Category: AUDIENCE

China Is Now Officially The World’s Most Lucrative Movie Market

“Movie ticket sales in China for 2020 climbed to $1.988 billion on Sunday, surpassing North America’s total of $1.937 billion. … Analysts have long predicted that the world’s most populous country would one day top the global charts. But the results still represent a historic sea change: North America has been the global box office’s center of gravity since the dawn of the motion picture business.” – The Hollywood Reporter

A Social Media Horror Story: “Our Social Dilemma”

In horror, “the narrative is driven by the question of whether the creature can be destroyed.” In The Social Dilemma, the creature is you and me, or at least the tech-addicted, algorithmically-modeled version of ourselves disclosed by big-tech behaviorism. So the film’s horrifying question is this: are you willing to destroy a part of yourself, that Twitter-refreshing creature within? – 3 Quarks Daily

The Great British Baking Show Still Somehow Makes Us Feel Good About Humanity

After all of these seasons, a switch from the BBC, the loss of the great Mary Berry (not to mention presenters Mel and Sue), and a barrage of other baking shows, how does the Great British Baking Show still do it? “To watch The Great British Baking Show is to believe that the average guy and gal can do remarkable things, that good nature is compatible with excellence, that high achievement will be recognized, that honest feedback can lead to improvement, that there are things to life beyond work. It is to believe that spectacular creativity can actually be scrumptious.” – The Atlantic

Richmond Ballet Is Onstage, But How?

Very, very carefully. After the city went to phase three, the dancers and administration met over Zoom to figure out a return. “The new criteria for the one-hour show, now without an intermission: only married couples or roommates performing pas de deux, choreographic selections that lean heavily on solos and trios, and masks mandated for everyone in the building.” – Pointe Magazine

This Dance Company Director Thinks The Shutdown Has Done Some Good

Zenetta Drew, executive director of Dallas Black Dance Theater: “The arts were dying as far as how you reach new audiences, how you create new revenue streams and how you reach underserved communities. Being forced to deal with COVID has changed all that.” And she doesn’t think audiences seeing dance for free online will keep them from coming to the theater later. Why? Look at football on TV. – SMU Data Arts

Zoom Is Adding A Performance Option

If you’ve used apps like Eventbrite and Meetup, what’s on offer here will be familiar. As an attendee, you’ll find a space where you can discover new workshops, classes and other events to attend. You’ll be able to take part in them directly through Zoom and pay for them using a credit card or PayPal account. You also have the option to gift OnZoom tickets to your friends and family members. – Engadget

Envisioning A ‘Zoom-Plus’ Made For Virtual Performances

Ron Evans: “We’re still working around the fact that Zoom was not designed for a performing arts experience. What would things look like if the performing arts had a software platform of their own? … It’s clear that [it] would need new functionalities never seen before. But what exactly? I’ve put together a few thoughts.” – Arts Professional

Theatre-By-Snail-Mail

The audiences interact with characters one-on-one through the letters and can possibly alter the arc of the pieces through their correspondences. For a few of the play tracks, audiences can select particular characters to follow and even determine outcomes based on their response letters. “It’s a bespoke adventure—a tailor-made adventure specifically designed for you and your experience.” – American Theatre

With Big, Flexible Spaces, Several New York City Venues Insist They Can Reopen Safely

“The Park Avenue Armory’s vast drill hall has nearly 40,000 square feet of unobstructed open area. The Shed’s central performance space has a 115-foot-high ceiling. St. Ann’s Warehouse has 10 big double doors and a new air ionization system. … They are pressing state regulators to consider a series of architectural advantages that they say should make their buildings easier to adapt for safety than the glorious but cramped houses that symbolize New York’s theater district.” – The New York Times