Sam Blake
Sam primarily covers entertainment and media for dot.LA. Previously he was Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist, where he wrote for the business and finance sections of the print edition. He has also worked at the XPRIZE Foundation, U.S. Government Accountability Office, KCRW, and MLB Advanced Media (now Disney Streaming Services). He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, an MPP from UCLA Luskin and a BA in History from University of Michigan. Email him at samblake@dot.LA and find him on Twitter @hisamblake
Snap has decided to stop featuring President Donald Trump's account on its Discover platform, where users can watch curated videos.
The Santa Monica-based company issued a statement Wednesday:
"We are not currently promoting the President's content on Snapchat's Discover platform. We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover. Racial violence and injustice have no place in our society and we stand together with all who seek peace, love, equality, and justice in America."
<p>A Snap spokesperson said the company made the decision over the weekend. On Sunday, Snap CEO Even Spiegel wrote to his employees, condemning racial injustice. </p><p>"I am heartbroken and enraged by the treatment of black people and people of color in America," he wrote. </p><p>Though Spiegel did not specifically call out President Trump in that letter, he highlighted that Snap has a responsibility to monitor the content on its platform.</p><p>"We simply cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence, whether they do so on or off our platform." Spiegel wrote. "Our Discover content platform is a curated platform, where we decide what we promote. We have spoken time and again about working hard to make a positive impact, and we will walk the talk with the content we promote on Snapchat. We may continue to allow divisive people to maintain an account on Snapchat, as long as the content that is published on Snapchat is consistent with our community guidelines, but we will not promote that account or content in any way."</p><p>The president's account remains on the platform, and is accessible via search and to subscribers, a Snap spokesperson noted. Unlike some other social media platforms, the spokesperson also said that Snap does not consider itself a "'town square' where anyone can speak publicly to the entire Snapchat community." Rather, as the curator of content on its Discover platform, Snap says it has a "responsibility to our community to show them public content that we believe will enhance their experience on Snapchat." </p><p>President Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale issued a response on the Trump campaign's website:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Snapchat is trying to rig the 2020 election, illegally using their corporate funding to promote Joe Biden and suppress President Trump. Radical Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel would rather promote extreme left riot videos and encourage their users to destroy America than share the positive words of unity, justice, and law and order from our President.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Snapchat hates that so many of their users watch the President's content and so they are actively engaging in voter suppression. If you're a conservative, they do not want to hear from you, they do not want you to vote. They view you as a deplorable and they do not want you to exist on their platform."</p><p>In May, Joe Biden <a href="https://dot.la/biden-takes-to-snapchat-to-woo-younger-voters-2645993115.html" target="_blank">appeared</a> on the featured "Good Luck America" program, where he was interviewed and asked to address the perception that he is "old, out of touch, and kind of lame."</p><p>As <a href="https://dot.la/snap-tiktok-grindr-section-230-2646118991.html" target="_self">dot.LA reported Monday</a>, Snap has been the platform of choice for some people and groups seeking to promote violence, theft and property damage in the recent civil unrest. <br/></p><p>The self-described camera company is protected from financial liability for such messages by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.</p><p>Last week, however, <a href="https://dot.la/snap-tiktok-grindr-section-230-2646118991.html" target="_self">Trump signed an executive order that may change all of that</a> by enabling federal regulators to punish social media companies for how they moderate content on their sites. Lawmakers and internet freedom advocates called the action illegal and improper under the First Amendment.</p><p>As of 12:45 p.m. PT, Snap's share price was down about 1.5% for the day. </p><p>---</p><p><em>Sam Blake covers media & entertainment for dot.LA. Find him on Twitter @hisamblake and email him at samblake@dot.LA </em><br/></p>
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A task force composed of entertainment companies, unions and guilds sent recommendations for resuming film production to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday.
