Corbis launches Greenlight Music

Corbis, the certification agency noted for its huge photo library, has stepped in to the music certification biz with Greenlight Music, which launches today. The brand new venture, a spinoff of Corbis subsidiary Greenlight (a clearance house that handles the personality privileges of these estates as Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash in addition to entertainment content), is bowing with using the cooperation of 4 major music label groups: EMI Music Posting, Warner, Universal and The new sony/ATV. Clients include Hallmark, using its audio handmade cards, and toymaker Hasbro. The L.A.-based company bills itself as "a breakthrough online solution that can take music certification from the complicated process that can days, to some simple online experience needing merely a couple of clicks," based on Gary Shenk, ceo of Corbis. John Monaco, professional Vice president sales & proper marketing for EMI Music Posting, put in an argument the label is "dedicated to finding methods to simplify the sync certification process" and calls Greenlight Music a platform that "uses technology to get rid of obstacles and go ahead and take chance into new directions." Using the four label groups as partners, Greenlight touts itself like a one-stop-look for use of a lot more than a million tunes from well-known artists and songwriters, settling licenses and rates with all of relevant content proprietors. "There exists a million clients all over the world who arrived at us every single day for legendary media," Shenk told Variety, "and that we believed that adding music towards the mix was absolutely critical." Shenk described that what sets Greenlight Music aside from exactly what the labels are designed for by themselves is the fact that "the truth is marketers and labels can't administer 80% from the licenses (asked for of) them because they do not possess the manpower to give consideration to numerous the more compact deals which come in. They are excellent at advertising, television and film certification. But many of the stuff that's driving new demand -- on the internet, within companies, in online presentations -- they are unable to administer effectively. "90-nine percent of popular music isn't possessed by one entity -- it's possessed with a label in most cases multiple marketers. So (labels) have switched that to us. Yes, we are a middleman, but we are a middleman that the very first time has aggregated the field of popular music online." Contact Steve Chagollan at steve.chagollan@variety.com

Forget About Muppets For Jason Segel

Gary's going for a puppet breakIs he a guy, or perhaps is he a Muppet? Jason Segel appears to possess made his decision. In the end heard a week ago that the follow-as much as the perfectly revivified Muppets was now within the planning stages, Segel has confirmed to Collider he will not be engaged.InchIt is true but it is totally friendly," Segel states. "Transpire ended up being to bring The Muppets back. Used to do things i set to do, and today I wanna pursue more human-related projects. All I needed to complete ended up being to set happens to allow them to do anything they wanted. I am sure I'll return in certain capacity in some places, but which was half ten years of my existence, 5 years of effort. I am ready for any little puppet break."The truth is, he's quite right. As welcome a name because he is at The Muppets, Jason was careful not to really make it The Segel Show. The heavens were Kermit and co., out of the box only right and proper. No human interloper has ever ongoing through several Muppet movie, and whatever is planned for future years, the Muppets' anarchic non-template up to now most likely dictates it will not be considered a straight-up follow up.The "safe hands" Segel mentions are Nick Stoller and James Bobin, although they are only dedicated to script responsibilities so far, and there is no indication yet of whether Bobin will direct again.We'll next see Segel in Shaun, Who LIves In Your Own Home, in the United kingdom on April 20.

Five Reasons To See 'Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie'

