GLENDALE, Calif. — For months, DreamWorksAnimation has been working on a prototype for a product it hopes will change how the world’s children meet Santa each Christmas. Code name: DreamHouse.

At shopping malls that buy in — and two national operators already have, Forest City and General Growth Properties — Santa Claus will sit inside a 2,000-square-foot “cottage” with walls that are essentially giant video screens. Children will go on a virtual sleigh ride with Shrek before meeting Santa. No more waiting in line; appointments will be made by app.

“It’s an amazing, beautiful, big theatrical statement that represents our efforts to diversify into new areas,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation’s chief executive. “We’ve made bets, and now it’s about execution.”

Diversification has been Mr. Katzenberg’s mantra for at least two years, ever since an effort to sell his small studio ended without success. The need to become part of a larger company or expand into other businesses reflects a reality Hollywood is loath to admit: Movies by themselves are a slow- to no-growth business. A lasting film enterprise, at least in today’s marketplace, must have other engines.

DreamWorks Animation, one of moviedom’s last studios not tied to a conglomerate, has none of the buffers of, say, the Walt Disney Company, which can lean on consumer products, TV or theme parks if an expensive movie flops. (DreamWorks Animation, which is publicly traded, operates separately from Steven Spielberg’s privately held DreamWorks Studios, which has lately been having troubles of its own.)

Computer animation is no longer a sure thing, which has further motivated Mr. Katzenberg in his expansion effort. The company has had to take write-downs on three of its last four original films.

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” took in a hefty $50 million last weekend in North America.CreditDreamworks Animation/DreamWorks Animation, via Associated Press

Even success sometimes is not enough. “How to Train Your Dragon 2” took in a hefty $50 million last weekend in North America, but Wall Street wanted more. Shares fell 13 percent between Friday and mid-Monday, to $23.85, before making up ground to close at $24.73 on Tuesday.

Hence the importance of projects like DreamHouse, which Mr. Katzenberg also intends to introduce overseas. “The goal is to create annuities so we don’t have lumpy earnings,” said Michael Francis, DreamWorks Animation’s chief brand officer.

So far, the studio’s most prominent diversification efforts have involved television and the Internet. The company has contracts to produce a jaw-dropping 1,100 episodes of original cartoon programming for Netflix. Last year, the studio acquired AwesomenessTV, a thriving collection of YouTube channels focused on teenagers. On Monday, it introduced DreamWorksTV, a family-oriented YouTube channel.

Last year, 71 percent of DreamWorks Animation’s revenue came from new films, according to Anthony Wible, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott. Next year, he expects it to be closer to 48 percent. This rapid shift “is a key reason we like the company,” Mr. Wible said in an email. (Net income for 2013 totaled $55.1 million, an improvement from a loss of $36.4 million a year earlier).

Overlooked in Mr. Katzenberg’s expansion frenzy has been an aggressive move into consumer products. The studio, under the guidance of Mr. Francis, who spent his earlier career at Target, ultimately serving as chief marketing officer, has quietly built a hefty merchandising division. Eighteen months ago, the studio had 69 consumer products executives. Now there are roughly 180, and hiring continues.

“It takes boots on the ground and long-term planning that was just not happening before,” Mr. Francis said. “When I was at Target, Jeffrey used to call and ask why DreamWorks wasn’t as effective as its peers with licensing. And I would say, ‘Well, because you want retail to do all the work. You call me up and thump your chest about your latest movie and expect me to spend my money creating a strategy.’ ”

DreamWorks Animation has been able to move quickly in part by capitalizing on upheaval at Disney Consumer Products, which is across the street in this Los Angeles suburb. In 2011, Disney pushed out its merchandising chief, Andrew P. Mooney, who immediately started advising Mr. Katzenberg. (Mr. Mooney is now chief executive of the sports apparel company Quicksilver.)

Mr. Mooney’s replacement at Disney, Bob Chapek, carried out a bold overhaul that left dozens of employees looking for work. Mr. Francis has so far hired at least 70 former Disney employees. One of the most recent was Jim Fielding, former president of Disney Stores Worldwide. Mr. Fielding is now leading a September charge into stores by AwesomenessTV.

