The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Korean pop rides ‘Gangnam Style’ into US music scene Posted: 30 Nov 2012 05:53 AM PST  South Korean singer Psy of the dance hit "Gangnam Style" greets his fans ahead of his concert in Bangkok's shopping district, November 28, 2012. — Reuters pic With "Gangnam Style" topping the current Billboard Digital Songs chart and becoming the most-watched video on YouTube ever with more than 800 million views, fellow Korean pop, or K-pop, artistes are positioning themselves for similar US breakthroughs. Korea's pop music industry is thriving. Over the past two years, a handful of K-pop acts including girl group 2NE1, boy band Super Junior and nine-piece band Girls Generation have embarked on mini-promotional tours around the United States to build their audience. "Psy has opened doors and is shining a spotlight on K-pop. People are paying attention to what's being done there," Alina Moffat, general manager at YG Entertainment group, which manages Psy, told a recent entertainment industry conference in Los Angeles. Psy's vibrant music video, featuring his invisible pony-riding dance, also featured K-pop artistes Kim Hyun-a of girl band 4Minute, and Daesung and Seungri of boy band Big Bang, all of whom are attempting to crack the US market. "YouTube has really changed the awareness of K-pop. Both American kids and second-generation Korean American kids are discovering it," Kye Kyoungbon Koo, director of the Korea Creative Content Agency, told a panel at a Billboard and Hollywood Reporter conference in Los Angeles in October. Marketing the next big thing For US companies looking to invest, K-pop is being marketed as the next big thing, boasting young, stylish and influential artistes who command devoted fan followings. Moffat said car companies and mobile phone brands were among those being courted at KCON, a convention held in October in Irvine in Southern California that showcased K-pop artistes. "Kids are coming, they're engaged, they want to spend money and sponsors saw that," Moffat said. Whether Psy or other K-pop artistes can command a global following to rival Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Rihanna remains to be seen, but John Shim, senior producer at MTV World, believes it is the right genre to compete with pop music's biggest names. "K-pop admittedly is a very niche genre but I also think it's the best equipped of Asian pop to cater to the US audience," Shim told Reuters. Psy has helped to break down language barriers, keeping "Gangnam Style" in its original Korean form instead of adapting it to English when it became an international hit. The singer told Reuters he was persuaded to keep it that way by his manager Scooter Braun, the talent scout responsible for Justin Bieber's success, who signed Psy to his record label. "I thought, 'Should I translate this or not?' because (the fans) have got to know what I'm talking about, and lyrics are a huge part," Psy said. Chatting in English But industry executives say at least one member of each K-Pop group is usually taught to be fluent in conversational English. "The investment in language is costly, but effective," said Ted Kim, president of South Korean music television channel Mnet. "It really matters that Psy can go on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show and have a conversation." Psy said he was proud his song succeeded in Korean, but he now wants to branch out into English. "'Gangnam Style' is not the sort of thing that's going to happen twice. I've definitely got to make something in English so I can communicate with my fans right now," the singer said. In Korea, bands such as SM Entertainment's Super Junior and Girls Generation have became branding powerhouses, scoring endorsements ranging from cosmetics, fashion, video games, electronics and beverages. In the United States, companies such as Samsung have already jumped on the K-pop train, sponsoring Korean boy band Big Bang's US tour. But while the genre is gaining steam in the charts, it has yet to spill into ticket sales for tours, according to Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief at Pollstar.com, which tracks concert sales. "Psy may be able to sell out arenas in Asia, but not yet here. For the American audience, he has to prove that he's more than a novelty act," Bongiovanni said. "K-pop has to prove itself before large companies spend money on it," he added. — Reuters |
| ‘Hobbit’ may bring a Hollywood ending to 2012 box office Posted: 30 Nov 2012 05:40 AM PST  New Zealand director Peter Jackson (9th from left) and cast members pose on a stage at the world premiere of "The Hobbit — An Unexpected Journey" in Wellington, November 28, 2012. — Reuters pic The film, which opens on December 14, is expected to contribute to the first annual box office increase in North America in three years, a sign that big movie studios have made more films enticing enough to get people into theatres and away from their TVs, games and the Internet. "The Hobbit" follows this year's other big box office successes "The Avengers," which became the industry's third-largest film with US$623 million (RM1.87 billion) in US sales, and "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Hunger Games" which both passed US$400 million. Hollywood analysts predict the two months of the year that include "The