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These Charts Show How Newsweek's Print Magazine Was Doomed

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tina brown newsweek covers

Tina Brown announced this morning Newsweek's print edition will cease publication at the end of the year. The Daily Beast editor bought the troubled print magazine back in 2010 to merge with her online venture.

Taking a look at the Pew Research Center's state of the media reports on news magazines, we've gathered the three factors that predicted Newsweek's imminent leave from the magazine world: declining circulation, subscriptions, and ad pages. 

Compared to all other news magazines, Newsweek was hit the hardest in the past five years. Though the glossy sold more issues at newsstands in 2011 (single copy sales rose two percent after a 32.7 percent decline in 2010), the magazine's circulation was at its lowest.

As seen below, circulation dipped significantly after 2007: 

news magazine circulation

Subscription numbers have been in decline since 2007 with Newsweek losing 3.5 percent of its subscribers in the 2010-2011 year.

newsweek subscription decline

Subsequently, ad pages dropped as well. Newsweek had the biggest ad page loss of news magazines in 2011 with a 16.8 percent decline:

news magazine ad page loss

SEE ALSO: The extravagent airfare allowances of Bob Iger, Rupert Murdoch, and more >

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How A Personal Finance Editor Does Movie Concessions

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kids' pack

Everyone loves to save money at the movies, but the fact is that it almost never happens. 

With the average cost of a movie ticket hovering around $9 and $14, and concessions reaching as high as $5 for a small popcorn, $4.25 for a pack of Skittles, and $5 for a medium soda, consumers have good reason to keep close tabs on their spending. 

That's why I make no bones about buying the kids' pack at the concession stand. Yes, it's miserly and some of the ethicists reading this won't approve, but a girl's gotta have her buttered popcorn and Diet Coke.

Doing this means I spend about half of what I would have since a kid's pack at AMC, for example, costs only $6. By bundling the popcorn, soda and candy in one, I'm effectively saving $8.25 — nearly the price of a movie ticket — than I would have if I'd bought the large popcorn, small soda and Skittles separately. 

I'm also creating less waste and helping to keep my weight in check. Kids' portions are smaller — compare a 6 cup small popcorn to a kids' size, which is roughly 2 cups — and I'm less likely to ditch the leftover food when I'm done since the portion is reasonable. 

Apparently it's also acceptable to do, as I've never had a cashier check me on it once. 

As we've written before, the real issue with ordering a kids' portion, or off the kids' menu, comes when you're doing it in a dishonest way. If you're trying to pull the wool over your server's eyes, saying the meal is really for your kid when it isn't, then you should spring for the big girl's plate, said Joshua Halberstam, author of Everyday Ethics and a professor of philosophy at Columbia University

But if it's simply a matter of saving cash, which in this case it certainly is, you'll be in the clear. 

Said Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University and author of Practical Ethics: "I think it's entirely ethical ... A lot of foreigners come here and are amazed at the size of the portions. They don't want to waste food." 

Now check out 10 sites to help you outsource your life >  

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Here's The Leaked Plot For 'Iron Man 3'

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iron man tony stark

Next week, Disney will release the first trailer for "Iron Man 3," but until then, here's a look at what the film will be about.

The plot for the third film leaked online earlier today via Stitch Kingdom. Check it out below:

"Iron Man 3" will be released May 3, 2013. 

"Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?" 

Currently, if you head over to the film's Facebook page, it's offering a sneak peak at the movie once the page gets enough "likes." 

We'll have the trailer up for the film upon its release October 23.

SEE ALSO: Tom Cruise's new 'Jack Reacher' trailer >

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Academy Movie Museum Raises $100M, Reveals Architects' Plans

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academy movie museum

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has raised $100 million toward its upcoming museum dedicated to the history of movies.

The Hollywood nonprofit has set a capital campaign goal of $250 million, which will be used to fund the movie history collection.

Christened the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the collection will be housed in the former May Company  building in Los Angeles, which is now owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA will lease the building to the Academy.

The redesign is being overseen by Renzo Piano, who designed LACMA's Broad Contemporary Art building and the Resnick Pavilion, and Zoltan Pali.

On Thursday, the Academy unveiled renderings for the building, which is slated to open in 2016. The 30,000-square-foot structure sits on the campus of LACMA and houses some museum offices. The redesign will restore streetfront facades and constructs a spherical glass addition at the back of the building, which will house a theater.

“The design for the museum will finally enable this wonderful building to be animated and contribute to the city after sitting empty for so long,” Piano said in a statement. “Our design will preserve the May Company building’s historic public profile while simultaneously signaling that the building is taking on a new life that celebrates both the industry and art form that this city created and gave to the world.”

academy movie museumThe campaign to raise money for the first major U.S.. museum dedicated to movies kicked off in early 2012, chaired by Walt Disney Chairman Bob Iger, Annette Bening and Tom Hanks.

