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Variety (magazine)
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Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Hollywood, was founded by Silverman in 1933. Both have been in continual operation since.
The magazine is owned by Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, with three print editions and a Web site.
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Encyclopedia
Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Hollywood, was founded by Silverman in 1933. Both have been in continual operation since.
The magazine is owned by Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, with three print editions and a Web site. Its editor-in-chief is Peter Bart, who worked previously at Paramount Studios and The New York Times. Circulation hovers around 31,622 for the daily editions, and 30,800 for the weekly edition (Audit Bureau of Circulations, March 31, 2005).
History
Variety has been published since 1905, when it was launched by Sime Silverman as a weekly periodical covering vaudeville, its headquarters in New York. In 1933, Silverman launched Daily Variety, based in Hollywood.
Silverman was the editor of the Variety publications until selecting Abel Green as his replacement in 1931; he remained as publisher until his death in 1933 soon after launching the daily. His son Sidne (1901-1950), known as "Skigie", succeeded him as publisher of both publications. Both Sidne and his wife, stage actress Marie Saxon (1905-1942), died of tuberculosis. Their only son Syd, born 1932, was the sole heir to what was then Variety Inc. Guardian Harold Erichs oversaw Variety until 1956. From then Syd, who graduated from Princeton, took over and managed the company until 1987, when he sold it to Cahners Publishing (now Reed Elsevier) for US$64 million.
Editions
Variety
Variety is a tabloid glossy publication published weekly and is delivered internationally and brings you the week in show business with in-depth news, exclusive reports, industry trend stories, essential box office information and comprehensive production charts, delivered with global perspective imperative to our readership representing 84 countries.
With entertainment news-gathering team around the world, Variety is the information link between every showbiz center in all parts of the globe. Positioned as the industry leader by more than 145,000 key players worldwide, Variety is preferred reading among top-level professionals everywhere in entertainment, and the most widely circulated broad-based entertainment business magazine.
Daily Variety
Daily Variety delivers more stories, breaking news, incisive reviews, exclusive scoops and must-know information than any other entertainment news source.
The trade paper of record since 1933, Los Angeles-based Daily Varietys same day coverage spans Hollywood to New York and features local market coverage, vital global reports, domestic box office charts, reviews, plus must-read features and columns from Peter Bart, Army Archerd, Brian Lowry and others.
Launched in 1998, Daily Variety Gotham provides same-day showbiz news to industry decision-makers first thing in the morning. Positioned as the most authoritative, widely circulated trade publication serving the East Coast, Daily Variety Gotham presents global, national and regional entertainment news with expanded coverage of New York's show business marketplace. This vast arena includes local film and television production, network and cablenews, Wall Street, Madison Avenue, Broadway and legit, international box office, advertising, post-production, publishing and new media. Each Gotham edition issue includes the must-read columns, numbers and reviews that make Daily Variety indispensable.
Variety.com
Variety extended its brand with the launch of its state-of-the-art web site, Variety.com, in 1998. Varietys cyberspace home contains the entire contents of Daily Variety and Variety. Variety.com targets the entertainment industry professional. Updated daily with content available the night prior to the print edition hitting the street, the web site is a must for those serious about staying on top of the industry.
Variety.com additionally offers searchable archives, interactive box office charting, international box office grosses, a credits database, film and television production charts, in-depth industry calendar, and Variety reviews, some dating back to 1914.
Culture
For much of its existence, Varietys writers and columnists have used a jargon called slanguage or varietyese (a form of headlinese) that refers especially to the movie industry, and has largely been adopted and imitated by other writers in the industry. Such terms as "boffo box-office biz," "sitcom," "sex appeal", "payola" and even "striptease" are attributed to the influence of the magazine, though its attempt to popularize "infobahn" as a synonym for "information superhighway" never caught on. Its most famous headline was from October, 1929 when the stock market crashed, "Wall St. Lays An Egg" while another favorite, "Sticks Nix Hick Pix" was made popular—although the movie prop renders it as "Stix nix hix flix!"—by Michael Curtiz' musical-biopic Yankee Doodle Dandy where James Cagney is explaining the headline to some kids. Translated, it means that rural audiences were not attending rural-themed films. Television series are referred to as "skeins," and heads of companies or corporate teams are called "toppers." In addition, more common English words and phrases are shortened; "audience members" becomes simply "auds," "performance" becomes "perf," and "network" becomes "net," for example.
