InfoAnda - Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

India names 3 to Satyam board after fraud scandal | 11 January 2009
Phillippe, Kilmer in talks for MacGruber film | Entertainment | | 8 July 2009
Shevardnadze: Opposition to tearing down Berlin Wall fierce | 1 November 2009

Nokia takes back control of Symbian software | | 9 November 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood By CHRISTY LEMIRE,AP Movie Writer AP - Friday, February 13 LOS ANGELES - It's a city where perception is reality and image is everything. But Hollywood is having trouble keeping up appearances in the midst of the nation's economic downturn, even during its splashiest, most self-celebratory time: awards season. ADVERTISEMENT Of course, the show must go on. The Academy Awards bring $130 million into Los Angeles, and city economists expect that to be true this year, too. But it's in the ancillary activity _ parties, studios' campaigns for Oscar votes, glossy ads in trade publications _ where less money is being thrown around. Even director Danny Boyle, whose "Slumdog Millionaire" is the front-runner to win the best-picture Oscar, acknowledged the awkward paradox of backslapping as the economy slides backward. "When you read a headline like last week, I read 60,000 jobs lost in a day in America, you just think you've got to be very careful because we live in a very glamorous world, you take lots of photographs, there's lots of smiling asked for and stuff like that," Boyle said backstage after winning the top prize from the Directors Guild of America. "We're very lucky," he added. "And we're aware of that." So how does the lavish machinery keep running during such tough financial times? Longtime events planner Chris Benarroch says smaller parties are the new normal, "not having things for 1,500 people, maybe 100 or 250." Entertaining at home is also becoming a popular option, with studio or agency executives hosting a dinner, for example. With elegant linens, candles and flowers, that costs maybe $50,000, versus the half a million dollars and more that can go into enormous soirees staged from the ground up. "There's more emphasis on buying out a restaurant like Spago, not going over the top where you were building a tent with decking, floor-to-ceiling creating a whole environment in a parking lot or a raw space. You're using an already existing venue," she said. "You're going to see a lot of people attending the (post-Oscar) Governor's Ball more than ever before, taking advantage of that opportunity. Everyone is just really scaling back." The annual Vanity Fair party on Oscar night will be more intimate with a smaller guest list _ the Sunset Tower Hotel expects about 750 people _ and chicken pot pie will be on the menu: "The whole idea of, in tough times, it'll be cozier and we'll be serving comfort food, the kind of food that makes people feel better," said the magazine's spokeswoman, Beth Kseniak. The added benefit: It'll be even more exclusive than ever before. "It's always hard to turn people down," Kseniak said, "and this will make us have to." Normally corporate sponsors help pay for the cost of a party and get the prestige of their association _ Cartier co-hosted a Golden Globes viewing and post-party with NBC/Universal, for example. But that money is drying up, too. "One by one they were like, `We just can't do it. We just don't have the funds,'" said Benarroch. "Normally it's a huge coup to have a company come on board and host an Oscar party. Normally we have the pick of what works best with the film. This year, it's slim pickings. ... "What company's not laying off people?" she added. "How do you justify that?" The economy is also affecting the way awards campaigns play out in the trade publications, where high-profile ads are a crucial component of the annual bragging rights. "It would be ridiculous to say it isn't," said Variety president and publisher Neil Stiles. "You can see it in the volume of advertising we're carrying and The Hollywood Reporter is carrying or not carrying, coupled with the L.A. Times on the fringes and The New York Times." Stiles wouldn't say exactly how much Variety's print ad sales are down, but said it's less than 40 percent. (The Hollywood Reporter declined comment because it didn't want to reveal financial figures.) Variety's online ads, meanwhile, are up about 6 percent from 2007 to 2008, though the expectation was that they would have increased by 15 percent. Several elements are at work simultaneously, Stiles said. Almost half the number of films were offered for awards consideration compared with previous years. Then the art-house branches of several major studios, often the origin of such awards contenders, got folded into the studios themselves _ Warner Independent into Warner Bros., for example _ shutting down internal promotional infrastructure. Now, the corporations that own these studios are reporting huge quarterly losses. News Corp., parent company of 20th Century Fox, announced that it lost $6.4 billion in its most recent quarter. Walt Disney Co. reported a 32 percent decline. Time Warner Inc., which owns Warner Bros., posted a $16 billion loss in that