The money raised has come from private donations. The Academy said significant commitments have come from the co-chairs and their families, as well as a laundry list of industry names and past Academy Governors. It's a group that includes  Fox Filmed Entertainment Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos, producer Gale Anne Hurd, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and former Academy Tom Sherak.
 
Other contributions have come from the major studios The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate and the various guilds.

SEE ALSO: Dreamworks founders donate $90 million to Motion Picture and Television capital campaign >

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CAA Forms New India-Based Talent Agency With KWAN Entertainment

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Freida-Pinto, Dev-Patel

CAA is moving into the Indian market.

The Hollywood agency has formed a joint venture with Indian talent agency KWAN to represent local talent in India and other South Asian nations, as well as to create more global opportunities for CAA and KWAN’s existing clients.

The partnership with an established firm differentiates this project from CAA's satellite office in China, which CAA runs outright.

CAA’s David Taghioff and Caleb Franklin will run the new shop, CAA KWAN, in tandem with KWAN Entertainment & Marketing Solution’s Anirban Das Blah and Indranil “Niel” Blah.

CAA KWAN logoDas Blah is the CEO and managing director of KAWN and Blah is COO.

The new company, based in Mumbai, will have more than 60 employees and have offices in New Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

“India’s robust entertainment industry offers CAA KWAN tremendous opportunities for talent across multiple platforms,” Richard Lovett, President of CAA, said in a statement.  “In a very short period of time, KWAN has intelligently scaled and diversified their business to maximize this thriving marketplace for their clients.  KWAN’s deep network of relationships, local-market knowledge, and collaborative business philosophy make them a powerful partner in furthering CAA’s existing business in India and providing our clients with more opportunities.”

Franklin and Taghioff have served as corporate development executives at CAA, identifying new business opportunities. They targeted India, one of the world’s largest countries with a vibrant and growing entertainment industry.

“We believe that the combination of CAA’s experience, influence, and expertise, with KWAN’s extensive knowledge of the Indian entertainment industry, will enable us to provide an unmatched spectrum of services for our clients,” Das Blah said in a statement.

SEE ALSO: Academy Movie Museum raises $100M, reveals arcitects' plans > 

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See Dorothy's Red Slippers And Superman's Cape At A New London Exhibit

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If you've ever dreamed of seeing Dorothy's ruby red slippers, Superman's famous uniform or John Travolta's 1970s-style white suit from Saturday Night Fever, now's your chance.

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London is hosting an exhibit on The Hollywood Costume, sponsored by Harry Winston. The exhibit, which opens on Saturday, October 20th, will include all of the Hollywood greats, from Charlie Chaplin to Indiana Jones to Avatar and beyond.

The exhibit explores how costumes tell a story and bring a film character to life.

“This landmark exhibition provides a once in a life-time opportunity to explore the most beloved characters in Hollywood history and gain insight on the role of the costume designer and their vital contribution to cinema storytelling,” Deborah Nadoolman Landis, Hollywood costume designer and senior guest curator, said in a press release.

But of course, most people will just come to gawk at their favorite characters' costumes. There are over 130 costumes on display that span 100 years of filmmaking, from 1912 to 2012. Expect to see Dorothy's blue and white gingham dress (1939), Scarlett O’Hara’s green ‘curtain’ dress (1939), Holly Golightly's little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and a whole series of Elizabethan dresses from Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).

Here's a preview of what visitors can expect to see:

The holy grail of Hollywood costumes: Dorothy's ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

Dorothy's ruby red slippers

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Superman (flying overhead in the exhibition space).

Superman costume, Victoria & Albert museum

Queen Elizabeth's gown from Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) is surrounded by a royal court of characters.

Queen Elizabeth costumes, Victoria & Albert Museum

Now see the Louvre's new Islamic Art Wing >

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First Bono, Now U2 Bassist Adam Clayton Wants To Sell His $8.695 Million El Dorado Apartment Too

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u2 bassist adam clayton sells upper west side pad for $8.965 million

U2 bassist Adam Clayton has listed his Upper West Side apartment for $8.965 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The three-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment is in the El Dorado Building at 300 Central Park West.

Clayton's bandmate Bono also used to live inside the El Dorado towers, but he sold his condo in 2008 for a pad down the street. Now it's Clayton's time to go.

Clayton bought two apartments in the building and renovated and combined them into one large unit.

The apartment is on the fourth floor with a 38-foot-long gallery.



He originally bought the first apartment in 1993 for $620,000 and the other for $430,000 in 1994.



Alec Baldwin and Moby all used to live in the building but have also recently sold, according to Curbed.

Source: Curbed



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These Are The Top Celebrity Contributors To The Obama And Romney Campaigns

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Chelsea HandlerMoney plays a big role in the elections. Each month, political pundits track fundraising and spending by the political parties, the campaigns and the political action committees, or PACs.

Check out the top VIP donors >

A lot of those dollars are coming from some big-money names. But who are they?

