A Bright Spot Amid the Downturn For Hollywood Studios

The LA TIMES business section features positive Box Office news on the front page.

Consumers want to go out, but are looking for ways to save money. Some theater owners have answered that call with concession specials, such as dollar popcorn. Movie attendance is up 14%, while sales of video games and DVDs are down double-digits.

Let's hope a strong showing at the Box Office leads to more creative output from the Hollywood Studios and fewer remakes and sequels.

Back to the Future

Once upon a time, box office receipts served as a marketing platform for the upcoming DVD release. If a movie performed poorly at the box office, producers and executives could still count on DVD sales to recoup their investments and make money. The recession, as well as a saturated DVD marketplace and the prevalence of internet streaming, has caused the film business to rethink that strategy.

Over the last year, the Box-Office has seen double-digit increases in audience attendance. DVD sales are down dramatically over the same time period. Studio execs that have come to rely on DVD sales, now have to depend on the performance of theatrical releases.

On a positive note, the audience will benefit from fewer releases and an emphasis on quality.

Mashable Acquires Blippr

Mashable, a social media blog/guide has acquired blippr. Blippr is a microblogging platform for music, movies and games reviews. The Blippr reviews can be posted on Twitter, Friendfeed, MySpace, etc.

Social Media has surpassed email in some countries such as the UK and it is clear that Mashable is riding that wave. While Blogs still matter, short comments can efficiently build a community around like-minded tastes.

Studies have shown that peers trust peer recommendations, especially when it comes to activities such as going to the movies, and purchasing games and music. Mashable will offer the best of both community and editorial.

Happy Blippin'