period. The result: They just don't have the money to promote their films the way they once did. Studios are traditionally reluctant to go on record discussing the financial specifics of their campaigns. But longtime awards observer Tom O'Neil, columnist for the Web site TheEnvelope.com, estimates Oscar budgets are down 30 percent to 40 percent this year. "The average Oscar campaign now is in the range of $5-10 million, where it used to be in the range of $7-20 million. `Gladiator's' was $20 million" when it won best picture and four other Academy Awards in 2001, he said. Meanwhile, new emphasis has been placed on online ads and Q&A screenings, where a studio brings in the director or stars to answer questions after a showing of the film. "There used to be a lot of luncheons and dinners they would do for about $15,000 apiece to bring in 80 Hollywood insiders, hoping to net 30 Oscar votes, and they realized that's not efficient _ that for $6,000 to $10,000, they can do a Q&A screening and bring in 200 guild members, which is likely to have a much higher percentage of Oscar people." Another way the studios are cutting back, O'Neil said, is in the number of what he called "illegal Oscar parties." "There's always some bogus, alleged reason for, you know, a star's birthday, or congratulations 'cause they just won a guild award or got nominated. You're not, obviously, allowed to campaign blatantly to Academy members _ it's against their rules, they can pull your number of tickets to the ceremony per studio, that's the punishment _ but there are scores of illegal Oscar parties that go on every season. There used to be, certainly, more than 100 of them during Oscar season." Now, he estimated those have been cut by about 75 percent. Still, glamour must prevail. Jack Kyser, founding economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., still expects the Feb. 22 Academy Awards to bring $130 million to the city. That's everything from hotel suites, where designers share their fashions with top stylists for weeks before the big event, to the annual nominees luncheon to plastic surgery sessions. "You're on stage globally so you've got to look your best," Kyser said. "So you'll go get your lips plumped, you'll have Botox injections, maybe a little tan sprayed on you." Maybe the escapism Hollywood provides is more necessary now than ever, said veteran jeweler-to-the-stars Neil Lane. Celebrities are still making a statement, but perhaps it's through valuable yet understated pieces and less bling; then again, that might be a matter of individual taste, he said, not an effort to avoid seeming ostentatious. "If the look commands a huge, expensive diamond then that's what you wear. I don't think the economy is going to prevent that. If that's what the look is about then that's what you need to do," said Lane, whose designs most recently appeared on Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow, LeAnn Rimes and others at the Grammys. "Hollywood is definitely aware of the world. Hollywood is definitely sympathetic. I am very sympathetic to the crisis in the world. But again _ it is Hollywood. ... "The world doesn't want to see paupers going to the red carpet in rags and tatters," Lane added. "They want a moment of respite and happiness and joy. They want to go `Wow!' and have their eyes open. They want to dream." ___ NBC Universal is a unit of General Electric Co. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Hollywood Despite economy, the show must go on in HollywoodAP - Friday, February 13 Actor Seagal wants to bring Hollywood to Costa RicaReuters - Thursday, February 12 Hollywood's Brazilian bombshell Carmen Miranda rememberedAFP - Thursday, February 12 'American Idol' Hopefuls shine in solosAP - Thursday, February 12 Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Chris Brown, Rihanna in running for Image AwardsAP - 1 hour 13 minutes ago Zellweger plays woman desperately seeking husbandReuters - 1 hour 17 minutes ago Connecticut Opera closes down, citing bad economyAP - 2 hours 40 minutes ago Report: Hardwicke declined huge `New Moon' paydayAP - Friday, February 13 Thirst for learning defies forced marriage in filmReuters - Friday, February 13 Related Full Coverage Hollywood News Get the latest Hollywood news All Full Coverage Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Merrill bonuses made 696 millionaires: probe ABB annual net profit drops to 3.1 bln dlrs British armed police swoop on cowboy party Crisis shakes steel, auto, oil sectors Indian woman has football-sized tumour removed from jaw View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Thursday, 12 February 2009
Robin Gibb Becomes First Ambassador For Diana Award
Saving Abel Rocker Jason Null Saved From Sex Charges
Iranian News Agency Responds To Obama's Request For Dialogue
Lawmakers Have Tentative Agreement On $790 Billion Stimulus Price Tag
Unidentified Man's Body Dragged Under Van For 17 Miles Through New York City
Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan CEOs Testify Wednesday On Their Use Of Bailout
Russian Russia's Foreign Minister Says It Might Consider Shipment Of Arms Bound For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan
American Scientists Experimenting With Urine Test For Prostate Cancer
Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens Wants New Trial After Prosecutors Allegedly Concealed Evidence
McCain Begins Fundraising For 2010 Re-Election
Specter Under Fire For Voting For Senate's $838 Billion Stimulus
States, Cities, Counties Review Immigration Laws
Unidentified Man's Body Dragged Under Van For 17 Miles Through New York City
Favre And Away: Jets Quarterback Confirms Retirement By E-Mail
Despite Congressional Delay Vote, Almost 500 U.S. TV Stations To Push Through With Digital Switch Next Week
EU Relaunches 112 Emergency Number
Queen Elizabeth Appoints New Keeper For The Crown Jewels In Tower Of London
ICC to indict Sudan's Bashir over Darfur
Australia police detain 2 over deadly bushfires | International |
Taliban kill 20 in trio of Afghan capital attacks | International |
Security stepped up after Kabul blasts
Holbrooke gets Sharif's view on Pakistan | International |
Israeli rivals share tough line on Hamas and Iran
ABB annual net profit drops to 3.1 bln dlrs
ICC to indict Sudan's Bashir over Darfur: diplomats | International |
Israeli election could boost Hamas truce talks
ICC approves arrest warrant for Sudan's Beshir: NY Times
Twelve held after China state TV complex blaze | International |
At least 27 die in Iraq as bombs, shootings shatter lull
Quake near Indonesia's Sulawesi injures about 50 | International |
US lawmakers embrace 789 billion dollar stimulus
Israel faces gridlock and dim peace prospects
Merrill bonuses made 696 millionaires: probe
Panel orders U.N. to pay costs of oil-for-food chief | International |
Fortis shareholders reject break-up of ailing bank
Israeli rivals battle for power after tight vote
Vietnam, Vatican to discuss diplomatic ties | International |
Mexico's Calderon raps billionaire Slim on economy | International |
Car bombs strike Shiite pilgrims, kill at least 12
British armed police swoop on cowboy party
US trade gap shrinks in 2008 as recession bites
New prostate cancer test gets go-ahead
Videogames seen good for children | Technology |
Guitar Hero fails to save Activision | Technology |
US lawmakers ink 789 billion dollar stimulus deal
Sirius XM in talks with DirecTV, Liberty: reports | Technology |
Sources: Clinton plans to name NKorea envoy soon
Cuba launches own Linux variant to counter U.S. | Technology |
Murder Charge Set For Mom Who Dropped Baby In Lake
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,243
FCC to scrutinize stations wanting early DTV switch | Technology |
Florida Authorities Search For 5-Year-Old Girl Who Disappeared From Bed At Night
Iranian minister says he's optimistic about US
Ethiopian Police Arrests Man Keeping Belongings Of Slain American Diplomat
Tesla says likely to be profitable by mid-2009 | Technology |
Facebook settled for 65 million: ConnectU law firm
U.S. Navy Nets 7 Suspected Pirates In Gulf Of Aden
U.S. stimulus bill cleared for House and Senate votes
US-TECH Summary
U.S., Russian Communications Satellites Collide In Orbit
Pennsylvania County Judges' Harsh Sentences On Juveniles Under Review
"Guitar Hero" fails to save Activision
Russia, US discuss Afghan transit
Sirius XM Radio To File For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Videogames seen good for children
AP interview: Lithuania seeks assurance from US
Madoff's Wife Withdrew Millions Shortly Before Arrest
Obama signs bill delaying digital TV switch to June
US Navy seizes 7 suspected pirates off Somalia
Feb 11 Highlights Of Low Points In U.S. Economy
FCC to scrutinize stations wanting early DTV switch
Feeling The Pinch: America's Economic Crisis
Facebook most-visited social networking website
Tesla says likely to be profitable by mid-2009
RIM sees profit at low end of range, shares tumble
Cuba launches own Linux variant to counter U.S.
Nokia says to cut 559 jobs in Finland
Phoenix says no turning back on quitting acting | Entertainment |
Desperate Housewives to lose Nicollette Sheridan | Entertainment |
Brad Paisley leads Country Music award nominations | Entertainment |
NZ dairy confident of safety of milk products
Just A Minute With: singer-songwriter Graham Nash | Entertainment |
Shark attack diver in Australia loses hand
Actor Seagal wants to bring Hollywood to Costa Rica | Entertainment |
Chinese TV official among 12 held over fire: police
Howard Stern says satellite radio will survive | Entertainment |
Scandal-hit Chinese milk firm declared bankrupt: Xinhua
Michelle Obama graces cover of Vogue magazine | Entertainment |
Actor Seagal wants to bring Hollywood to Costa Rica
Troops throng Afghan capital after Taliban attacks
Hollywood's Brazilian bombshell Carmen Miranda remembered
NY designers get creative to battle recession | Entertainment |
Dozens injured as major quake hits Indonesia
12 detained over massive fire in Beijing complex
A list of some of the world's deadliest wildfires
Chinese court declares dairy bankrupt
China says expects good harvest despite drought
Movies can't change the world, say Israeli, Palestinian filmmakers
Singer-actress Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams engaged