DreamWorks Animation’s merchandising onrush comes as Hollywood’s unsexy consumer products business starts to attract more investor attention. “Disney Consumer Products: World’s Most Valuable Afterthought?” read the headline of a March report from Todd Juenger, a Bernstein Research analyst. Mr. Juenger estimated that merchandise would be Disney’s fastest-growing unit through 2018, in part because of Mr. Chapek’s strategies.

On Monday, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association released data showing that 2013 sales of film-, television- and celebrity-themed merchandise totaled $51.4 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from a year earlier.

Despite his determination to become a consumer products titan, Mr. Katzenberg faces some skeptics — namely analysts who wonder what kind of grip the DreamWorks Animation brand and stable of characters have on mothers who do much of the buying. Success will also require new movie and television hits.

“Having success in our core movie business is critical,” Mr. Katzenberg conceded. But he defended his brand and characters like Shrek the ogre, Po the panda and the penguins of “Madagascar.” “These characters are known throughout the world, and they are beloved,” he said. “Beloved.”

Mr. Francis said that efforts were underway to bring DreamWorks Animation to higher-end retail. The fashion designer Jeremy Scott, for instance, is working with characters for a line of clothing for young women; early concepts even included a “Shrek” bra. “Everything we are doing is carefully designed to make our brand continue to ascend,” Mr. Francis said.

Results of Mr. Francis’s various efforts began to enter the marketplace this month with the release of a tablet computer for children, the DreamTab, and a huge array of products tied to “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” (The first movie had one retail partner; the sequel has 70.) But DreamWorks Animation’s brand will become significantly more noticeable later this year, when a new in-house publishing unit begins to release books and experience-based products like the DreamHouse begin to roll out.

“We’ve just begun to scratch the surface with experiences,” Mr. Francis said.

Coming next year to London and then five additional cities is a permanent walk-through attraction called “Shrek’s Far, Far Away Adventure.” Other plans include licensing characters for an amusement park as part of the New Jersey Meadowlands megamall and a trio of indoor theme parks in Russia. There is also a shopping and entertainment complex in Shanghai called the DreamCenter.

“It’s a lot to bite off,” Mr. Francis said. “But we’re hungry.”

Jason Merritt/Getty Image

The Moving Picture Co. has confirmed the whispers that it will be serving as lead visual effects house on Disney’s upcoming The Jungle Book.

Jon Favreau is directing the live-action/CG adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling story. An Oct. 9, 2015, release is planned. (Warner Bros. is also making an adaptation of The Jungle Book, with Andy Serkis set to direct).

Technicolor-owned MPC has been busy, after recently completing work on Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Pastand Maleficent. Upcoming credits include Exodus, Cinderella, Into The Woods, Frankenstein, Night at the Museum 3, Fast & Furious 7and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

MPC is headquartered in London and also maintains feature effects facilities in Vancouver and Montreal (as well as bases for commercial work in Los Angeles and New York). The company believes it could have up to 2,000 employed across these facilities by the end of the year.

Technicolor also recently acquired Toronto-headquartered VFX house Mr. X, which is focused on television work.

Reposted from The Hollywood Reporter 1:01 PM PDT 6/19/2014 by Carolyn Giardina

COMPANY TO PRESENT SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PRODUCTION PROFESSIONALS

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 16, 2014 – Conduit Seminars announces the launch of their company. Co-founded by industry insiders Debra Blanchard Knight and Pam Hogarth, Conduit Seminars will present seminars and workshops for the entertainment industry aimed at helping production professionals get the information and tools they need to succeed.

The first seminar, Job Hunting in Creative Industries, will take place on Saturday, July 26th, at Otis College of Art and Design.

“The world of production that we’ve known for decades has been turned on its head in the past five years. People who have had outstanding careers are now at a loss as to what to do next,” says Pam Hogarth. “Our goal is to take all of the knowledge Debra and I have gained over the years and present it in ways that will provide practical guides for people.”Job Hunting in Creative Industries will be held from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday, July 26th, in The Forum at Otis College of Art and Design, at 9045 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Topics to be covered include: preparing your marketing package, finding potential jobs and interviewing with confidence. Registration is $275 and can be done online at http://conduitseminars.com.

“We’re so excited about sharing what we know with the wonderfully talented people who make up our industry,” says Debra Blanchard Knight. “They have so much to offer, but frequently don’t know how to survive in these crazy, changing times. We’re here to offer some sanity and guidance.”

