By Rodric David I believe that we are now at the tipping point of massive change in the global distribution of video content in all its forms. Within the next 10 years I predict the complete overhaul of global video content distribution which will radically change the way we consume it and the way we…
THE BACKLOT: WHOOPI GOLDBERG
By Rodric David In todays installment of The Backlot, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with accomplished actress, comedienne, and TV host Whoopi Goldberg this past spring. Whoopi is an American icon and movie star. She is one of the few performers ever to have won an Emmy Award, Tony Award, Grammy Award,…
THE BACKLOT: BAFTA BRITANNIA AWARDS
By Rodric David BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, hosts an annual gala dinner to honor the achievements of distinguished individuals and companies in the entertainment industry. The Britannias were most recently held on October 30, 2015 at the iconic awards venue The Beverly Hilton. Thunder Studios was delighted to be a…
A Content Revolution
By Rodric David 9 June 2016 A tipping point was reached in 2015 when consumers spent more time engaged on mobile devices (198 minutes per day) than they spent watching programming on television (168 minutes per day). I find it extraordinary that this fact remains largely under reported in the mainstream media, as it is…
Big Media is Missing the Big Picture, but it’s Not Too Late
Mathew Ball’s excellent article explores the failure of traditional media companies to recognize pressing risks to their businesses due to the upheaval in content distribution systems. The article makes the argument that technological changes are driving a wholesale shift in content distribution infrastructure. I’ve also addressed this topic in an article of my own. Mr….
DISTRIBUTION 101: A Very Brief History of Civilization
This is the first of a three-part series by Rodric David For over 5000 years technological advances that disrupt and improve the efficiency of the distribution of goods, services, and information have spurred the advancement of civilization. Written language is believed to have been invented in Mesopotamia around 3200 BC creating the first method of recording…
THE BACKLOT: ROBBIE MADDISON
By Rodric David Last August, legendary Australian motorcycle stunt rider Robbie Maddison spent the day at Thunder Studios filming for a Kia campaign with Blake Griffin. Maddo is probably best known to American audiences for breaking the world record for distance jumping live on ESPN on the 40th anniversary of Evel Knieval’s jump over…
Does Copyright Matter in the Digital Age?
By Rodric David Irving Azoff, famed entertainment executive and musician manger, intensified his campaign against YouTube with a barrage of tweets on June 22, including a declaration of his support for the initiative of 180+ recording artists who had recently published an open letter to Congress. The letter lobbies for an update to the nearly 20 year…
The Backlot: Tyga Test Drives My Tesla
Before filming with Justin Bieber in November 2013, Tyga took my new Tesla for a spin. It was November 2013 when Tyga and Justin Bieber headed down to Thunder Studios to film the video for their single “Wait for a Minute”. The studio phones started running hot that morning after the “Beliebers” caught wind…
DISTRIBUTION 102: Media, Movies, and Mobiles
This is the second of a three-part series by Rodric David Historically we have viewed distribution primarily as the physical movement of goods. This changed in 1440 with the invention of the Printing Press by Johannes Gutenberg which enabled knowledge and information to be distributed on a large scale. The printing press was the foundation…