SKorea cuts key interest rate amid recession fears
Actor Seagal wants to bring Hollywood to Costa Rica
Outsourcing firms look to India for growth
`American Idol' gets down to 36 semifinalists
Japan's Pioneer to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide
List of 36 semifinalists on 'American Idol'
S.Korea offers tax waiver to spur home sales
Gloom at major European art fair as boom in sales seen over
Bank of Korea cuts interest rate to new record low
Judge ends Joe Francis' house arrest
Honda slashes new graduate hiring as slump bites
Obama makes pilgrimage to Lincoln assassination site
Seoul shares fall after rate cut;Hynix, banks lose
Howard Stern says satellite radio will survive
Taiwan sells 168-day T-bills at 0.22 percent yield
CORRECTED: Brad Paisley leads Country Music award nominations
Pakistani c.bank sells 11 bln rupees of T-bills
Indonesia lifts tsunami warning issued after quake
Pakistani c.bank to sell T-bills in 7-day repo
Major quake hits Indonesia, tsunami warning lifted
U.S., Russian Communications Satellites Collide
Pakistan says it arrests Mumbai attack plotters | International |
Reform candidate slams Iran's hardline president
Military vote could help decide Israeli election | International |
Iran building seven more satellites
Playwright Sam Shepard Pleads Guilty To DUI, Ordered To Complete Community Service
U.S. and Russia track satellite crash debris | International |
Ne-Yo Sued For New Year's Eve Party No-Show
Afghans investigate Pakistan link to Kabul raids | International |
Total oil group reports record French profits
Israel lets Gaza export Valentine's Day flowers
Roadside bomb kills eight Iraqi pilgrims: police | International |
Live Nation-Ticketmaster Merger Probed by U.S. Department Of Justice
Miley Cyrus Sued For $4 Billion Over Eyes-Slanting Photo
Iran urges release of citizens held in Iraq by U.S. | International |
Pope tells Jews Holocaust denial is intolerable | International |
Wounded Sri Lankans, nuns make narrow escape from war | International |
US, Russian satellites collide in space
US soldier dies of non-combat injuries in Iraq
Royal watchers can track British Queen on website | Technology |
Analysis: Obama faces double dilemmas in Mideast
Qualcomm, HP, MySpace to join Symbian camp | Technology |
Qualcomm, HP, MySpace to join Symbian camp
On Darwin's 200th Birthday, Only 39 Percent Of Americans Believe In Evolution
California Governor, Lawmakers Agree On Budget Framework
No New Taxes In W.VA Budget, But Governor Also Has No Pay Raises For State Employees
Special Election For Gillibrand's House Seat Set For March 31
Verizon loses customer switching lawsuit | Technology |
Senate Panel Unanimously Backs Leon Panetta's Nomination As CIA Director
Glass Manufacturer AGC Flat Glass N America Announces Layoffs Of 232 Workes With Closure Of W.VA Plant
'Baby Doc's' millions set to return to Haiti
Employers Block Jobless Benefits Of Former Workers
Nine dead in Russia shootout
Ethanol Companies Badly Hit By Lower Gas Prices
200th Anniversary Of Abraham Lincoln's Life Celebrated
House Rules Committee Takes Up $789 Stimulus; Bill May Be Signed Into Law Friday
Zellweger plays woman desperately seeking husband | Entertainment |
Dengue kills 5, infects thousands in Indonesia
Australia blames arsonists for deadly wildfires
Thirst for learning defies forced marriage in film | Entertainment |
Sri Lankan troops declare new civilian safe zone
Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood
SKorea warns NKorea against missile test plan
Rihanna postpones show, police continue probe | Entertainment |
Official: Mumbai attack launched from Pakistan
On Darwin's 200th Birthday, Only 39 Percent Of Americans Believe In Evolution
Philippines summons World Bank official
Pakistani forex reserves rise to $10.29 bn
Troops throng Afghan capital after Taliban attacks
Pakistani stocks and rupee end weaker
Indonesia appeals acquittal of dictator's son
China's bank loans double in January to $237 bln
Connecticut Opera closes down, citing bad economy
NKorea claims nature celebrating Kim's birthday
WRAPUP 3-S.Korea cuts rates to record low, more to come
Report: Hardwicke declined huge `New Moon' payday
China official: Tibetan areas closed to foreigners
China shares mixed on lower exports
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Thirst for learning defies forced marriage in film
Taiwan eyes quick parliament approval for spending
Despite economy, the show must go on in Hollywood
Taiwan dollar hits 4-1/2-year closing low on funds
Music streaming service draws record labels' ire
Yamaha Motor expects first loss in 26 years
Charley Pride leads Arkansas lawmakers in song
S.Korea fin min, c.bank chief to meet on Fri
Israel allows Gaza flowers out for Valentine's
Nikkei falls to 3-month low on US bailout worries
AFP, French partner launch global leisure newswire in Asia
Neil Young added to Jazz Fest, but Aretha cancels
Research Suggests Paying People To Stop Smoking Works Wonders
Leukemia, HIV Patient Symptom Free Two Years After Stem Cell Transplant
Nation Celebrates Lincoln's 200th Birthday With Ceremonies, New Penny
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01