'Breaking Bad', 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Take Home Saturn Awards

Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Super 8 were the big film winners at the 38th annual Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in the genre world’s version of the Oscars. Breaking Bad, meanwhile, was the dominant force on the television side.

Apes took home honors for best science fiction film, best supporting actor for Andy Serkis and best special effects, while Super 8 received awards for best director (J.J. Abrams), best music (Michael Giacchino) and best performance by a younger actor (Joel Courtney).

Breaking Bad was named best syndicated/cable TV series, and also received Saturns for best actor on television (Bryan Cranston) and best supporting actor on television (Aaron Paul).

In other film categories, best fantasy film was awarded to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 while The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo nabbed best horror thriller and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol received best action/adventure film.

Michael Shannon took home best actor for Take Shelter while Kirsten Dunst was named best actress for her performance in Melancholia. Best supporting actress went to Emily Blunt for The Adjustment Bureau.

Puss in Boots was awarded best animated film while The Skin I Live In received the Saturn for best international film.

In television, the Saturn for best network series went to Fringe. Best television presentation went to The Walking Dead while Teen Wolf grabbed best youth-oriented series.

Fringe star Anna Torv picked up the prize for best actress, The Killing’s Michelle Forbest received best supporting actress, while Tom Skerritt was awarded best guest star for his appearance on Leverage.

Among the other notable awards were lifetime career awards to Frank Oz of Yoda fame and actor James Remar, and an innovative award to The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

'Dark Knight' Shooting: In Gesture of Sympathy, Studios May Not Report Box Office Grosses This Weekend

Hollywood studios are rallying together in the wake of the shooting that left at least 12 dead inside a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."

In an unprecedented move, no box office numbers could be reported for any film this weekend as Hollywood studios and independent distributors navigate the aftermath of the Colorado theater massacre that left a dozen moviegoers dead and dozens injured.

Warner Bros. said late Friday afternoon that it wouldn't report weekend grosses for The Dark Knight Rises out of respect for the victims of the shooting, which occurred during a midnight screening of the film in the Denver suburb of Aurora.

Throughout the evening, other studios and independent distributors began indicating they would refrain from reporting grosses as well over the weekend. Ditto for Rentrak, the service that collects box office data from theater owners across the country.

That doesn't mean studios won't know how their films are doing, including Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures -- who partnered on Dark Knight Rises -- since the data will still be available via Rentrak.

Box office observers reported late Friday evening that traffic for Dark Knight Rises may have slipped as the evening wore on. But the movie could still score the second-best opening of all time with a three-day gross in the $170 million to $180 million range.

Emmys 2012: 'Downton Abbey' Invades Drama Series Category With 16 Nominations

PBS’ Downton Abbey – last year’s outstanding miniseries winner – this year invaded the drama series category with sterling results. The PBS period soap opera about an aristocratic family and their servants earned nominations for outstanding drama series and lead performers Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville. Additionally, Maggie Smith, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle and Jim Carter received supporting performer nominations, giving Downton nominees in all of the main acting categories. And Brian Percival and series creator Julian Fellowes earned nominations for directing and writing, respectively.

Downton received 16 nominations in all. But Mad Men and American Horror Story received the most, with 17 each. Mad Men will be going for its record fifth outstanding drama series Emmy this year.

Downton and Med Men will compete against HBO's Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, AMC's Breaking Bad and Showtime's Homeland. Mad Men stars Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss are nominees again this year as are Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.

Michael C. Hall (Showtime's Dexter) and Steve Buscemi (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) round out the lead drama actor field.

FX’s Ryan Murphy thriller, American Horror Story received noms in the miniseries category and for lead actress Connie Britton and supporting performers Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Denis O'Hare. And History’s Hatfields & McCoys – which premiered to a record 14.2 million viewers in May – broke into the Emmys in a big way. The mini earned 16 nominations overall, including one for outstanding miniseries and lead actor noms for Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. 

With first-time nominees in multiple performance categories and nominations for freshman series including Showtime’s Homeland, Fox’s New Girl and HBO’s Girls and Veep, there will be plenty of new faces walking the red carpet as nominees at the 64th annual Primetime Emmys.

