Apple Video Execs to Scope Out Movies at the Toronto International Film Festival

[MacRumors]

Apple executives in charge of the company's video efforts will be attending the Toronto International Film Festival this week to scope out potential movie acquisitions, reports Variety.

The site says that at least one of the top programming executives, which includes Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, will be at the festival to look for new content that could fill out an upcoming entertainment service.

The Toronto International Film Festival is set to kick off on Thursday, September 6, and it will run through Sunday, September 16. This will mark the first time that Apple executives have attended the film festival, and the company will be competing with at least one other TV giant -- Amazon. Amazon executives are also going to be attending the festival to look for new movies to pick up.

342 films are set to be shown off at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a list of content available on the website for the festival.

While Apple has more than a dozen original television shows that are in the works, it has thus far established few deals for movies.

In fact, we only know about one potential movie deal with Cartoon Saloon, a company that develops animated movies like "The Secret of Kells," "The Song of the Sea," and "The Breadwinner."

Rumors have suggested that Apple is planning to launch some kind of streaming television service in the future where all of the television shows are in the works will be available, and if Apple is aiming to compete with Netflix and Amazon, exclusive movie offerings will help to fill out its content catalogue.

There has, however, been no concrete information outlining exactly how Apple is going to distribute its original content, nor details on what a potential streaming service could cost if it is in the works, but we may learn more next year as the first of the TV shows is rumored to be debuting in March 2019.

Article Link: Apple Video Execs to Scope Out Movies at the Toronto International Film Festival

 

[Baymowe335]

Let's hope they skip film festivals and just buy original content.

 

[ipedro]

Well, that was eerie. I just walked my dog along King Street where the festival is being held and I noticed a group of men and a woman and one of them was wearing a blue Apple Park polo. I immediately thought that they might be Apple execs here for the festival. Then I came here and saw this news.

 

[wigby]

Let's hope they skip film festivals and just buy original content.

How does one "just buy original content"? The films at these festivals are original content looking for distributors. Yes they are already made but not by big studios.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

Just purchase the Sundance Film Collections, and reap (harvest) the benefits from 0 to 60 within a couple of seconds.

https://www.sundancenow.com/programs

 

[69Mustang]

How does one "just buy original content"? The films at these festivals are original content looking for distributors. Yes they are already made but not by big studios.

There's no one way to buy original content just as there's no one defined type of original content. You can bid on content that's already finished. You can hire creators to start from scratch. You can take over a licensed IP and take it in a new direction. There's just sooooooo many ways to get "original content". That doesn't even take into account what kind of content you want. Cheap reality based? More expensive episodic content? Even more expensive movies?

It's a minefield that depends on a lot of luck unfortunately.

 

[Baymowe335]

How does one "just buy original content"? The films at these festivals are original content looking for distributors. Yes they are already made but not by big studios.

I was halfway joking because Apple's original content has been iffy. If they want to do it, I'd rather them just spend for it.

 

[ipedro]

Update:

I'm almost certain that one of the people in the group of Apple executives that I saw was Zack Van Amburg, co-head of Apple worldwide video programming. Amburg came to Apple with Jamie Erlicht from Sony Pictures. Together, they're responsible for hits like Breaking Bad.

If it was indeed him, Apple is sending their A-Team to the Toronto International Film Festival. They're serious about TV. I can't wait for the Apple TV announcement.

I'm photographing the festival. Who else should I be on the lookout for? Eddie Cue? I doubt Tim Cook would be here.

 

[FightTheFuture]

Who else should I be on the lookout for? Eddie Cue? I doubt Tim Cook would be here.

Cue would just fall asleep during the screenings.

Very cool that you spotted an exec. Strange to wear a branded polo though - unless Apple wants the publicity. Keep the updates coming!

 

[nylon]

Apple, just buy HBO or Netflix.

 

[corebeliefs]

So Apple cancels routers and monitors and other useful computing devices because it would split their attention. So they go into movies. Got it.

 

[mcfrazieriv]

This whole Apple Production Studio thing will go down in history as a mistake. Maybe not right now when Apple is seemingly unbreakable, but someday, when they think "damn, where did all our billions go?" and Tim Cook has gone off into politics.

 

[Winni]

So Apple cancels routers and monitors and other useful computing devices because it would split their attention. So they go into movies. Got it.

Well, you have to admit, it certainly is a highly efficient way to sink a LOT of money FAST... All they have to do is to produce a bunch of flops and those billions on the bank will vaporize rather quickly.

 

[tito2020]

How does one "just buy original content"? The films at these festivals are original content looking for distributors. Yes they are already made but not by big studios.

there made by 3rd party movie prodiction

 

[DevNull0]

Let's hope they skip film festivals and just buy original content.

They tried that. We got carpool karaoke, planet of the apps, cult of Mac, and that awful fictionalized bio of Dre that pretended he wasn't a misogynistic woman-beater.

Apple sucks at original content.

 

[Yvan256]

Apple, just buy HBO or Netflix.

I hope not. Netflix is popular because it can run on almost any device from any company.

The last thing we need is to be required to buy expensive Apple devices with badly designed remotes to watch Netflix. That would kill Netflix within a year or less.