With a cumulative total of over 40 years of creative team-building experience, Pam Hogarth and Debra Blanchard Knight have helped literally thousands of individuals build successful careers in animation, visual effects, games, special venue and film production.

 

 

Seven years ago, Blanchard Knight founded Fringe Talent, a recruiting agency that specializes in building teams for animation, visual effects, production and special venue. Before that she worked for companies that include Blue Sky Studios, IDT/Starz, DreamWorks Animation and ILM.

 

Hogarth has worked in visual effects for 30 years, 25 of which were in education. She was one of the first employees at Gnomon School of Visual effects and was instrumental in building it into the premiere institution for vfx career education. She has also lent her green thumb to the Visual Effects Society as a member of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors and many, many committees. Both women have spoken and taught at multiple colleges, universities and conferences, here and abroad.

 

With no dollar amount attached, it passes another hurdle — next going on to face increased scrutiny in the state senate and then to the governor.

Legislation to expand and extend incentives to keep film and television production in California passed a major milestone.

As expected, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act of 2014 was approved by the state assembly Wednesday by a unanimous vote of 71-0.

The legislation, authored by Assemblymen Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) and Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) had more than 60 co-authors.

However, there is still no specific amount of money the state will put up for the new legislation, which would replace the current program that allocates $100 million a year, which has not proven to be enough to stem the flow of production to other states and countries that offer even greater incentives.

A source in Sacramento said that the amount will be determined in coming weeks after the budget priorities become clearer. Advocates are hoping to see the amount authorized increased by two to four times, but that may be too ambitious. There was a legislative analyst report that said the program doesn’t return as much in tax dollars as backers claim, but Gatto has said that did not consider the local tax revenue or the jobs that are created.

“We can’t sit by and watch a $17 billion dollar a year sector of our economy leave California,” said Bocanegra. “This expanded and improved program will go a long way toward making California more competitive with other states’ programs.”

Between 2004 and 2012, California lost more than 16,000 film- and television-industry jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, resulting in more than $1.5 billion in lost wages and economic activity.

“I remember when our communities lost all the good aerospace jobs,” said Gatto.  “Losing major employers really harms local families and our state economy. This effort is a rare example of government taking proactive steps to ensure well-paying jobs stay in our communities.”

The bill next goes to the state senate where it already has more than a dozen co-sponsors, but also faces a much more skeptical look at the value of the program. Some senators, especially those from northern California, question whether too much of the benefit goes to the Los Angeles area. To try and respond to that complaint, this bill for the first time includes an additional 5 percent incentive for productions outside the L.A. area.

The proposed bill also, for the first time, makes big-budget movies, network TV shows and music for movies and TV eligible for financial incentives.

On June 1, the California Film Commission will take applications for the next year’s incentives. Those will all be used up by the end of the day, although some will go on a waiting list in case the movie and TV shows chosen in a lottery do not get made.

If the bill makes it through the senate, then it will go to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not taken any public position as of yet on whether or not he will sign it into law. However, Brown has held discussions on the bill recently, and in the past has signed other tax incentive bills enacted since the program began in 2009.

The California Film and Television Production Alliance — a coalition of guilds, unions, producers, small businesses and associations that have worked toward passage of this bill — said in a statement: “The strength of the unanimous vote demonstrates the Assembly Members’ clear understanding of the vital economic importance of the motion picture industry to California and their determination to return this state to a competitive position. This could not have been achieved without the dedication of AB 1839’s authors, and the unwavering support of 67 co-authors. Our industry has been a vital part of California’s heritage and we want to continue to be part of the Golden State’s economic vitality in the 21st century.  This vote puts us one step closer to that reality.”

“This unanimous vote of support from the Assembly provides strong momentum as we look ahead to the Senate and the Governor’s desk,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “California needs jobs, and this legislation would generate thousands of middle class jobs across our state.”

Reposted for The Hollywood Reporter 3:17 PM PDT 5/28/2014 by Alex Ben Block

Future Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation production — including “Angry Birds,” “Hotel Transylvania 2″ and the untitled Smurfs movie — will be handled entirely in British Columbia.

Sony Pictures Imageworks – well known as the lead VFX house for the Spider-Manfranchise including The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – is moving its headquarters from Culver City to its Vancouver operation, meaning that all future Imageworks and Sony Picture Animation production will be handled entirely under one roof in British Columbia.

