The WGA strike has affected the television industry in more ways than one, but this doesn't mean that the programs have stopped developing in one way or another. IN fact, NBC's Heroes has already successfully utilized other media to develop its plotlines, while the show is off air. The show has successfully delivered material to fans through the graphic novels and the supplementary site, "Heroes Evolutions."
"Heroes Evolutions" is a digital extension of the hit show that aims to further explore the Heroes universe and mythology. NBC Senior Producer Joe Tolerico is just one of the individuals who work hard to constantly develop the monumental project.
"We strive to make sure that there is something for all of the Heroes fans on a regular basis and work closely with the show to make sure that online storylines cross paths with those on-air in unexpected ways," Tolerico said in a conversation with Heroes Wiki. "We also like to keep all the plates spinning on the different platforms as much as possible."
Serving as the project manager for "Heroes Evolutions," Tolerico notes that he works with a well-oiled team to keep the sites updates and running smoothly at all times.
"It really 'takes a village,'" he said. "There are many people who work on 'Heroes Evolutions.' For some it is suggestions of storylines, for others it is producing new and original video pieces and for still others it's about negotiating deals with great comic book writers! All in all there are about 20 people who touch the product in one way or another."
In fact, the online Heroes content was originally known as "Heroes 360," but Tolerico and his team decided to change the name to make it more representative of their goals.
"360 is so 2006!... In all honesty the term was used to help us explain to executives how all encompassing we can be, and how we can tie into the show and online," he explained. "So when we sat down this fall and started brainstorming ideas for Season 2, we all came up with a list of names and sent them up the ladder for review. 'Evolutions' was agreed upon as the closest description of what we were aiming to accomplish: a gradual process in which something changes into a different, and usually more complex or better form."
As for the near future, Tolerico said that there will be more "show integration" and crossovers. He said, "We'd like to have more characters from the show interfacing with fans."
For more resources about Heroes or for the full story of Heroes: NBC Producer Talks About "Heroes Evolutions" please review http://www.buddytv.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/heroes-nbc-producer-talks-about-quotheroes-evolutionsquot-338431.htm l
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
OVER! REALLY!
Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Hollywood writers may end a three- month strike this week after their union approved a tentative labor contract with film and television studios.
Writers Guild of America boards on the East and West coasts are asking members to ratify the agreement during the next 10 to 12 days, union leaders said at a press conference yesterday. A separate vote on whether to end the strike is taking place within 48 hours, meaning writers may return to work Feb. 13.
The union held meetings in Los Angeles and New York over the weekend and urged members to endorse the deal, while telling them that the agreement is ``neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve.'' The three-year contract, which includes a pay raise and compensation for work used on the Internet, is similar to the one studios reached with Hollywood directors last month.
``I'd be very surprised if the membership did not support the executive board in a situation like this,'' said Charles Kaplan, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler PC in New York with more than 25 years of experience representing employers on labor issues. ``It seems that in general the proposed deal was greeted with enthusiasm by the members.''
Both the writers and studios have been under pressure to reach an agreement before the Feb. 24 Academy Awards telecast on Walt Disney Co.'s ABC. The strike by 12,000 union members froze production on scripted television shows and movies, putting more than 50,000 entertainment industry employees out of work.
Jesse Hiestand, a spokesman for the studios' bargaining entity, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, declined to comment. AMPTP members include Disney, News Corp., Viacom Inc., CBS Corp., General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, Sony Corp. and Time Warner Inc.
Getting Paid
The agreement would give writers minimum pay increases of 3 percent to 3.5 percent a year, similar to the raises negotiated by the Directors Guild of America. The contract calls for writers to get 2 percent of the ``distributor's gross,'' or advertising sales received by networks, for shows streamed on the Internet.
``When they get paid, we get paid,'' Patric Verrone, president of WGA's west chapter, said at the press conference in Los Angeles yesterday. ``Our stated goal was always to get a share of the future and we have that in this agreement.''
