Showing posts with label amazon studios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amazon studios. Show all posts

Monday, January 12, 2015

Amazon Studios' TV series "Transparent" makes history at the Golden Globes as the first online show to ever win the top series prize, comedy or drama. Ir took a best actor award also.


Amazon makes history at the Golden Globes Awards show

I completely missed the Golden Globes last night - forgot it was on and forgot Amazon Studios' dark comedy series, Transparent, had been nominated, although I did post about the historic nomination when it happened.

Who wudda thunk??

Bear in mind that Prime shipping program members are able to watch TV shows like this at no added cost (40,000 video episodes are included).

The first story, late last night, by Variety - "Amazon, ‘Transparent’ Make History at Golden Globes" - included the following:
' Transparent” won the Golden Globe for best TV series, musical or comedy and star Jeffrey Tambor won best actor.

On the red carpet prior to the ceremony, creator Jill Soloway admitted she considered other homes for the series, but Amazon ended up being a perfect fit. “You want to be somewhere where they’re passionate about you,” she noted. “And they’ve been wonderful.”
. . .
A visibly choked up Tambor thanked Soloway for the opportunity, noting, “I’m 70 years old, these (roles) don’t come along.” He added that he was grateful, “Not for the reviews or for awards…just to get it right. I’m just honored.” '

Variety's second story, this afternoon - "Golden Globes Winner Amazon Is Hollywood’s ‘New Best Friend’" - made these points.
' With two major wins at the Golden Globes, Amazon Studios is now a contender in Hollywood.

The digital network earned its bona fides as a competitive force in TV by landing trophies for best comedy for its critically praised “Transparent” and actor for series star Jeffrey Tambor.
. . .
“Transparent,” which bowed as a series in September after its pilot debuted in February, has been the most talked-about and critically praised entry from Amazon so far...
. . .
Not only was it Amazon’s first-ever Golden Globe award, “Transparent” also became the first online show to ever win a top series prize, comedy or drama, at the annual fete.

Amazon Studios topper Roy Price called the Globe wins “a thrilling dream come true” for the studio and the “Transparent” team.
. . .
Amazon takes the unusual approach of posting its pilots online and making pickup decisions in part based on feedback from viewers.
. . .
... Series creator Jill Soloway and Tambor heaped praise on Amazon for taking the chance on an unconventional story. In “Transparent,” Tambor plays a 70-year-old father who comes out as transgender to his adult children.

“They have guts and they have taste,” said Tambor of Amazon. He also called the streaming service his “new best friend” in his acceptance speech. '

Soloway talks about her own parent's story having inspired her.   Read the rest of the article here.

Other points made
CNBC writes:
"Amazon is debuting four original series in 2015 backed by high profile Hollywood names such as Marc Foster, the director of action blockbuster World War Z and James Bond movie Quantam of Solace.
. . .
Seattle-based Amazon spent around $2 billion on content for its streaming services in 2014, while Netflix splashed out $3 billion. This includes securing the rights for other shows as well as bankrolling original content. Both companies have indicated that they plan to spend more on original productions."

Businessweek writes:
"...winning a Golden Globe for best television comedy for Transparent instantly afforded its Prime Instant Video platform newfound credibility as a venue for first-rate original programming.
  The win for best TV comedy, in fact, let Amazon surpass Netflix in the race for streaming-video awards: House of Cards has so far won Golden Globes only for its stars, including last night's win by Kevin Spacey.
. . .
"... Laura Martin, a media analyst for Needham & Co....says Amazon’s Golden Globe has given it “a positive halo effect on all original programming they’re creating.”  An award is “the best marketing you can buy because it’s free and it’s about quality.”

FT.com reports:
"The online retailer launched its studio division in 2010 and has steadily increased its output every year since, offering its streaming service to Amazon Prime delivery programme subscribers.

  It struck a three-year deal worth about $300m with HBO in 2014 to stream old episodes of hit shows such as The Sopranos and has invested millions of dollars more on its line-up of original shows, which includes Transparent and Alpha House, a political comedy.
. . .
  Amazon and Netflix have led the charge in original production, using streaming technology to take their programming direct to consumers. Streaming has upended the traditional TV model, with many younger people “cutting the cord” on expensive cable or satellite packages."