As part of its plans, the company said it intends to relocate to a new 74,000 square foot space during 2015, which would have capacity for up to 700 artists.

The decision underscores the VFX industry’s retreat from California to cities such as Vancouver that are attracting Hollywood productions with generous incentives.

Imageworks, which initially opened its Vancouver base in Yaletown during 2010, has been steadily growing its work force in the incentive-friendly city, while shrinking its Los Angeles presence. Randy Lake, executive vp and general manager of Sony’s digital production services unit, told The Hollywood Reporter that it would not be immediately clear how many of the Culver City staffers will choose to consider relocation.

Having recently finished work on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Warners’ Edge of Tomorrow, the Vancouver operation has a slate of upcoming projects including Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Aug. 1), Columbia’s Pixels (May 2015), Rovio’s Angry Birds (July 2016), Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 2 (September 2015) and the Untitled Smurfs movie (August 2016). It is also expected to continue its work on theSpider-Man franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which is slated for a June 10, 2016 release.

Last year, during the production of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, staff in Vancouver topped 350. That has since dropped but Lake expects it to reach that number again by January, as the company ramps up for the aforementioned Sony Pictures Animation features as well as one not-yet-disclosed project.

The new Vancouver space, which the company expects to open by next April, will have capacity for up to 700 artists in the downtown area’s Cadillac Fairview Pacific Centre.”It’s a big vote of confidence on behalf of the studio,” Lake said of Sony’s plans for the VFX business.

According to the company, some Imageworks staff will remain in Culver City, at least for the foreseeable future. That includes Ken Ralston, the company’s four-time Academy Award winning senior VFX supervisor, as well as CTO/VFX supervisor Rob Bredow (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) and VFX supervisorsDaniel Kramer (Edge of Tomorrow), Jerome Chen (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Scott Stokdyk (Oz The Great and Powerful), Jay Redd (Men In Black 3) and Pete Travers (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2).

Sony Pictures Animation’s development team — an estimated 125 employees — are also expected to remain in Culver City, though animation production will be handled in Vancouver. Columbia’s The Interview, opening Oct. 10, is expected to be the last production to be completed in Culver City. (Following completion of its work on Spider-Man 2, Imageworks shut what was its third base, in Chennai, India.)

Jason Dowdeswell will continue to lead Imageworks’ operations in Vancouver as vp of production operations. New to his team are Mark Breakspear, as a VFX supervisor; and Shauna Bryan, who will serve as vp, new business and production. Both arrive from similar roles at Method Studios’ Vancouver base.

Bryan’s background includes 10 years with Vancouver-based Rainmaker, with three years as executive producer/head of business development. Breakspear’s credits as visual effects supervisor or artist include Seventh Son, Thor: The Dark World, Elysium and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Like Imageworks, VFX houses Industrial Light + Magic, Digital Domain, MPC and others have opened Vancouver operations in recent years. “We initially [moved to Vancouver] to take advantage of tax incentives,” said Lake. “But we have had phenomenal success with great talent. It’s become a hub.”

Pointing to passage on Wednesday of the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act of 2014 — legislation to expand incentives to keep film and television production in California — Lake added, “I’m hopeful the state increases its competitiveness. There won’t be any hesitation on our part to continue to work in California (as well as Vancouver).”

The current VFX business model and impact from competition driven by production incentives, however, is taking its toll on many artists, who are vocal about calling for change. Rallies were held on Hollywood Blvd before both the 2013 and 2104 Academy Awards.

Reposted from The Hollywood Reporter 6:00 PM PDT 5/29/2014 by Carolyn Giardina

Facebook recently rolled out a new feature that’s leaving some users speechless and others running to sign a petition to have it removed, news.com.au reports.

The social network’s new quirk allows its mobile app to turn on your smartphone’s microphone, listen in on what’s around you. Facebook identifies the music or TV shows it hears, and can tell the world you’re currently “Listening to Iggy Azalea” if it hears you bumping “Fancy.”

The opt-in feature has many users creeped out. More than half a million have flocked to sign a sumofus.com petition to have the new gimmick axed from the app.

“Tell Facebook not to release its creepy and dangerous new app feature that listens to users’ surroundings and conversations,” the petition urges. “Facebook says it’ll be responsible with this feature, but we know we can’t trust it.”