The percentage of Internet sales is about seven times the royalty guild members receive for DVD sales, union negotiator David Young said in an interview.
Not Enough?
The guild made a mistake in dropping demands for a higher cut of DVD sales in order to gain a percent of Internet revenue, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney with TroyGould in Los Angeles, who is a former associate counsel for the union. He wasn't involved in the talks.
``DVD business is a $16 billion business that is not going to suddenly evaporate,'' Handel said in an interview yesterday. ``Meanwhile the Internet business is far smaller. That's a lot of money being left on the table.''
Michael Winship, president of WGA East, told reporters after the Feb. 9 meeting in New York that he thought guild members would endorse the contract agreement. Writers coming out of the meetings described the overall mood as positive.
``Everybody for the most part seemed happy,'' said Mike Rowe, a writer for shows including ``Futurama'' and ``Family Guy,'' who attended the Los Angeles meeting on Feb. 9. ``They carefully outlined things that were really great deals and apologized for things that weren't so great.''
Bill Scheft, a writer for the ``Late Show with David Letterman,'' said the East Coast meeting earlier that day was ``definitely not a revolt.''
Economic Cost
The walkout has cost the Los Angeles economy about $1.9 billion, including the loss of business for restaurants and others who serve the industry, Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., a private research firm, said on Feb. 5. Writers lost about $258 million in pay and other unionized workers, including stagehands, about $444 million, he said.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said today in a statement that he's pleased to hear the strike ``appears to be in its final stages.''
``A sensible end to the strike is a win-win for California and the country because the entertainment industry is so important to our economy and so many Californians can now get back to work,'' Schwarzenegger said.
More than 40,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees in the U.S. and Canada also lost jobs, union spokeswoman Katherine Orloff said.
Film Delays
The strike has also delayed work on films including Sony's ``Angels & Demons,'' based on the book by Dan Brown, and Warner Bros.' ``Shantaram,'' Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst William Kidd said in a report last month.
The WGA negotiated interim agreements with more than a dozen independent film and television producers, including Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., United Artists and Weinstein Co., to force major studios back to the bargaining table after formal talks broke down.
Once the strike is settled, studios will restart production as quickly as possible to salvage the remainder of the current television season that runs through May, Tuna Amobi, an analyst with Standard & Poor's in New York, said in an e-mail.
Disney, based in Burbank, California, has retreated 5.9 percent since the strike began Nov. 5. The stock fell 19 cents to $31.93 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Time Warner, down 13 percent in the same period, rose 4 cents to $15.63. Class A shares of News Corp., off 8 percent during the walkout, fell 13 cents to $19.51. Viacom Class B shares fell 6 cents to $39.39 and have declined 5.3 percent. CBS dropped 6 cents to $24.52 and is down 11 percent. The four companies are based in New York.
American depositary receipts of Tokyo-based Sony gained 51 cents to $43.50 and have fallen 12 percent. General Electric, in Fairfield, Connecticut, advanced 17 cents to $34.01 and has declined 16 percent.
Writers Guild of America boards on the East and West coasts are asking members to ratify the agreement during the next 10 to 12 days, union leaders said at a press conference yesterday. A separate vote on whether to end the strike is taking place within 48 hours, meaning writers may return to work Feb. 13.
The union held meetings in Los Angeles and New York over the weekend and urged members to endorse the deal, while telling them that the agreement is ``neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve.'' The three-year contract, which includes a pay raise and compensation for work used on the Internet, is similar to the one studios reached with Hollywood directors last month.
``I'd be very surprised if the membership did not support the executive board in a situation like this,'' said Charles Kaplan, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler PC in New York with more than 25 years of experience representing employers on labor issues. ``It seems that in general the proposed deal was greeted with enthusiasm by the members.''