 

[rmoliv]

I think they should rather focus on computers...

 

[PickUrPoison]

I think they should rather focus on computers...

So the way forward for Apple is to go back to the 1990s? Sales of desktops/laptops have dropped from 350 million in 2012 to 250 million in 2017—and most of those are Windows boxes.

Apple would wither to irrelevance if they just focused on computers. There’s a reason Jobs dropped “Computer” from Apple’s name in 2007. After iPhone, he saw the future, and it’s not (only) computers.

 

[robbyx]

Apple, just buy HBO or Netflix.

I think it's a little too late to buy Netflix. They should have done that several years ago. At Netflix's current valuation, it wouldn't make any sense. Getting into TV is pretty risky for Apple. Their billion dollars could disappear quickly. Although what's a billion when you have hundreds of them in the bank?

My worry for Apple Video, however it looks and whatever it's called, is that it doesn't replace anything. It adds. I would bet most people have an Android phone OR an iPhone. They subscribe to Spotify OR Apple Music. Etc. Video, and original content, is different. Apple needs to convince people, many of whom are already paying quite a bit for existing, entrenched and established services like Netflix to open their wallets every month for yet another one.

It will be very interesting to see what the total Apple Video package looks like. The dozen or so original shows announced to date do not a service make. Will subscribers have access to iTunes TV shows and movies? There has to be more than just a few original shows.

 

[Bacillus]

Update:

I'm almost certain that one of the people in the group of Apple executives that I saw was Zack Van Amburg, co-head of Apple worldwide video programming. Amburg came to Apple with Jamie Erlicht from Sony Pictures. Together, they're responsible for hits like Breaking Bad.

View attachment 779868

If it was indeed him, Apple is sending their A-Team to the Toronto International Film Festival. They're serious about TV. I can't wait for the Apple TV announcement.

I'm photographing the festival. Who else should I be on the lookout for? Eddie Cue? I doubt Tim Cook would be here.

Zack to Jamie: “O Man, how many great routers we could have shipped instead of sitting on the couch watching sitcoms...”

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

If it was indeed him, Apple is sending their A-Team to the Toronto International Film Festival. They're serious about TV. I can't wait for the Apple TV announcement.

That’s good. Not to split hairs though, but tiff is about films, not TV. But they would need films for their TV package.

 

[Tech198]

Let's hope they skip film festivals and just buy original content.

I was hoping the same

 

[CarpalMac]

~snip~
I'm photographing the festival. Who else should I be on the lookout for? Eddie Cue?

Wait by the buffet, if there he'll not be far away.

 

[0958400]

I don't mind Apple spreading out. However, I do mind that this company seems to have lost its focus and tries to do everything which in the end means mediocrity.
I thought they'd set up a study on how "Steve did it". If so, they have missed two of his most important rules:

1) focus
2) don't let marketing run a company.

If they want to be a media company, drop the Macs and the pros (finally) which Apple seems to have given up a long time ago and don't let us hunger for the Apple that we have learned to love. If this is just an entertainment company from now on, so be it. But let is know and we can move on.

You can't be an entertainment giant like Disney or a car manufacturer like Audi on a whim. It does not only take money, it takes dedication, it takes professionality and it takes resources which Apple seems to lack these days.

I wouldn't wonder if they were trying to sell food or electricity in the near future. But is more diversity really better? Steve taught us differently, he focused and he had a vision. This is just a company trying to do it all and it will fail like Microsoft did with the acquisition of Nokia, it will fail like Daimler with the acquisition of Chrysler. At some point these companies become to big to handle. And for me, it seems that Apple's at a breaking point.

So going shopping for movies just shows me the lack of dedication towards their core business, which I have presumed was computers. Alas, the new Disney is called Apple. At least Disney knows it doesn't have to sell computers and focuses on its content.

 

[IscariotJ]

I think it's a little too late to buy Netflix. They should have done that several years ago. At Netflix's current valuation, it wouldn't make any sense. Getting into TV is pretty risky for Apple. Their billion dollars could disappear quickly. Although what's a billion when you have hundreds of them in the bank?

My worry for Apple Video, however it looks and whatever it's called, is that it doesn't replace anything. It adds. I would bet most people have an Android phone OR an iPhone. They subscribe to Spotify OR Apple Music. Etc. Video, and original content, is different. Apple needs to convince people, many of whom are already paying quite a bit for existing, entrenched and established services like Netflix to open their wallets every month for yet another one.

It will be very interesting to see what the total Apple Video package looks like. The dozen or so original shows announced to date do not a service make. Will subscribers have access to iTunes TV shows and movies? There has to be more than just a few original shows.

Spot on. I'm already paying for Netflix, Now TV, and DisneyLife ( I've Amazon Video, but that's currently included with Prime...for how long, I'm not sure bearing in mind a survey I recently had ), and probably wouldn't add another unless it had something exclusive and special, and even then the price would have to be right....

These were quite interesting to read:

https://daringfireball.net/linked/2018/06/19/kafka-apple-original-content
https://www.macworld.com/article/32...w-apple-will-roll-out-its-new-tv-service.html