UK Film Distribution — Who’s Afraid of Notifications — The Metrograph— Graphic Design for Toddlers — Daniel Tunkelang AMA— Curating vs. Binging

Gruvi Weekly Digest #19 — A weekly catch up on what we found interesting at Gruvi.

Now that Leo got his golden trophy, it seems like the world can’t stop talking about it. If you’re tired of all the Oscars talk, we’ve got some interesting pieces to keep you busy. This week we’ve read about film- whether it’s theatrical or online distribution- as well as technology and productivity- with reads on Slack, Google and LinkedIn- and graphic design boiled down to the basics.

Back in 2014, Stephen Follows analysed the UK film industry, concluding that both the number of films distributed and that of distribution companies was on a growing track. This trend surely continues into 2016, as does that of the biggest players in distribution being the major Hollywood studios.

​Interesting article about the downsides to the rise of Slack and the general shift to being continuously notified about everything. The article raises important points (and a few things the Slack team should definitely bare in mind going forward) but ultimately everyone can control the notifications and stimuli they’re exposed to. It’s important to find the balance that works for you; always question whether you really need that notification turned on.

Opening a cinema in this day and age doesn’t seem like a very sound business decision. But the folks at The Metrograph, New York’s latest indie theatre, bet on carefully selected programming to reach and maintain a loyal audience.

“I recently offered to talk at the local primary school, about my job (or at least part of my job). I expected to be speaking to the older kids, and be able to talk specifically about the cool parts of the job, and maybe some of the sucky bits too, and how you get around them. However, I was asked to talk to a reception class (four and five-year-olds), and it turned out to be an interesting exercise in boiling down what you do, to its most basic elements.”

I was planning on recommending an article about the social marketing on the Oscars evening, but this AMA changed my mind. Daniel Tunkelang is an exceptional data scientist, so I have no doubt you’ll find the discussion at least as interesting as I did.

Mubi is the kind of platform that turns you into a more responsible film consumer, with its 30 days expiration dates that add a sense of urgency to the experience. I didn’t renew my subscription in the anticipation of Netflix, but now I’m having second thoughts, as I’m experiencing what could be called ‘curation withdrawal anxiety’.