At a time when privacy concerns run rampant Facebook’s new feature seems to go against the trend. In May Microsoft announced you’ll be able to buy an Xbox One without the similarly creepy always-on Kinect watching and listening to your every move.

The sumofus.com petition is a little less than 200,000 signatures away from its goal: 750,000. Perhaps if it reaches that mark Facebook will actually listen to its users.

A “Battlestar Galactica” movie is coming – just don’t expect it to resemble the TV show.

Universal has hired writer Jack Paglen (“Transcendence”) to pen the screenplay for a “complete reimagining” of the sci-fi franchise, according to Variety. The property was previously pegged for a big-screen version in 2009 with director Bryan Singer, though the “X-Men” helmer doesn’t appear to be attached to this new iteration.

Created by Glen A. Larson, the original “Battlestar Galactica” series ran from 1978-1979 on ABC. It went on to spawn a number of franchise follow-ups including the low-rated spin-off “Galactica 1980,” the acclaimed 2004-2009 reboot that ran on the Sci-Fi (now Syfy) channel, the short-lived prequel series “Caprica” and the 10-episode webseries “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome,” which aired as a two-hour movie on Syfy last year. The crux of the futuristic world depicted in the television shows centers on a long-running war waged between humans and a hostile cybernetic race known as the Cylons.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/news/a-big-screen-reimagining-of-battlestar-galactica-is-ramping-up-at-universal#tCeUpeLyxcUrE9mo.99

(Las Vegas, Nevada–April 7, 2014) Autodesk, Inc. unveiled the latest version of its powerful professional video editing software Autodesk Smoke 2015 at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB). In addition to significant new creative tools and performance enhancements, Smoke 2015 will soon be available as a Desktop Subscription, so customers can access the software on a pay-as-you-go basis for the first time.

“When Autodesk launched the ‘radically redesigned’ Smoke two years ago at NAB, we made a commitment to bring high-quality effects to editors in post, video production and corporate branding. And Smoke 2015 delivers on that promise,” said Chris Bradshaw, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “Smoke 2015 not only features highly-requested new creative tools and improved workflows with industry-standard tools such as Final Cut Pro, but also an even easier and more affordable way for small studios to get started with the software.”

Smoke 2015, a professional video effects and editing tool for Mac-based studios, now features 3D Tracker, a new Timeline FX workflow, added hardware support and optimization for the new Mac Pro running OS X Mavericks and better interoperability with Final Cut Pro X.

“For us, Smoke is a fantastic tool. I love the one place solution that Smoke offers; it saves hours of production time. We use Smoke as our main tool on music videos, tour visuals and motion graphics – from Madonna to The Prodigy to MTV. I want Smoke on every desk in my studio,” said Eugene Riecansky, creative director, Rockstar (UK).

Key Features

• New re-architected Timeline FX offers new effects capabilities for editors – such as direct access to the Action 3D compositing environment as a segment-based effect

• New timeline-integrated 3D tracker allows editors to match original camera movements in a clip in order to realistically add new elements: video layers, text or 3D objects

• Improved support for Blackmagic DesignLink card and UltraStudio for Thunderbolt devices and extended video IO support for AJA Video Systems to offer dual stream stereoscopic output
• Improved integration with Final Cut Pro X that supports more timeline and effects metadata for a fast, high fidelity project transfer between the apps. In addition, Smoke sequences can be exported as XML with accompanying QuickTime media files.

Pricing and Availability
In these competitive times, software accessibility and flexibility become ever more important especially to start-ups, freelancers and very small businesses, which make up the majority of new Smoke customers. Autodesk polled a sample across the professional video market and 68 percent responded that term-based software licensing is a great option. Smoke 2015 will soon be available via monthly, quarterly and annual Autodesk Desktop Subscription plans; customers who commit for a year save more than $500^. Smoke 2015 Desktop Subscription will be available starting May 8, 2014, on the Autodesk eStore for $195 SRP/month, $545 SRP/quarter and $1,750 SRP/year.

Get Connected
For features, benefits and tutorials, visit the Smoke product center, join the Smoke community, visit the Smoke Learning Channel (which boasts over one million cumulative views), friend us on Facebook, follow @Autodesk_ME on Twitter and join the #AutodeskSmoke conversation. Smoke 2015 will also be featured at theLas Vegas SuperMeet on Tuesday, April 8 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino and on the Autodesk NAB booth SL #3319.