So far, one of the pro-Mitt Romney PACs, Restore Our Future, has made inroads with many of the nation's billionaires, while one of the pro-President Barack Obama PACs, Priorities USA Action, has enjoyed a lot of support from Hollywood celebrities.

With the election in November, here's a look at some of the biggest donors so far.

Morgan Freeman

In a career spanning five decades, Morgan Freeman has appeared in nearly 100 film and television projects, but it wasn't until 2005 that he won an Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby." It turns out that was a fitting title. In July, Freeman reportedly gave $1 million to the pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA Action.

By some estimates, Freeman has a net worth of about $90 million.



Bill Maher

Comedian Bill Maher cracks a lot of political jokes on his HBO show, "Real Time with Bill Maher." But this year, the funnyman decided to put his money where his mouth is by giving $1 million to a pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA Action.

Maher is reportedly worth an estimated $23 million. He described his $1 million political contribution as "the wisest investment I think I could make."



Chelsea Handler

As an author, comedian, television host and producer, Chelsea Handler has more jobs than the average American. Apparently, she's found enough spare dough to kick in $100,000 to the pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA Action.

In 2010, Forbes estimated that Handler earned $19 million between her book sales, comedy tour and television work. More recently, Handler reportedly signed a $25 million deal with E! Entertainment Television to continue hosting "Chelsea Lately."



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Comedy Central to Obama and Romney: Fire Your Writers, They're Losing You The Election

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Comedy Central released a new video this week about the importance of millennials in the election and how the campaigns can best reach out to them based on the network's research. 

The network says that Millennials are 80 million strong and 60% intend to vote. The research says that one of the best ways to reach the generation is through humor.

They do give some important tips on the best way to reach the millenials this way:

  • Save the canned jokes for the AARP
  • Take a joke every now and again, and be willing to make fun of yourself
  • Make intelligent jokes and, especially, make sure to hit the late night circuit
Here's the whole video from Comedy Central on how to reach out to the youth vote:

Now check out the states that are voting on marijuana legalization this November >

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CBS CEO Les Moonves Gets $14M In Stock & Other Perks To Stay On Through 2017

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Les Moonves

On Monday, CBS President and CEO Les Moonves extended his contract to keep his current position for at least five more years.

In order to woo Moonves to stick around longer than his existing contract, which was set to expire in February 2015, CBS Corp chairman and Moonves pal Sumner Redstone sweetened the deal with a few perks.

“Leslie’s record as a CEO is not only among the best in media, it’s among the best in all of business,” said Redstone earlier this week. “This agreement secures the Company even further into the future, and it also further aligns and strengthens the interests of the chief executive with those of our shareholders.”

Here's what Moonves will collect throughout the next five years at CBS, according to an SEC filing this morning (via Deadline):

  • "Moonves will continues to receive $3.5M in annual salary with a $12.0M target bonus."
  • "He will pocket $14.5M in restricted stock on top of the restricted stock that he and other top execs receive each year."
  • "Will have options to buy $7.5M worth of CBS common shares at today’s closing price, in addition to the annual stock option grants he already collects."
  • "If he’s fired without cause, or has good reason to leave before his contract ends, then the company will pay him $10.25M. And if he decides that he’s had it with the network CEO game, he can become a Senior Adviser/Producer." (This provision was in his previous employment contract. But now the term has been increased to four years with an annual fee of $4.5M.)
  • "If Moonves leaves CBS for good reason, or the company fires him without one, then he can still collect $10M even if he decides not to serve as a producer for the network."

The new contract will bring Moonves’ tenure at CBS to 22 years, after he initially joined the network in 1995 as president of entertainment.

“I take great pride in all the tremendous success we’ve enjoyed at CBS,” said Moonves this week after agreeing to stay on another five years. “And the good news is that I feel even more enthusiastic about what my terrific team and I will accomplish going forward.”

SEE ALSO: Here's how much the top 15 media CEOs spend on private jets >

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The 10 Commandments Of 21st Century Franchise Production

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[Special Note: This text is drawn from Jeff Gomez’s keynote speech at the StoryWorld 2012
conference.]

the avengers captain america iron manThe Marvel Cinematic Universe series of movies has grossed nearly $4 billion through the 
release of "The Avengers."

Apple Inc.’s market cap is hovering at around $600 billion, making it the highest valued company in the world. Both of these have been surprising to observers in their respective industries, but not to me.

Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios and Steve Jobs at Apple both intuited that in the age of pervasive media most people are receiving stories differently, so they have to be told stories in new and innovative ways. Kevin and Steve instinctively understood that a new framework for storytelling is on the rise, one that integrates a savvy combination of brand essence, participative narrative and a final product of surprising quality.

I’m here to tell you that this framework is something that is not magic from the ether. It is 
something that is knowable and doable for the rest of us, and in just a minute I’m going to break it down for you.