Lena Dunham, the star and creator of Girls – a slacker Sex and the City – scored her first nomination in the lead comedy actress category, where she’ll compete with fellow newcomer and New Girl star Zooey Deschanel. New Girl supporting actor Max Greenfield also received his first nomination.

Dunham and Deschanel will compete with last year’s winner Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) and the oft-nominated Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and Tina Fey (30 Rock). Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) also scored a nomination for comedy lead — she was nominated multiple times for her supporting role on Seinfeld and won comedy lead for The New Adventures of Old Christine in 2006.

While Girls and Veep did receive outstanding comedy series noms, New Girl did not. The complete comedy series field once again includes The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, Modern Family and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Don Cheadle earned his first comedy series nom for Showtime’s House of Lies. Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen’s long-suffering co-star on Two and a Half Men, also earned his first nomination as comedy lead. They will be up against last year's winner Jim Parsons (Big Bang) as well as Larry David (HBO's Curb), Louis C.K. (FX's Louie) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), a multiple winner in the category.

Mayim Bialik (Big Bang Theory) and Merritt Weaver (Nurse Jackie) also are first-time nominees in the supporting comedy performer category.

The outstanding drama series performer category also includes many nominees new to their particular categories. Damian Lewis and Claire Danes scored nominations for their roles in Homeland. Anna Gunn and Giancarlo Esposito snagged supporting noms for Breaking Bad, which recently entered its penultimate season on AMC. And Jared Harris, whose character committed suicide on last season’s Mad Men, scored a nom in the supporting drama series category.

Competing against Dockery, Moss and Danes for the lead drama actress Emmy are: Glenn Close (DirecTV's Damages), Julianna Margulies (CBS' The Good Wife) and Kathy Bates for her role in the now-cancelled NBC series Harry's Law. 

HBO once again had the most nominations with 81, followed by CBS (60), PBS (58), ABC (48) and AMC (34).

The Emmys will be broadcast live Sept. 23 on ABC with first-timer Jimmy Kimmel serving as master of ceremonies.

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Girls
Modern Family
30 Rock
Veep

Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Lena Dunham, Girls
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock
Margaret Cho, 30 Rock
Kathy Bates, Two and a Half Men

Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Michael J. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Greg Kinnear, Modern Family
Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Jon Hamm, 30 Rock

Writing for a Comedy Series
Community, Remedial Chaos Theory
Girls, Pilot
Louie, Pregnant
Parks and Recreation, The Debate
Parks and Recreation, Win, Lose, or Draw

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men


Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Claire Danes, Homeland
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jared Harris, Mad Men

Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
Jean Smart, Harry's Law
Julia Ormond, Mad Men
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Uma Thurman, Smash

Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad
Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Jeremy Davies, Justified
Ben Feldman, Mad Men
Jason Ritter, Parenthood

Writing for a Drama Series
Downton Abbey, Episode 7
Homeland, Pilot
Mad Men, The Other Woman
Mad Men, Commissions And Fees
Mad Men, Far Away Places

Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story
Game Change
Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Luther
Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Connie Britton, American Horror Story
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Ashley Judd, Missing
Emma Thompson, The Song of Lunch

Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Bill Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Idris Elba, Luther
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or A Movie
Frances Conroy, American Horror Story
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Mare Winningham, Hatfields & McCoys
Judy Davis, Page Eight

Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Denis O'Hare, American Horror Story
Ed Harris, Game Change
Tom Berenger, Hatfields & McCoys
David Strathairn, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Martin Freeman, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Game Change
Hatfields & McCoys • Part 2
The Hour
Luther
Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice

Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Betty White, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance

Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live 

For the complete list of nominees, including awards to be handed out during the Creative Arts ceremony, head to the Emmys website.

Viacom Pulled from DirecTV

Apparently, Viacom is looking for a 30 percent rate increase. DirecTV, as you might imagine, isn't down with that.

The sad fact of being a satellite TV subscriber is that you have to deal with seemingly constant struggles for content. Dish has been dealing with the loss of content thanks to their new DVR and now DirecTV faces the loss of channels due to a licensing agreement.

"We have been very willing to get a deal done," says DirecTV EVP of Content Derek Chang, "but Viacom is pushing DirecTV customers to pay more than a 30% increase, which equates to an extra $1 billion, despite the fact that the ratings for many of their main networks have plummeted and much of Viacom's programming can be seen for free online."

