains vital for studios and artists creating a variety of content for a global audience. Kodak is honored to continue supporting Fox and their content creation, distribution and archival needs," he added.

    With the signing of this agreement, Kodak has now completed new contracts with six major Hollywood studios in the last year. The company previously announced agreements with Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros Entertainment Inc, NBC Universal Inc, Paramount Pictures Corp and Sony Pictures.

    Kodak continues to manufacture billions of linear feet of film every year, and the Entertainment Imaging division continues to be the largest driver of film manufacturing volume for Kodak into the future.

  • Ishkq In Paris: Just another love story!

    Ishkq In Paris: Just another love story!

    MUMBAI: Inspired by 1995 Hollywood film, Before Sunrise, Ishkq In Paris is an attempt to revive the career of the film’s leading lady as well as the producer, Preity Zinta. The theme is familiar, about two strangers meeting up while travelling, spending some time together and falling in love. The idea in itself was not bad, really. It could have been made into a cute romantic movie had it been made with a fresh face instead of Zinta herself.

    Producers: Preity Zinta, Neelu Zinta.
    Director: Prem Raj.
    Cast: Preity Zinta, Rhehan Malliek, Isabelle Adjani, and cameos by Salman Khan, Shekhar Kapur, Chunkey Pande.

    Zinta, named Ishkq in the film, is on her way back home to Paris from Rome where she had gone to spend a weekend. She is the daughter of Isabelle Adjani, a famous artiste, a single mother having parted from her husband, Shekhar Kapur, when Zinta was only seven. Sitting across from Zinta on the train is Rhehan Malliek, an Indian settled in London. He is on the train because he missed his morning flight to London, hence onto Paris to take a morning train to London!

    Since childhood Ishkq has been taught Hindi to near perfection and the duo get talking. Since Zinta is a local and Malliek has a night to while away, he suggests she spends the night with him and show him around town and generally have fun together. Obviously, Malliek also has sex in mind so, thoughtfully, also packs a condom with his loose change. On the way, a street vendor, Chunkey Pandey, sells them a dice, you toss it and it decides your next programme; it has drinks, dinner, dance, sex etc written on its sides. Zinta is game for drinks, dinner, dance but not sex. She is more traditional than Malliek. This revelry which continues till interval was evident in a recent film, London Paris, New York. Wanting you to come back after the interval, a slide before the interval promises you a story in the second half; in a 97 minute film, at least now a story needed to be incorporated since Malliek is coming back to Paris for work as well as with hopes of catching up with Zinta.

    The gist of the story is this, that Zinta hates marriages because she hates divorces because her father deserted her and Adjani early in life. Malliek also hates marriage because of similar reason. And, subconsciously, they both have fallen in love but spend rest of the time in denial till this become the story of an aged Adjani and the aging Zinta where Adjani confides that her father, Kapur, had not deserted them but since he and Adjani were both passionate about their work, they had decided to part amicably. Before Adjani even finishes explaining the real thing, Zinta is on the run, halfway through to catching Malliek before he leaves her for good. Come to think of it, the first half without a story was less complicated!

    What the film has to offer is scenic Paris and some witty exchanges between Zinta and Malliek. As for performances, since the casting is not convincing, acting does not matter. Music needed to be much better. However, Kudiye di kurti…, performed by Salman Khan and Teri choodiyan…have sectional audio appeal. Direction is passable. Photography is eye pleasing.

    Ishkq In Paris faces poor prospects.

  • Oscar makes rule change for animation

    Oscar makes rule change for animation

    MUMBAI: The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved rule changes for the 86th Oscars. The most significant change affects the Animated Feature Film category.

    In this category, the new rule designates a maximum of two award recipients, one of whom must have a producer credit. The director and/or key creative individual shall continue to be a recipient, and in the circumstance of a two-person team with shared and equal director credit, a third statuette may be awarded.

    Previously announced rules changes for the 86th Academy Awards include allowing members to see the nominated documentary shorts and foreign language films either at a theatrical screening or on DVD. Prior to the final round of voting, the Academy will provide members with DVDs of the nominated films in five categories: Foreign Language Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Animated Short Film, and Live Action Short Film.

    Other adjustments to the rules include standard date and other routine changes.

    Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The awards rules committee then evaluates all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy's board of governors for approval.

    Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of this year will be presented on 2 March, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center and televised on Star Movies and in the US on ABC. The presentation will also be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.