Big brands and big entertainment have been facing tough times. Long-established models for reaching and enticing mass audiences are faltering: TV commercials are being zapped, radio spots ignored, and print ads are becoming as scarce as the paper they’re printed on.

Media and consumer products conglomerates continue to rely on third party producers and 
advertising agencies to tell the stories that will sell their brands, but most of these houses
 continue to employ increasingly rickety old school techniques. They’re still hanging their pitches on a money shot, a funny joke, 30-seconds of exposition. It’s only getting easier for audiences to avoid all that.

"There is
 a new set of rules to consider if you’re going to maximize the potential for success."

The stakes are rising to new highs—major brand launches or movie releases can cost tens 
of millions and gross exponentially more for their owners if successful. But there is still a
 remarkable amount of guesswork involved.

What kind of business still bets $500 million and a year’s profit potential on a single human
being? That would be a movie studio wagering on a writer to finish a good enough script for
 the next installment of their superhero franchise. Have a new smart phone to sell? Hire an ad
agency to come up with a campaign, but does it have to be one that focuses on insulting millions of users of your rival’s product?

But there are a growing number of companies taking a different tack. Much of this has to do
 with owners of the entertainment “story world” (the world depicted in multiple books, movies,
 video games or apps) or the product line taking a more proactive role in understanding the
 fundamental tenets of their brands. The rest lays in acknowledging that story and technology
 are now engaged in an intricate dance, one in which the audience is ever more deeply involved.

star wars episode I lightsaberSo if you’ve got a big story to tell, and if you need to tell it to a huge number of people, there is
 a new set of rules to consider if you’re going to maximize the potential for success. So here for
 the first time is a breakdown of the framework that Kevin and Steve knew in their bones, The 10 Commandments of 21st Century Franchise Production:

1. Know the Essence of Your Brand and Never Stray From It

Before embarking on a multi-year journey generating a rich product line or multiple feature
films, with messaging and extensions across multiple media platforms, you must take ownership of the creative asset that is your franchise story world. You must gain an intimate understanding of why it is successful and how it resonates with a mass audience. Knowing this will allow you to properly plan for the building of its characters, narratives, iconography, and themes. What is your brand or story world giving to your audience? What questions does it answer? What gifts does it give? If all your communication is flesh, brand essence is bone.

2. The Story World is Unstoppable and Rules Over All

Once you have a fundamental understanding of your franchise universe, you must commit to its health, integrity and proliferation above everything and everyone else. Creative visionaries, agencies, actors, directors, marketing, licensing, must all be committed to serving the needs of the story world.

3. Franchise Visionaries Must Put Up Tent Poles Now, Even If They Have to Move Them Later

Your campaign must not grind to a halt because you are waiting for a single person to come up
 with a good idea. Crafting a multi-year blueprint for your franchise is a daunting proposition, but it enables you to plan for the proper construction and implementation of your story world. Plans can (and will) change, but long-range benchmarks will serve as guideposts rather than obstacles, and this will bring progression, evolution and momentum to your story world.

"Once you have a fundamental understanding of your franchise universe, you must commit to its health, integrity and proliferation above everything and everyone else."

4. Studio & Producers Must Secure Best Possible Talent for the Job, But Talent Must Never Roadblock Ongoing Story World

Some of the most successful feature film series of the last thirty years ("Star Wars," "Harry Potter, "Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Shrek," "Twilight," and "Hunger Games") have something very important in common: the varied creative talent (writers, producers, directors, and actors) across multiple years and/or multiple films have all accepted and embraced the fact that they stand in service not just to the product at hand, but to the greater story world of the franchise.

5. Create Highly Organized Resources for Canon and Assets

Once the story world has been defined, a comprehensive living document of its characters,
locations, history, distinctive elements, and brand essence must be created as a common
resource to be observed by all major stakeholders. This is sometimes known as a Franchise
Mythology. This document must be accompanied by a centralized system granting key stakeholders access to approved creative assets. This in turn promotes brand integrity.

Harry Potter6. Studios & Producers Must Establish a Franchise Clearinghouse and Regular Cross-Divisional Meetings in Support of the Story World

A committee of stakeholders from across divisions must be empowered to meet at regular
intervals to keep one another apprised of all aspects of production, licensing and distribution of
content drawn from the franchise story world. They propose new additions to canon, support 
third-party efforts, generate cross-promotions, share assets, and brainstorm new ways to nurture the franchise. This clearinghouse then serves as ombudsman for the ongoing flow of
 content development, scheduling, and general information.

7. Stakeholders Must Be Incentivized to Support the Strategy Behind the Rollout of the Story World

Various departments, divisions and third party stakeholders must be made to understand that
 they are performers in a grand orchestra, and that their products are instruments to be played 
in concert. With the proper planning and rollout design, these parties and products can support
 one another, leading the consumer (participant!) from one ticket to the next, one platform to
the next, one SKU to the next.

