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BASE AWARDS ON THE WAY…
COMMENT, AS NEW GONGS ADDED
OSCARS GIVE OPPENHEIMER A LIFT
THE HOLDOVERS ON THE WAY
WONKA: “A GREAT RESULT”
HMV CHIEF IN FOR BODY SHOP?
1999: PIVOTAL YEAR EXAMINED IN NEW BOOK
VINYL REVIVAL HITS INFLATION BASKET
MORE ON ERA YEARBOOK…
…AS AVERAGE PRICE OF 4K HITS MORE THAN £24
CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL STICKS
APPLE TV’S OSCAR GAMBLE
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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It was a good week for… Oppenheimer, and all the other Oscar winners…
It was a bad week for… Commiserations to those that didn't win gongs, while, it must be noted, sad to see no physical releases for some of the big nominees (yet)…
As one awards ceremony ends, with the Oscars held on Sunday March 10 effectively bringing the curtain down on awards season, another one is unveiled, albeit far closer to home (and easier to get tickets for too). For industry body BASE has announced more details of its awards due to take place on September 25 at the Roundhouse in Camden (the last time as part of its ongoing agreement with the venue, with a move likely in 2025). Entries for the awards are now open, with entry forms to be completed by April 12 and the full entries due in on May 3. The awards are broken down into five categories – Of The Year, for sales successes; Campaign, highlighting marketing across different categories; Best In Class, for different formats and specialities; Innovation which celebrates “creative, commercial and engagement innovation”; and People’s Choice and Heroes. There are two new awards this year joining the 30-plus gongs on the night – Best in Class for Blu-ray 4K, giving the ultra high definition arena its own award; and the DEGI Hedy Lamarr Award for Inspirational Women in Entertainment, broken down into two separate statues, one for a leader and one for a rising star. Forms and everything you need can be found here.
Meanwhile, comment on the awards came from BASE chief executive Liz Bales, who said: “With the BASE community ever-growing it is fabulous to return to the Roundhouse, a spectacular venue that has been the scene of so much fun and celebration over the last three years, to recognise the incredible triumphs of the UK entertainment industry. The 2024 Awards celebrate the brilliance of Home Entertainment, the creativity, and ingenuity that drives our collective success and unending consumer engagement. Guaranteed to be an unforgettable evening, catching up with old friends, making new ones, it is always a standout event.” BASE projects and events manager Phoebe Vaneveld-Taylor said: “The addition of Best in Class: Blu-ray 4K rounds out the eight separate Best in Class categories, and joins Best in Class: Packaging & Artwork, throwing a spotlight on the exceptional physical product being produced for fans. Any title or initiative which took place between 1st May 2023 – 31st March 2024 is eligible to enter. We are so proud of all the work we have done across the last few years to make the awards categories comprehensive and representative of all the different but equally vital parts of the UK Home Entertainment industry. Additionally, we are delighted to welcome the return of the following sponsors for this year’s awards: BDSWest10, Birra Moretti, Lionsgate UK, OC, Official Charts, Spirit Entertainment and StudioCanal, with many more soon to be announced.” BASE head of communications, marketing and partnerships
Louise Kean-Wood said: “The DEGI Hedy Lamarr Award is inspired by the annual DEG Hedy Lamarr Award for Innovation in Entertainment Technology, our digital sister organisation in the US, with its legacy of celebrating outstanding women in entertainment. Previous recipients include Oscar winner Geena Davis in 2017, who established the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and 2023 winner Shalini Govil-Pai, VP and General Manager of TV Platforms, Google. Two DEGI Hedy Lamarr awards will be presented on the night of the BASE Awards 2024: the first to an established woman in UK entertainment, and the second to a rising star in the early stages of her career who displays exceptional promise and passion for entertainment. The winners will participate in a BASE Roundtable in November dedicated to the importance of female leadership in entertainment. The Rising Star will also receive a year of mentoring from an established female leader in Home Entertainment. We are incredibly excited about these new additions to the BASE Awards for 2024 and we look forward to receiving your nominations for amazing women who inspire you across our industry.”
So what of the Oscars then? Well, you should know the winners by now (if not, they’re over here), but to recap, Oppenheimer was the big winner, and the awards have given the film a strong lift this week, both in terms of awareness and sales too. Even Barbie, deemed to have been snubbed in the nominations, picking up just one award on the night, for Best Song, has been boosted. We spoke to hmv’s John Delany about the post-Oscars bounce, he said: “It was a strong year for the Oscars and great to see Oppenheimer acknowledged. It's performed incredibly well on Blu-ray, DVD and especially 4K UHD since it initially went to pre-order - our exclusive Steelbook sold out in less than 24 hours! Sales of Oppenheimer this week have lifted again and it's up to #2, only behind Wonka. Barbie sales have benefited again from more Barbenheimer conversation, Billie Eilish's win and Ryan Gosling's performance. We've also seen significant lifts of other winners & nominees in both sales and pre-orders. Ultimately the Awards should be giving a platform for the very best films our industry has to offer to a much broader audience, these Awards will really drive a much wider audience to seek out The Holdovers, Poor Things, The Boy And The Heron, Anatomy Of A Fall, Zone Of Interest and Godzilla: Minus One. The fact that some of these are now longer in cinemas, but also not available to even pre-order on disc, highlights a missed opportunity while consumer demand is at its highest - especially when Wonka is still in the Top 10 at the cinemas at the same time as looking likely to finish #1 in the disc charts for a second week running.”