"We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening's deadline," says Viacom in a statement. "However, DirecTV refused to engage in meaningful conversation."

Source: Multichannel News

'Amazing Spider-Man' Nets $7.5 Million at Midnight

The Amazing Spider-Man earned an estimated $7.5 million from midnight shows last night. Among comic book movies, that's much lower than The Avengers ($18.7 million) and The Dark Knight, but about on par with Iron Man 2 ($7.5 million). Sony is also reporting that the figure is identical to Spider-Man 3's midnight haul from the first weekend of May 2007. IMAX showings at 300 locations accounted for $1.2 million, or 16 percent of the gross.

While the Spider-Man 3 comparison is a flattering one (that movie wound up earning $151.1 million through its first three days), it isn't really an apples-to-apples one. With kids still in school, the first weekend of May rarely turns out strong midnight numbers, while all kids and many adults are off leading in to the Fourth of July holiday. Also, the way in which audiences attend midnight movies has changed noticeably in the past few years: the top eight midnight openings ever have taken place since 2009 (only five of the top eight opening weekends are in that same time frame). Finally, with the addition of 3D and the drastically increased number of IMAX venues, tickets for The Amazing Spider-Man are much more expensive than those for Spider-Man 3.

Still, The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3 are very different movies. The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot with a completely fresh cast and some weird baggage associated with the previous franchise, while Spider-Man 3 was the highly-anticipated follow-up to the first two entries in Sam Raimi's franchise. For The Amazing Spider-Man to have the same midnight haul, even with inflated ticket prices and a more hospitable release date, is a minor accomplishment for sure.

It's hard to predict exactly how The Amazing Spider-Man will fare through its first six days, given the lack of comparable Tuesday releases. It is clear now that $100 million is a guarantee, while $150 million also appears to be a very reachable figure.

Inspiration goes Mainstream

By  John W. Kennedy

Today’s special dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture are comprised of notes from the Variety Family Entertainment & Faith Based Summit that was held in LA last Thursday. I just flew back and, boy, are my arms tired. Incredibly lame jokes aside, the event provided ample evidence that family and faith-supportive entertainment is now attracting some of the entertainment industry’s top talent while actually outperforming more supposedly hip and edgy fare.

1. Early arrival.  I got the Sofitel Hotel on Beverly Boulevard about an hour before the event was scheduled to begin. Good thing I was already registered because, as I understand, it was already sold out. The summit was organized in association with the public relations firm Rogers & Cowan. I was happy to get the opportunity to meet up with a few of the folks who have frequently helped me with this blog in the past, including Senior V.P. Lesley Burbridge, Kimberly Schroeder and Christina Garvin. Their professionalism was on display throughout the entire day which extremely well-produced and came off without any apparent hitches. Hats off to them!

2. Stats. The summit began with some data analysis presented by Rentrak Chief Research Officer Bruce Goerlich, Dove Foundation CEO Dick Rolfe and Mastermedia International CEO Larry W. Poland. The general gist of their reports pointed to an audience for family, faith and values-friendly films and TV shows that is wide, culturally-diverse, educated and, to boot, carries excellent credit ratings (which should be of interest to advertisers).

Dick Rolfe distributed the Dove Foundation’s 2012 Film Profitability Study which examined film box office results from 2005 through 2009.  The report found that of the 1000 most-widely-distributed film during that time frame, 376 (38%) were rated R, 412 (41%) were PG-13, 178 (18%) were PG and only 34 (3%) were rated G.  During the same period, G-rated movies averaged profits of 108.5 million dollars with PG films averaging 65.5 million in plus-side revenues.  PG-13 film, meanwhile, averaged 59.7 million in profits. Bringing up the rear were R-rated movies with average profits of about 12.7 million.

So, the study points out, Hollywood released 11 times more R-rated movies than G-rated movies from 2005 through 2009 — yet the averaged G-rated film produced over eight times the profit of its R-rated counterpart.  As the report notes, the market for G-rated fare seems far from saturated.