Both the writers and studios have been under pressure to reach an agreement before the Feb. 24 Academy Awards telecast on Walt Disney Co.'s ABC. The strike by 12,000 union members froze production on scripted television shows and movies, putting more than 50,000 entertainment industry employees out of work.
Jesse Hiestand, a spokesman for the studios' bargaining entity, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, declined to comment. AMPTP members include Disney, News Corp., Viacom Inc., CBS Corp., General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, Sony Corp. and Time Warner Inc.
Getting Paid
The agreement would give writers minimum pay increases of 3 percent to 3.5 percent a year, similar to the raises negotiated by the Directors Guild of America. The contract calls for writers to get 2 percent of the ``distributor's gross,'' or advertising sales received by networks, for shows streamed on the Internet.
``When they get paid, we get paid,'' Patric Verrone, president of WGA's west chapter, said at the press conference in Los Angeles yesterday. ``Our stated goal was always to get a share of the future and we have that in this agreement.''
The percentage of Internet sales is about seven times the royalty guild members receive for DVD sales, union negotiator David Young said in an interview.
Not Enough?
The guild made a mistake in dropping demands for a higher cut of DVD sales in order to gain a percent of Internet revenue, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney with TroyGould in Los Angeles, who is a former associate counsel for the union. He wasn't involved in the talks.
``DVD business is a $16 billion business that is not going to suddenly evaporate,'' Handel said in an interview yesterday. ``Meanwhile the Internet business is far smaller. That's a lot of money being left on the table.''
Michael Winship, president of WGA East, told reporters after the Feb. 9 meeting in New York that he thought guild members would endorse the contract agreement. Writers coming out of the meetings described the overall mood as positive.
``Everybody for the most part seemed happy,'' said Mike Rowe, a writer for shows including ``Futurama'' and ``Family Guy,'' who attended the Los Angeles meeting on Feb. 9. ``They carefully outlined things that were really great deals and apologized for things that weren't so great.''
Bill Scheft, a writer for the ``Late Show with David Letterman,'' said the East Coast meeting earlier that day was ``definitely not a revolt.''
Economic Cost
The walkout has cost the Los Angeles economy about $1.9 billion, including the loss of business for restaurants and others who serve the industry, Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., a private research firm, said on Feb. 5. Writers lost about $258 million in pay and other unionized workers, including stagehands, about $444 million, he said.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said today in a statement that he's pleased to hear the strike ``appears to be in its final stages.''
``A sensible end to the strike is a win-win for California and the country because the entertainment industry is so important to our economy and so many Californians can now get back to work,'' Schwarzenegger said.
More than 40,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees in the U.S. and Canada also lost jobs, union spokeswoman Katherine Orloff said.
Film Delays
The strike has also delayed work on films including Sony's ``Angels & Demons,'' based on the book by Dan Brown, and Warner Bros.' ``Shantaram,'' Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst William Kidd said in a report last month.
The WGA negotiated interim agreements with more than a dozen independent film and television producers, including Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., United Artists and Weinstein Co., to force major studios back to the bargaining table after formal talks broke down.
Once the strike is settled, studios will restart production as quickly as possible to salvage the remainder of the current television season that runs through May, Tuna Amobi, an analyst with Standard & Poor's in New York, said in an e-mail.
Disney, based in Burbank, California, has retreated 5.9 percent since the strike began Nov. 5. The stock fell 19 cents to $31.93 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Time Warner, down 13 percent in the same period, rose 4 cents to $15.63. Class A shares of News Corp., off 8 percent during the walkout, fell 13 cents to $19.51. Viacom Class B shares fell 6 cents to $39.39 and have declined 5.3 percent. CBS dropped 6 cents to $24.52 and is down 11 percent. The four companies are based in New York.
American depositary receipts of Tokyo-based Sony gained 51 cents to $43.50 and have fallen 12 percent. General Electric, in Fairfield, Connecticut, advanced 17 cents to $34.01 and has declined 16 percent.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aJo_5on7yepk&refer=muse
AND WHAT ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SHOW????
