ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

TV & MOVIES

Force Going With Camcorders: George Lucas plans to shoot most of the action scenes for “Star Wars: Episode II” on digital, high-definition camcorders instead of film cameras. In a message posted on his Web site Sunday, Lucas said he made the decision after trial runs with prototype cameras made by Sony and Panavision. “The tests have convinced me that the familiar look and feel of motion picture film are fully present. The picture quality between the two is indistinguishable on the large screen.” “Episode II” begins filming in June in Australia.

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More Bouquets: Oscar winner “American Beauty” repeated its best picture triumph by winning the best film trophy at the British film academy’s BAFTA Awards Sunday. The film picked up a total of six awards, including best actor (Kevin Spacey) and cinematography (Conrad Hall), and one honor it did not win at the Oscars: best actress (Annette Bening). But it lost two key prizes, with best director going to Spain’s Pedro Almodovar for “All About My Mother” and the original screenplay award to Charlie Kaufman for “Being John Malkovich.” Supporting actor and actress honors went to Jude Law (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”) and Maggie Smith (“Tea With Mussolini”), respectively.

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Eye-ing ‘Big Brother’: CBS has put out an open call for contestants for “Big Brother,” seeking 10 people willing to be sequestered in a house together for more than three months and have their every move chronicled by 28 cameras and 60 microphones. Viewers will vote for one survivor of the 100-day televised event to receive $500,000. The network has posted applications and instructions on its Web site, https://www.CBS.com. Applicants must submit by April 28 a two-minute videotape saying why they should be considered for the series.

PERFORMING ARTS

Hemmings Tribute: Placido Domingo will sing excerpts from “Otello,” the opera that opened Los Angeles Opera’s first season in 1986, during the Peter Hemmings celebration concert and gala on May 22. Other performers and conductors scheduled so far for the event--honoring the company’s founding director, who will retire in June--include Jennifer Larmore, Carol Vaness, Rodney Gilfry, Gwendolyn Bradley, Roderick Brydon, Richard Buckley, Lawrence Foster, William Vendice and Richard Bernstein.

POP/ROCK

Best of the State: Socially conscious L.A. rockers Rage Against the Machine took home five trophies at the California Music Awards over the weekend in San Francisco, including artist of the year, outstanding group and best hard rock/heavy metal album for “The Battle of Los Angeles.” Grammy winner Carlos Santana won two awards: outstanding album for “Supernatural,” and best single for “Smooth,” featuring Rob Thomas. The awards were formerly known as the Bay Area Music Awards, or Bammies, but now include musical acts from across the state.

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Puffy’s Proclamation: Rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs didn’t shy away from his legal woes at a weekend concert at London’s Wembley Arena. Tucked between his rap hits, a giant screen above the stage broadcast footage of Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, on television after the star pleaded not guilty in February to weapons and bribery charges following a New York nightclub shooting. In the clip, Brafman said that Combs “has no intention of running away from this case,” an utterance greeted by thunderous applause from the 8,000-member audience. Combs meanwhile is due to start work on his first feature film--a comedy called “Made”--in Hollywood at the end of the month.

QUICK TAKES

George Clooney’s live CBS production of “Fail Safe” drew solid but unspectacular ratings Sunday. Preliminary Nielsen estimates indicate the broadcast averaged just under 16 million viewers--good enough for second place in the time period but still well behind ABC’s combination of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “The Practice.” . . . Nearly 1.7 million Web users downloaded the promotional trailer for New Line Cinema’s forthcoming film “The Lord of the Rings” during its first 24 hours of availability Friday (on https://www.lordoftherings.net), more downloads than any other film marketing footage in history, New Line said Monday. The previous record was held by “Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace,” whose initial trailer was downloaded by 1 million users in its first day. . . . NBC has picked up its Tuesday-night comedy “Will & Grace” for an additional two seasons.