Hollywood Breaks

This week we bring back guest Cameron Dillavou, Head of Prime Video Global Strategy, to share insights into Prime Video’s success in Oscar nominations, NFL Contracts and what it takes to make a worldwide brand like Prime relevant for every viewing experience.

With D isney+ as 100M+ Subscriber base, the Mouse House doesn’t give in to Cinemark and walks away from Raya movie fans. Theaters open up and are filling up, but the capacity holds back healthy returns for distributors, so studios are finding pre-pandemic deals may fall short. Disney also dominates in SVOD space. Netting half the number of Netflix subs in 12 months and crashing the server with Wan...

Our special guest Kyle Davies brings some huge enthusiasm for the return to theaters. From his experience in exhibition and distribution at Dreamworks, Relativity and most recent Head of Domestic Distribution at Paramount, Kyle shares the inside scoop on the changes and challenges due to the Pandemic. “The pandemic has accelerated a friction and the distribution windows are at the core”.

Sony Pictures Chair Tom Rothmam pulls from his inner Beyonce and encourages that we will get back into the theaters “if we Make Dope Shit”. The sentiment seems to be rising that the theater experience will fulfill a different purpose than just paying the bills for studios blockbuster strategy. The exhibition of a cinematic experience will need to focus on the execution of the art more than the for...

Martin Scorsese Harper’s article ( http://timt.la/3uelQTQ ​) laments how Film and TV has shifted to “content” which only describes the commodity and has desensitized the experience into minutes consumed. Backlash from Kyle Smith claims the “misplaced nostalgia” doesn’t recognize the opportunity to shift the field.   Industry professionals are feeling more pessimistic about the recovery of the indu...

Disney hits the breaks on Blue Sky Studios and drops 90% of employees. This may be a reflection of our times, but realistically Disney was predictable. This move can create a new wave of animation as the Stamford Conn talent can differentiate from the Disney Homogenization machine and take advantage of the flat and wide distribution channels of a post pandemic industry.   The newest players make b...

The VOD platforms have shown their dominance once again with the Golden Globes and Netflix gain of 4 time more nominations than others, with HULU and Amazon rounding out the pack, while traditional studios remain in the shadows. The studios are basically saying:  "Netflix, you know what? You go ahead and run Hollywood now.” Following the Big Tech influence is Apple’s purchase of CODA at Sundance f...

Disney’s theatrical marketing group is tapped for the roll out of the Disney+ big name content like Wandavision and The Mandalorian.  Leaning on the creative channels from the successful theatrical team boosts the presentation of Disney+ content, but also changes the utilization of the marketing group, which can have bigger long term implications.  How will they prioritize future release elements,...

Are we just playing games? “More and more markets are opening up for game IP as more gamers seek premium entertainment.” - Sean Haran Sean Haran, Chief Business Officer at Gearbox Software, joins us today to share his experience from studio executive to video game pioneer. The game industry has legitimized entertainment as a growth segment for over two decades and in the last year has grown in inf...

Netflix’s 2021 Sizzle with all star cast sharing “What they love about movies”, trying to strengthen the definition of a movie without the need for theatrical release (and sometimes quality).  They also promises a movie a week, but will they be able to deliver on the promise of quality or will this be Netflix Churn?    Quibi is gone but not dead. Roku acquisition of Quibi content is a possible pla...

With the disappointing storyline of Wonder Woman 1984,  HBOMax still needs to find the tipping point. “A blockbuster movie isn’t just recognized with box office numbers. You know it’s a blockbuster when you want to see it over and over.” (Keith Rauch).The long tail model for OTT platforms need the evergreen content or they will always struggle.   Warner Bros brings in experienced marketer of Josh...

We welcome back Robin Geisen this week to review the past year and the big impact on the Industry.  The shift into streaming has had the biggest impact from Disney+ 80M Subs to the Warner’s debacle with distribution on HBOMax. Keith Rauch and Robin Geisen debate the overall impact on all the players from studios, talent, exhibitors and award shows. Despite the uncertainty and major changes, theatr...

The Mouse Rocks The House: Wall Street Hearts Disney’s Investor Day Disney Investor Day announces some big strategy for upcoming season. Investing $8-9 Billion in content creation for Disney+ and $16B on all streaming. This new growth market will have its heyday soon enough with SVOD and OTT platforms booming over traditional broadcast and distribution. Keith Rauch believes “The gold rush in the n...

Warner Media breaks the slow pace of Hollywood decision-making and makes a bold move to distribute 2021 films slate directly to HBO Max. This may be an indicator that studios are not confident that exhibitors can get the turnout needed for studios to take a risk on them.  Discovery+ (really? That’s the name?) is coming on strong with original content on their OTT platform. Taking a page from the p...

This episode was recorded on November 21st, 2020. No one is really talking about the cinema experience, except Universal. Bold moves in distribution and possibly setting a foothold in the future of Theatrical Distribution, Universal makes a deal with Cinemark Theaters, similar to their deal with AMC, and defines terms for studio/theater collaboration.  Entertainment Marketing Agencies need to prep...

We discuss the latest changes to Disney’s org and ask the question about studio loyalty over the pursuit of subscribers.  And Netflix still struggles with its original content. Many content creators know that their talent is becoming the commodity of exchange and the burn rate will be the next big movement Hollywood will be discussing.

We welcome Cameron Dillavou, Head of Global Brand Marketing, to discuss Prime Video’s focus on the platform, content creation, and meeting the consumer with their needs.

Sony announces the realignment of their TV and Motion Pictures marketing/distribution into a single hub. Even though Disney isn’t saying that directly, it is clearly an outcome of their recent shake-up with a centralized distribution strategy. Marketing executives and vendors will be part of the shuffle in the next few months.

Quibi is gone and Netflix has missed its numbers during a pandemic shut down when all people are at home consuming content. Where are the viewers focusing their attention?  New platforms are building a better distraction model with the ability to make a constant stream of content. With the INVERTED CONTENT CURVE, large players can’t expect the keep up with the demand of viewers' attention without...

Hollywood Breaks is an insiders’ view of what’s shaping the content-making world. Development partners Tim Thompson and Keith Rauch host this weekly show discussing current events with an eye towards seizing opportunity in the changing landscape.

Layoffs, Layoffs, Layoffs. Deconstruction is a reality.  The ROI on film distribution and marketing is tanking, which shifts the need for marketers to find an audience and vendors who can keep up with the new demands.  Peacock and HBOMax are not stepping up like Warner and Comcast need.

Robin Geisen is a marketing executive and gives our viewers insights on the new deal-making happening in the marketplace. Marketing consultant for the players, she is an influencer to synchronize the needs of the film food chain.

Who cares about the award shows if the Red Carpet doesn't exist? The show must go on is replaced with the Show Must Show Off.  And there are new players following the success of Disney+ hoping to capture the stay at home viewers.

How do we keep score now that box office numbers don't exist and OTT/SVOD platforms don't share their data?

Oscar season is disrupted by the pandemic. What is going to happen with the recognition of the great films and will the end of the year bring the films we were expecting.