The fate of "Heroes" is certain: no more supernatural drama until fall. NBC announced that because of the show's high level of production, they won't roll out new episodes until September. "It's a high concept show that usually needs a bigger number of episodes to develop a storyline and it's also a very event-driven show," Szalai said. But the show, which attracted an average of 14.3 million viewers in its first season and dipped in popularity in its second, could suffer from the lag time. "It's a shame, Bianculli said, "because you have to worry about the momentum on that show.
AND WHAT ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SHOW????The fate of "Heroes" is certain: no more supernatural drama until fall. NBC announced that because of the show's high level of production, they won't roll out new episodes until September. "It's a high concept show that usually needs a bigger number of episodes to develop a storyline and it's also a very event-driven show," Szalai said. But the show, which attracted an average of 14.3 million viewers in its first season and dipped in popularity in its second, could suffer from the lag time. "It's a shame, Bianculli said, "because you have to worry about the momentum on that show.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Over? Really?
From Michael Ausiello of TV Guide:
Nothing's official, but the buzz is that a tentative agreement has been reached,
with an announcement coming as early as tomorrow. But it's hard to tell what's
solid intel and what's just spin. To wit: In the past 24 hours, one source close
to the negotiations insisted that talk of a resolution was way premature.
"There's no deal," maintained my spy. "That's just misinformation put out by the
AMPTP to pressure the WGA." But moments before I put this column to bed, I heard
from another very plugged-in source that the deal is done. Short story shorter:
There's cause for optimism, but not celebration. Yet.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Big Ali Larter Spoiler!
01/08 - No [Niki is not coming back(Damn!)]. But that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Ali Larter. I'm hearing that the plan as of the last time the writers met up (prestrike) was for Niki to be dead—but for an alter ego to take over. Not Jessica (double damn!), not the whipped-cream chick from Varsity Blues, and that leaves...someone we've seen before. Of course, all that is subject to change due to the current holding pattern. Source: Kristin on E!Online
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Heroes 360 Update: Dream Study
www.samantha48616e61.com was updated yesterday:
Dr. Suresh has added a dream study component to activatingevolution.org in order to help us try to make sense of our dreams and examine how our subconscious states might be influenced or manipulated by others. If you have been experiencing any recurring or strange dreams you can post them here.
HG
Here is the link...play along: http://www.activatingevolution.org/dream_submit.shtml
And keep it clean.....in other words, non of those recurring E-Claire fantasies, ok?
Dr. Suresh has added a dream study component to activatingevolution.org in order to help us try to make sense of our dreams and examine how our subconscious states might be influenced or manipulated by others. If you have been experiencing any recurring or strange dreams you can post them here.
HG
Here is the link...play along: http://www.activatingevolution.org/dream_submit.shtml
And keep it clean.....in other words, non of those recurring E-Claire fantasies, ok?
Newswire 1.8.08
Hayden Panettiere tells Lucky magazine’s February issue that she lives for those moments off-set of “Heroes” when she can wear something other than a cheerleading outfit! “On the show, I spend most of my time in a cheerleading uniform,” the 18-year-old actress says, “so in real life I like to have a lot more fun with my clothes.” Panettiere plays Claire, the literally invincible cheerleader on NBC’s hit drama series. Describing her style as “very frenetic,” the actress admits her penchant for panoply “changes as quickly as my mood.” But, she confesses, her obsession “about really stunning heels” is perfectly consistent. “I get excited even taking the elevator up to the shoe floor at Bergdorf’s.” Lucky hits newsstands Thursday.
http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg?articleid=1064817
Malcolm McDowell ("Linderman") on Lindsay Anderson
BY DANA OLAND - doland@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 01/04/08
Malcolm McDowell met Lindsay Anderson at a nerve-wracking audition in 1967. At the time, McDowell had no idea that interaction would change his life.