8. Franchise Visionaries and Story World Implementation Must Validate & Celebrate Audience Participation

An architecture for dialog between stakeholders and the target audience of the franchise
must be designed around even the earliest iterations of the story world. Fans demand
 acknowledgment and will go elsewhere if it’s not given to them. They must be respected and embraced across all media platforms, regardless of their level of engagement. They must be made to feel a part of the process, and their interest in the story world must be validated. They will spend significant amounts of money to collect the pieces of the universe they love, so information must always be revealed to them in a fair but fun way that allows them to assemble the puzzle and empowers them to talk about it.

"Fans demand
 acknowledgment and will go elsewhere if it’s not given to them ... They must be made to feel a part of the process, and their interest in the story world must be validated."

9. Licensing, Merchandising & Marketing Must Nurture and Expand the Story World

Licensees must be discouraged from building their piece of the franchise in isolation; all
content from video games to T-shirts exist to celebrate, nurture, and expand the narrative.
Franchise stewards must encourage stakeholders, from internal marketing divisions to third
party developers, to explore new facets of the story world, making every product “count” as an 
important addition to canon in the eyes of the audience. This process must be simple, elegant
and dynamic.

10. Story World Must Be Accessible Across An Array of Digital & Traditional Media Portals, Each Piece Adding to the Narrative Whole

More than ever before, there are a multitude of entry points into a franchise story world.
 Millions of children are learning about "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" for the first time through the LEGO video games. In today’s fragmented digital frontier, stakeholders must design their properties to play uniquely and compellingly on different media platforms, so point of entry into the brand or story world can come from almost any direction through any medium. By creating a consistent and ever-growing canon and maintaining brand integrity, you will reinforce your relationship with your audience, building brand lasting brand loyalty, and potentially an evergreen franchise. The best way to accomplish this is the technique of transmedia storytelling.

So let's drive the point home by playing a bit of 21st Century Franchise Production bingo. Here are a few scorecards featuring entertainment or consumer brands and how they match up against the 10 Commandments:

1. "Star Wars"

star wars scorecard

Sure, "Star Wars" rules, and it’s easy to say this evergreen franchise is a once in a lifetime
phenomenon. But think about how elegantly it checks off its boxes—particularly in the past decade—and how no single piece of it, however clunky, can sink a story world that deeply and 
transparently knows itself. Bingo!

2. Apple

apple scorecardApple transcends its role as technology and becomes a product line that evokes real emotions 
in its audience. The story world of Apple is warm, pervasive, communal, and can even sustain
 significant errors. Perfect score! 



3. "The Hunger Games"

"The Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter" score an identical 7 out of 10. Singular author visionaries drive these franchises. They retain absolute control over how their narratives extend across media and how fans interact with the story worlds. Neither has permitted new content to be created unless they do it themselves. That’s fine, but it imposes a ticking clock that limits the shelf life of their franchise. In turn, that makes the Holy Grail of evergreen harder to achieve.

hunger games scorecard

4. DC Universe

Holy Guadalcanal, Batman! The home of Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman 
receives a goose egg on the 10 Commandment scorecard. How’s that? Well, no one can deny
 that a handful of DC superheroes are evergreen properties. The challenge faced by stakeholders 
in this franchise boils down to old school versus new. Christopher Nolan’s "Dark Knight" trilogy has grossed $2.4 billion, and is the work of a singular visionary in the single medium of film.

dc scorecard

For the time being, the DC superheroes are splintered and sealed into myriad sub-story worlds,
 standing or falling on the shoulders of disparate talent, and with no brand essence to galvanize 
the franchise. Whether Warner Bros. chooses a single visionary to drive what can well become
 one of pop culture’s most powerful entertainment universes across an array of traditional and
 digital touch points remains to be seen.

5. Marvel Cinematic Universe

It’s safe to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began under the aegis of Kevin Feige
with "Iron Man" in 2008, and reached astounding heights this year with Marvel’s "The Avengers," is one of the first blockbuster franchises to consciously follow all 10 Commandments of 21st Century Franchise Production. While "Batman" is done and "Superman" is a big question mark over at Warner Bros., the Marvel movie juggernaut shows no signs of flagging, with each addition reinforcing the others, building upon audience excitement and deepening fan loyalty.

marvel scorecard

One can argue that third party stakeholders and even Marvel Comics themselves were not 
on board in terms of nurturing the story world as they were portrayed in the films (comics ,
cartoons and toy lines often depicted very different versions of the characters). Guess what?
 That’s all changing. New TV series such as "S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Avengers Assemble" will be set more squarely in the new franchise story world. With the Marvel NOW! relaunch, even the comics are being set more closely in tone and theme to the films. Perfect 10! Consider us new schooled!

SEE ALSO: The leaked plot for "Iron Man 3" >

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Yes, Google CEO Larry Page Talked About 'Gangnam Style' On His Earnings Call

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larry page

A lot of weird stuff went down yesterday around Google's Q3 2012 earnings call: The accidental early numbers release. The mobile ad revenue suddenly reaching $8 billion annually. CEO Larry Page sounding sick.

