Whois & Analysis for variety.com

Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.

From the business side (including managers, agents, producers, and distributors), the term applies to the creative element (including artists, performers, writers, musicians, and technicians) and was in common usage throughout the 20th century, although the first known use in print dates from 1850.

At that time and for several decades, it typically included an initial the.

By the latter part of the century, it had acquired a slightly arcane quality associated with the era of variety, but the term is still in active use.

In modern entertainment industry, it is often associated with the fashion industry (creating trend and fashion) and acquiring intellectual property rights from the invested research in the entertainment business.

Variety shows, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances and sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism.

It is normally introduced by a compère (master of ceremonies) or host.

The variety format made its way from Victorian era stage to radio and then television.

Variety shows were a staple of anglophone television from the late 1940s into the 1980s.

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region.

Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors.

Films may be of recent date and, depending upon the festival's focus, can include international and domestic releases.

Some festivals focus on a specific film-maker or genre (e.g., film noir) or subject matter (e.g., horror film festivals).

A number of film festivals specialise in short films of a defined maximum length.

Film festivals are typically annual events.

Some film historians do not consider Film Festivals as official releases of film, like Jerry Beck.

Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium.

In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism found regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets; and academic criticism by film scholars who are informed by film theory and are published in academic journals.

A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event.

Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket.