crackle

Film studio blames money woes on economy, tech

Some of the same technological forces that have consumed large portions of the music sector appear to be eating away at the film industry.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, one of the six biggest Hollywood film studios, told employees Monday that in March the company will lay off 450 workers, the equivalent of 6.5 percent of its global workforce, according to a story in The Los Angeles Times.

"Our industry is affected by two things: It's affected by the economy, of course, and it's affected by technology," Amy Pascal, the studio's co-chairman, said in a video … Read more

More signs Hulu subscription service is coming

On Thursday came more signals from News Corp. that Hulu will charge for at least some of its films and TV shows.

Chase Carey, News Corp.'s deputy chairman, suggested in comments he made at the OnScreen Media Summit that it's just a matter of time before Hulu, the video service founded by News Corp. and NBC Universal, launches a subscription service.

"I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content," Carey said, according to a report Broadcasting & Cable, which co-hosted the conference. "I think what we … Read more

Sony's Crackle expands movie lineup

Crackle, the video site owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, has expanded its feature film lineup, which means that you can now watch "Groundhog Day" or "Spider-Man 2" at the office, if your boss isn't looking.

Crackle now hosts "nearly 100" full-length features, according to a release, and "dozens more" are on the way. There's also a pop-culture trivia game called "Crackle Cinemactive."

What's not clear is whether these movies will soon be on their way to YouTube, where Sony is one of a number of content partners … Read more

YouTube signs Sony, preps site for studio content

Move over Hotforwords, Lonelygirl15, and all the other YouTube stars. The video site is bringing in more professionally made content and plans to make it a marquee product.

The Internet's largest video site on Thursday announced that it has struck deals with a host of entertainment companies, including Sony Pictures, CBS (parent company of CNET News), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lionsgate, Starz, and the BBC, to acquire "thousands" of TV episodes and hundreds of films. The new content will only be available in the United States.

YouTube executives also said during a conference call that they have redesigned part of … Read more

Sony Pictures confirms feature-film talks with YouTube

Sony Pictures has acknowledged that it is discussing a deal to license feature films to Google's YouTube.

On Monday, CNET reported the two companies were discussing a deal that could help YouTube become an outlet for premium full-length content. Right now, YouTube offers mostly independent films and a handful of titles from Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Sony Pictures wants to boost the profile of Crackle.com, the studio's own online video site, and a YouTube partnership could help promote the offering. Judging from other feature-film deals that Sony Pictures has cut with Hulu and others, Sony Pictures will likely … Read more

YouTube, Sony Pictures in talks over feature films

YouTube is in talks to acquire licensing rights to full-length content from Sony Pictures, home of such films as "The International" and "Spider-Man," sources familiar with the negotiations told CNET News. Details about what a final agreement could look like are sparse, but any partnership between the two powerhouses would likely benefit both.

Representatives from both companies declined to comment.

Word of the negotiations comes a week after Disney announced it had licensed short-form content to YouTube. Those clips will come from a range of Disney brands, including ABC and ESPN. For YouTube, obtaining short-form clips … Read more

Sony's Crackle.com to kick off new video 'season'

A Sony-owned online video entertainment site is expected to unveil its latest "season" of Internet programs on Monday, as the media giant moves to beef up its online entertainment content.

Crackle.com, which Sony bought in 2006 when it was known as Grouper, will showcase shows that include sketch comedy by The Groundlings and Anytime with Bob Kushell , a five-minute talk show hosted by a Hollywood writer, Reuters reported Sunday. Crackle has adopted the television practice of rolling out new programming in seasons instead of rolling out episodes when they are completed. Crackle's season begins December 1, … Read more