Next up on the Oscar releases are Monday’s release of Anatomy Of A Fall, from Lionsgate, and, following in April, The Holdovers. One key Oscar winner, and among the first announced, was that of Best Supporting Actress, with Da'Vine Joy Randolph picking up the coveted statue for her role in the Alexander Payne directed The Holdovers. It’s timely for Dazzler Media, which has licensed the title for a physical media from Universal as part of the studio’s ongoing licensing of home ent titles to independent labels. Dazzler was quick off the mark this week – reminding journalists and more that the film was due on physical media on April 22, taking in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD SKUs. It also reminded press and media of the weight of strong reviews from publications, including five-star notices from Empire and Total Film. Comment came from Dazzler’s Paul Holland, who said: “As we all know in this business you win some and you lose some, but this is a winner and a title that has grown in stature over the last six months. It’s really nice as an independent to be working on a film that has a Oscar attached and also being able to say Dazzler in the same sentence!”
Back to hmv and John Delany spoke further about the success of the likes of Wonka and updated us on where the chain is at, as the resurgent retailer heads back into Europe, with an opening planned for Brussels. He said: “We've had a great result with Wonka since its release and it was encouraging to see it post the biggest Wk1 in the market since December. Wonka is a great example of a high quality and broad family film, much like Paul King's Paddington films and like those, it will continue to sell well throughout the year. It's also an amazing demonstration of Timothee Chalamet's talent & versatility that he leads two very different films in Wonka and Dune: Part Two at #1 in disc charts and #1 at the cinema in the same week. We're also busy putting the final touches to our latest new store in Belgium, where we'll open in Brussels next month with a Blu-ray, 4K and DVD range. It's really interesting meeting & getting set up with the local Benelux suppliers and the challenges of different barcodes, release dates and release days.”
Talking of hmv, when we interviewed the chain’s owner Doug Putman at the end of last year, we discussed the fact that whenever a retailer fails in the UK, his name is now in the frame as a potential rescuer. He was still disappointed over the failure of his attempts to save Wilko and told The Raygun: “I think my speciality is turning around businesses that are struggling. It doesn’t have to be in administration, it might be just before. We’ll look at anything. We’re totally open. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and if someone interested in working with us, doing a deal, we’ll look at it and try and find a way to make it work.” He welcomed the fact that the media in the UK was turning to him whenever a retailer failed, so it was interesting to see this week his name back in the frame, this time to save the Body Shop. The Telegraph reported that he had contacted administrators for the failed cosmetics retailer, which collapsed in the UK, with more than 80 stores, and similarly faltered in North America. It is understood no official bid has been tabled.
Lastly from hmv, we’d like to send you in the direction of an excellent, just published new book by Eamonn Forde, a specialist journalist. His 1999 The Year The Record Industry Lost Control looks at the pivotal year as digital made its first impact, piracy blossomed and many retailers started facing issues. It offers a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes machinations at the then expanding hmv, with interviews with the likes of former chief Brian McLaughlin and head of PR Gennaro Castaldo. McLaughlin talks about the mistakes of hmv pursuing an international expansion plan, noting: “That was something I was totally and utterly against, because, from a shareholder point of view, I couldn’t see where the value was going to come from when we didn’t have the management to transfer to these other countries. Even in the US, although Tower were very profitable, they had their own management issues as well. For us to transfer management to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and America, it was really insane at that time.” When he took over international operations too, he shuttered its US business within months, noting: “that was purely and simply so that we could get our bottom line to look a lot healthier because all we were doing was seeing the efforts of the UK’s staff and management being sucked out of the business.” Gennaro Castaldo said that traditional retail’s failures in digital came because few in the industry could see the seismic change about to happen, it was, he said, not because people were lazy, or complacent or asleep: “They just couldn’t conceive of what was to come. DVD came along and rather distracted everyone because it was such a huge earner. DVD was like this huge adrenaline rush of additional sales.” There’s lots more in there too, detailing other retailers now departed, such as Our Price and Virgin Megastores – this book is a huge recommend and a must-read. Get it from wherever you buy your books.
