Hollywood

YouTube is ready to dump more cash into its professional programming, according to a new report.

Google-owned YouTube will drop another $200 million into the programming to more effectively market the nearly 100 channels boasting professional videos, the company told the Wall Street Journal in a report published yesterday.

The Journal is reporting today, citing sources, that YouTube has so far attracted $150 million worth of advertising to its original programming. That investment, if it carries throughout the year, would help cover the startup costs YouTube incurred to get its programming off the ground.

YouTube has so far invested $150 million to experiment with original programming. … Read more

Netflix has been no stranger of late to complaints about its services. And now Consumer Reports has released a study that might pile on.

In a recent survey of its subscribers, Consumer Reports found that 81 percent of over 15,000 respondents used Netflix's streaming service in the previous month, making it an exceedingly popular offering. However, in terms of overall satisfaction with the service, the respondents pushed Netflix down to sixth place behind Vudu, iTunes, and several others.

Out of a possible score of 100, Vudu took the top spot in subscriber satisfaction, earning a 76. Apple's … Read more

Back in college I might spend all day and night debating deep questions like: "Hey bro, how much do you think Bruce Wayne spends on all that Batman bling?"

Sadly, I no longer have the time for such deliberations, but fortunately there are still people in college right now who do.

Centives, which is made up of a team of economics students at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn., dug into the digits of what it actually costs to be Batman and came up with a real-world tally for all that fictional crime-fighting schwag -- $2.8 million. However, more than two-thirds of that bill comes from over-zealous orders of 10,000 graphite helmets (with the parts sent to different locations and aliases to avoid being discovered), which means that simply finding a trusted supplier for that iconic cowl could save nearly $2 million.… Read more

SAN DIEGO--The first night of the 42nd annual Comic-Con brought in the hordes, giving attendees far more than a mere preview last night.

Originally a chance for exhibitors and professionals to enjoy the Con, fans who buy four-day passes can opt to get a Preview Night ticket, too. In turn, this gives vendors a chance to sell convention exclusives to an even wider audience, but it does cut down on the opportunities for those working the show to enjoy what's on display. Preview Night passes sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale earlier this year.

So what … Read more

Fans may never forget the numerous sandy scenes of the "Star Wars" saga, which George Lucas and crew mostly filmed in the North African country of Tunisia.

A recent glance by RocketNews24 at famous "Star Wars" locations such as Mos Espa (where Anakin grew up) and the Lars Homestead (where Luke grew up) paints a much different picture of the movie sets beloved by countless geeks around the world. … Read more

LOS ANGELES--I'm sitting across from a soldier named Garza, trying to get him to open up about why he got caught drinking and driving.

This is a serious offense in the military, and Garza could lose his rank, if not get kicked out of the Army altogether. And it's my job as his superior officer to try to understand that Garza -- who used to be among the best in his unit -- may be struggling with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

This, of course, is a simulation. I'm not in the military, and Garza doesn'… Read more

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- It's hard to believe that a bunch of corrugated steel could be so famous. But when that bunch is nine letters that are 45 feet tall, and that combine to stretch 400 feet across, you get what is likely the world's most recognizable sign.

This is, of course, the Hollywood sign, a universal image representing the entertainment industry, and a monument that literally towers over Tinseltown.

But with its 90th anniversary coming up next spring, it may surprise some to learn that the sign has had its global status for only a fraction of its … Read more

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--Deep inside a series of very cold vaults, surrounded by thick concrete and protected from fire and water damage, more than 76,000 movies sit on shelves, preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Welcome to the Academy Film Archive, the storage arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. On your right is a stack of cans containing several reels of the 1962 classic "Lawrence of Arabia." On your left are several cans comprising a copy of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Since opening its doors in 1927, the Academy -- the folks … Read more

BURBANK, Calif.--Back in the dark ages of modern 3D filmmaking -- meaning more than a year or two ago -- the process of aligning imagery coming from the two cameras required to shoot in 3D could be slow, methodical, and frustrating work. But one company thinks it has done away with those days forever.

At 3ality, an outfit here that is among the leaders in the nascent new era of 3D filmmaking -- as opposed to the horrible 3D films dating back a few decades -- there's no reason to labor over the optimization of such imagery after … Read more