Hidden figures no more: women shining in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Women enjoyed a banner year in Hollywood movies and on television over the past year, notching up record highs in lead roles and gaining ground in influential jobs behind the scenes such as directors and writers, according to two studies published on Wednesday.

Box office hits like “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” also shattered barriers for black and Asian characters, reflecting the drive for wider changes in the entertainment industry that were fueled by the 2017 sexual misconduct scandal in Hollywood and the #OscarsSoWhite backlash four years ago.

Thirty-nine of the top 100 films of 2018 featured a woman in a leading or co-leading role, up from 33 in 2017 and just 20 in 2007, according to a study by the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

There was also a 12-year high in the percentage of black and Asian speaking male and female characters, while women featured more frequently in action and adventure movies.

“In 2018 we saw companies taking steps to ensure that certain groups were included in some of their most notable movies,” Stacy L. Smith, one of the authors of the Annenberg study.

On television, female characters made up a record 45% of speaking roles across comedies, dramas and reality shows on broadcast, cable and streaming services, compared to 40% in the 2017-2018 TV season, the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego University found.

Behind the scenes on television, women accounted for a record 31% of all creators, directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors, and directors of photography.

Both studies said that despite progress, there was still much to be done.

While women comprised a historic high of 26% of directors in the 2018-19 television season just ended, men still outnumber women 3 to 1 in this role, the San Diego study found.

Hollywood remains far below the 50/50 male-female parity that advocates are pushing for among on-screen talent, behind-the-scenes workers and studio executives.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by David Gregorio

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Video-on-demand service HOOQ now available in PH

MANILA, Philippines - Asia's newest video on-demand service HOOQ will soon be available in the Philippines, as it announced a partnership with Globe Telecom.

HOOQ is a start-up joint venture between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Entertainment which was launched last week.

Under the partnership, Globe subscribers can avail of unlimited online streaming access and an offline viewing option to more than 10,000 movies and TV shows.

Customers can watch Hollywood films from partners Sony and Warner Bros., such as Harry Potter, Spider-Man and Inception and TV series such as Gossip Girl, Friends and Smallville.

Filipino film and TV shows will be available through partnerships with
ABS-CBN, Viva Communications and Regal Entertainment.



"Across the emerging economies, people have amazing stories and love stories. However, a few billion people have no quality way of seeing the best stories from Hollywood or their local market. HOOQ will change that. HOOQ will change the way people in emerging markets consume and enjoy entertainment," said HOOQ Chief Executive Officer Peter G. Bithos, who was previously Globe's chief operating advisor.

"The Philippines is a natural first market for us. Filipinos’ dual love of local and Hollywood content combined with their digital savviness makes the Philippines a perfect place for us to start," he added.

HOOQ's first partnership is with Globe Telecom.

"Our partnership with Globe Telecom, the leader in digital partnerships in the Philippines, helps us bring Philippine customers a premium video service and new form of entertainment that combines the best of Hollywood, Asian and Philippine video content across all devices," Bithos said.

A Nielsen report in 2014 showed more Filipinos were viewing online video content, with 85% watching at least weekly, the second highest in the region.

"To meet their needs, we see the video-on-demand services offered by HOOQ as a critical offering representing the future of the industry. Now that consumers have access to a variety of international and local content, entertainment will now be more personal, and with Globe, this means experiencing it with the highest quality," Ernest Cu, President and CEO of Globe Telecom, said.

Globe Telecom will provide its customers with the ability to download HOOQ, which will soon be available to customers on a plan-based service for P199 per month. It will also be offered as a bundled service with the telco’s GoSURF and Tattoo broadband services.

After the Philippine launch, HOOQ will be rolled out across Asia soon.

The service will also be accessible to all customers in the Philippines through its website – http://HOOQ.tv. Through HOOQ.tv, customers can watch videos of their choice and pay for the subscription by credit card.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com