But events reached their weird climax when Page began riffing about "Gangnam Style," the loopy dance hit by South Korean singer PSY.

Not many people understood the reference. In fact, our live blogger summarized Page's comments as:

"Larry talks about a horse video that has 500 million views. Says it's very easy for someone to distribute content."

Horse video? What could that mean?

Here's the full transcript of what Page said:

"So I was just, the recent video of horse dancing, came in style. I have been watching, its 400 million views now – 500 million. And that kind of thing to really just put the switch, turn it on, get a worldwide distribution and sort of – almost without doing any work, if you are a provider of this content is an amazing thing."

Clearly, the earnings call transcript service missed the reference also. There's only one "horse dancing" video that's gotten nearly 500 million views, and it ain't "came in style."

It's "Gangnam Style!"

Eh, sexy lady -- oppa Gangnam Style!

Related:

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CHART: Martinis, Conquests, And Kills By Bond

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James Bond films are almost always the same: Bond is sent to an exotic location, meets and seduces a woman, gets caught by the villain, escapes, kills the villain and gets the girl. Known for martinis, Bond girls, apocalyptic antagonists and heavy innuendo, Bond has schmoozed, boozed and bruised his way through women and villains alike.

Or not alike. Data compiled by The Economist show that of the six Bonds, Pierce Brosnan was the most bloodthirsty, bumping off an average of 19 baddies per film.

The short-lived George Lazenby, it turns out, was the Bond for the babes, whereas Daniel Craig, the latest, is notably less successful. Maybe that's because he drinks the most martinis. Still, all that risks being short-lived. In the new Bond film, "Skyfall", Heineken has paid to ensure the hero only drinks beer. Neither shaken nor stirred, presumably.

chart

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Will The Multi-Million Dollar Budget Of 'The Hobbit' Pay Off?

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the hobbit

When Peter Jackson's long-awaited "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" comes out December 14,  Bilbo Baggins will more than have his work cut out for him.  

It will be the first time we'll see J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Middle-earth characters back on the big screen since 2003.  

The three "Lord of the Rings" films that precede it have grossed more than $1 billion combined in the U.S. (near $3 billion worldwide) and have won 17 Oscars.  

The films, which cost between an estimated $200-315 million each will have to perform at least as well as their "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) predecessors to break even.  

(Bear in mind, the total estimated budget for the original three films is set at $281 million.) 

The film has a lot riding on it, not only for Jackson with two sequels ready to roll out subsequently in 2013 and 2014 respectively, but also for the back-from-the-dead MGM

Will the hundreds of millions of dollars be worth it? 

The Numbers Speak For Themselves 

                                                                     Worldwide Gross               Opening Weekend

"LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring":                    $871.5 million                    $47.2 million

"LOTR: The Two Towers":                                   $926 million                        $62 million

"LOTR: The Return of the King":                          $1.1 billion                          $72 million

If we strictly go according to "The Lord of the Rings" grosses, "The Hobbit" should be set. Higher ticket prices and inflation aside, each film in the series built upon the last. And, with members of the cast returning (Christopher Lee as Sauron, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, the gruesome Gollum, even Orlando Bloom is making an appearance as Legolas), that familiarity with beloved characters is an instant drawback for fans.  

However, can the franchise sustain nearly a decade break from the big screen? 

Sure. 

gandalf the hobbitThe Immense Popularity of "The Hobbit" 

"The Hobbit" is a children's book. 

Not only has it sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, but it's also a requirement in most school curricula to at some point partake in the misadventures of Bilbo Baggins.

With that in mind, it's more than likely that this film may have a bigger audience reach than LOTR not only because it's the return of the franchise; however, because it's also a book in which younger children have an interest.

Like "The Avengers," "The Hobbit" lends itself toward more of a family-friendly film. The demographic won't be solely for fans of the original series, but also for youngsters wanting to view their imaginings of the Lonely Mountain on the big screen when all their teachers have to offer is the much outdated 1977 cartoon adaptation of the book.

And, with that … 

It's a children's book. 

On the flip side, "The Hobbit" is a children's book, less dark than some of the creatures encountered in LOTR (the Nazgûl/Dark Riders), despite the Orcs and giant spiders featured in "The Hobbit" (nothing that "Harry Potter" couldn't conjure up). 

In the end, we think this is only something that will help the series, rather than hinder it because of the added demographic. 

hobbit bookThe One Book Argument 

Since the announcement at the end of July that "The Hobbit" film will be three films, Jackson has been criticized for trying to stretch the success of a 272-page book into a trilogy.  

Part of why the LOTR worked was because it was three films made from three separate books with no gimmicky break in the final film

We've said it once, and we'll say it again. Sure, there are break points in the book to split up the film into thirds; however, this isn't a storyline that needs more than two movies to put the story to bed.  

Jackson promises that the use of an 125-page appendices included in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" will deliver more than enough material for the impending franchise. 

