China’s Demand Influences Hollywood Products

China’s Demand Influences Hollywood Products

November 18, 2019
Lisa M. Spencer

China’s movie theater business is booming, and will likely be the largest in the world by next year.

China’s take at the box office passed up that of the U.S. in early 2018.  This shift means Hollywood is paying closer attention to what it films and how it will be received in the Chinese market, where some content is still subject to censure if it isn’t in line with what China’s government wants to allow into the country.

In the bigger picture, over 70 percent of a blockbuster film’s revenue now comes from outside the U.S., so keeping content in line with international viewer preferences has become at least as important as pleasing audiences at home.

Video Spotlight: How China is changing Hollywood | CNBC Reports

This post is based on the CNBC article, China’s box office is expected to surpass the US in 2020. That’s good news for Hollywood, by Uptin saiidi, November 5, 2019, and the YouTube video, How China is changing Hollywood | CNBC Reports, by CNBC International, October 31, 2019. Image source: D. Hurst / Alamy

Discussion Questions:

1. What location planning issues arise for Hollywood, given the growth of China’s movie Continue reading →

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Virtual You – Coming Soon

Virtual You – Coming Soon

October 20, 2019
Lisa M. Spencer

Imagine using cloud supported technology and mixed reality headsets to create a virtual you, capable of using your own voice to deliver flawless speeches in languages you don’t actually speak!

This technology was recently showcased by Microsoft.  While the technology is currently expensive and requires some changes or improvements to be a reality in the business world, it holds interesting promise for the future of video conferencing, making it even more versatile and realistic than ever before.

Other companies have various holographic communications technology in the works as well.

Video Spotlight:

This post is based on the Video Conferencing Daily article, Azure Video Conferencing Impresses at Inspire 2019, by Ethan J., October 8, 2019; the Business Wire article, Double Me brings the Jedi Hologram Conference to every home by 2020, by Albert Kim, September 5, 2019; and the YouTube videos, Move over Tupac! Real Life-size Holograms set to Revolutionize Videoconferencing, by Human Media Lab, April 18, 2018, and Demo: The magic of AI neural TTS and holograms at Microsoft Inspire 2019 Continue reading →

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Safety, Ethics and Vaping

Safety, Ethics and Vaping

October 19, 2019
Lisa M. Spencer

Fruity flavors that sound like childhood candy favorites have lured many teens into vaping. Highly addictive nicotine vaping products have drawn in 3.6 million young users, many of whom find themselves hooked and unable to quit.

After a 2016 FDA ruling on the products, sales for Juul e-cigarettes, for instance, increased over 600%, and the trend of declining youth smoking was reversed.

In addition to long-term effects of vaping, some e-liquid flavors, like cinnamon, cotton candy, and bubble gum, are poisonous in high doses.  Recently, the CDC has linked 1299 lung injury cases and 26 deaths to vaping THC, the component in marijuana that delivers a high.  Twenty percent of the deaths were in users 18 to 20 years old.

Video Spotlight: Teens falling victim to the JUUL effect

This post is based on the LA Times article, The FDA tried to ban flavors years before the vaping outbreak. Top Obama officials rejected the plan, by Emily Baumgaertner, October 1, 2019; the USA Today article, Vaping-related lung injury cases jump to 1,299; deaths rise to 26, by Doug Stanglin, October 10, 2019; and the YouTube video, Teens falling victim to the JUUL effect, Continue reading →

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