^The $500 savings is based on the SRP of an annual Desktop Subscription plan for Smoke 2015 compared to purchasing a monthly Desktop Subscription plan.
*All SRPs shown are U.S. pricing only. International pricing may vary. SRPs are for reference purposes only. For non-eStore license purchases, the actual retail price is determined by your reseller. Autodesk Subscription plans are subject to additional terms, and all plans and benefits may not be available for all products and/or in all languages or geographies.

re-posted from Creative Cow- http://news.creativecow.net/story/875253

REPOSTED FROM http://www.backstage.com/news/state-ls-film-and-tv-industry/

By Sean J. Miller | Posted March 13, 2014, 3 p.m.

California performers may soon face a dilemma. Acting jobs are migrating away from the Golden State to regional production hubs in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Georgia. The question for performers is whether to pack up and follow them.

“If you’re having trouble getting in rooms in L.A. and you’re open to moving, or you have some sort of connection to the Southeast, then you’re better off moving to a hub like New Orleans or Atlanta and taking advantage of this market,” said Chase Paris, an Atlanta-based casting director with Feldstein Paris. “Out here, you’re at least auditioning. If you’re in L.A. and not auditioning, there’s no point being there.”

Paris said he doesn’t see marquee talent relocating, “but people who have some solid credits, some acting ability, who maybe aren’t getting a lot of opportunities out west will come here and really get to flex their muscles a little more.”

It’s a growing trend.

A new report found that California lost some 16,000 entertainment industry jobs between 2004 and 2012.

“The single biggest problem isn’t simply the issue of losing jobs, it’s the amount of work actually generated—the number of people who would still consider themselves to be actors but cannot find consistent work has jumped up,” said Kevin Klowden, director of the Milken Institute’s California Center and co-author of the jobs report.

With that in mind, California Assemblymembers Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) have introduced legislation to revamp the state’s film and television tax credit program. But an impediment to the legislation is the cloud hanging over the program’s former champion, state Sen. Ron Calderon (Montebello).

The Democrat was recently arraigned on bribery charges stemming from a sting in which an FBI agent posed as a film executive, offering bribes in exchange for changes to the incentive. Calderon announced March 2 that he’s taking a leave of absence from the Senate.

Bocanegra, the program’s new champion, dismissed the suggestion that Calderon’s pending trial will derail changes to the program. “We all recognize that the FBI could have selected any other type of industry in their investigation,” he told Backstage. “What I’m basically saying here is these are good-paying jobs in a signature industry.”

Klowden, of the Milken Institute, said that actors could help ease the passage of the bill. “The most important thing for actors, indeed for anyone working in the industry, is to get their story told,” he said. “The perception in Sacramento, when you say the movie industry, they think the big producers, the directors, the top stars. Obviously that’s not the vast majority of who works on productions.”

But critics of entertainment tax incentives call them a “losing proposition.”

If California augments its program, it will only get undercut by more lucrative incentives in other states, according to Joseph Henchman, vice president of the Tax Foundation, a conservative advocacy group.

“This isn’t going to create a permanent industry,” he said at a Feb. 27 event hosted by the Milken Institute. “I’ve never heard of any industry developed that way.”

Even industry executives who welcome changes to California’s program acknowledge they’re not cure-alls.

Still, Fred Baron, an executive vice president of feature production at 20th Century Fox, said enhancing California’s program could help keep romantic comedies shooting in Los Angeles.

“The talent lives here,” he said at the Feb. 27 panel. “And if you want to attract talent to your projects, whether it’s a director or a movie star, it’s nice to be home.”

Disney has laid off 700 employees from their gaming division today, as the New York Times reports. That’s 26% of their staff, and it’s mostly in mobile, social, and web-based gaming.1P

“These are large-scale changes as we focus not just on getting to profitability but sustained profitability and scalability,” Disney Interactive president James A. Pitaro told the Times.P

This follows a Wall Street Journal report that the company would cut hundreds of jobs last month. Last year, Disney closed down Epic Mickey developer Junction Point Studios and the iconic studio LucasArts.

http://youtu.be/9lcB9u-9mVE

LIFE AFTER PI is a short documentary about Rhythm & Hues Studios, the L.A. based Visual Effects company that won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking work on “Life of Pi” — just two weeks after declaring bankruptcy. The film explores rapidly changing forces impacting the global VFX community and the Film Industry as a whole.