"In the novel, Gandalf disappears for various patches of time. In 1936, when Tolkien was writing that book, he didn’t have a clue what Gandalf was doing. But later on, when he did The Lord of the Rings and he’d hit on this whole epic story, he was going to go back and revise The Hobbit and he wrote all these notes about how Gandalf disappears and was really investigating the possible return of Sauron, the villain from The Lord of the Rings. Sauron doesn’t appear at all in The Hobbit." 

While we're excited for a more direct link between the LOTR and its prequel, we think Jackson's main challenge is seeing whether or not you can successfully turn a one-trick pony into a three-ring circus without it feeling too drawn out.  

Regardless, we're thinking Jackson can make up for that with his ability for ...

Specific Detail

One of the many reasons we go back to watch Jackson's return to Middle Earth is because of the quality of the films.  

Similar to Rowling with "Potter," Jackson makes us believe in the reality of a fictional universe. 

From the New Zealand hills of Hobbiton, down to the hair and makeup that make the dwarves themselves, the director makes the set come alive and it shows. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, there are people on set who solely work on hair and hobbit feet

Each of the dwarves has six wigs and eight beards (for the actors, stunt doubles, and stand-ins) all real human hair imported from Russia.  

And, though he's not in the film, actor Sean Astin shared at New York Comic Con that even the Hobbit shoes have been reimagined since the first series of films and are extra cozy. (Apparently, they weren't all that comfortable to get around in during the LOTR due to a simple latex and foam build.)

Of course, Jackson's not the first, and certainly not the last director, to put meticulous detail in everything down to the props, but his attention enchants us regardless.  

the hobbitBut, what about the 48 fps? 

When Peter Jackson announced he planned on filming the "Hobbit" prequel in 48 frames-per-second (the norm is just half of that at 24 fps), it sounded sort of cool, until the critiques came back and people were up in arms. 

After ten minutes of the footage was shown earlier this year at CinemaCon, critics were divided between calling the footage "smooth" and impressive, to calling it "too clear" and comparing the look to that of a soap opera

Warner Bros. decided the world wasn't ready for this, as "The Hobbit" will only be available in limited release at select theaters including IMAX

However, when it comes down to it ... 

king kong posterJackson has taken a gamble before and succeeded.  

We can sigh and grunt (or applaud) the inclusion of a third "Hobbit" film; however, Jackson's always one to deliver when it comes to giving us lengthy 2+ hour feature films.  

Jackson originally went over the 160 minute call for "King Kong" by 20 minutes. Instead of cutting the film, Jackson exceeded Universal's expectations. The addition cost the studio a reported extra $20 million in production, of which Jackson paid half

So, when Warner Bros. shells out hundreds of millions for a Jackson film, we can probably count it's going to pay off, trilogy or not. 

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Joaquin Phoenix Slams The Oscars As 'The Worst Tasting Carrot'—Here's Today's Buzz

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  • Jpaquin Phoenix"The Master" actor Joaquin Phoenix should probably kiss his Oscar chances goodbye. Phoenix slammed the prestigious awards show, saying “I think it’s total, utter bulls–t, and I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t believe in it. It’s a carrot, but it’s the worst-tasting carrot I’ve ever tasted in my whole life. I don’t want this carrot.” Phoenix also said his award-winning role in "Walk the Line" was “One of the most uncomfortable periods of my life was going through all the awards stuff and all that. I never want to have that experience again." Not to worry.
  • Oops, Tom Hanks just dropped an F-bomb live on "Good Morning America." And then apologized profusely. Watch below:

                          

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JOB OF THE WEEK: SVP Of Marketing And Product Management

Obama Apologized To Chris Matthews For Giving Him A 'Stroke' After The First Debate

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President Barack Obama apologized to MSNBC host Chris Matthews for his poor performance at the first debate during his speech at the Al Smith dinner last night, ribbing the MSNBC host for his post-debate meltdown. 

"Although it turns out millions of Americans focused in on the second debate who didn't focus in on the first debate —and I happen to be one of them," Obama said. "I particularly want to apologize to Chris Matthews. Four years ago I gave him a thrill up his leg — this time around I gave him a stroke." 

Watch the clip below: 

Check out Obama's full speech here > 

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See What Mila Kunis Looked Like Before She Was The 'Sexiest Woman Alive'

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Mila Kunis Esquire

Long before 29-year-old Mila Kunis was named Esquire magazine's 2012 "Sexiest Woman Alive," she was just a bright eyed ten-year-old starring in a 1993 Lisa Frank commercial.

The spot was Kunis' first time on television, with her first movie appearance coming two years later in "Make A Wish, Molly."

Kunis' big Hollywood break came at the age of 15 when she starred alongside now-boyfriend Ashton Kutcher in the hit "That '70s Show." 