The Dove Foundation, as you may know, also awards its seal of approval to films that support positive human values. The report notes that, during the period covered,  Dove-approved films were 2.5 times more profitable as film that failed to meet it human values criteria.  Dove-approved PG films were 2.8 times more profitable than other PG films.  Dove-approved PG-13 films, meanwhile, were 1 3/4 times as profitable as non Dove-approved films with the same rating.

The bottom line appears to be that audiences prefer movies that support traditional values (i.e. faith, family, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude) to those that ignore them or even treat them with ridicule and contempt.


3. Simon says the advertisers are there to support family/values-based programming. Following the numbers display, Variety Deputy Editor Cynthia Littleton  interviewed Ben Simon who heads up Walmart’s global family entertainment marketing initiatives  and is co-chair of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment. The latter group was begun by P&G  and Johnson & Johnson out of a concern that, as network television edged toward edgier and edgier programming, it was losing its effectiveness as a means of reaching all members of a family. What’s more, their customers were clearly telling them that they wanted prime-time programs they could comfortably watch with their children. (Full list of ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment members here).

The ANA Alliance has been instrumental in supporting the development of such shows as Gilmore Girls and Friday Night Lights and in finding talented writers who may be the creators of family-family hits of the future. Toward the end, the organization has named Megan Angelo as the winner of its America’s Newest Comedy Writer contest for her sitcom script O’Connell for Congress.

Simon, who has been a major force behind Family Movie Night, a series films/backdoor pilots Walmart and P&G got onto the prime-time schedules of NBC and Fox (albeit mostly on Saturday nights), convincingly argued that that family audience isn’t a niche audience. It is, in fact, the mainstream audience.
Yes, the audience is there. But, beyond that, if networks want to please their advertisers, they’d be wise to get behind programs that speak to families.

4.  Mark Burnett previews The Bible. The man behind Survivor and The Voice gave an enthusiastic audience an early look at clips from his upcoming 10-hour miniseries which he’s producing with his wife Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) who also has an acting role in the epic.  Says Burnett, “I couldn’t give a shit about the business model. This was about love and faith.” ( More at Variety)

5. GMC (Gospel Music Channel) and Magic Johnson team up to create a positive cable network. As part of a panel discussion on The State of Family and Faith-Based Entertainment, GMC Vice Chairman Brad Siegel talked about branding his channel as home of “Uplifting Entertainment” (i.e. positive TV movies and TV series in the vein of 7th Heaven). He also talks about partnering up with the NBA legend to create Aspire TV. Set to debut on Comcast systems next Sunday (June 30), the 24-hour channel will offer positive and uplifting entertainment programming tailored toward the African-American community.
Also contributing to the conversation (moderated by Variety’s Cynthia Littleton) were Ben Howard (Provident Films), Simon Swart (Fox Home Entertainment), Darren Melameth (Crown Media Family Networks) and Dale Ardizzone (The Inspiration Networks).

6. The School That Fell From the Sky. During a networking break, I met with Vince Gratzer, the proprietor of the independent Las Cruces Productions. He’s optioned the rights to the harrowing-but-inspirational autobiography of Fred Hargesheimer. Shot down by the Japanese during World War II, the reconnaissance pilot survived the deadly jungles of enemy-occupied New Britain where (after pleading to God for help) he was finally rescued by villagers who risked their lives to nurse him back to health.  Years after the war, Hargesheimer returned to the impoverished village that protected him and spent several years building schools, libraries and clinics in gratitude to God and the people who protected him in his darkest hours. Vince is seeking a production partner/production company to partner with to bring Fred’s story to the screen.
(Read more here)

7. Marketing Them and They Will Come. A discussion of how to market family and faith-based films was led by Dan Merrell, President and CEO of the Nashville-based entertainment marketing firm Propeller. Participants included Richard Ingber who heads worldwide marketing for Alcon Entertainment, Spark Networks CEO Greg Liberman, Rio Cyrus (SVP/Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment), Movie to Movement Founder Jason Jones, Arleen Lopez (who handles faith marketing for Pantelion Films) and Kim Dorr-Tilley who is both co-owner and founder of Defining Artists Agency and an associate pastor with Bel Air Presbyterian Church’s Entertainment Ministries.

