Film Buffs United Leeds Endeavours Follow on Twitter

Are you a film fanatic? Here at United Leeds Endeavours we are. As we specialise in direct sales for the film and entertainment industries we’re serious about keeping up to date with all the news, gossip and reviews that are coming out of the film world. Here are our top 5 film critics to follow on Twitter if you want to stay ahead of the game.

1. Erik Davis @erikdavis

Who are they? Erik is the editor-in-chief at Cinematical.com

Why follow them? He’s a massive fan himself and these come across in his tweets. But don’t worry he knows his stuff too.

2. Eugene Hernandez @eug

Who are they? Editor-in-chief at indieWIRE

Why follow them? Eugene is absolutely the best person to follow for those of you who want to keep abreast of the indie film scene.

3. Karina Longworth @karinalongworth

Who are they? Karina is a film writer for LA Weekly

Why follow them? Her reviews are off the cuff and the personal anecdotes that she adds in are very very funny.

4. Nikki Finke @NikkiFinke

Who are they? Founder of Deadline Hollywood

Why follow them? She is nearly always the first with any industry scoop. Want up to the minute film news? Follow her now!

5. Peter Sciretta @slashfilm

Who are they? Editor-in-chief of SlashFilm

Why follow them? Peter is one of the best connected people in the film-making world. He always gets first access to new clips and posts them on his twitter. If you want to see the real deal first, he’s your man.

United Leeds Endeavours Excited as Online Film Services get Better and Better.

United Leeds Endeavours, direct sales and marketing company, charts the rise of online film services.

A few years ago if we wanted to get the latest film to watch at home we would have headed out to our local DVD rental store. Gone are those days, as Blockbuster stores shutdown by the dozen, people in the UK are switching to online streaming services. Why the change? United Leeds Endeavours explains.

Michael Blake of United Leeds Endeavours believes that it all comes down to convenience. “Our whole home-viewing experience has changed in the last 5 years or so. We expect to be able to watch things when we want, we want to be able to pause and rewind, and we also want to be able to access everything from the comfort of our armchair. Online streaming services tick all these boxes.”

Furthermore technology has changed so rapidly now that gone are the days of sitting with a laptop on your bed waiting for the buffering wheel to stop turning. You can hook your 50 inch 3D HD TV up to the internet now and use services such as BBC iPlayer, Lovefilm and Netflix at high speed on your screen.

With a multitude of services out there what can you expect? From Netflix you can get a streaming. From Lovefilm you can get the same as Netflix as also get DVDs delivered to your door. Sky now has a huge bank of films that you can watch at anytime with their services.

What does United Leeds Endeavours think people can expect in the future? “We believe that companies like Lovefilm are going to get their whole catalogue completely online. So whether you want to watch the Dark Knight Rises or Casablanca you’re going to have the option to watch everything. In the future all TVs are going to be directly connected to the internet and we think that DVDs, like videos, will disappear completely.”

With Lovefilm today announcing that they have signed another exclusive deal with a major film studio, this time Miramax, the battle for customers gets intense. United Leeds Endeavours believes this is only going to benefit the customer. Mr. Blake continued, “As a direct sales company which works with the entertainment industry we’re seeing first-hand as each company tries to offer a better and better service to their customers to beat the competition. This is fantastic news for customers as they reap the rewards of the companies hard work.”

United Leeds Endeavours Reviews The Dark Knight Rises

After revealing the critics reviews last week United Leeds Endeavours gives their opinion on the biggest film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises.

At the headquarters of United Leeds Endeavours we read the reviews of The Dark Knight Rises with anticipation last week. As a direct sales and marketing company, which specialises in direct sales for the entertainment industry, we’ve been keeping our ears to the ground surrounding the hype for this film.Would it live up to our expectations?  Would the bad guy ever be as bad as Heath Ledger’s Joker?

The film didn’t disappoint and a group from United Leeds Endeavours put together their own thoughts and feelings over the weekend after their Friday night viewing. The reviews of the critics were largely spot on. Tom Hardy as Bane was formidable, though one could only wonder at how he managed to bulk up so spectacularly for the role. Christopher Nolan had said that Ann Hathaway’s performance of Catwoman was worthy of its own spin-off and we’d have to agree. She looked every inch the part and played the torn thief with class and elegance.