The 22-page document detailed 19 guiding principles underlying the recommendations, which were spread across five "critical areas of concern":
- Infection control
- Protecting and supporting cast and crew health and safety
- Physical distancing
- Training and education
- Unique production-specific concerns
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p>"A staged reopening process may be necessary," the document noted, "with entertainment industry sectors reopening sequentially based on risk and public health authority approval. For example, aspects of pre- and post-production activities may be deemed lower risk and could reopen sooner than production activities." </p><p>FilmLA, a non-profit that administers the film permitting process in Los Angeles, is still unable to provide guidance on the expected timing for resumption of film production in L.A. County. That decision remains the responsibility of public officials.</p><p>"We await guidance from the County of Los Angeles and Department of Public Health with regard to the timing of the safe and responsible return of on-location production to Los Angeles County," a FilmLA representative told dot.LA </p><p>The task force's report acknowledged that many facts about COVID-19 are yet to be determined, meaning that safety protocols are "subject to further discussion and agreement." The report also noted that filming in adherence to the recommended protocols represents a notable departure from the common practices before the pandemic.</p><p>"The Task Force recognizes that many of the recommendations outlined in this document represent considerable changes in current workflows and processes," the report said.</p><p>Specific recommendations include providing regular, periodic testing of cast and crew; limiting face-to-face contact; designating a COVID-19 compliance officer; and instituting mandatory COVID-19 training on or before the first day of shooting. </p><p>Netflix, Walt Disney Pictures, Apple Studios, NBCUniversal and HBO were among the task force participants.</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p>The coronavirus pandemic has hit Hollywood hard, with <a href="https://dot.la/hollywood-layoffs-2645997837.html" target="_blank">thousands left unemployed</a> and <a href="https://dot.la/disney-the-most-magical-place-on-streaming-2645928478.html" target="_blank">company finances upended</a>. And the longer the production pipeline remains crimped, the more squeezed companies will be, from streaming to the silver screen. </p>
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After Ten Years, Gaming Giant FaZe Clan Has No Plans to Grow Up, But Big Ambitions to Dominate
May 29 2020
As FaZe Clan prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary on Saturday, it's no great wonder why chief executive Lee Trink describes the fact that the company has even lasted a decade as "mind-blowing for a lot of people."
On the heels of recent milestones like a $40 million series A funding round led by Jimmy Iovine, which pegged the firm's value around $250 million, and a partnership with Sugar23 productions to form FaZe Studios, "It feels like we finally have the appropriate attention that we deserve," Trink said. He has big plans for L.A.-based FaZe Clan to become an international powerhouse that dominates the entire entertainment industry.
<p>It's quite a vision for a company that ten years ago consisted of three dudes posting YouTube compilation videos of their Xbox escapades: "like skate videos," co-founder Thomas Oliveira, better known as FaZe Temperrr, told Hypebeast, complete with "dope music" and "cool edits." Soon enough, Temperrr, along with FaZe Banks, FaZe Rain and FaZe Apex, realized there was serious money to be made in online videos. Eventually they began competing professionally, and winning. As their accolades and YouTube libraries grew, across both individual accounts and the shared FaZe-branded channels, so did the fans.</p><p>In those early days, FaZe members embraced vlogging, turning the camera on themselves as their warrior and soldier characters kicked butt and performed stunts on screen. "They were the first ones to represent themselves as gamers, totally unapologetically," Trink told dot.LA. "That woke up an enormous community of underappreciated gamers." </p><p>Today that community numbers over 215 million followers across FaZe Clan's social media platforms and those of its roster of gamers and content creators, many of whom continue to play and post under FaZe-prepended monikers. The company claims its videos yield over 500 millions views per month. A host of celebrities have invested, including musicians Lil Yachty and Offset, and professional athletes Ben Simmons and Juju Smith-Schuster; many of them consider themselves part of the crew.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM1OTkyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwODc5MjI2OX0.J5yPmLnUdqY6rvnnie4ZT5lssZA1VVDLUPUO6f_dhWI/image.jpg?width=980" id="a5a3f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3be3b395b01766ca67fc9b12b907b2a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Faze Temperrr, FaZe Blaze and FaZe Adapt are 3 members of FaZe Clan</small></p><p>A big driver of FaZe's appeal, Trink says, is that fans not only feel close to the talent, but also have a sense that they, too, could one day join the ranks.