Meanwhile, former hmv head of press Gennaro Castaldo is now firmly ensconced at the BPI, and the record industry trade body was among the first to react this week when the Office for National Statistics this week announced the new introductions to the shopping basket that is used to measure inflation in the UK. And added to the basket, signifying the ongoing revival of the format, are vinyl records, returning for the first time in years. DVD and Blu-ray are both still featured in the basket, as are DVD rentals and “video on demand subscription services”. BPI chief executive Dr Jo Twist OBE said: “It’s good to see the ONS once again including vinyl LPs in its measure of what people are buying around the UK. This much-loved format has seen demand grow consistently for nearly two decades, including among younger and more diverse consumers who stream daily but also love to own their favourite music on physical formats. Most albums are now released by artists and their labels on vinyl, often as highly collectible deluxe editions, whilst, as reported by ERA just last week, there has also been a surge in the number of independent record stores trading on the High Street again and HMV are also expanding, so it feels an entirely natural that vinyl should once more be seen as a popular indicator of how people are choosing to spend their hard earned money. CDs may not be far behind!” ERA CEO Kim Bayley said: “The ONS decision to add vinyl records to its basket of goods and services is an incredible milestone, marking the return to the mainstream of a format, most people – including the music industry – had given up on. The long march back to popularity of vinyl is first and foremost a reflection of the inherent qualities of the format, in terms of touch, visual appeal and of course sound quality. But it is also a reflection of the skill and insight of the independent and High Street retailers who first identified that even as music became more convenient and less tangible in the streaming age there would be a need for a physical format which offered things which streaming could not. This is a day not just to celebrate the renewed success of vinyl but also to salute the retailers who pointed the way to this remarkable comeback.”
And sticking with ERA, we promised more of the organisation’s yearbook and its insight into the market, notably video. So we’ve looked at its market share report and the state of video retailing from the essential report. It said: “According to Kantar, the total number of bricks and mortar retailers stocking video fell sharply in 2023, down from 2,916 shops in 2022 to 2,078, a decline of 28.7 per cent year-on-year. 812 fewer supermarkets ranged video product in 2023, maintaining a downward trend that accelerated over the pandemic years. In terms of total numbers, though, supermarkets still dominate the bricks and mortar channel, with 1,576 outlets still trading in DVD and Blu-ray, representing 76 per cent of the UK total. The number of shops in the multiples channel stocking video also fell again, down 25 outlets to 307, a decline of 7.5 per cent. hmv - the only bricks and mortar retailer left in the specialist sector selling physical video – reported no change in the number of their shops selling DVDs and Blu-rays with 122 still trading in 2023, while the indie channel lost just 1 outlet compared to 2022, down to 73. There are an increasing number of SVOD platforms in the UK with the launch of services such as Paramount Plus, All4+, Shudder and many others in recent years.”
Also from the ERA book and one worth noting is the average prices of physical and EST media. It is, in descending order, 4K UHD, with an average of £24.32; the combined Blu-ray formats, both standard and 4K UHD at £15.17; Blu-ray at £11.82; EST at £9.24 and Dvd at £7.76. Again, another essential read, you can download it here https://www.eraltd.org/yearbook
News from the forces against anti-piracy, illegal streaming and downloading and more as the City of London’s PIPCU anti-piracy taskforce, working with the Federation Against Copyright Theft and the Premier League is taking part in a crackdown against sellers of modified firesticks enabling access to streaming and pay TV services illegally. It targeted 11 individuals, with one arrest and the remaining 10 interviewed under caution at locations around the country, including Portsmouth, Wales, Hartlepool, Middlesborough, Leeds, Manchester and Bury. All were given conditional cautions, ordering them to cease or face the consequences. Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said:
“Illegal streaming is a huge issue for the industry and while it may seem like a low-risk, high-reward crime, the proceeds are used to fund other serious forms of criminal activity. At the same time, it can expose end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware. By targeting grassroots sellers, we are sending out a clear message that this will not be tolerated. PIPCU will continue to work with partners across law enforcement and the industry to take action against those who provide illegal streaming services and protect consumers against the risks associated with using them.” Kieron Sharp, CEO at FACT, added: “The success achieved through this targeted operation is directly attributable to the outstanding effort and robust support from PIPCU. By implementing these measures, a strong message has been conveyed: piracy is a criminal act that is treated with utmost seriousness and decisive action will be taken against suppliers of illicit services regardless of their size or scale. We remain vigilant in monitoring platforms, including modified fire sticks that promote and distribute illegal streams, taking decisive action against those selling illegal access to premium TV content. FACT and its partners are determined to disrupt these criminal operations and non-compliance will lead to further law enforcement action.”
And we’ll end almost where we started, with the Oscars, and there’s an interesting piece worth a bit of your time over on Variety’s website, penned ahead of the Oscars, about Apple’s big film investment, Among a selection of eminently quotable comments come this one from analyst Dan Ives at Wedbush Securities: “The quality of the films has been extremely impressive and has attracted significant demand for the Apple TV+ service. But the Achilles’ heel is not the quality. They just don’t have enough [product]. I think that’s been the tug of war with Apple: They’ve achieved high quality and won Oscars, yet they lack the library in this content arms race.” It also speculated on Apple’s potential to buy a studio – it collaborated with Paramount, Sony and Universal on Killers Of The Flower Moon, Napoleon and Argylle, respectively, but the trade publication suggested that it might make more sense to buy one, rather than using marketing and sales skills from them on a piecemeal basis. It concluded with a further comment from Ives, who said: “There’s a lot of pressure for Apple to acquire a major studio. I still think that it’s more than a 50 per cent chance that they acquire one over the next 12 to 18 months.” You can read the full thing here.
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
This is all for you…
Mogwai, but not the Gremlins kind…
Michael Douglas starrer due on Apple…
Happy Valley writer behind this…
Jennifer Lopez starrer…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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