by Ryan Rigley Let's just go ahead and get this out of the way: some people will not enjoy this movie. It definitely isn't for the faint of heart. With that said, "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" is one of the funniest films of the year by far. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, of Adult Swim's "Tim and Eric's Awesome Show: Great Job!", have never been the most convential comedians. Their sense of humor can be described as "so smart that it seems stupid," purposefully going out of their way to make the audience feel as strange and uncomfortable as humanly possible. "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" tells the story of two friends, Tim and Eric, who receive a billion dollars to make a movie and then squandor it all on "Hollywood makeovers" and fancy living. In order to make their money back, Tim and Eric decide to invest what little they have left into a run-down shopping mall with the hopes that they can revitalize it and finally make a profit. But, of course, things aren't always as easy as they seem. This movie is worth seeing for the sole purpose of telling people that you saw it, if nothing more. Here are five key reasons why you should give all of your money to Tim and Eric. 5. Anti-Comedy Much like Andy Kaufman, Tim and Eric thrive on telling jokes that are purposefully un-funny. The fact that the audience is expecting something funny to happen makes it twice as funny when that joke doesn't happen at all. Instead, Tim and Eric will hit you with something that's either really disturbing and scary or something that's so disgusting it'll have you in tears. 4. Super Satire Unlike "Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!", "Billion Dollar Movie" actually looks like a big budget film. Which is hilarious in and of itself being as the actual budget was much less than a billion dollars. This movie does a terrific job of very subtly poking fun at modern day Hollywood tropes and traditions. Even the beginning of the film has an unnaturally long string of fake production company logos, not unlike the fake trailers before 2008's "Tropic Thunder." 3. Robert Loggia How Tim and Eric got Robert Loggia to be in this movie remains a mystery. This eldery actor, best known for his roles in "Scarface" and "The Sopranos," is a seriously scary antagonist to the two bumbling idiots that are Tim and Eric. Loggia, who plays the rich mogul that foolishly lends his billion dollars to Tim and Eric, will stop at nothing to get his money back, going so far as to torture old women and murder young children. It's funnier or, at least, more shocking than it sounds. 2. Celebrity Cameos Robert Loggia isn't the only big name actor that appears in this film. Comedy powerhouses, such as Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, lend their comedic prowess to the insanity as well. Joining them are long time Tim and Eric collaboraters: John C. Reilly, Will Forte, and Bob Odenkirk. And let's not forget about Jeff Goldblum, who plays a character named Chef Goldblum. 1. SHRIIIIIIIIIIIMM "Sounds like shrim-p." Fans of the show will be happy to know that Tim and Eric's signature style of editing, quick-cuts and awkward video transistions, comes into play in huge way for the movie. Although the majority of the film has a straightforward narrative, there are a ton of various cutaways and fake commercials that are reminiscent of the sketches on "Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!", which feature average looking people that are clearly not professional actors. Hilarity ensues. Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!

ITV Galleries America, Leepson ink pact

ITV Galleries America has signed a general cope with David Leepson and Leepson Bounds Entertainment. Leepson is really a former primetime program development Vice president at TruTV, Vice president of national development and production for Fox Sports Internet and Cinemax Sports producer. His shingle has two Fuel TV aircraft pilots being produced. As controlling creative director tough Productions, produced, offered and executive created three shows to series orders. "David includes a stellar history in non-scripted, documentary and sports programming," stated ITV Galleries Worldwide controlling director and ITV Galleries America prexy-Boss Paul Buccieri. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Soul Surfer's AnnaSophia Robb Is The New Barbara Bradshaw

This just in: The manufacturers from the forthcoming CW spin-off series The Barbara Journals (a prequel to Candace Bushnell's franchise-starting Sex and also the City novel) have discovered their new Barbara Bradshaw in Soul Surfer/Race to Witch Mountain/Bridge to Terabithia star AnnaSophia Robb. The series "stories Carries transitional phase within the eighties when she asks her first questions regarding love, sex, friendship and family while seeking the mobile phone industry's of senior high school and Manhattan." Therefore it is essentially Gossip Girl having a Barbara Bradshaw who looks nothing beats the near future Barbara Bradshaw. Oh, fine. Why don't you? [Deadline]