8. How to make successful faith-based entertainment? That topic was discussed by a panel comprised of people who have achieved great success doing just that. Motive Marketing CEO Paul Lauer led the discussion. Participants included Brian Bird of Believe Pictures, John Shepherd of MPower Pictures, Michael Van Dyck of the Paradigm Talent Agency, Rich Peluso (Affirm Films), John Kilkullen (Bible 360) and Movieguide Publisher Ted Baehr. If you want to be inspired, read the personal stories of Brian Bird and Michael Van Dyck.

9. Lunch. Great food. Spoke with a rep from The 168 Film Project.

10. The Chronicles of Walden. Variety Film Critic Peter Debruge interviewed Walden Media Co-Founder Michael Flaherty about how the company behind the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia came to be.

11. A New Age. How new technologies present new challenges and new opportunities for family and faith-based media was discussed by a panel led by Variety TV Editor Andrew Wallenstein. Michael Jay Solomon, an industry legend who ran Lorimar/Telepictures (during the original Dallas era)  talked about Truli.net, a new social networking  site featuring Christian content due to officially launch on July 9th.  Other participants included Jonathan Yang (Salem Web Network), Susan Jackson (Freestyle Digital Media), Dean Waters (Vimby) and Maura Dunbar of Odyssey Networks. Odyssey Networks, Dunbar noted, also remains heavily involved in developing content for traditional television, including the Jeff Foxworthy-hosted The Great American Bible Quiz set to bow soon on GSN (Game Show Network).

12. What’s Next in Family Entertainment? Variety Managing Editor Kirstin Wilder asked October Baby director Jon Erwin, Oogieloves creator Kenn Viselmann, Charlie Ebersol(Executive Producer of USA’s The Moment), Documentary Channel CEO James Ackerman and Flashlight Entertainment Co-Founder Brian Wells.

13. A Star is Born? During a break someone asked me to check out the Official Campaign for Baby Peggy Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here’s her story, per Wikipedia.

14. Follow the Money. But to follow it, you have to know where to look for it. Tips on that were offered by MJM Entertainment Group Founder Mark Joseph (producer of Doonby). Participants included George Taweel (George Taweel Productions), Cindy Bond (Mission Pictures International), Lance McAlindon (Front Porch Entertainment), GG Filmz Founder Deborah Giarratana (producer of Machine Gun Preacher) and October Baby Executive Producer Dave Johnson.

15. Creative Masters in Family and Faith-Based Entertainment. The final panel discussion was anchored by Variety’s Brian Lowry. Participants included X-Men producer Ralph Winter, Psych and LA Law star Corbin Bernsen (who starred in and directed Rust, a faith-based drama that earned him a Director’s Choice Award at the San Diego Christian Film Festival), producer-writer Dean Batali, producer Lori McCreary (Invictus) and producer Jason Carbone (Beverly’s Full House

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/faithmediaandculture/#ixzz1z1LnpiiQ

The Family Entertainment and Faith-Based Summit

The Family Entertainment and Faith-Based Summit produced by Variety in association with Rogers & Cowan will look at the business of television and film product that is created for families and faith-based audiences. The Summit will explore the development, production and marketing of this content and look into the future of these markets.   (FROM June 21, 2012)

 

8:30 – 9:30am   Check-In/Welcome Remarks/Morning Networking

9:30 – 10:00am Research/Case Studies
9:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. Rentrak ResearchPresented by Bruce Goerlich, Chief Research Officer, Rentrak
9:40 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Dove Study on Family Film ProfitabilityPresented by Dick Rolfe, Co-Founder & CEO, The Dove Foundation
9:50 to 10:00 a.m. Study on the Evangelical Community "Evangelicals: Research on 100 million media consumers who are diverse, traditional, and not so..."
Presented by Larry W. Poland, PH.D., Chairman and CEO of Mastermedia International

10:00 – 10:30am Keynote Conversation with Ben Simon, Director, Walmart & Co-Chair, ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment
Interviewed by Cynthia Littleton, Deputy Editor, Variety

