AFM Finance Conference panels November 8
The Future of Film
An exploration of the future of independent film, emerging marketplace trends, global film finance, and the impact of streaming platforms.
A Conversation With BRON Studios
BRON’s filmmaker-first approach has helped the company solidify its creative relationships. BRON is at the forefront of Hollywood deal-making, from slate financing deals with MGM and Warner Bros to securing financing and distribution for their own properties. BRON continues to invest in incredible creatives, companies and important stories as it heads towards its tenth year anniversary in 2020. BRON has been behind such films as Fences, The Mule, The Addams Family, Tully, and most recently Joker.
Panelists
Aaron L. Gilbert, Chairman & CEO
Ashley Levinson, Chief Strategy Officer
Anjay Nagpal, Chief Content Officer
Scott Roxborough, European Bureau Chief, The Hollywood Reporter
“Never has there been another time when there’s been more production, demand and money.”
Aaron L. Gilbert, Chairman & CEO BRON Studios
“We want to be good partners to filmmakers...we’re in a wonderful place with creators and filmmakers...We’re really looking at this business on a global level.”
“There’s a lot of easier industries to be in. We want to be good partners to filmmakers. That really does pay off over time.”
“Some stories have to be told in the right way and at the right budget…We are getting involved financially in stories at every budget level.”
“Diversity is in the DNA...we know there’s those important stories and we know there’s an audience for them...Inclusion does have a marketplace.”
Ashley Levinson, Chief Strategy Officer, BRON Studios
“There are so many platforms to tell stories...to be able to support that is something we are excited about.”
“We know there is an audience, it’s a matter of telling the kinds of stories that can be able to reach that audiences.”
A Conversation With
Jeffrey Greenstein, President, Millennium Media, Inc.
Alan Siegel, President & CEO, Alan Siegel Entertainment
Moderator
Scott Roxborough, European Bureau Chief, The Hollywood Reporter
Jeffrey Greenstein, President, Millennium Media, Inc.
“Making movies is about 3 things...story, story, and story.”
“Your director is like your quality assurance, you actors help you sell the film and will really make it great. So it is really about those stories.”
“Talent may have only one time slot a year to a film that is independent...the idea from a content creator standpoint is that you must have something that will stand out.”
Alan Siegel, President & CEO, Alan Siegel Entertainment
“The market demands theatrical. I believe people still want to go to the cinema...the business is very cyclical. Right now streaming is king...I think at some point the field is going to be leveled...you want to see a great movie in a theatre.”
“What is important in movies today, is attracting A level performers and actors with great material.”
“People want to see something that is very different from their lives...it gives us a rest from our boring lives to see others on screen.”
Breaking the Mold: The Innovators
Film industry trailblazers, whose companies are transforming traditional business models, share their insights on the future of filmed entertainment.
Panelists
Erik Feig, Founder & CEO, PICTURESTART
Tim League, Founder & CEO, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Aron Levitz, Head of Wattpad Studios, Wattpad
Christian Parkes, Chief Marketing Officer, NEON
Moderator
Amy Friedlander Hoffman, Investor & Former Head of Business Development & Experiential Marketing, Uber
BREAKING THE MOLD: THE INNOVATORS
Amy Friedlander Hoffman, Investor & Former Head of Business Development & Experiential Marketing, Uber
“The expectations that we have change so rapidly...so how do you make a connection with your consumers?”
Tim League, Founder & CEO, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
“It’s interesting to talk through it because there is a great war going on. We are supporting Netflix releases. If it’s a win-win situation for us then we’ll do it…Breaking Bad made sense. That’s one we did a day-and-date release for. We look to the studios as partners, we look to the streamers as partners.”
“The immediacy of reaction is important because it keeps people on their game.”
“It’s a mix between gut and a mix between data...we will build a financial model for how we think it will do but it’s all still a gamble.”
Erik Feig, Founder & CEO, PICTURESTART
“We are truly platform agnostic. It’s all about finding the right model for the right project and what makes sense for your story and your audience.”
“Theatrical distribution was one way to get your stuff out there.. but not the only way.”
“People are consuming more than they ever have, whether it is in the theater or on the phone and everywhere in between.”
“Try to be distinctive at whatever your niche is and then expand on that niche.”
“On the hierarchy of what’s important in a movie, “It’s who and what... the market is interesting in that way...it’s the right stars, in the right roles, in the right ways.”
Christian Parkes, Chief Marketing Officer, NEON
“It’s really does start with the audience...you can have the greatest story in the world, but if you don’t have an audience, you have nothing. The beauty of cinema is that it brings people together.”
“Make something amazing but make something simple.”
Aron Levitz, Head of Wattpad Studios, Wattpad Studios
“It’s about understanding audiences but it’s also about what is driving them.”
“We have the ability to tell everyone who read the book the dates that it is coming out in their country but we also have the ability to tell those who like similar content.”
“There’s an ecosystem that has to be formed around each project from day one.”
“We’re looking at trends around the world...the data is showing us where the love [from audiences] is happening.”
Photo Credit: Dan Steinberg/AFM:
Jeffrey Greenstein, President, Millennium Media, Inc.
“Making movies is about 3 things...story, story, and story.”
“Your director is like your quality assurance, you actors help you sell the film and will really make it great. So it is really about those stories.”
“Talent may have only one time slot a year to a film that is independent...the idea from a content creator standpoint is that you must have something that will stand out.”
Alan Siegel, President & CEO, Alan Siegel Entertainment
“The market demands theatrical. I believe people still want to go to the cinema...the business is very cyclical. Right now streaming is king...I think at some point the field is going to be leveled...you want to see a great movie in a theatre.”
“What is important in movies today, is attracting A level performers and actors with great material.”
“People want to see something that is very different from their lives...it gives us a rest from our boring lives to see others on screen.”
