Thompson on Hollywood Moves to indieWIRE

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer. You may have noticed a lull in posts since last month. The Film Panel Notetaker is on a semi-hiatus for the summer, though you may be seeing a post or two here and there. This morning, I received word that Anne Thompson's Thompson on Hollywood blog will now be housed at indieWIRE. I've been an admirer of Anne's work at her former haunt Variety, not to mention she has linked to this here blog a few times :)

I look forward to reading her over at iW come Monday morning. Below is the press announcement from SnagFilms.

I’s Official: Top Film Industry Journalist Anne Thompson Will Bring Her Blog, Thompson On Hollywood, from Variety To IndieWIRE

July 31, 2009- SnagFilms announced today that Anne Thompson, one of the most respected journalists covering the film industry, will move her widely-read Thompson on Hollywood blog from Variety.com to the indieWIRE network, beginning Monday, August 3. Thompson brings to indieWIRE more than two decades of experience covering the entertainment industry.

At indieWIRE, Thompson will retain her focus on all aspects of the film business, while also expanding this coverage and analysis to entertainment and cultural trends. Her blog thompsononhollywood.com will re-launch Monday as part of the indieWIRE blog network; and will be featured on indieWIRE.com, at SnagFilms.com and through the company’s distribution partners.

“Anne Thompson has long been one of the most insightful writers covering the film industry – from the boulevards of Hollywood to the canyon roads of independent film,” said Rick Allen, CEO of SnagFilms LLC. “Starting at Sundance and throughout this year, indieWIRE has consistently scooped its competition, particularly among large publications that have scaled back their coverage of independent film. With Anne’s arrival, and by incorporating thompsononhollywood.com within the indieWIRE network, we’ll be able to take our leadership to a new level, and bring an even broader scope of information and analysis to industry insiders and fans.”

Anne Thompson has done more than just break news in her more than two decades of covering the film industry – she has provided an insider’s clear-eyed analysis of a business that defines American culture at home and abroad. Born and raised in New York, she has been a contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Observer, and Wired. She has served as film columnist at Variety, and deputy editor of Variety.com, where her daily blog, "Thompson on Hollywood," has run since March 2007. Anne was the Deputy Film Editor at The Hollywood Reporter, the West Coast Editor of Premiere, a Senior Writer at Entertainment Weekly, and West Coast Editor for Film Comment. She wrote the film industry column "Risky Business" for L.A. Weekly and the Los Angeles Times syndicate. She is a graduate of the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, hosts the fall semester of "Sneak Previews" for UCLA Extension and teaches film criticism at USC.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to be working with indieWIRE and SnagFilms which have both proven to be innovative movers and shakers in the online space. For thirteen years, indieWIRE has been the authoritative voice on independent film. Launching the new and improved Thompson on Hollywood as part of the indieWIRE network offers an opportunity for me to reach a new audience and undertake a new approach to covering the entertainment industry,” said Anne Thompson.

IndieWIRE editor Eugene Hernandez said, “Anne is the leading voice from Hollywood and she has such a strong sense of how journalism about movies and the industry is evolving. She is an informed veteran with a topnotch editorial track record and a powerful rolodex. She offers expert analysis of the trends and issues affecting movies today. I expect her new web home within the indieWIRE network to be a go-to spot for news, insight and perspective on the industry, festivals, awards season, and the latest movies.”

IndieWIRE is the leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry, and moviegoers alike, and is wholly owned by SnagFilms. SnagFilms brings the best nonfiction films to the web audience, promotes viral web distribution through virtual movie theater widgets, and engages viewers to assist in charitable and community efforts.

Independent Film Week - State of the Industry - Sept. 16, 2008

The State of the Industry
Independent Film Week
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
FIT – Haft Auditorium – New York, NY

Last Tuesday at the Independent Filmmaker Conference, Variety’s Anne Thompson moderated a discussion with indie film distribution stalwart Bob Berney, who lead Warner Bros.’ specialty division Picturehouse, which was recently relinquished into the larger fabric of the company. A few years back, Berney brought to mainstream attention such indie film hits as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and Mel Gibson’s controversial The Passion of the Christ. Berney talked with Thompson about his work in distribution and the current and state of the industry and where it seems to be heading. Below are some selected moments from that discussion.

Thompson: Why are the studios losing faith in the independent specialty division sectors? Why were Picturehouse and Warner Independent both put out to pasture?

Berney: We’re really caught up in a lot of things. I think that for Warners and Time Warner having duplicate distribution systems. Obviously Warners and New Line became very similar doing the same tent-pole releases. When they closed New Line, I think they forgot about us. I thought there could have been a merger with Warner Independent and Picturehouse. They felt they only were going to make tent-pole movies like The Dark Knight. They didn’t want to have the over head. There wasn’t enough profit for their huge overhead and corporation to do independent films. If they had one, they would do it through the Warner system. At the same time in the marketplace, you saw Paramount Vantage change. It’s not quite as bad as with Warner Independent and Picturehouse, but it radically downsized. We’ll see what kind of films it will do now.

Thompson: What is it that you were able to do to build audiences for foreign language films?

Berney: Over the years for foreign language films, distribution became touch because ancillary markets behind the theatrical just didn’t perform. You go from being a niche studio where you announced you’re going to buy a foreign language films. Foreign language is just the code word for zero. I tried to pick films over the years that go beyond the language. Pan’s Labyrinth…Guillermo told the story so beautifully.

Thompson: With Mel Gibson, that was an unusual situation where you took his movie against all odds onto 5,000 screens.

Berney: It was amazing operationally as distributors to do that movie. It really changed the business because we had 23 people at the time at New Market. We opened on the level of 5,000 runs and we grossed $360 million. We couldn’t believe we could actually get the prints to theaters. They (the studios) had 500-600 people doing the same thing. It was rough dealing with all the fire with Mel, but mainly we were just focused on the exhibitors. You have to go as wide as you can because it’s not a review film. At that time, he was on his best behavior. I wasn’t caught in any of the controversy of him. At the time, as an independent, we really went big. As an independent distributor, theater chains…you’re not going to get as good a deal as you do if you’re with a studio. They really tried to screw us on that.

Thompson: What has happened with the exhibition community and the health of independent film? Why is it so bad?

Berney: I think it’s a lot of things. There’s been a lot of discussion…that panel that Mark Gill did…his theory was that all films are bad. The part that’s true is there were all of these hedge fund investors that would invest in…and part of this is my fault…in the P&A. They’d get it out there and it didn’t work. Part of it is the pressure especially in the studio divisions to do bigger films and wider releases. A lot of the studios go…it has to be Juno. It has to be that kind of level of hit. That’s a lot of pressure. DVD is falling, although there are a ton of exceptions. VOD has been coming along really strong.

Thompson: Are you going to play around with the whole digital arena?

Berney: I think one of the biggest changes recently is the announcement…I don’t know if it’s going to happen…there was an announcement about six months ago that MGM, Lionsgate and Paramount are going to start a new digital VOD service. It’s very hard as an independent to get a pay deal with HBO, Showtime or Starz, because they’re doing more original programming. This could be an interesting change that helps independent distributors maybe.