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☆ A startup is using AI to place products within YouTube and TikTok videos, creating a new type of ad for brands and creators
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewIn an October YouTube video, lifestyle creator Shelby Church talks about quitting Airbnb. This new ad structure that's being incorporated into YouTube and TikTok videos could help generate passive revenue for creators. That's similar to the model for Google's AdSense program for the standard ads that air during a YouTube video. In creator videos, product placement has mainly appeared in the background of show-like setups, like video podcasts. Rembrand's AI tool creates and places the adRembrand aims to use AI to make product placement easier for brands and creators.

Persons: —, Shelby, seltzer, doesn't, Cory Treffiletti, Rembrand, Charles Schwab, Garnier, Treffiletti, We've, We're, we're Organizations: Service, Shelby Church, YouTube, Business, Bubly, UTA Ventures, United Talent Agency, Adobe Locations: Airbnb, Greycroft

☆ How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

The appointment would make Walden the first female CEO of the Walt Disney Co. in its 100-year history. "Anybody they choose will have never been the Disney CEO prior to that." At Disney, Walden has hit several home runs, including FX's "The Bear," Hulu's "The Dropout" and "Only Murderers in the Building," and ABC's "Abbott Elementary." Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek CNBCChapek climbed the corporate ladder at Disney for 30 years by showcasing his business and finance chops. Combating female stereotypesIf Walden were appointed CEO, she would be the first woman to run the century-old company.

Persons: Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment Rich Polk, Peter Chernin, Rupert, Walden, Bob Iger, he'd, Fox, Chernin, Peter Roth, Roth, Peter Chernin Getty, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, Alan Bergman, Nelson, Peltz, Iger, Bob Chapek, Walden's, Bergman, she's, hasn't, —, Walden —, Dana doesn't, Jennifer Salke, Jennifer Salke Stephen Desaulniers, CNBC Walden, Richard Plepler, Craig Hunegs, Carol Burnett's, Carrie Hamilton, George Burns, Dean Martin, roasts, Martin, Buddy Hackett, Matt Walden, Bender, Goldman, she'd, Arsenio, Lucie Sulhany, Dana Walden Jason Laveris, Gary Newman, Newman, It's, Dana, Ryan Murphy, John Landgraf, Jan, Seth MacFarlane, Guy, Tuck, MacFarlane, Murphy, Steve Levitan, Dan Fogelman, Rick Rosen, Rosen, Howard Gordon, Levitan, Peter Rice, Rice, wasn't, Chapek, Rich Appel, Gary, it's, Percy Jackson, didn't, Bob Chapek CNBC Chapek, showrunners, Scarlett Johansson, Kristina Schake, Jay Sures, Sures, Amazon's Salke, Greta Gerwig, Gloria, Murphy's, Miss Jones, There's, Steve Levitan Peter, Hopper, Critics, She's, Salke, WME's Rosen Organizations: Disney Entertainment, Getty, Century Fox Filmed Entertainment, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Walt Disney Co, Century Fox, Fox, Century Fox Television, Warner Bros, Disney, ESPN, Entertainment, CNBC, Trian Partners, Iger, Amazon Studios, HBO, Disney TV Studios, Hollywood, Westlake School for Girls, Harvard, Westlake School, The Friars Club, University of Southern, Paramount, Paramount Domestic Television, Filmmagic, Fox Broadcasting, Walden, CBS, FX Networks, Bob Chapek CNBC, Indiana University, Michigan State University, United Talent Agency, Hulu Locations: Santa Barbara , California, Walden, Brentwood , California, She's, Disney's, Studio City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, University of Southern California, Chapek, Hollywood, Walden's, Iger, America

☆ Robinhood partners with Klutch Sports, brings Rich Paul on as advisor as it moves into sports and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rich Paul attends a basketball game between the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2020. He will work closely with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev to identify new partnership opportunities in the sports and entrepreneurship space. Paul, who founded Klutch in 2012, represents some of the biggest names in sports, including James. "When you think about what Robinhood represents, it represents access and entrepreneurship." Correction: Rich Paul is joining Robinhood as a strategic advisor.