Hobbit" and the finale of the "Twilight" vampire series may lift US and Canadian ticket sales above the US$10.6 billion record set in 2009. "The fourth quarter is just gangbusters," said box office watcher Phil Contrino, editor of the boxoffice.com website. "One movie after the other is exceeding expectations." Annual receipts are on track to end 5 per cent above last year at US$10.8 billion or more, projects Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. Ten films have already passed US$200 million in ticket sales, compared to seven last year, when no film passed the US$400 million mark. That would be the first yearly box office increase in three years, and would be from a jump in admissions rather than a hike in ticket prices that traditionally fuel box office growth. Ticket prices are averaging US$7.94, a penny increase from last year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. Hollywood has raked in US$9.7 billion so far in ticket sales and sold more than 1.2 billion tickets in the North American (US and Canadian) market, 5.5 per cent up on a year ago. The industry thought it had a record in sight last year, only to see underwhelming performances from holiday releases such as thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and animated movie "Hugo," which left ticket sales at a three-year low. Off the couch Studios face a difficult entertainment landscape in which consumers have an array of competing outlets for movie watching that includes DVR recordings, game players and movies streamed over computers and mobile phones. Services like Netflix Inc have also made a dent in trips to the theatre by offering cheap monthly rentals that make it easier to stay on the couch. What has got people out of their homes, Hollywood moguls say, is a rise in the quality and variety of what is on screen. This year, studios offered up a rush of big-budget blockbusters including "Skyfall," the highest grossing of the 23 James Bond films that is still selling well with US$227 million in domestic sales. "Ted," about a foul-mouthed stuffed bear, was a surprise winner with US$219 million. Several mid-sized hits that won critical acclaim, including Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln" and the Iran hostage thriller "Argo," became box office darlings. "There is something for everyone," said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio. "When we achieve that as an industry and the movies are of good quality, that's when good things happen." Sony oiled up its Spider-Man franchise and collected US$262 million by rebooting it with new stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in "The Amazing Spider-Man". Disney's Pixar unit struck it big again with the animated movie "Brave." Hollywood did not escape some box office bombs. Two big-budget bets — board-game inspired thriller "Battleship" and outer space adventure "John Carter" — ranked among the most costly flops in movie history. The mass killing at a Colorado movie theatre in July marred the release of Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises". But the film eventually grossed US$448 million domestically, ranking as the year's second-biggest. Hollywood also overcame summer doldrums. The season that accounts for the bulk of yearly sales slumped 5 per cent behind 2011. The second weekend in September produced the lowest-grossing weekend since 2001. The pace quickened at the start of the holidays — the second-biggest movie going period — with "Twilight" finale "Breaking Dawn — Part 2" and James Bond movie "Skyfall" leading record Thanksgiving sales of US$291 million over five days. "Four quadrant" film That has got the industry's hopes up for the Christmas season when families gather and shoppers fill malls. Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures is releasing the musical adaptation "Les Miserables", and The Weinstein Company offers up the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller "Django Unchained". A street-brawling Tom Cruise returns in "Jack Reacher" from Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures. But it is the dwarves and wizards from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," that Hollywood is banking on to generate movie going mania. Set 60 years before the Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the movie is the kind that studios love — a "four quadrant" film that appeals to male, female, young and old, said Contrino of Boxoffice.com. He projects US$137 million in opening weekend domestic sales, rising to US$475 million through its theatrical run. The film, based on the fantasy novel by JRR Tolkien about the travels of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, almost did not make it to the screen at all. Director Peter Jackson made the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy when producers could not get "The Hobbit" rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit. "The Hobbit", also a trilogy, has been produced by MGM and Time Warner Inc but only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against Time Warner's New Line Cinema unit in a dispute over profits from the "Rings" trilogy. Now all the film has to do is delight fans with a new hobbit adventure across Middle Earth and deliver a record year for Hollywood. — Reuters |
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