<br/></p><p>"Not that long ago," Trink said, "we signed an 11-year-old. The proximity to be a part of us, in addition to being an extension of us, is part of what makes them so passionate." </p><p>In 2019, that passion summed to $35 million in revenue, spread more or less evenly across sponsorship and brand deals, esports, merchandise, and advertising from content. FaZe Clan has reportedly inked seven-figure partnerships with Nissan and energy drink G Fuel, and has made apparel deals with brands like Champion. In one of its recent "drops", FaZe Clan sold limited-edition $80 hoodies and $40 t-shirts in collaboration with the NFL's virtual draft this April. </p><p>"It's transcended a hobby or a pastime and has become how (fans) define themselves," Trink explained.<br/></p><p>Some of FaZe Clan's talent live together in a house in the Hollywood Hills. Mostly men in their 20s, many of their walls are adorned with YouTube plaques commemorating subscriber milestones, reminiscent of a music star's collection of gold records. The vistas from large windows in the upscale house are beautiful. FaZe members report working hard, though, often filming throughout the day and editing their videos into the night.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM0NjI4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTMyMTQ3Nn0.FRMYQf-bnWL9z2b6IaJAdOaIp0pt6ZUVBlac4SA3hTQ/image.jpg?width=980" id="626e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0200750d810a2934a80466b5d210ef18" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Esports currently comprises about 25% of FaZe Clan's revenue</small></p><p>One of the house's resident cats, FaZe Barry, himself has over 400 Instagram followers, despite having no photos posted on his account. </p><p>When FaZe Clan's admirers have an opportunity to come out in person, the number of fans can be overwhelming. A pop-up shop in New York City last year had to be shut down by the NYPD due to security concerns when lines to meet FaZe members stretched far beyond expectations. </p><p>Commanding such frenzied adoration through a youth-fueled energy has brought FaZe Clan some controversy. In one instance, certain FaZe members are thought to have been involved in an offshore esports gambling ring which, though not necessarily illegal, was widely considered shady. Loud contract disputes between FaZe Clan and some members have been an ongoing sideshow. But Trink mostly shrugs it off. </p><p>"The reality is when you are leading culture in the way we're leading culture, you don't do that with some type of whitewashed brand," he said.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM0NjI4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjkxMzUyNH0.b3GL-2T4HeYIwidqKaCpXub1CC3KuIEShKwtUq0yksU/image.jpg?width=980" id="07754" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="05daaead59ebb03f1c6b52a4af6749c0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
FaZe Clan CEO Lee Trink
<p>Looking forward, Trink highlights two growth areas for FaZe. One is content, which he expects to grow to over 50% of total revenues. </p><p>"On the content side, the quest is to be a dominant force in entertainment overall, not just in gaming," he said, while emphasizing that it's important to him that FaZe doesn't "lose sight" of its gaming roots. The partnership with Sugar23 is a piece of that growth strategy. </p><p>The other growth area is global. Although over half of FaZe Clan's fans are outside North America, Trink says he wants the company to have "boots on the ground, regionally around the world" to cultivate talent and produce content. </p>
<p>Being headquartered in Los Angeles should help. Trink serves on Mayor Eric Garcetti's esports council, which he's put together to help make L.A. the global center for esports.<br/></p><p>"If we weren't in L.A.," Trink said, "I don't think we would have achieved things like the FaZe Studios deal and some of the other deals we're working toward."</p><p>Those deals include developing longer-form film projects and a potential partnership with an unnamed large music company. Trink is intent on working with new partners to reimagine how media can be combined in interesting, more "significant" ways that "elevate the industry and elevate the culture of gaming." The ambition is high for a company already well accustomed to deal-making; "We try to make it a common practice of blowing people's minds," Trink noted.</p><p>Although the pandemic has changed tomorrow's virtual celebration from what the company originally had in mind, Trink is excited. "It'll be a great moment for all of us, to look at each other and take some pride in what we've done." </p><p>And on Monday, it'll be back to work, with big plans ahead.</p>From Your Site Articles
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