Persons: Rich Paul, Robinhood, LeBron James, Rich Paul's, Paul, Vlad Tenev, Tenev, Rich, James, Klutch, Draymond, Trae Young, A'ja Wilson —, Klutch —, Ben Baller, brokerages Organizations: National Basketball, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Staples Center, Klutch Sport Group, CNBC, Klutch Sports, Klutch, United Talent Agency, Washington Wizards, Washington D.C, NBA, Robinhood, CNBC PRO Locations: Los Angeles, Robinhood, Washington, Metro, Akron

☆ Elon Musk Is Funding Ex-‘Mandalorian’ Actress’s Suit Against Disney
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk poked the Walt Disney Company anew on Tuesday by agreeing to fund a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by the “Mandalorian” actress Gina Carano. “Please let us know if you would like to join the lawsuit against Disney,” Mr. Musk, seemingly trawling for other plaintiffs, wrote in a post on X, which he bought in 2022. Disney dropped Ms. Carano, a former mixed-martial artist, from “The Mandalorian” in 2021 after she espoused baseless conspiracy theories and right-wing positions, some of which were seen as homophobic and antisemitic, in a series of social media posts. Lucasfilm, the Disney division that makes “The Mandalorian,” said in a statement at the time that Ms. Carano’s “social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”United Talent Agency also dropped Ms. Carano. Ms. Carano’s suit, filed on Tuesday in federal court in California, seeks a court order forcing Disney and Lucasfilm to weave her “Mandalorian” character back into episodes and recast her for the part.

Persons: Elon Musk, Gina Carano, Mr, Carano, ”, Carano’s Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Disney, Lucasfilm, United Talent Agency Locations: California

☆ How Young Entertainment Professionals — founded by a former agency assistant — is helping Hollywood up-and-comers chart careers amid disruption
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Young Entertainment Professionals is an online community of more than 10,000 early-career professionals in Hollywood. Young people in the entertainment industry vented that their career growth was stymied by forces outside of their control. At YEP events, Romero added, "there's always people that come up to me who are like, 'When I moved to LA, I didn't know anybody.' In 2023, a Netflix creative assistant founded the monthly newsletter The Hollywood Assistant, telling BI that newcomers have "no blueprint" for how to chart a course to steady employment and success. "They can help through the hard times that we have been having in the industry," Romero concluded.

Persons: Trevor Romero, It's, isn't, he's, Romero, there's, they've, —, people's, Kai Dorsey —, YEP Organizations: Young Entertainment, UTA, Hollywood, LinkedIn, Facebook, United Talent Agency, Business, Paramount, Gersh Agency, Entertainment Partners, BI Locations: Hollywood, California, New York, LA, tatters, Los Angeles

☆ Susan Sarandon Apologizes for Comment About Jews at Rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Marc Tracy | More About Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon apologized Friday for saying at a pro-Palestinian rally last month that people feeling afraid of being Jewish right now were “getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.”The remarks drew widespread criticism and soon afterward her agency, United Talent Agency, let it be known that it had dropped her as a client. In a statement posted to Instagram Friday night, Sarandon said that she had been trying to communicate her concern for rising hate crimes. “This phrasing was a terrible mistake,” she said, “as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true.”“As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe, to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA,” she said, referring to the synagogue shooting that killed 11 and wounding six others in the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, “Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence which continues to this day.”

Persons: Susan Sarandon, Sarandon, ” Organizations: Palestinian, United Talent Agency Locations: Europe, Pittsburgh , PA

☆ Susan Sarandon’s Most Controversial Roles Have Been Offscreen
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Susan Sarandon’s acting career thrived alongside a robust interest in political activism, which often placed her well to the left even of Hollywood’s liberal mainstream. As she starred in films like “Bull Durham,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Dead Man Walking,” for which she won an Academy Award, she became a familiar, outspoken figure who appeared at rallies, took stances on issues at awards shows and made political endorsements. Over the years her brand of progressive politics led to clashes with others on the left, most notably in 2016, when she decided to back a Green Party candidate over Hillary Clinton, who went on to lose to Donald J. Trump. Some in the industry were expressing alarm about rising antisemitism and felt that their community had not sufficiently expressed support for Israel after Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 captive on Oct. 7. But questions were also being raised about if and when political speech should affect a career, as others in the industry lost positions and acting jobs after criticizing Israel for killing thousands of civilians in Gaza.

