Monday, September 24, 2018

HHSE / MyFlix / Audit & Release Updates

Welcome to the First Week of October to our HHSE Friends & Followers


As C.E.O. of Hemdale Communications, Inc. (NASD) from 1991 through 1996, Eric Parkinson had a large support staff (at one point up to 125 full-time employees), and monthly revenues often exceeding $5-million. Video orders from retailers and wholesalers used to be placed via facsimile machine and Hemdale had to have FOUR such antiques in roll-over sync to handle the constant printing out of incoming P.O.'s. 

In the 20+ years since the VHS heydays, the home media industry has since evolved through consolidation of the customer base, streamlining of the wholesale distribution process and media transitions from VHS to DVD to BluRay and now on to Digital Streaming Formats. 

But the two basic operational principles for a media distribution company have remained the same:  

1). Acquire commercially meritorious products; and 

2). Efficiently market said products through the applicable media technologies.

Unlike Hemdale, at Hannover House the company does not  employ an army of technical, financial and marketing specialists. At times, the responsibilities for project completions are borne entirely by Parkinson and Shefte, as the absence of "middle managers" at HHSE raises the stakes on assuring that key issues are handled accurately.
While having a smaller staff certainly saves the company a lot of overhead dollars... it has definite drawbacks, evidenced primarily in HHSE's consistent inability to meet it's targeted completion deadlines for projects. 


It is with this reality in mind that HHSE is providing the following updates for a variety of important projects - as well as some news for shareholders.


1).  HEALTH STATUS - FRED SHEFTE - On or about Labor Day, HHSE President Fred Shefte began experiencing heart and breathing ailments that required hospitalization at Washington Regional Medical Center / Walker Heart Institute in Fayetteville. Except for a few days during the past four weeks, Shefte has been hospitalized and undergoing treatments that the physicians feel will restore him to good health by mid-October.  Unfortunately, during Fred's absence all of the legal, operational, financial and filings projects he was handling were either functionally "on-hold" or being handled on a time-available basis by Parkinson. However - with two films in theatres, four films being prepped for home video, a major new financing structure, the audit, uplist and MyFlix occupying Parkinson's 80-hour weekly schedule - the schedule for two of Fred's key projects (Form 10 and MyFlix Operations) are about four weeks behind.  Shefte is undergoing a final procedure this week, and is expected to be back at HHSE full time as of Monday, Oct. 8.  



Painting the hair of Fred Flinstone into white resulted in a funny "Get Well Soon" card for HHSE President Fred Shefte from the staff and some locally-based suppliers!




2).  AUDIT / UPLIST - XBRL tables for historical data, forecasts and non-audit materials have been prepared - along with the narrative write-up of the company's Form 10.  An issue regarding freight allocations was received in early September, but will not be fully addressed until Shefte's return to the HHSE offices. 

3).  MYFLIX STATUS - The "home page" (and landing page for APP) has been designed and approved for conformation to our Host Provider. Upload / On-Boarding of titles continues daily, and new suppliers are being signed up each week - with new titles adding to the venture's impressive roster.  As of last Friday, it was determined that it was not possible to launch the site to management's preferred level in time for the MIPCOM International Media Conference in France (mid-October); accordingly, the MyFlix site will not be revealed at the media streaming panel at that industry confab, as was previously targeted. 



HHSE's David Garrison overseas the meta-data uploads for all MyFlix titles, which consists of a multi-part XL spreadsheet that serves as a database for instantaneous page creation as MyFlix viewers "click" onto a particular title.

4).  RELEASES UPDATE - "THE RIOT ACT" continues to expand to other markets.  For HHSE Shareholders in Southern California / Los Angeles Metro - you may want to consider attending the FRIDAY (OCT. 5), L.A. opening night event at the Laemmle Fine Arts Theatre, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. ALL of the principal cast will be in attendance, along with some notable "A-List" guests.  If you plan to attend, buy your tickets SOON because over 200 have already been presold (out of 400 total seats):


In other release news, "DOGPATCH USA" launches on Wednesday at the Malco Fort Smith, and will expand regionally throughout October.
On the Home Video front - replication is in the works for "GETTING GRACE", "SLEEPER CELL: THE ALGERIAN", "RIDE UNITED" and "AMERICA UNITED" all for Q4 release to home video and streaming platforms.






5).  $20-MM PRODUCTION / P&A FUND - In the category of "you miss 100% of the shots you never take(a Wayne Gretzky classic line), HHSE has been presented with the opportunity to implement a financing venture that would cover the production and theatrical releasing costs for FOUR (4) "event" level feature films.  The deal structure is non-recourse against HHSE, does not involve any stock issuances and HHSE would perform both the Studio function of physical film production as well as remain as the North American Theatrical Distributor for all films.  But the sub-distribution outside of theatrical would be placed with a designated Major Studio (as international distributor) and a separate and designated Major Studio (for domestic Video, Streaming and Television). Two of the four pre-approved titles are:  MELTDOWN and MOTHER GOOSE: JOURNEY TO UTOPIA. A business plan has been structured in consultation with the funding group; HHSE will keep shareholders posted as this significant opportunity progresses (or evolves).  It is HHSE's long-range plan to upgrade the profile of its releases in order to ascend to a significantly higher annual revenue model. 



 ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS IMAGES:


"The Riot Act" Producer & Leading Lady (LAUREN SWEETSER, Center), is joined by HHSE Marketing Staffers PAULINA SOBCZAK and MARYEVELYN JONES at a recent screening event.


"The Riot Act" is into its FOURTH WEEK at key locations in Arkansas, and expands to top 10 markets during October - beginning this Friday at the Laemmle's Fine Arts in Beverly Hills.


N.W. Arkansas is enjoying an ascent as a major location for independent film and television production, including the recent features "The Riot Act" and "Sweet Inspirations" as well as HBO's $70-mm series production of  TRUE DETECTIVE 3.  Additional major features are in the works from HBO, Hannover House as well as our friends at ROCKHILL STUDIOS (Pictured above with the cast & principals of "The Riot Act").  Left-to-Right:  Brett Cullen, and Lauren Sweetser (stars of "The Riot Act"), Kerri Elder (Rock Hill Studios), Connor Price ("The Riot Act"), Blake Elder (Rock Hill Studios) and writer-director DEVON PARKS of "The Riot Act."



Friday, September 14, 2018

RIOT ACT Premiere's Add Significant Dollars to Opening Weekend Results!

Greetings HHSE Friends & Followers - HHSE conducted Three Special Event Screenings in anticipation of TODAY's opening of "THE RIOT ACT," all of which will be included as "Thursday Pre-Shows" in the opening weekend's box office.

The first screening at the Malco Fort Smith sold out the auditorium with 202 ticket sales at $13.22 each.  The second screening, a VIP promotion to support the King Opera House, sold 50 tickets at $100 each, and at the third and final screening at the Malco Razorback sold 208 tickets at $13.22.  Support for the After-Screening Reception last night was provided by RIOT ACT promotional sponsors Shogun Grill, The University of Arkansas Communications Department and The Inn at Carnall Hall.  

THE RIOT ACT opening weekend numbers will reflect this nice kick-start of $10,420 going into the Friday matinees!  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PREMIERE EVENTS THAT WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, Visit:

https://www.RiotActFilm.com/theriotactpremiere

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "THE KING OPERA HOUSE" Visit:  

https://www.vanburen.org/king-opera-house/









Pre-Opening Shows: $10,420... a GOOD START!  Friday and Saturday night prime evening shows are already at or near SOLD OUT status at key RIOT ACT locations!  Go HHSE!


ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE
Arkansas's Largest Newspaper

The Riot Actby Philip Martin |
The Riot Act, a theatrical release from Northwest Arkansas-based media company Hannover House, is an enjoyable Western thriller (there's a Deadwood meets The Phantom of the Operavibe) allegedly based on a true story -- more likely a true legend -- about Van Buren's King Opera House, which is prominently featured and becomes a kind of character in the film.
The story goes that, not long after the opera house opened in 1901, a young actor in a traveling troupe fell in love with the daughter of a prominent local doctor. The two made plans to run away together, but the doctor intercepted them at the train depot and beat the young actor to death. It's said that the ghost of the victim haunts the King, and employees there have reported strange goings-on. Lights are turned off only to be found glowing in the morning. Some people have felt the presence of the spirit while in the building; a few others report having sighted the ghost itself.


The Riot Act
85 Cast: Lauren Sweetser, Brett Cullen, Connor Price, Micah Hauptman, Brandon Keener, Dean Denton
Director: Devon Parks
Rating: PG-13, for violence and brief drug material
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes


A few years ago, Van Buren native Devon Parks made a 28-minute feature for AETN, Step Into The King Opera House, based on the ghost stories surrounding the venue. It won a regional Emmy and convinced Parks -- and more importantly The Riot Act producers -- that he could make a full-blown movie using the opera house and the material. The Riot Act is the handsome result.
One of those producers, Arkansas native Lauren Sweetser (Winter's Bone), stars as Allye Pearrow, daughter of "the world renowned physician" Dr. Willard Pearrow (Brett Cullen), the (fictional) owner of the King who takes issue with the romance. (It's interesting and probably not coincidental that Pearrow is a homonym for Perot, as in Ross, as in the grand theater in Texarkana.)
But Parks' script quickly dispenses with the boyfriend (who is shot, not beaten to death in this version) before the main title appears, and picks up the story two years down the road with the arrival of Cyrus Grimes' (Micah Hauptman) "high end" vaudeville revue, an eight-act extravaganza with a centerpiece performance that hits a little close to home for the the snobbish, racist doctor.
While there is a certain "aw, come on" factor in the overly embroidered script (which -- as with most movies -- is the weakest link in the chain), The Riot Act is a handsomely mounted if thoroughly conventional film. It's well shot in a stately amber mode by Travis Joiner. Van Buren is convincing as an early 20th-century version of itself, and the actors, especially Sweetser, acquit themselves well despite having to deliver a few clunker lines.


