Homeland Films in Richmond, Brings Along Jobs and $40 Million to Virginia
"When I tell my kids we only had three television channels back when I was their age, they look at me like I'm an alien. Now, the global demand for content is almost insatiable," said Andy Edmunds, director of the Virginia Film Office. "This is why there are hundreds of film offices worldwide that compete to bring this content manufacturing opportunity into their country, state, province or city." In an interview with NCTA, Edmunds shared what it's like when a big production opportunity—like Showtime's Homeland—comes to the Old Dominion state, and how it touches every facet of the community
A Glimpse into How Unscripted TV is Made
Behind the scenes, thousands of cable programming employees work day and night to bring millions of Americans a diverse menu of TV shows that keep them coming back for more. For the many directors, producers, writers, showrunners, network executives and camera crews, it's no small feat to put together a show that captures audiences through innovative storytelling, whether it's for scripted or unscripted programming. Henry Morillo, an unscripted story producer who is currently working for the WE tv show Bridezillas, gave us a glimpse into what it takes to put together reality TV that keeps
A $9.5 Billion Impact: How TV and The Walking Dead Are Transforming Georgia
Georgia may be nicknamed the Peach State, but in the film and TV business, it’s better known as the Camera Ready State. With an average of 30-40 movie or television show productions going on per year, there's no shortage of television favorites being filmed there at any point in time, or in any kind of town, be it FX's Atlanta, IFC’s Brockmire or even Netflix’s Stranger Things. But the biggest hit of all is AMC's The Walking Dead, where 90 percent of the show's crew are native Georgians. The production also completely revitalized the small town of Senoia. In an interview with Lee Thomas
Hollywood Creative Forum: Inspiring and Developing Diverse Voices in Film and TV
The 9th annual Hollywood Creative Forum (HCF) concluded this week in Beverly Hills, and while every year brings intriguing discussions around diversity in TV and mentorship for diverse content creators, this year the conversation opened up even more. The Forum, hosted by The Walter Kaitz Foundation, is a once-a-year event when mid-career creatives along with veterans in the industry gather to foster diversity and creativity in the media and entertainment industries. “It’s an event designed for proven content creators who are looking to advance in Hollywood through career development and
Viewers Say TV is Growing More Diverse
More than two-thirds of TV viewers say that the TV programming they watch reflects people of different races, ethnicities, gender and sexual orientation, according to a recent poll from Morning Consult. Specifically, the survey asked whether viewers considered the actors seen on TV shows to be of diverse backgrounds, to which 68 percent responded agreeably. The survey also asked viewers whether they are able to find shows that speak directly to their backgrounds and lifestyles, and 70 percent answered yes. These findings seem to reflect the impact of the growing number of new TV shows in
Why TLC Viewers Stay Loyal
TLC had a great year. According to president and general manager Nancy Daniels, the network finished 2017 as the fastest-growing network with women in the 25-54 age group demographic. Known for its reality TV and lifestyle programming, TLC shows encourage loyalty and leave viewers eager to keep watching year after year, even amid a competitive TV marketplace and a vast menu of options. We talked with Daniels earlier this month at the TV Critics Association Winter Tour to find out what it is about the TLC brand that makes viewers stick around for the long haul. How does TLC stand out in reality
What’s Next After ‘Portlandia’ and How IFC Programs For Binge Viewers
At the TV Critics Association Winter Tour in Pasadena last week, cable networks and critics gathered not just to discuss the premieres of upcoming shows, but to also celebrate the stories and content that make their networks unique. We sat down with Christine Lubrano, IFC senior vice president of original programming, to talk about how her network creates new stories, keeps viewers excited, and imagines the future after the hit series, Portlandia. “We are actively looking for projects that feature women's points of view, diverse casts, diverse points of view–that is super important to us as
truTV President Chris Linn Talks on Creating TV Content for the Smartphone Era
The first day of the cable portion of the Television Critics Association Winter 2018 tour in Pasadena, California was full of TV talent and critics eager to get the latest scoop on shows coming out this spring and summer. We sat down with truTV President Chris Linn to talk a bit about how his network, which has recently shifted to delivering primarily comedy content, reaches its audience and keeps viewers coming back for more. How has truTV evolved in the past several years? In 2008, truTV became the reality arm of Turner, and this was during the big reality boom, and it had solid success in
Women Shine at This Year’s Golden Globes
The 75th Golden Globes aired earlier this week, and if anything stood out, it was the accolades for the strong female storytelling that’s been missing in years past. HBO's Big Little Lies made a big splash, winning in four categories: Best Television Limited Series; Nicole Kidman for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series (fellow co-star Reese Witherspoon was also a nominee in the same category); Laura Dern for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series; and Alexander Skarsgard for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series
Three Questions: How a Network Stays True to Its Mission in the Digital Era
Expert: Richard Weinstein, C-SPAN Vice President, Digital Media C-SPAN’s Richard Weinstein gives the lowdown on how the network has adapted to the evolving marketplace while continuing to provide audiences with its staple product—which is uninterrupted and uneditorialized coverage of all facets of the U.S. political process. What makes C-SPAN stand apart as a network? In this era of social media and instantaneous public commentary, giving people the chance to see what's going on in our government without filters is more critical than ever. We are still driven by the same mission we had when C