10:30 – 10:40am Mark Burnett - To Talk About His New Bible Series For History

10:40 – 11:20am State of Family and Faith-based EntertainmentAs audiences are increasingly divided across growing media options, family entertainment like The Blind Side, Narnia, Courageous and October Baby has the power to unify and attract massive audiences worldwide. At the same time, successful outreach to the faith-based communities can mean a measurable boost in box office and ratings for family entertainment. Top studio and TV chiefs will discuss the key ingredients to building these cross-over hits.
*What are critical story elements to rally family audiences and entice major studios to handle these projects? What is the right balance between a compelling plotline and content that fits into audience values?
*What are the marketing models for film and TV – is it easier to strike important co-promotional relationships with brands on family projects?
*Historically, home entertainment has been a strong sector for family and faith-based titles. How have changes to this industry impacted the family and faith-based genre?
*What are exciting projects on the horizon that may boost this entertainment category, such as high-profile directors Darren Aronofsky and Steven Spielberg attached to Noah and Moses respectively?
Moderated by Cynthia Littleton, Deputy Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Ben Howard, Co-Founder, Provident Films
Simon Swart, EVP & GM, Fox Home Entertainment
Darren Melameth, VP, Program Planning & Scheduling, Crown Media Family Networks(Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movie Channel)
Brad Siegel, Vice Chairman, GMC TV
Dale Ardizzone, COO, The Inspiration Networks

11:20 – 11:30am Networking Break

11:30 – 12:15am Reaching Family and Faith-Based Audiences: Launching and Marketing Films to Create Universal Hits The family and faith-based audiences do share some similarities in content choices, such as demand for projects that are safe for kids to watch. Studios hope to reach both in launching their films and TV series to maximize their potential – but what is the best way to pitch a mainstream family film to the faith-based segment to ensure you gain fans and don’t alienate anyone along the way? And vice versa, how do you promote projects with spiritual and religious content for mainstream success, such as profitable bonanza Soul Surfer? Top marketers and their partners will analyze what it means to pitch movies and TV projects to different audience groups for an overall impactful and cohesive campaign.
*What were the results of recent pitching broadly-targeted non-religious themed projects to the faith-based demographic – i.e. Relativity’s Act of Valor, TLC’s Sarah Palin’s Alaska, Alcon’s Dolphin Tale; Sony’s The Vow? What works in these sorts of campaigns?
*What elements of certain broad films are necessary to cross over between larger family audiences and the faith-based demographic?
*What were the secret ingredients of the Soul Surfer campaign getting out to mainstream audiences?
*What partnerships are critical in campaigns – aligning with which family-friendly organizations, church groups and pastors, bloggers, etc.?
Moderated by Dan Merrell, President, CEO & Founder, PROPELLER
Confirmed Speakers:
Richard Ingber, President, Worldwide Marketing, Alcon Entertainment
Greg Liberman, President & CEO, Spark Networks
Rio Cyrus, SVP, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Jason Jones, Founder, Movie to Movement
Kim Dorr-Tilley, Co-Owner & Founder, Defining Artists Agency & Associate Pastor, Entertainment Ministries, Bel Air Presbyterian Church
Arleen Lopez, Project Manager, Faith Marketing (Gril in Progress), Pantelion Films

12:15 – 1:00pm The Opportunity in Faith-Friendly and Faith-Based Content: What is Success Today?
There is tremendous opportunity in backing faith-centered projects. The faith-based audience is underserved as they seem to crave the relatively few films released in this genre, and are large enough in number to impact box office – such as with Facing the Giants and Courageous. However, not every faith-based project has broken through and found an audience –as people are spread across so many entertainment choices and platforms, the faith-based included. Top distributors, creators and marketers of faith-based content will explore what it means to thrive in this space.
* What is the opportunity for production companies and distributors to enter this business?
* What is the status of TV and delivering faith-based content? The genre seems to skew heavier on the theatrical and DVD side, but it seems like cable/satellite/broadband channels, and their ability to support niche interests can be a viable delivery tool?
* What is necessary to know about the faith-based market to spark their interest for projects?
* What are budget considerations when filming within this niche – is it tricky to attract big name production and acting talent to faith-based projects? Is being labeled a ‘religious’ director/actor/producer controversial in Hollywood?
Moderated by Paul Lauer, Founder & CEO, Motive Marketing
Confirmed Speakers:
Brian Bird, Partner, Believe Pictures
John Shepherd, President, Mpower Pictures
Ted Baehr, Founder and Publisher, Movieguide
Michael Van Dyck, Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Rich Peluso, VP, Affirm Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment
John Kilkullen, President, Bible 360, Hearst Corporation