Though the film was admittedly long, we can forgive Christopher Nolan for being slightly self-indulgent in his last ever outing as director for the franchise. Despite the length it didn’t drag and twists and turns along the way kept an audience of all ages enthralled. The ending was both fitting and unpredictable. It left a strong enough conclusion for there to be no sequel but also enough open ends that one could easily be made. Such is the nature of huge movie franchises. At the viewing that a group from United Leeds Endeavours attended the audience broke out into spontaneous applause as the final credits rolled through.

The opening of the film was marred by the horrific tragedy that occurred at a midnight screening in Aurora, Colorado when 12 people were shot dead and countless others injured in a mass shooting by a crazed man. In the wake of the shootings Christopher Nolan spoke out in horror and shock at the events. Nolan summed it up fittingly describing the killings as a ‘senseless tragedy’ and that he couldn’t understand why someone would ‘violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way.’ The whole team at United Leeds Endeavours would like to pass on their condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy.

United Leeds Endeavours Anticipates The Dark Knight Rises

United Leeds Endeavours looks at the latest reviews for the hottest film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises.

The Dark Knight Rises is easily one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2012. The final film in Christopher Nolan’s batman trilogy staring Christian Bale hits UK cinemas on Friday. United Leeds Endeavours has rounded up the reviews from around the world and so far, it’s looking very good indeed.

United Leeds Endeavours specialize in direct sales and marketing for the entertainment industry so their interest in films is pretty intense. Nothing has caught their attention more than The Dark Knight Rises. The trailers have been appearing on our screens for some months now and boy does it look good! Never one to be convinced by trailers however United Leeds Endeavours has been doing some detailed research since the film was viewed by the critics and it’s been getting some impressive reviews. According to Todd McCarthy at the Hollywood Reporter the film “ranks as the best of Nolan’s trio…a blockbuster by any standard.”

Justin Chang at Variety believes that the second film in the trilogy is better still thinks it was impressive. He said “If it never quite matches the brilliance of 2008’s The Dark Knight, this hugely ambitious action-drama nonetheless retains the moral urgency and serious-minded pulp instincts that have made the Warners franchise a beacon of integrity in an increasingly comic book-driven Hollywood universe.”

What is United Leeds Endeavours anticipating? “The trailer gives the impression of the film being as action packed and gritty as its predecessor. We’ve heard that Tom Hardy as Bane is scary and haunting though we don’t think he’ll be as good as Heath Ledger was as The Joker. Christopher Nolan has said himself that Anne Hathaway as Catwoman is so good that she deserves her own spin-off film so we’re expecting big things from her.”

The film gets its UK release on Friday with many cinema’s showing screenings at just after midnight. The team at United Leeds Endeavours is having a group cinema trip on Friday at 8pm (the tickets have been booked for weeks, us smug? No!). Keep an eye out for our review next week!

United Leeds Endeavours Holds the Key to Financial Success. Watching More Films!

Research released recently suggests that the more films that people watch, the happier and more financially successful they are. United Leeds Endeavours looks at the results.

United Leeds Endeavours is a direct marketing and sales company that specialises in outsourced sales of the film and entertainment industry. So when they heard about the research they were naturally intrigued. A team of personality and psychology experts at Goldsmiths College in London have monitored one thousand adults over a 12 month period and found that those who watched over 100 films a year, roughly 2 a week, are 15 per cent happier than those who watch 50 films or less a year.  United Leeds Endeavours understands that happiness was measured on a scale of well-being, anxiety levels and general life satisfaction.

A spokesperson from United Leeds Endeavours said,” This is incredibly interesting research, particularly because of the industry we work in. The academic report was commissioned by Lovefilm.com and showed a whole host of evidence that watching films really is good for you.”

The report is called ‘Movie Medicine’ and it showed that people’s happiness increased by 1 per cent for every 10 additional films that they watched per year. However United Leeds Endeavours was even more interested that the results showed that film watching was also linked to financial success. People watching over 100 films a year were earning about 26 per cent more and were 40 per cent less anxious about their jobs than occasional film watchers.

Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, who led the team of researchers said, “The research suggests that the act of watching film enables people to disconnect from everyday life, but also opens up our imaginations to be better prepared to make real-life decisions – with the analysis pointing to an end result of increased financial success and happiness.”

United Leeds Endeavours believes that this is going to dispel the notion that film-watchers are couch potatoes. Lovefilm.com hopes to take the findings to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP to discuss how a wider access to films could have a good impact on the nation’s health and well-being.

United Leeds Endeavours is a direct sales and marketing company operating throughout the UK.

United Leeds Endeavours Discovers Online Film Streaming to be Worth £2.7 billion by 2017

The world online film market is expected to reach a value of £2.7 billion by 2017 as the prevalence of online streaming services becomes more and more popular. United Leeds Endeavours looks at why the technology has become so popular.

United Leeds Endeavours is a direct marketing and sales company that works with a number of clients in the entertainment industry. They are well aware of the increasing popularity of DVD rental and streaming services like Lovefilm.com and reported recently that the streaming services for Lovefilm.com has overtaken traditional DVDs for the first time. Consequently they weren’t surprised at the estimation released today. Alongside streaming, downloading movies from the internet has become much easier as prices have fallen and internet broadband has become faster and faster.

United Leeds Endeavours understands that there are a number of reasons why online films are becoming increasingly popular. They include the rising cinema ticket prices, the ability to play videos on devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and iPads as well as the ever increasing popularity of films. Though at the moment most of the revenue for online films comes from the download-to-own market, as the recession has hit there has been an increasing swing towards online film rentals and streaming. United Leeds Endeavours believes that with the introduction of superfast broadband across the UK on-demand streaming will become more and more popular.

A representative for United Leeds Endeavours said, “We watch these figures very closely as they are essential information to our clients, but we have seen first-hand the rise of online streaming services in the UK from the likes of Lovefilm.com and others. Consumers are becoming far more savvy and want to try a film first before they buy it. It they don’t enjoy something they’ve watched then they haven’t spent £9.99 buying it. If they love it they can go ahead onto iTunes and buy it. We think this market is going to explode as the technology and choice gets better and better.”

United Leeds Endeavours Learns Streaming Takes Over at Lovefilm.com

For the first time ever streaming services have overtaken Dvd-only packages for Lovefilm.com. United Leeds Endeavours looks at why streaming is becoming so popular.

Lovefilm.com announced this week that their streaming-only service has become their most sought-after service with their customers. Streaming services are relatively new to the Amazon-owned company but have become increasingly popular. Direct sales and marketing company United Leeds Endeavours works with major clients in the entertainment industry and they have watched with interest as streaming services are becoming more and more popular. Why do they think this is?

The streaming service is by far the most convenient service with 10s of thousands of films available at your fingertips.  A representative for United Leeds Endeavours said, “We believe that it is incredibly popular among young people who are internet savvy, perhaps students who might not have a television in their halls of residence or those who like to watch films as they travel on their laptops or iPads.”

The DVD service is clearly very popular as well, with no late fees and delivered straight to your door. It has seen traditional DVD rental shops such as Blockbusters really struggle. Lovefilm.com has seen new competition in the form of American company Netflix, who offer a streaming only service.

Do United Leeds Endeavours think that Netflix will become more popular. “We still feel that Lovefilm.com has the edge because for those who like to have the hard DVD they still have that option. The online catalogue for both companies still isn’t as extensive as what Lovefilm.com offer on DVD.” Lovefilm.com also has other attractive offers such as video game rental. According to Lovefilm.com this has been incredibly popular with parents of teenage children who must have the latest game but quickly get bored of it. They can keep it as long as they want, then send it back without spending £50.

Finally United Leeds Endeavours feels that the streaming phenomenon comes down to the rise of internet televisions. “More and more people are switching over to televisions where they can link up their services like Lovefilm.com as well as traditional on demand services like BBC iPlayer and 4od.” The internet televisions are still pretty expensive but United Leeds Endeavours fully expects them to become as normal as flat-screen television in the family home over the next 12 months.

