BRIEFINGS INDUSTRY
BAFTA announces TV Craft Awards T he British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recently announced the winners of its Television Craft Awards. Black Mirror , Eurovision Song Contest 2023 , Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland , Silo and Slow Horses each took home two prizes, with several other shows – including The Last of Us – collecting one. BAFTA recognises existing and emerging talent across photography, lighting, editing, directing, composing, VFX and more, separating each award into factual or fiction. The event bestows the Television Craft Special Award to an outstanding individual or organisation;
SHORT TAKES
1. Nolan to receive knighthood Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas are expected to receive a knighthood and damehood for their contributions to the film industry. Nolan won his first Oscar for best director on Oppenheimer , which Thomas produced, with the film picking up six other Academy Awards. 2. SMPTE releases report on AI The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) released an engineering report which addresses the role of AI in media production, distribution and consumption. The 42-page document explores the ethics of these technologies and argues in favour of standardisation. 3. Netflix sees subscription surge Despite dwindling profits in 2023, Netflix saw 9.3 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2024, bringing its global total to 269.6 million. Profits and revenues grew, with an overall performance which surpassed expectations. Top-performing Q1 titles included Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen , 3 Body Problem and Avatar: The Last Airbender .
this year, that award went to MAMA Youth Project, a collective which aims to widen industry representation.
For the full list of winners, visit bafta.org
Sony Pictures and Apollo bid on Paramount
S ony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management put in a joint bid on Paramount Global, offering $26 billion in cash, plus the assumption of any debt, to turn the company private. This bid coincides with another M&A proposal from Skydance Media, which – if accepted – would merge Paramount and Skydance while keeping Paramount a publicly traded business. Paramount’s current estimated enterprise value rests at $22 billion. The deal with Sony and Apollo would likely result in mass layoffs, decreasing the number of major Hollywood studios from five to four. Sony – currently the largest studio without a direct-to-consumer streaming platform – would also acquire Paramount+. Amid the negotiations, Paramount Global removed Bob Bakish as CEO, temporarily replacing him with three senior executives plucked from its subsidiaries. No final decisions have been made at the time of writing.
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