StudioDailies: Thursday, November 3, 2016

Working the New Math of Film Financing

Models are changing in the world of film financing, where the arrival of upstart content creators like Netflix and Amazon has made it harder to guarantee a return on investment in the movie business. Among the trends, experts say, is a move away from festival sales, an increased reliance on incentive programs, and a greater number of studio releases that originated with independent financiers. [Variety]

GLAAD to TV Writers: Stop Killing Lesbian Characters

GLAAD's annual "Where We Are on TV" report indicates that LGBTQ-identified characters make up a higher proportion of those depicted on scripted prime-time broadcast shows than ever before — 4.8%. But the advocacy organization also warned that showrunners may be failing to see LGBTQ characters in the same complex terms as others, noting that more than 24 lesbian and bisexual female-identifying characters have been killed off on broadcast and cable since the beginning of this year. (This trend has become pervasive enough that TV Tropes identifies it as Bury Your Gays, aka Dead Lesbian Syndrome.) "We must continue the push for more diverse and intricate portrayals of the LGBTQ community," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. [GLAAD]

The Dark Tower Gets Delayed

The long-gestating Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower has just slipped from its planned February 17 release date and is now set for summer 2017 release. VFX work is the issue, apparently, with too much remaining to be done on an overly tight post schedule — and no money in the budget to splash out on an accelerated push for the original date. (The film is reportedly budgeted at around $60 million.) [Entertainment Weekly]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Part 2 Is Back on Track

After parting ways with David Fincher, Sony has taken a different approach to its dormant Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise, hiring Steven Knight to adapt the fourth book in the thriller series — The Girl in the Spider's Web, written by David Lagercrantz after the death of original author Stieg Larsson. It looks like Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe) will direct; no word yet on whether Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig are on board. Update: The Wrap says Sony wants Alicia Vikander to take over the title role. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Workflow Tips to Keep the Working Editor Sane

Editor and blogger Oliver Peters has a few good workflow tips, including software recommendations, that may help out editors straining to keep track of camera-original media originated by multiple types of device. When shots from DSLRs and other prosumer sources are in the clip mix, he recommends organizing your footage and converting to a uniform editorial format before the edit, rather than working with all of those camera-original formats natively. [Digitalfilms]