Hollywood Breaks

With all these '90s actors and films coming into the theatres, we're asking one big question: are we going back the right way, or is there actually a way forward?

Tim Thompson and Keith Rauch  discuss the amazing revolution taking place where NFTs are getting better numbers over the weekend than the film releases from Hollywood. Clearly another sign that the blockbuster era has finished and something new is coming.  We see this played over and over again, week after week. Specifically, this week we noticed that Top Gun is pushing their release date, again,...

This episode, Keith Rauch really dives into what's going on with the theatrical experience. CinemaCon was this week, there were a lot of folks that didn't show up, so we were wondering what's going on or... are the politics really playing themselves out? Daily Wire is coming out with a film soon, so there are new players in this business that are doing something different! That makes us  ask what...

It's been a year since Keith and Tim kicked this thing off and we're still going strong!  Some of the story hasn't changed. We're still asking questions of what the theatrical release looks like, how success should really be counted, what the studios are thinking and how they're releasing these upcoming films.  "Free Guy" apparently was a big "hit",  but Keith doesn't agree with that, and everywhe...

If you don't know Andrew Rosen from PARQOR, you're missing out on one of our generation's greatest minds, thinking through the marketing needs, and how that strategy plays out from one big corporation to the other. He asked the same questions we asked: What's going on here? What's really missing? and what are they actually telling us? So this week on Hollywood Breaks we invite Andrew into this con...

This week we talk about what's happening with this Black Widow - Scarlett Johansson lawsuit with Disney and really wondering "Is this an actress-only situation that's happening?" — Dwayne Johnson gave us something to think about. Hello Sunshine though, Reese Witherspoon's company, sold for some beaucoup bucks last week — and that's a really interesting move and opportunity for new influencers to p...

Is Disney just bullying Scarlett Johansson by using Covid as an excuse? What are the major shifts happening in the world of streaming platforms? What "revolutions" are we looking forward to with regards to the future generation of Hollywood leaders? We've discussed this and many more in Episode 49 of our weekly Hollywood Breaks show.

This week we speak about those inside politics of Netflix—is their culture really changing or is Big Brother watching over their internal people? We also make note that Netflix hopefully makes progress in improving some of those quality movies by creating new leadership in the movies. We also talk about films that have the potential to revive theatres, as well as the next big franchise on the film...

This week we welcome back one of our favorite Hollywood Breakers, Marketing Executive Robin Geisen!  We're diving into subjects such as the recent firings at Netflix over a Slack chat, the future of movie-going business from a talent perspective, and also Space Jam coming to a theater or streamer near you.

This week we discuss the blockbuster hit Black Widow, but also the shifts in filmmaking and what's really happening in our industry. Is the Sun Valley Conference going to solve the problems of the industry, or are we seeing a possible evolution of filmmakers and artists that are rebelling?

Is F9 really the new mark for success in Theatrical? Filmmakers may need to change their scorecard for success and not depend on opening box office as a benchmark for career and investment. But the lack of independence will take its toll. Will the storyteller survive, or will they just be a commodity for the future OTT consumption game?

Spielberg is going for a remake called Saving Private Equity by inking a deal with Netflix for Amblin. A sign of the times when the strongest advocate for the theatrical experience changes course and gets in bed with Netflix business model of Quantity over Quality. Netflix has to leveraging against the WJS coverage that their films do not stand test of time. Of all the major players, Netflix score...

The Boomer Elite of the Hollywood Studios are no longer being honest about the industry. The delusional press release that “everything is OK” is covering up the reality that the creative process is in a tailspin. The only big moves of any studio is to merge or release 1000+ pieces of content over a weekend. When the real creative process is being throttled by a cold cultural revolution of censorsh...

Keith Rauch and Tim Thompson discuss the Insider's view on the box office and why The Quiet Place is dominating even after the big marketing push for Into the Heights. The Netflix failure of Jupiter Legacy has already made a list of scapegoats from inside but will also create pressure from the outside with investors. The pressure continues with Disney to determine the deal for actors and directors...

Tim Heindl of Lionsgate has seen the evolution of marketing into what is now a David vs Goliath mound of data. But the human experience can’t be captured in a data driven industry so micro giants like Lionsgate separate themselves from the crowd by finding an audience and inspire them to connect with the content.

This week we welcome our guest Michelle Marks from Disney and Fox. We discuss the genesis of the Disney Channel and the rise of experiential theatrical marketing. Today’s media conglomerates need to recognize that influencers have the power to sway consumers’ purchasing power.  “We need to begin a revolution that empowers the talent to bring the consumers into the experience while the content is b...

Once again the Boomer Elite try to make themselves look good for Wall Street as AT&T calls it quit and hands over their interest to content house Discovery+. “Not only are we losing one more employer, we have one less opportunity for real creativity and filmmakers to be discovered” - Keith Rauch We expect to see more consolidation as Amazon most likely inks a deal with MGM and possibly Apple f...

The attraction of celebrity was the thought that a larger community was sharing an experience by following a person, knowing some personal details and then wanting to watch or listen to their next creation. The mystique of the person was part of the genius and the studios supported this arrangement in order to get engagement from the audience. Today is just about influencers, but they are just bei...

Our guest this week is The Ankler Editor-in-Chief Richard Rushfield where we discuss the stronghold of the Baby Boomer class has over the industry and the need for them to pass the torch. But there is a scarcity of leadership who would carry the torch outside of tech overlords who convert entertainment into “content”.

Are marketing campaigns forever changed post-pandemic? What is it like to live through a merger of two very different film studios? Will Jeremy Gershman stay positive no matter what? Be sure to watch to find out all the answers and subscribe so you don’t miss out on our upcoming guests!

This week, we welcome producer and former 20th Century Fox studio exec, Tomas Jegeus to discuss the expanding opportunities in the international market as well as the distinct differences between international and domestic marketing strategies. We also tackle the importance of breaking down the barriers to up and coming filmmakers. VisionCraft Brew Founder, Keith Rauch makes the case that “the pan...

We welcome Dallas Taylor from Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast to discuss the transition of the traditional theatrical fanfare at the opening of a film, into the new desires of consumers and new sonic branding. We discuss the changes on the #20thcenturyfox ​, Netflix, HBO and the work they are doing to get consumers to register the sound and picture experience.

The industry’s major players are taking sides as Netflix and Sony strike a partnership for content and distribution. The Yin and Yang of content and audience will meet up to give both entities the market strength they need in the ever competitive show business. Godzilla vs Kong continues to give Hollywood brokers some positive feedback on the market and audience willingness to get back to the thea...

Movies are the fighting back in the theaters. Godzilla vs Kong is the first sign that film goers are willing to get back in the seat. Even though HBOMax released at the same time, the monster film reached $40MM Domestically. This may be a sign of success or flop as the summer gives us more post-pandemic numbers.    Keith Rauch makes a great point that other industries have prepared messages to wel...

This week we welcome guest Cami Sargent (Fox, Netflix, AppleTV+) about the work of Creative Marketing from a studio to streamer. We recap some of the large campaigns she created at the Studios and how they make a difference in the overall entertainment experience.        Will Apple merge with Sony? Does Netflix work to solve the what to watch issue? How do we create new pop culture moments in the...