Search Results for: vision video

One man largely symbolizes the divergent fortunes of sister stations MTV and VH1. Can you believe it’s Ozzy Osbourne? MTV has him, and the reality sitcom starring the frazzled heavy-metal legend and his family has become the kind of water-cooler hit that cable executives only dream of. “The Osbournes” has helped MTV build the biggest audience in its history. VH1 doesn’t have him. It doesn’t have much of anything else that people are talking about, and that’s reflected in sinking ratings and management uncertainty over the future. The two Viacom-owned companies are racing in opposite directions. “Things seem to be… Read more »

Few bands have a résumé as extensive as the one belonging to They Might Be Giants, so it’s no wonder their music should make perfect fodder for a documentary. In their 20 years together, the quirky duo of John Linnell and John Flansburgh have successfully telemarketed themselves into underground celebrity, composed scores and theme music for television and film, and won a Grammy (for “Boss of Me,” the theme to “Malcolm in the Middle”), while recording seven studio LPs and a slew of EPs, live albums and singles. Flansburgh even found time to moonlight as a video director, helming clips… Read more »

Many a band has had to battle its demons along the path of its career. Creed’s been there, but at this moment they’re also going to war with metal-plated beasts and giant, saber-toothed spiders. The creatures are characters in the computer-animated video for “Bullets,” the follow-up to Weathered’s “My Sacrifice.” Created by video game developers Vision Scape Interactive (“SeaBlade,” “Twisted Metal” 3 & 4), the clip depicts Creed as soldiers of the light battling forces of darkness. Many scenes are reminiscent of “Lord of the Rings,” but with imagery meant to reflect the way Creed have dealt with the biting… Read more »

The cameraman removed the digital video camera from the tripod and got ready for some hand-held shots of the X-ecutioners at Phat Beats record store in the West Village. A look of concern creased the face of the group’s publicist, who hurriedly approached the producer of the shoot. Her idea was to lead into the television news story with shots of the DJs scratching, but the X-ecutioners, whose new record, Built From Scratch, charted at #15 on this week’s Billboard 200 albums chart, don’t normally perform in retail outlets and their label rep was worried that without their precision equipment… Read more »

The following is a complete list of winners at the 44th annual Grammy Awards, which took place at the Staples Center on Wednesday. Categories marked with an asterisk were handed out during the main, televised ceremony. * RECORD OF THE YEAR “Walk On” – U2 * ALBUM OF THE YEAR “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” – various artists * SONG OF THE YEAR “Fallin”‘ – Alicia Keys, songwriter (Alicia Keys) * NEW ARTIST Alicia Keys * FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE “I’m Like a Bird” – Nelly Furtado MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” – James Taylor… Read more »

“Rocket Man” Elton John rued on Wednesday the thrust for instant success among undistinguished and indistinguishable modern pre-fabricated pop bands. “It is like packets of cereal. There are too many of them, and too many of them are just average and mediocre,” he told BBC television in an interview filmed during his current tour in the United States. “It is just fodder. It doesn’t sound. It has no distinguishing marks. A lot of it you can’t tell one from the other. There is too much of it, just too much of it,” the high-spending flamboyant rock legend lamented. The 54-year-old… Read more »

Viacom yesterday reported results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2001. For 2001, Viacom reported a 16 percent increase in revenues to $23.22 billion, but also reported a net loss of $224 million, or a loss of $.13 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2001, including a net loss of $43 million, or a loss of $.02 per share, for the fourth quarter. Viacom recorded full year 2001 pro forma revenues of $23.20 billion and pro forma EBITDA of $5.07 billion, compared with pro forma revenues of $23.09 billion and pro forma EBITDA of… Read more »

Universal South, the recently-formed joint venture between Tony Brown, Tim DuBois, and Universal Records, has appointed Bryan Switzer to SVP of Promotion. Based in Nashville, Switzer will develop and implement extensive radio promotional campaigns for such artists as Allison Moorer, Dean Miller, Bering Strait, and Holly Lamar. “We’re thrilled to have someone with Bryan’s experience, knowledge, and passion joining Universal South’s senior management team,” stated Brown. “He has a proven track record in working with and developing the careers of artists, and we are looking forward to his immediate contributions.” “When you combine Bryan’s extensive background in the record business… Read more »

Daniel Savage, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Hollywood Records recently announced that Curt Eddy has been named vice president of sales for the label. Based in Burbank and reporting to Savage, Eddy will be responsible for all sales efforts on behalf of Hollywood Records, Lyric Street Records, Mammoth Records, Surfdog Records, and Skaggs Family Records. In making the announcement, Savage commented, “I first met Curt over 10 years ago when we were both at PGD, and have since had the opportunity to work with him in the various stages of his career in distribution. He has always… Read more »

Pop band Hear’Say were at the center of a stitch-up row Wednesday amid accusations that they selected one of their own dancers as a new band member. New recruit Johnny Shentall, 23, was apparently plucked from thousands of hopefuls who had traveled to London from all over Britain last weekend to queue for auditions. But in a front-page splash the Sun said even though the chart-topping band said they had never met Shentall before, he was in fact one of 14 dancers on stage with the band at the Top of the Pops awards last November. “Johnny already knows the… Read more »