  Here's the page to view Transparent
  Remember that there's no added cost for Prime shipping members.




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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Amazon Studios wins Golden Globes nomination with Transparent series ... Best Books of the Month ... 12 Days of Deals.


FIRST, Saw today that Amazon Studios received a Golden Globes nomination for its free-with-Prime Instant series "Transparent"

From VARIETY:
' SURPRISE: ' Transparent” makes history for Amazon.

It was a huge morning for Amazon Studios as the critically acclaimed “Transparent” landed noms for comedy series and lead actor Jeffrey Tambor.  That’s the first recognition for the upstart digital player from a major awards show, and well deserved for Jill Soloway’s semi-autobiographical dramedy. '
I've read nothing but raves, for months, for that apparently groundbreaking series, which is free watching for Prime members.


12 Days of You Know What
Today, Amazon starts its "12 Days of Deals" (general) - a page to bookmark if still in shopping mode.  There's also a related 12-days of Deals that's focused on deals for the home.


"Best Books of the Month" feature
I received an email last week about Amazon's "Must-reads" for December (see table below) as chosen by their editors.

These are selected from the larger selection of Best Books of the 2014 (which I Tweeted and Facebook'd but had not blogged.
  Here's the link for Kindle book versions.

The email described "December must-reads, carefully selected by Amazon Books' editorial team ... books from best-selling authors to historical nonfiction picks and even a Kindle Single (a type of e-book published through Amazon.com)..."

Title
Author
Release Date
Anthony Horowitz
12/9/2014
Molly Guptill Manning
12/2/2014
Richard McGuire
12/9/2014
Haruki Murakami
12/2/2014
Joshua Davis
12/2/2014
Scott Saul
12/9/2014
José Saramago
12/2/2014
Sven Beckert
12/2/2014
Jim Shepard
12/1/14
Anita Diamant
12/9/2014
Viv Albertine
11/25/2014



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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Amazon Studios making movies in Hollywood with input from customers. Script in digital comic format downloadable free, for input.

AN UNUSUAL FREE COMIC BOOK DOWNLOAD
Amazon Studios has a new approach to film making, called "Crowdsourcing," per Alistair Barr's article for Reuters.

  Amazon has been developing movies and tv programming with added help in the form of data from consumer feedback and tracking as it goes.  Then they make adjustments from that, as one way to help avoid "bombs" from audience disinterest in the subject matter or approach.

  According to Barr, Amazon spends about $1 billion a year to stream programming from others over Prime Instant Video.

  I've seen bits and pieces about Amazon Studios in newspaper articles that don't get much notice, but Barr mentions that since late 2010, Amazon's film studio in Hollywood "has let aspiring screenwriters and film makers upload thousands of scripts to its website" and has an exclusive, 45-day option to buy movie scripts for $200,000 and TV series for $55,000.  It can also pay $10,000 to extend options for 18 months."

  Amazon "helps develop the scripts it options into trial videos" and posts them online to get reviews and feedback from its customers.  Writers make adjustments based on that feedback.

  I didn't know this was going on, but Barr writes:
' For instance, Amazon took its nine best test movies from 2011 and posted them on Amazon Instant Video, the company's streaming video service.
  Customers viewed the projects hundreds of thousands of times, according to the company.  It is using reviews and feedback to re-write scripts.

Amazon also collected data on how long customers watched the test videos and how many watched all the way through.'
How it works
The article goes on to describe how it all works.
  One script has been turned into a digital comic ("Blackburn Burrow Issue #1") that comes with a survey to get input, and this Kindle comic was recently "the most-downloaded free comic in the Kindle store.

  The article includes some additional thoughts on the process from Edward Saxon, Oscar-winning producer of "The Silence of the Lambs," who's "one of a handful of big-name producers who have signed on to Amazon Studio projects." ... Amazon "has 21 movie projects and nine TV projects in development, to be made for theatrical release."  Warner Bros Pictures gets "first-look" at these.

This definitely involves a new, innovative type of focus group   :-)




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G/WiFi - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $299, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

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