Is the age of the critic over?

Guardian critics reflect on how social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and myDigg, fit into the perennial debate on cultural elitism....

Miranda Sawyer, broadcaster and Observer radio critic: 'Twitter has made it easier for critics to hear other people's opinions. Even then, though, you tend to hear similar views to your own'

Jessa Crispin, editor-in-chief of Bookslut: 'The tussle, the argument, the fun of criticism is now online'
 
Philip French, Observer film critic: 'It could be that bad criticism might drive out serious writing'

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Making films got too easy says UK Film Council chief

Access to lottery-funding made it too easy for British film-makers to get projects made, the Chairman of the UK Film Council has admitted.

The admission, by Tim Bevan, will be seized upon by those supporting the Coalition’s decision to axe the Film Council and hand responsibility for backing UK film to the British Film Institute.

However Bevan argues that the new structure may now make it too hard to get Film Council-backed projects like The King’s Speech off the ground. And Sam Mendes is leading a wave of directors who are warning that it is now becoming impossible to make mid-budget, intelligent dramas.  

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Chauffeurs, cigars and clauses

Getting a movie deal in Hollywood is only the beginning. Hammering out the details is when dreams and egos really collide

In Hollywood, the deal is king. Deals are how scripts get optioned, how stars and directors get signed up, how films make it to production. A good one can mean financial security and a name above the title. A bad one can be as dispiriting, gruelling and financially ruinous as building your dream house on unmarked floodland. The bad news is sometimes it's worse than that, and in the current financial climate it's getting tougher to make the right deal.

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