Video Age International June/July 2016

16 June/July 2016 V I D E O A G E L.A. Screenings Review The Good Wife and its new spinoff project.). Another phenomenon in evidence is the tendency for viewers to watch theatrical movies on small TV devices and TV series on large screens at home. Big film stars — like Keifer Sutherland and Katherine Heigl — are leading new dramas this year, too. This year, the indie portion of the L.A. Screenings (which started at the same time as the Upfronts: May 16) moved to the InterContinental Hotel, since the nearby Century Plaza Hotel in the Century City side of Los Angeles is closed for renovations for the next three years. Out of the 80 distribution companies actively involved with the Screenings, 77 exhibited at the InterContinental, including the studios’ LATAM divisions (with the exclusion of Sony Pictures). For the first time this year, there were “meeting tables” for those companies who couldn’t afford a suite or simply did not find one since the hotel was sold out for the event. The indie portion was nearly over the day after the studios (starting with Fox) began screening on their lots on Thursday, May 19, ending on Friday, May 27 (the full studio screenings calendar can be viewed at: www. videoageinternational.net/l-a-screenings-2016/ ). With five general receptions, this year the indies outshined the studios, since only Disney holding its traditional International Upfront screenings and reception, while other studios preferred private dinners with selected groups of buyers. As to the new venue, the InterContinental Hotel could be considered a “returning” site, since the event used to be split between there and the Century Plaza from 2004 until 2009. All the exhibitors VideoAge contacted reported satisfaction both with the more compact nature of the hotel and the business done. What contributed to make the indie portion a success was the fact that more than 260 buyers were also staying at the hotel. Since the InterContinental is located in a remote area and the nearby shopping center was undergoing extensive renovations, most of the indie market participants remained confined on the premises, with the only complaints being about a limited and recurrent restaurant menu. And, as for the past 11 years, there was the traditional L.A. Screenings Veteran luncheon held at the InterContinental Hotel. This year, Michael J. Solomon (in the center top row of the photo above) was celebrated as the International TV Distribution Hall of Fame honoree The luncheon was actually started in 2005 as an informal event among the late Jim Marrinan, thenaTVconsultant; Gary Marenzi (who had just left Paramount) and VideoAge ’s Dom Serafini. The following year it included Tony Friscia, who had just left Warner Bros. In subsequent years, Friscia coordinated the participation (and started keeping tabs), which at one point reached over 25 veteran TV executives. (Continued from Page 14) Record TV’s Delmar Andrade The 11th annual L.A. Screenings Veteran Luncheon www.VideoAgeDaily.com At all major TV trade shows, content buyers read the printed version of VideoAge Daily. Around the world film and TV executives read the online edition of VideoAge Daily. No matter where, when or how, your buyers will see your ad.