Anderson cast McDowell as Mick Travis, the student revolutionary in "If" a film that propelled McDowell to stardom in England and led to McDowell's most famous role, as Alex de Large in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."
The two clicked on film and became lifelong friends. McDowell created a one-man show as an endearing tribute in 2004, on the 10th anniversary of Anderson's death. Now it's a film, directed and produced by Caldwell-based filmmaker Mike Kaplan, who, along with McDowell, will present the film, "Never Apologize," at a one-time showing Jan. 12 at the Egyptian Theatre. The showing is for an Idaho International Film Festival event.
The film is funny, poignant and fascinating as McDowell delves into Anderson's complex psyche and shares bits of theatrical and film lore and history. He recreates this evocative time in British film through his memories, Anderson's diaries, books and letters. He deftly recreates all the larger-than-life characters who intersected Anderson's story, including John Gielgud, Lillian Gish, John Ford, Bette Davis, Alan Bates and Rachel Roberts. Some may have fallen out of popular memory, but this film offers a chance to remember and explore some of the best films of that era.
As a filmmaker, Anderson helped shape our contemporary view of film as art.
Somewhat of a radical character, Anderson made movies that pushed at the social fabric of the 1960s. His films included the raw, gritty, Oscar-nominated "This Sporting Life" (1963), his groundbreaking trilogy "If," "O Lucky Man" and "Britannia Hospital" and the lyrical ode "The Whales of August."
The title for the piece comes from a mantra of Anderson: "I never apologize," even though he was easily one of the most difficult and demanding personalities around.
Full interview here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/story/254251.html
Rumors have been swirling for awhile now, but the paparazzi caught Heroes stars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia out together in LA this weekend. (Click here to see the photo.)
Hayden only recently turned 18, and Milo is 30. I bet someone was counting the days until she turned 18! Before hooking up with Milo (and before turning 18), Hayden dated Laguna Beach star Stephen Colletti.
http://www.film.com/celebrities/story/haydenpanettiereandmiloventimigliaareofficiallyanitem/11784156/17942471
LOS ANGELES — It seems the romance between Kate Hudson and comedian Dax Shepard is definitely off and things between the comic and "Heroes" star Kristen Bell are definitely on.
The comely new couple was caught getting cozy together at Bahamas hotspot Aura Nightclub at Atlantis last Thursday, where they danced and drank into the wee hours.
"At first they seemed a little awkward together and with the attention," our spy said. "But eventually they relaxed; I guess it is never easy 'coming out' with a new relationship."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320572,00.html
It's brilliant the way the U.S. Postal Service sells all kinds of collectors stamps they know won't be used as postage, thus padding the profit margin. I mean, no Elvis fan could allow the King to be canceled, could they?
In the same vein, "Heroes" fans could look forward to licking the backside of Peter Petrelli postage and slapping Hiro Nakamura onto their utility bills - not that they would.
Head on over to the NBC Universal Store and check out all five "Heroes"-themed stamps available in sheets of 20. Besides Peter and Hiro, sheets featuring Claire, Nathan and the Helix symbol are also available. Single sheets of one of the four characters sell for $21.95, while a set of all five sheets sells for $99.95, a savings of $9.80.
Clearly, these are must-haves for only the most die-hard "Heroes" fans. Sure, they're frame-worthy, but I don't have an extra Benjamin for stamps I can't use to send mail ...
You could use them, however, to send your strongly worded letters urging the writers and studios to get back to the bargaining table so we have a chance of seeing actual "Heroes" episodes before fall. (DEFINATLY!!!)
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/ENTERTAINMENT/801070313/1275/ENTERTAINMENTFRONT
http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg?articleid=1064817
Malcolm McDowell ("Linderman") on Lindsay Anderson
BY DANA OLAND - doland@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 01/04/08
Malcolm McDowell met Lindsay Anderson at a nerve-wracking audition in 1967. At the time, McDowell had no idea that interaction would change his life.