Since her stint as Jackie Burkhart, Kunis has gone on to star in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Family Guy" (as the voice of Meg), "Black Swan" (earning her a Golden Globe nomination), and "Ted" — the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time

Check out ten-year-old Mila Kunis in her very first TV appearance.

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Disney's First Latina Princess Has Fair Skin And Blue Eyes

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sofia

Upon first glance, Disney's latest addition to princess royalty, Sofia, looks like your average Belle. She has fair, white skin, soft brown hair, and blue eyes.

However, when Disney made the announcement of its TV movie, "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess" (she'll also have a TV series next year), it surfaced Sofia would also be the company's first Latina princess.

During a press tour, a blogger pointed out concept art of Sofia's mother had a darker complexion than other characters, to which Disney Junior original programming vice president Joe D'Ambrosia confirmed she was Latina, making daughter Sofia, in turn, at least part Latina as well.

The responses across the Internet have been mixed, with some denouncing Disney's vision of Latinos, while others are praising them for stepping away from typical stereotypes.

Here's a few of the negative responses on Twitter:

@stephlaurenSo, Disney's first Latina princess has light brown hair and blue eyes. This should go over well - http://nbcnews.to/TxZgvu ""  

@LadyShannice: " is introducing the first Latina . But she's looking really Caucasian wit [sic] red hair.Mmmm???"

@SamGrieder: "Is it me, or does Disney's first Latina princess look... white?"

And, some of the positive: 

Angelica Urquijo (Founder & Chief Strategist at IMAGEN GROUP):

"What does it mean to look Latina? We come in all shades and sizes. I am 100% Latina the daughter of parents born in Mexico.... have light skin and hazel eyes."

Rosanna Peña: 

"I agree with there being a lot of Latinas that come in different different skin tones, I have only to look at my family to see that it's true. However, any other movie where they created an "ethnic" character, they made sure that the ethnicity was well known." 

On the show's Facebook page, the response is overwhelmingly positive, though there isn't one mention about Sofia being Disney's first Latina princess there. 

D'Ambrosia has admitted they never make mention of Sofia's race on the show.

"We never actually call it out,” said D’Ambrosia, “When we go into schools [to talk to young students about the show], what I find fascinating is that every girl thinks that they’re Sofia."

And, that's the point. There's no overt mention as to any of the other Disney princesses' races in films, so why start? (Though the show does hint at the princesses' Latin Roots in the title of her homeland: "Enchancîa.")

Is Disney's portrayal of its first Latina princess an accurate assessment or have we created a stigma in our minds as to what the average Latina should look like? 

SEE ALSO: Whether the multi-million dollar budget of "The Hobbit" will pay off >

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Ceasefire In Dish v. AMC War Is Either A 'Possible Settlement' Or A 'Mistake'

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Jon Hamm Don Draper Mad Men

On Thursday, a note on the New York State Supreme Court’s website stated that there may be a "possible settlement" in AMC and Cablevision's $2.4 billion breach of contract suit against the Dish Network — which could potentially restore AMC Networks' channels on Dish's system.

"Voom HD, a former Cablevision unit, sued Dish in 2008, saying the satellite television distributor violated a 15-year deal to carry HD programming and should pay $2.4 billion in damages," reports Reuters. "The trial has been unfolding in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan since Sept. 28."

On Thursday, the court posted a docket entry dated Oct. 22 that said "9:30 AM Poss. Settlement" indicating that New York Supreme Court Judge Richard B. Lowe III would address a possible settlement when the trial reconvenes Monday.

But a few hours later the court changed the entry to remove the mention of a settlement and a person who answered the phone at the judge's chambers on Thursday said the possible settlement filing was a "mistake," reports Reuters.

Thursday's mysterious e-entry comes after Dish's secret emails came to light in the courtroom earlier this week — “the most damaging evidence to date," according to one advisor monitoring the case.

The confusion over the docket entry is the latest twist in a case that has had countless dramatic moments, from a "Walking Dead" zombie viral video campaign to AMC's anti-Dish red carpet propaganda.

But the news of a possible settlement has been good for some.

"Shares of AMC, a Cablevision subsidiary that now houses the Voom assets, closed up nearly 4 percent at $45.27 on Thursday," reports Reuters. "Analysts have said a settlement could restore AMC Networks' channels on Dish's system and restore the 13 percent of AMC's subscribers that were lost after Dish blacked out AMC in July."

But if the media companies do settle, it could be huge.

“In the context of the $2.4 billion in damages originally sought, we believe a cash settlement could be worth between $200 million and $1 billion…equating to $1-$4 per share in aftertax cash consideration for AMC,” Barclays Equity Research’s Anthony DiClemente tells Deadline.

He adds, though, that “the amount of a potential cash consideration is less important than the value of a new carriage deal.” Meaning without Dish’s 14.1M subscribers, AMC could lose as much as $100M per year in cash flow, reports Deadline. “Assuming a seven year deal, we estimate carriage would be worth $7 per share for AMC."

Related:

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