The Business

It's a gamble every time you buy a movie ticket. But a new financial market will make it possible to actually bet on the box office. Plus, making movie music with Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

This week, the Academy Awards…and the thankless job of producing the Oscar telecast. We talk to the co-producer of this year's show, film producer and former Fox Chairman Bill Mechanic.

It's tough to get distribution for indie movies these days. But just what is distribution, and what can you do if you have a great little movie without it?

It's a big awards weekend in Hollywood. We hear what it's like for a movie executive whose company has three of the five films in Oscar’s Foreign Language category and he still doesn't feel like a front-runner. But before the Academy Awards on Sunday, folks in the indie world are heading to their annual awards bash on Friday.  We hear from indie film panelist John Waters and others about how they're going to roll at the Spirit Awards.

Peter Pan's not just a fairy tale character. He could be the mascot of an industry obsessed by youth. This week, we talk to two TV writers involved in an age discrimination suit against the studios.

A hefty new book conceived by director George Lucas examines the DNA of 300 American blockbusters. We examine how the book was made and what we can learn from it. Plus, how far will you go to become a successful screenwriter? The Hurt Locker's Mark Boal went to Iraq.

New music from pop star Ben Folds, popular novelist Nick Hornby and William Shatner.  Plus, we check out those star maps that point out houses of the rich and famous. And what can we learn about today's shrinking A-list from a book about one of yesterday's biggest stars?

We go behind the scenes and into the control room of American Idol.

If we've learned anything from the Leno/Conan debacle, it's the value of a well written contract.  We talk to one entertainment lawyer and find out exactly what he does to earn his 5 percent.  Plus, the author of About a Boy and High Fidelity didn't write the movies based on his novels, but he did write the script to An Education.  Nick Hornby tells us why.

The television business is crazier than ever. We try to make sense of it all with two veteran TV journalists. Plus, a look at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival with the fest's new director, John Cooper.