Anderson cast McDowell as Mick Travis, the student revolutionary in "If" a film that propelled McDowell to stardom in England and led to McDowell's most famous role, as Alex de Large in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."
The two clicked on film and became lifelong friends. McDowell created a one-man show as an endearing tribute in 2004, on the 10th anniversary of Anderson's death. Now it's a film, directed and produced by Caldwell-based filmmaker Mike Kaplan, who, along with McDowell, will present the film, "Never Apologize," at a one-time showing Jan. 12 at the Egyptian Theatre. The showing is for an Idaho International Film Festival event.
The film is funny, poignant and fascinating as McDowell delves into Anderson's complex psyche and shares bits of theatrical and film lore and history. He recreates this evocative time in British film through his memories, Anderson's diaries, books and letters. He deftly recreates all the larger-than-life characters who intersected Anderson's story, including John Gielgud, Lillian Gish, John Ford, Bette Davis, Alan Bates and Rachel Roberts. Some may have fallen out of popular memory, but this film offers a chance to remember and explore some of the best films of that era.
As a filmmaker, Anderson helped shape our contemporary view of film as art.
Somewhat of a radical character, Anderson made movies that pushed at the social fabric of the 1960s. His films included the raw, gritty, Oscar-nominated "This Sporting Life" (1963), his groundbreaking trilogy "If," "O Lucky Man" and "Britannia Hospital" and the lyrical ode "The Whales of August."
The title for the piece comes from a mantra of Anderson: "I never apologize," even though he was easily one of the most difficult and demanding personalities around.
Full interview here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/story/254251.html
Rumors have been swirling for awhile now, but the paparazzi caught Heroes stars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia out together in LA this weekend. (Click here to see the photo.)
Hayden only recently turned 18, and Milo is 30. I bet someone was counting the days until she turned 18! Before hooking up with Milo (and before turning 18), Hayden dated Laguna Beach star Stephen Colletti.
http://www.film.com/celebrities/story/haydenpanettiereandmiloventimigliaareofficiallyanitem/11784156/17942471
LOS ANGELES — It seems the romance between Kate Hudson and comedian Dax Shepard is definitely off and things between the comic and "Heroes" star Kristen Bell are definitely on.
The comely new couple was caught getting cozy together at Bahamas hotspot Aura Nightclub at Atlantis last Thursday, where they danced and drank into the wee hours.
"At first they seemed a little awkward together and with the attention," our spy said. "But eventually they relaxed; I guess it is never easy 'coming out' with a new relationship."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320572,00.html
It's brilliant the way the U.S. Postal Service sells all kinds of collectors stamps they know won't be used as postage, thus padding the profit margin. I mean, no Elvis fan could allow the King to be canceled, could they?
In the same vein, "Heroes" fans could look forward to licking the backside of Peter Petrelli postage and slapping Hiro Nakamura onto their utility bills - not that they would.
Head on over to the NBC Universal Store and check out all five "Heroes"-themed stamps available in sheets of 20. Besides Peter and Hiro, sheets featuring Claire, Nathan and the Helix symbol are also available. Single sheets of one of the four characters sell for $21.95, while a set of all five sheets sells for $99.95, a savings of $9.80.
Clearly, these are must-haves for only the most die-hard "Heroes" fans. Sure, they're frame-worthy, but I don't have an extra Benjamin for stamps I can't use to send mail ...
You could use them, however, to send your strongly worded letters urging the writers and studios to get back to the bargaining table so we have a chance of seeing actual "Heroes" episodes before fall. (DEFINATLY!!!)
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/ENTERTAINMENT/801070313/1275/ENTERTAINMENTFRONT
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Howard Roarke Testimony from "The Fountainhead"
This is the monolouge of Howard Roarke, played by Gary Cooper, in the motion picture "The Fountainhead." I'm not an Ayn Rand fan, but these words pretty much sum up who I am as best as anything.
You comments are welcome.
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