Do United Leeds Endeavours think that Lovefilm.com will switch over entirely to streaming services? “As long as DVDs are still in use we’re pretty sure that the company will offer them as an option. They have the selection, the variety of films, and the variety of services. People want choice and we think that Lovefilm.com really offers that.”

United Leeds Endeavours on the Rise of On-Line Streaming

After 3 years of complicated negotiations BBC iPlayer has launched on the Xbox 360 games console. United Leeds Endeavours looks at the streaming service revolution.

United Leeds Endeavours is a direct sales and marketing firm that specialises in the entertainment industry so they know better than many that the growth of on-line streaming services has been exponential over recent years. They were therefore delighted to hear that Xbox 360 has finally been able to add BBC iPlayer to the list of streaming services that it offers directly through the console.

The process has been a protracted one because Microsoft, who creates the Xbox, wanted to charge for all the content that is offered through its Xbox Live platform. United Leeds Endeavours feels that the BBC was right to hold out for a free service.

How has online, on-demand streaming grown over the past few years? The number of major online streaming services is rising year on year, YouTube now offers their service through many devices along with the country’s leading film DVD rental and streaming service LoveFilm.com. 4od is also another major player in the field. BBC iPlayer is now available on 450 platforms including Virgin Media, BT Vision, Freesat, Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation as well as the majority of tablets such as the iPad.

The general manager for the BBC’s Programmes and On-Demand section, Daniel Danker, said “Xbox is hugely successful in the UK. Given the BBC’s goal to reach its entire audience, I’m particularly excited that the BBC will be bringing iPlayer to all Xbox users at no extra cost as part of Xbox Live’s free membership.”

United Leeds Endeavours believes that the most exciting aspect of the arrival is that because the Xbox 360 has the Kinect motion-controller, for the first time users will be able to navigate the BBC iPlayer using hand gestures and voice commands. The company believes that this is a giant leap forwards in what on-line streaming has to offer.

A spokesperson for United Leeds Endeavours said, “With companies like LoveFilm.com now holding a majority share of the market, video rental stores are becoming a thing of the past. Increasingly we’re going to see the disappearance of stores like Blockbusters and I think we’re going to see a total switch-over to postal DVD services for those who still want the hard disk, or online streaming as internet-ready TV’s becoming increasingly popular. This is going to be one of the biggest changes for the entertainment industry in decades.”

The Oscars Offer No Surprises this Year for United Leeds Endeavours

The 2012 Academy Awards really offered no surprises on the night this year. Other than Sacha Baron Cohen arriving on the red carpet as his new character The Dictator and covering Ryan Seacrest in powder claiming to be Kim Jong-Il’s ashes that is! United Leeds Endeavours, a direct marketing and sales company in Leeds, looks at the big winners on the night.

When it came down to it, the favourites won this year. The ceremony was a lot more tame than in recent years, no outrageous speeches, no huge snubs. Octavia Spencer, who won Best Supporting Actress, was weepy but United Leeds Endeavours felt only in a touching way.

Silent film The Artist was the big winner of the night taking home 5 awards. They were Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Jean Dujardin, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Original Score and finally Best Costume Design. Director Hazanavicius got the loudest laugh of the night when he thanked the dog, Uggie, who had a starring role in the film but added, “I don’t think he cares.”

United Leeds Endeavours feels that the only category that was closely contended was Best Actor which the team had thought might go to George Clooney.  Martin Scorcese’s Hugo was also very successful but mainly in the technical areas. It won the Cinematography, Art Direction, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories.

United Leeds Endeavours was delighted to see Meryl Streep win her third Oscar in a illustrious career that has seen her nominated 17 times. She thanked the Academy “for this inexplicably wonderful career.” She added “I look out here and I see my life before my eyes. My old friends, my new friends. This is such a great honour but the thing that counts the most for me is the friendships…Thank you. All of you, departed and here.”

“Meryl is such a class act, she was fantastic in The Iron Lady as she is in all of the roles she plays. It’s so important to have a female role model out there who is so versatile, so elegant and so classy,” said the director of Unique Client Solutions. “We love the awards season as it gives us a chance to catch up on all of the lastest films in the cinema, it’s also fantastic to see all the talent in the movie industry rewarded. It helps that Sacha Baron Cohen is always around to keep things scandalous!”