All in all, The Riot Act is an impressive accomplishment, and local audiences especially will find much to admire. But everyone involved will probably find themselves in better movies down the road.
MovieStyle on 09/14/2018




















Thursday, September 13, 2018

RIOT ACT - Northwest Arkansas MEDIA DAY & Initial Premieres

Greetings HHSE Friends & Followers - This Friday marks the opening of "THE RIOT ACT" in theatres throughout Arkansas.  

As part of the promotional support, HHSE arranged for a MEDIA DAY to be held at the INN AT CARNALL HALL on the campus of the University of Arkansas... for TV and Newspaper interviews with cast and principals.  Later last night, the first of TWO sneak-peek premieres was held in Fort Smith to a packed theatre (202 seats), with another full house pre-sold for tonight in Fayetteville.  Three local TV stations and four local Radio Stations have covered these events thus far... with some national media attending the Fayetteville premiere tonight.

Unlike recent HHSE theatrical releases, "THE RIOT ACT" is being released in a very targeted manner to specific theatres as the launch strategy.  Based on this weekend's success, the company can make the most informed decisions for expansion. 

The company is looking at "THE RIOT ACT" strategy as a way to target our focus on selected locations - see if we can make the film click with audiences - and THEN expanding to the more costly, larger markets.  So we will have good data to share with our friends and shareholders on MONDAY!

www.RiotActFilm.com











Monday, September 10, 2018

MyFlix Update...


Good Morning HHSE Friends & Followers - as we wind down on the last days of "Summer" we felt an update on the status and timing of MyFlix was deserved.  

Back in May - at the Cannes Film Festival / Marche du Filme - we announced in ads and brochures that the MyFlix site would be live to consumers "this summer."  With twelve days remaining before the Autumnal Equinox (Sept. 22), it is clear that by all definitions of summer, MyFlix will not be live to consumers during this time frame. We COULD launch the site immediately, but it would be without some key components that we believe will impact the consumer's impression of the venture and the overall optimal functionality. For instance, the mobile device APP cannot be completed until the primary website / OTT layout is approved for conformity by our platform host; also, we will not have our "test" assortment of high-profile titles from three major studios on-boarded until after we achieve these two operational benchmarks.  

Our new target for initial launch is Oct. 12 (which would be for a  "beta site" and APP with approx. 2,000 titles to start). The achievement of this date would correspond with the MIPCOM International Television Market in Cannes, France, where a major panel discussion of top portal sites and the new digital frontier will dominate the headlines. In order to hit this date, HHSE / MYFLIX will need to step up the daily rate of on-boarding titles and implement our primary consumer launch marketing campaign. Over then next 2+ weeks, we will be in turbo-charge mode towards the achievement of this launch date.  However, if we determine (by Sept. 28) that an Oct. 12 launch is not in the best interests of MyFlix, we anticipate that we could accurately determine an optimally date at that time and launch the consumer marketing around that target. 

As a refresher, our challenges with MyFlix are centered around functionality and programming diversity.  The Site / APP needs to be easily accessed, operated and navigated by consumers... and the programming selection that consumers see needs to be interesting, broad and diverse (to establish the benefits of the site for wide selection and uniqueness).  For years, the operational functionality was the biggest challenge. With that issue now solved, the management focus has evolved two-fold onto the acquisition (and on-boarding) of programming... and the critical steps of creating a consumer branding, awareness and a marketing campaign for the venture. 

We are working with a top design firm for the website, another for the APP and a marketing agency for the consumer launch. It's a monumental endeavor, one that has been years in the making but only weeks away from launch... stay tuned...







NEW OFFICE!  Effective Monday, Sept. 10, our principal offices for all HHSE operations were moved across the street to 355 N. College Ave., to a space more conducive to our MyFlix needs.  Mail service will be forwarded for the next six months, and our various corporate filings will be updated as required or available. The company will be saving over $1,000 per month and gaining 50% more workable space, so it was a terrific opportunity!

Friday, September 7, 2018

RIOT ACT Theatre Lobby Standees - Generating Maximum Visual Impact!

Greetings HHSE Friends & Followers - the original Hannover House production of THE RIOT ACT launches to theatres next Friday (Sept. 14), and will expand based on results. At the suggestion of two of the key theatre circuits, HHSE has designed "Lobby Standees" to support the release (see photos). The research studies indicate that Lobby Standees have wider visibility and recognition than "on-screen trailers" of the same movie... based upon the higher traffic that shuffles past a standee as compared to the small number of audience members actually exposed to a film trailer (oftentimes, in a 16-theatre multiplex, a particular trailer might be "up" on only two or three of the screens). 

www.RiotActFilm.com

So, it will be interesting to see if the locations WITH STANDEES for THE RIOT ACT perform better on the opening weekend than those without...

More to follow...