Persons: Susan Sarandon’s, “, “ Bull Durham, ”, Thelma, Louise ”, Hillary Clinton, Donald J, Sarandon, Israel Organizations: Green Party, Trump, United Talent Agency, The New, Hollywood Locations: “ Bull, New York, Israel, The New York, Gaza

☆ Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency in the wake of comments about the Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon has been dropped by United Talent Agency. She drew criticism for comments made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City. AdvertisementSusan Sarandon has been dropped by her talent agency over comments she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York last week, a spokesperson from the agency told Deadline. The Oscar-winning actress, who has been represented by United Talent Agency (UTA) since 2014, has attended several rallies about the Israel-Hamas war, but drew criticism for comments she made during a speech at Union Square. In another clip of the rally Sarandon says being anti-Palestinian is the result of "brainwashing and conditioning for years and years."

Persons: Susan Sarandon, they've, —, Sarandon, Pink, Roger Waters, He's, Aaron Sorkin, William Morris, William Morris Endeavor Entertainmnet, she's, Melissa Barrera Organizations: United Talent Agency, Service, UTA, The New, The New York Post, Aviva, UN, Guardian, Israel, New York Times, Palestine, Pacific Press, CAA, William Morris Endeavor Locations: New York City, Hollywood, Israel, New York, The New York, Manhattan

NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and “Scream” star Melissa Barrera were each dropped by Hollywood companies after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic. Jenna Ortega, who played Barrera’s sister in the two previous “Scream” films, is reportedly not returning, Deadline reported Wednesday. A spokesperson for Ortega didn’t immediately respond to queries. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesA spokesman for the United Talent Agency said Sarandon, the five-time Oscar nominee, is no longer represented by the agency. Israel and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza.

Persons: — Oscar, Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera, ”, “, Spyglass, Barrera didn't, Jenna Ortega, Ortega, Ortega didn’t, Sarandon, Oscar, she's, Maha Dakhil, Israel, Dakhil Organizations: Hollywood, Spyglass Media Group, United Talent Agency, UTA, New York Post, The, Writers Guild of America, Creative Arts Agency, Hamas Locations: Israel, “, Gaza, New York, Palestine

☆ Susan Sarandon Dropped by Talent Agency After Remarks on Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Marc Tracy | More About Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon was dropped by United Talent Agency after comments she made at a recent pro-Palestinian rally drew criticism online. An agency spokesman, Richard Siklos, confirmed Tuesday that Sarandon was no longer represented by the agency but declined to elaborate. Sarandon was dropped after making remarks at a rally in New York City last week. Sarandon said at the rally that being critical of Israel should not be considered antisemitic. “There’s a terrible thing that’s happened where antisemitism has been confused with speaking up against Israel,” Sarandon said.

Persons: Susan Sarandon, Richard Siklos, Sarandon, ”, “, ” Sarandon, —, — Sarandon, “ Bull, “ Bull Durham ”, Thelma, Louise ”, Maha Dakhil, Israel, Aaron Sorkin, Maha, she’s Organizations: United Talent Agency, Palestinian, The New York, New York City, The Post, United Nations, “ Bull Durham, DC Comics, Hollywood, Creative Artists Agency Locations: New York, Gaza, Israel, New York City

Insider is recognizing the most influential talent agents and managers for TikTok creators in 2023. In a rush, he asked a friend for talent manager recommendations; Prasuna Cheruku was the answer he got. Talent agents and managers play a critical role in helping creators turn social-media success into sustainable careers in entertainment. For the fourth year, Insider is recognizing the most influential managers and agents who are helping TikTokers build their careers. Here are the 20 most influential TikTok talent-management firms and agencies in North America, listed in alphabetical order:

Persons: Drew, Jeeezy, Jackson, Lil Uzi, Prasuna Cheruku, Cheruku, she's, that's, Danielle Pistotnik, TikTok, Brendan Nahmias, they've, Alix Earle, Mylen Yamamoto Tansingco's, Kensington Organizations: Puma, Talent, WGA, SAG, Management, Hollywood, CAA, United Talent Agency Locations: Jackson, North America