1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch

2:00 – 2:30pm Afternoon Keynote Conversation with Michael Flaherty, Co-Founder, Walden MediaInterviewed by Peter Debruge, Senior Film Critic, Variety

2:30 – 3:15pm Harnessing Digital Media for Family and Faith-Based Entertainment The growth of digital technology has been a boon for niche content producers, in that they don’t have to rely on mainstream-skewing studios/networks to release or market their product. This translates within digital theaters and their alternative programming campaigns; in the home with video-on-demand and streaming; and through digital gaming and apps. Can digital distribution and social media open critical doors for different niches to reach audiences? Top faith-based and family distributors and technology partners will talk about how digital media is advancing their business.
*What content distributors are succeeding in expanding audiences through digital platforms? What is the best strategy given so much choice in how new technologies can deliver content?
*What is the impact of Web communities, apps and other interactive entertainment geared towards family and faith-based audiences? Examples include Jesus Daily on Facebook and the Journey of Moses App.
Moderated by Andrew Wallenstein, TV Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Michael Jay Solomon, CEO & President, Truli Media Group & Co-Founder, Telepictures
Jonathan Yang, VP, Sales, Salem Web Networks
Maura Dunbar, EVP & Chief Content Officer, Odyssey Networks
Susan Jackson, CEO, Freestyle Digital Media
Dean Waters, CEO, Mark Burnett Productions' Vimby

3:15 – 4:00pm What’s Next in Family Entertainment?
Within the family and faith-based genres – there is much diversity in the types of content that can fall under these labels. How has the launch of Hub, DisneyXD and other kids-centric channels impacted the business? Can popular faith-based comics, such as Shonda Pierce, break into mainstream with her PG-rated and safe-for-families comedy? Pioneers of these family and faith-based categories and their partners will talk about the significance of these sub-genres.
Moderated by Kirstin Wilder, VP & Managing Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Jon Erwin, Director, October Baby
Kenn Viselmann, Founder, Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Company & Producer/Creator, The Oogieloves
Charlie Ebersol, Co-Founder, The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company)/Executive Producer, The Moment on USA Network
James Ackerman, President & CEO, The Documentary Channel
Brian Wells, Co-Founder, Flashlight Entertainment

4:00 – 4:15pm Networking Break

4:15 – 5:00pm Film Finance and Production for Family and Faith-based Entertainment Brands and advertisers have long pleaded with Hollywood to create more family content in which their products can safely and positively be integrated. Walmart and Proctor & Gamble have famously been huge family entertainment advocates, having funded movies that are distributed on the major broadcast networks and promoted in stores. Investment angels, family-advocacy organizations and churches want to support this content as well. Leading financing entities and their production partners will discuss the marketplace for funding family and faith-based entertainment.
Moderated by Mark Joseph, Producer (Doonby, Reagan) and Founder, MJM Entertainment Group
Confirmed Speakers:
George Taweel, Founder, George Taweel Productions
Cindy Bond, Co-Founder & President, Mission Pictures International
Lance McAlindon, Chief Research Officer, Front Porch Research
Deborah Giarratana, Producer, Machine Gun Preacher& Founder, GG Filmz
Dave Johnson, Executive Producer, October Baby

5:00 – 5:45pm Creative Masters in Family and Faith-Based Entertainment Top directors, producers and writers of hit family and faith-based projects will talk about what is driving their storytelling.
*What plotlines and characters are attracting audiences – is it important to look for cross-over potential between faith-based audience and general family viewers?
*With faith-based projects, is there concern of being pigeonholed into only being successful in that category?
*What are dream projects that leading directors, producers and writers would like to make in the future?
Moderated by Brian Lowry, Senior Columnist, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Ralph Winter, Producer, X-Men:Wolverine, X-Men: The Last Stand
Corbin Bernsen, Actor/Producer (Psych, The Big Year)
Dean Batali, Producer & Writer, That 70's Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chonda Pierce's This Ain't Prettyville)
Lori McCreary, Producer (Invictus, The Magic of Belle Island)
Jason Carbone, Executive Producer (Tia and Tamera, Beverly's Full House)

5:45pm Networking Reception