Author name: Mark It

In November, a new type of content studio, Promise, was launched. Backed by high-profile investors, including producer Peter Chernin, Promise announced at its outset that it aimed to produce film and TV series by incorporating generative artificial intelligence tools into…

Last year I published a study which showed that sex on screen has declined by almost 40% over the past quarter-century. At the time, I was asked whether we could see a comparable decline in levels of romance or if…

Thousands of people have gathered at Auckland’s Civic Theatre for the New Zealand premiere of the much awaited film, Tinā. Directed by Miki Magasiva, the film was set in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake in 2011, and focused…

This documentary captures a key moment in the rebirth of Kiwi cinema: director Roger Donaldson and his small crew shooting breakthrough 1977 film Sleeping Dogs. A trip to the Cannes Film Festival had inspired Donaldson and mate Ian Mune to…

Luke Cook moved from Sydney to Los Angeles 18 years ago, when he was just 20, looking to break into acting. It’s a familiar story: kid chases dream in Hollywood, hustles for work, and eventually suffers well-meaning but depressing questions…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shot down Elon Musk’s reported offer to buy the company behind ChatGPT, escalating a battle with the X owner over the AI firm’s for-profit pivot that could shape Hollywood’s adoption of the technology. “No thank you…

People now watch so many programs at so many different times in so many different ways that measuring viewership has become a hot debate in the industry. Last month, the Golden Globes drew 10.1 million viewers. No, wait, maybe 9.3…

The UK actors union has threatened to go to the “courts if necessary” if members’ rights continue to be breached in the training of AI models. In an open letter to bosses at the BBC, Disney, ITV and producer trade…

Australian distributor Troy Lum is a key buyer of international and arthouse films through Kismet, and he produces too — now through Brouhaha Entertainment. He explains how he maintains his portfolio. Taste matters, affirms Australian producer/distributor Troy Lum. “The path…

Taika Waititi mixed jokes and sincerity in his acceptance speech for the Norman Lear Achievement Award on Saturday at the Producers Guild Awards for his work in television. He thanked his partners at FX and on the shows Reservation Dogs …

James Ashcoft got the call on a Tuesday. Can you be in New York by Saturday? “Of course.” Leaving home in Mt Maunganui, the film director made for Manhattan, to talk to a guy about a movie. The guy was…

Despite the partial loss of her sight, Auckland photographer and film-maker Serena Stevenson’s latest project is a visionary masterpiece. You could say Serena Stevenson has seen it all. From shooting fashion spreads for glossy magazines to covertly interviewing political activists…