☆ Read the pitch decks from these creator economy startups that helped raise millions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Here are the pitch decks that 24 startups used in Series A, Seed, and pre-Seed rounds. The phrase "creator economy" skyrocketed as a buzzword in 2021 as creators, VCs, and entrepreneurs rushed to cash in on a booming industry. So, how do creator economy startups land those investments? They broke down the pitch decks they used to secure millions of dollars in funding. Read the pitch decks that helped 24 creator-focused startups to fundraise millions of dollars:

Persons: —, Alexis Ohanian's Seven, Tony Tran, Tran, Jessica Wolf, who've Organizations: United Talent, Intelligence Locations: Skye

☆ How the writers' strike is crushing Hollywood's next generation, as job-seekers face 'skyrocketing' debt, crumbling hope, and endless hours 'just doom-scrolling LinkedIn'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Hollywood development and production have mostly ground to a halt amid the film and TV writers' strike. Young workers hoping to break into entertainment say the strike has made a competitive job market even tougher. Sears, who is currently unemployed, graduated this year with a master's degree in entertainment industry management from Carnegie Mellon University. Now, she's attempting what feels like a herculean feat: getting her career off the ground in the midst of a months-long Hollywood writers' strike, the first labor stoppage to grind the industry to a halt in 15 years. Contact this reporter to share your experience during the writers' strike.

Persons: Young, Delaney Sears, — there's, Sears, they've, —, Joanna Sucherman, Sucherman, Trevor Romero, Romero, Dan Green, grads, Green, Nabha, She's, Purohit, they'd, execs, he's, haven't, Kody Proctor, Proctor, he'd, We've, Reed Alexander Organizations: Hollywood, Carnegie Mellon University, Writers Guild of America, SAG, WGA, Disney, Warner Bros, JLS Media, Fox, United Talent Agency, Young Entertainment, Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College of Information Systems, Public, Savannah College of Art, Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount Pictures, Melrose, Paramount, University of Southern, North Dakota, Carnegie, E, Victoria Cheyenne Locations: California, Angeles, LA, Chicago, Fremantle, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Georgia, Elm, Mumbai, India, University of Southern California, North, North Hollywood, Victoria, Bolivia

Several of this year's Grammy nominees, including "abcdefu" singer Gayle and R&B artist Muni Long, rose in popularity after influencers and everyday users posted TikTok videos with their music. Even as the music industry gathers in Los Angeles to celebrate artists and their songs at Sunday's Grammy awards, the relationship between hitmaker TikTok and music labels is showing signs of strain. As deals with the major music companies expire, the labels are looking to receive some of TikTok's ad revenue, according to Tatiana Cirisano, music industry analyst for Midia Research. One music industry insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "it’s open to interpretation" why this is happening now. "TikTok has become really integral to the way that younger people relate to music, discover music and consume it,” Cirisano said.

☆ Read the pitch decks that helped 16 creator economy startups raise millions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Here are the pitch decks that 16 startups used in Series A, Seed, and pre-Seed rounds. So, how do creator economy startups land those investments? Skye, a career-coaching startup, had different decks depending on the type of investor or fund they were pitching to. They broke down the pitch decks they used to secure millions of dollars in funding. Read the pitch decks that helped 16 creator-focused startups to fundraise millions of dollars:

☆ Read the pitch decks that helped 14 creator economy startups raise millions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The "creator economy" is catching the attention – and wallets — of notable VCs. Here are the pitch decks that 14 startups used in Series A, Seed, and pre-Seed rounds. So, how do creator economy startups land those investments? They broke down the pitch decks they used to secure millions of dollars in funding. Read the pitch decks that helped 14 creator-focused startups to fundraise millions of dollars:

☆ Ben Feigin, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ executive producer, dies at 47
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ben Feigin, an award-winning producer on “Schitt’s Creek” and founder and CEO of Equation Unlimited, LLC, died Monday of pancreatic cancer. Feigin served as executive producer on “Schitt’s Creek,” serving as a key force in the series’ development and launch. For the final season of “Schitt’s Creek,” Feigin received an Emmy for outstanding comedy series, a Producers Guild Awards for outstanding producer of episodic television for a comedy and a Golden Globe for best musical or comedy television series. Feigin also received a GLAAD Media Award for best comedy series in 2020 and 2021. Feigin joined Anonymous Content in 2006, founding their comedy and enterprise divisions, in addition to continuing work as a producer.

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