Amended suit versus. merger seeks trial, damages

With ballots starting to hit members' mail boxes, competitors from the SAG-AFTRA merger have amended their suit against SAG to request for any jury trial and financial damages. Move comes per week following the four-count civil complaint was filed in La. Litigants allege the Screen Stars Guild and it is leaders are trying to merge using the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists "without performing the required research." SAG has labeled the suit "a obvious attempt for circumventing the desire from the membership" and "a pr stunt" and it has gone to live in write it off.Plaintiffs' attorney David Casselman of Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten told Variety that SAG is investing a lot more than $2.5 million around the merger. Ballots are now being mailed to 120,000 SAG people and 70,000 AFTRA people, offering the combo as giving entertainers more negotiating clout. To become approved, the merger must receive a minimum of 60% from the votes from each union.The suit is targeted at stopping SAG from counting the votes on March 30. The amended complaint alleges the litigants had asked for a delay in investing until SAG satisfied its very own fiduciary rules."The person accused deliberately and knowingly declined to follow the SAG constitutional needs, board resolutions as well as their fiduciary obligations towards the people," the complaint stated. "They ought to certainly be obligated to pay SAG for those funds consumed, whether by staff or otherwise, for time and money connected with this particular unnecessary and improper merger effort."The suit, filed by a lot more than 60 SAG people including Martin Sheen and Erectile dysfunction Harris, also suggests that SAG is breaking its very own rules by not performing an extensive analysis of mixing the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans -- that are operated individually in the unions and overseen by union-industry boards. The unions' review of the feasibility study, that contains opinions of seven lawyers with experience of the area, noted that hundreds of multi-employer pensions have merged in the last twenty five years which there's no legal obstacle to merging the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans.Monday's filings through the competitors incorporated a declaration by Alex H. Brucker, a lawyer with 30 years of expertise in worker pension and health plans, that blasted SAG for saying that merging the unions and also the plans would "only benefit" participants which "merger is the easiest method to safeguard our benefits.""These aren't supportable claims of fact," Brucker stated.Merger backers contend that mixing SAG and AFTRA can make it simpler to mix the plans like a foundation solving the issue that entertainers face for making contributions towards the separate plans after which not meeting the income qualifications. Brucker stated in the declaration the question of merging SAG and AFTRA is "indistinguishable" in the question of merging the plans and should not be looked at individually."I believe, according to my consideration of the problem, that the plan merger boosts complex issues, could create serious problems and conflicts and could cause lack of benefits for SAG and AFTRA people," Brucker stated. "The actual effect on plan benefits (or needed member and co-sponsor contributions) can't be correctly evaluated with no ERISA (Worker Retirement Earnings Security Act) Impact Report."SAG people switched lower merger plans in 1999 and 2003 while AFTRA people supported both combinations.Casselman also filed a declaration by Patrick Byrnes, leader of Actuarial Consultants, who stated that the present SAG type of pension is "relatively more potent and much more advantageous" to SAG people, compared to existing AFTRA plan. "In most cases, according to my experience, it's not easy to merge an agenda with greater benefits along with a plan with lower benefits and (without additional funding) create a joint plan supplying the same as the greater benefit formula for those participants," Byrnes stated. Younger crowd stated that with no study to find out the way the pension plans could be merged, there is no method to predict the actual outcome. "But, in my opinion, chances are the mixture of the present SAG and AFTRA plans will either require additional funding or SAG benefits would need to be reduced," Byrnes added.SAG didn't have comment Monday concerning the amended complaint. Each side requested U.S. District Court Judge James Otero for any hearing on March 26.The guild filed pleadings Monday to dismiss the suit a pleading fighting the competitors lack standing to file for as well as an anti-SLAPP (proper suit against public participation) motion. Additionally, it filed a declaration by SAG national professional director David Whitened, including his assertion the merger continues to be talked about on numerous websites, webpages on well-known social networking sites, blogs, along with other online communication automobiles dedicated to internal SAG issues a few of which are member driven, most of which are maintained through the Guild and AFTRA, some by professional-merger groups, some by anti-merger groups, plus some that take no official position."Thus, the people of SAG and AFTRA have countless shops to think about the sights and knowledge of others around the merger question, and contributetheir own towards the debate," he stated. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Fox Business' Lou Dobbs Blasts The Lorax for Pushing Left Wing Agenda and Creating 'Occu-Toddlers'

With Universal's colorful animated tale The Lorax, "the President's liberal buddies in Hollywood [are] focusing on a more youthful demographic using animated movies to market their agenda to children," stated an annoyed Lou Dobbs now on Fox Business Network. Animated movies! A liberal agenda! HOW DARE THEY. What's the reason for permitting this "insidious nonsense" in to the vulnerable minds in our nation's youth? Bad raising a child, obviously. As conservative radio host Matt Patrick bellowed in the commentator pit, "We're creating Occu-small children!" Within the classic Seuss story -- modified right into a 3-D animated adventure which hits screens in a few days -- an enchanting creature known as The Lorax tries to intervene being an industrialist, driven by avarice, ravages a whole ecosystem. This could appear to create The Lorax much more "harmful" than previous Fox News concentrate on the Muppets, which required since it's villain a significantly larger and clearly unlikeable capitalist The Lorax is made to show audiences just how much they potentially share using the unwitting forest-killer The Once-ler, and that's why it is so effective to start with. My personal favorite thing about this madness happens when Patrick advocates intentional littering in cinemas as a way of protest from the Obama-brought agenda espoused through the Lorax (and also the Studio Ghibli animated pic The Key Realm of Arriety, that could lead youngsters lower the slippery slope of discussing things). Tossing popcorn containers on the floor would fly when confronted with everything Dr. Seuss's anti-deforestation, professional-atmosphere tale means, however it would also cause you to look absurd before your personal children. I believe the Lorax's face above states everything. Cause the Occu-small children! The Lorax hits theaters on March 2. [Media Matters through the Film Stage]