Location
In late 2008, Variety moved its Los Angeles offices to a high rise on Wilshire Blvd in the heart of the Miracle Mile area, and was dubbed the Variety Building. as a red, illuminated Variety sign graced the top, north and south sides of the building. The 31-story tower can be seen from any direction in Los Angeles, and has totally unobstructed, 360 degree views of the city. The city welcomed the new landmark with a lighting ceremony in December of 2008.
The high-rise, directly across the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is owned by the Ratkovich Co., which purchased the 1971 building for $102.5 million in 2005.
Hollywood
Being the oldest entertainment trade publication, Varietys "brand" continues to perpetuate awareness of their place in Hollywood culture in such old films as Singin' In The Rain, Yankee Doodle Dandy and TV shows like I Love Lucy, Make Room for Daddy and more recently Entourage. With the emergence of "Corner Office" and "Trendsetter" back covers, which highlight top Hollywood readers, Variety solidifies it's position as a widely read and respected publication that has marked itself as a true Hollywood cultural icon.
Rivalry
Daily Varietys down-the-street competitor is The Hollywood Reporter. The papers have a long history of rivalry, but editorial talent migrates between them.
Events
Screening Series
Taking place in Los Angeles and New York, the Variety Screening Series is an exclusive preview of the most anticipated up and coming films before the academy season begins. Many films screened will be nominated for the academy and all screenings are followed by a Q&A usually hosted by the directors, producers, and actors of the films. Among others, this year’s screened films included “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “The Secret Life of Bees”, and “Milk”.
10 to Watch Series
A series where Variety honors their annual list of 10 Directors, Producers, Screenwriters, Cinematographers, Comics, Actors, and Innovators to Watch for that year. Honorees are presented at yearly events and festivals and are usually a part of an intimate Q&A and exclusive Variety after party to celebrate the honorees. Past honorees include Wes Anderson and Christopher Nolan
Power of Youth
Every year, Variety hosts an exclusive VIP children's event featuring a day of festivities and performances honoring the best of Young Hollywood while raising awareness for charitable and philanthropic causes. All proceeds from this event are raised and passed directly to participating charities like St. Judes Children's Research Hospital. Past performers and youth committee members include, The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Hillary Duff, and Zack Efron.
15 Minutes of Fame
A unique opportunity for filmmakers and actors at the Sundance Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival to discuss their upcoming projects with members of the variety editorial team. Edited clips appear on Variety.com. Past interviewees include Ashton Kutcher and Chris Rock.
Facts and figures
- On January 19, 1907, Variety published what is considered as the first film review in history.
- On December 7, 1988, Editor-In-Chief Peter Bart's predecessor, Roger Watkins, proposed and oversaw the transition to Four-Colour print. Upon its launch, the new look Variety measured an inch shorter with a washed-out colour on the front. The old front-page box ad was replaced by a strip ad, along with the first photos published in Variety since Sime gave up using them in the old format in 1920: they depicted Sime, Abel and Syd. (www.simesite.net/roger.asp, 7th paragraph).
- On the Variety sign on the building, the ‘V’ is the heaviest letter at approximately 300 lbs, not including the ‘V’ swoosh that was fabricated in sections and assembled on the building. Letters were kept as light as possible using all aluminum construction and no steel framing. Also, LED lights were used to illuminate the sign, which is much lighter than neon components.
- A significant portion of Variety
s revenue comes during the movie award season leading up to the Academy Awards. During this time, large numbers of colorful, full-page "For Your Consideration" ads inflate the size of Variety to double or triple its usual page count. These ads are Hollywood's attempt to reach other Hollywood professionals who will be voting in the many awards given out in the early part of the year.
External links
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