2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Track I:
Entertainment Concepts in Branded & Integrated Entertainment - Film, TV, Music, Cable, Wireless, Games & Broadband
The ever expanding boundaries of entertainment in the national as well as global culture presents not just opportunities for specific brand extension or advertising, the merger of Hollywood and Madison Ave. represents a quantitative shift in the creative process. As the consumer alters its relationship to media, integrating broadband into every aspect of everyday life - from the mobile, to the public space and into the home - the power of the electronic message, whether delivered as advertising or via movies, TV, games, news or even as a function of the communications device itself, is a transformational tool. The industry is now experiencing its first steps in the fusion of marketing, entertainment and content. The real excitement will be found as the creative talent in the industry gets to experiment, innovate and produce new forms.
Robert Riesenberg, president & CEO, Full Circle Entertainment (an Omnicom Media Group company)
Karen Bloore, Managing Director, Universal McCann
Entertainment Group, Los Angeles
Steve Katleman, Shareholder, L.A. Entertainment Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Ken Solomon, founder- Fine Living Network
Ken Hertz, Senior Partner, Goldring Hertz & Lichtenstein LLP
Cary Woods, Chief Creative Officer, PlumTV
Michael Kassan, Media and Entertainment Consultant, Moderator
Karen Bloore, EVP, Managing Director, Universal McCann Entertainment Group: Karen recently joined Universal McCann in November 2004. She is responsible for overseeing all divisions of the Sony Entertainment Group, including Sony Pictures Theatrical, Home Entertainment, Sony TV, GSN, and spot planning and newspaper groups. Sony is one of the largest UM North America clients. A highly respected media executive in the motion picture industry, Karen comes from Grey Entertainment in Burbank where she was EVP, Marketing in charge of the Warner Bros. business. Before joining Grey Entertainment in 2000, Karen was with Initiative Media in Burbank with responsibility for Disney Pictures/Home Entertainment and earlier was with Focus Media in Santa Monica as Media Director working on both DreamWorks SKG and Sears. Previously she was with the Los Angeles offices of DDB Needham and Foote Cone & Belding, handling Universal Studios Pictures and MGM/UA Pictures, respectively.
ROBERT RIESENBERG, President and Chief Executive Officer, Full Circle
Entertainment: Robert Riesenberg is President and Chief Executive Officer of Full Circle Entertainment, a division of Omnicom Group. Full Circle Entertainment is dedicated to the creation and production of original television programming that is funded by and serves the marketing and content needs of Advertisers. Prior to joining Full Circle Entertainment, Mr. Riesenberg established and served as a Director of Magna Global Entertainment, a business unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies where, over a three-year period, he was responsible for creating and producing over 50 hours of Primetime television programs. Included within that was the award-winning Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation film series and the critically acclaimed "The Restaurant" on NBC. Prior to this, Mr. Riesenberg worked at McCann-Erickson North America as Senior Vice President, Broadcast & Programming Director/Coca-Cola, with Responsibilities for the agency’s domestic Coca-Cola media assignments. Mr. Riesenberg spent nine years as President/Owner of RER Communications, Inc. a television production and distribution company that developed and produced numerous television specials, feature films and TV movies. Earlier, Mr. Riesenberg was Senior Vice President, Director of Program Development at BBDO Worldwide where he developed programming for Chrysler Showcase and G.E. Theatre as well as numerous AfterSchool and Prime Time Specials.Kenneth Hertz, Senior Partner, Goldring, Hertz & Lichtenstein: Hertz, managing partner in the Beverly Hills law firm of Goldring, Hertz and Lichtenstein LLP, specializes in representing talent in the entertainment industries. The firm’s clients include Will Smith, Destiny’s Child, Beyonce Knowles, Christina Aguilera, No Doubt, Hillary Duff and Alanis Morissette. Prior to joining the firm, Hertz was vice president, music -- business and legal affairs -- for The Walt Disney Company. Hertz is also a principal in Membrain, an entertainment marketing strategy consulting firm that consults a number of firms engaged in businesses operating in the entertainment content, technology and marketing industries (including Hasbro, Alliance Entertainment, BMG and The Estate of Elvis Presley, Def Jam and Paul Frank Industries). Hertz is a frequent speaker on the subjects of entertainment, convergence and technology, and has been an instructor at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management. Hertz is also active in various causes and in December 2002 he, and his partner Fred Goldring, received the ACLU’s Bill of Rights Award for their extraordinary commitment to social justice.
Cary Woods is Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Plum TV. Plum TV is a unique media vehicle that combines innovative local television programming, a highly-targeted demographic, and an inventive approach to integrated/branded content not otherwise found in this medium. Plum’s network of cable channels is broadcast in the Hamptons, Nantucket, the Vineyard, Vail and Aspen. The Bronx-born Woods began his career in film as an agent at the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles, where he represented a roster of bright new talent, including directors Gus Van Sant and Todd Solondz, comedians Sam Kinison and Sandra Bernhard, and actors Uma Thurman, Matt Dillon, and Tim Robbins. While at WMA, Woods played an integral role behind the making of several critically acclaimed films, including DRUGSTORE COWBOY and HEATHERS. He then moved to Sony Pictures Entertainment as Vice-President, Office of the Chairman, under Peter Guber and Jon Peters. Two years later, he moved into a production deal with the studio, where he produced the films SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER, RUDY, ONLY YOU, and THREESOME. Woods next went to Miramax, where he produced eight pictures, including SCREAM, SWINGERS, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, and COPLAND. The landmark film KIDS was the first film produced under the Independent Pictures banner. At this soon to be independently financed production company, GUMMO and JULIEN DONKEY BOY were born of the visionaries who were given a chance. Woods built a career out of believing in and cultivating unknowns. This is the spirit of what is called the independent film revolution. And Plum TV will endeavor to do the same for a different medium.
Steve Katleman, Shareholder, L.A. Entertainment Practice, Greenbe
rg Traurig, LLP: Steve Katleman is an entertainment lawyer who represents clients in all aspects of the television and motion picture industries, as well as other entities throughout the business of entertainment. He represents artists, including writers, producers and performers, as well as production entities, from artist-owned boutiques to public companies, which create and supply programming to broadcasters and distributors. Steve represents several major international consumer product brands and has counseled these companies on their approaches to the entertainment industy. He has made pioneering deals for product integration in television programing both on behalf of brands and television production companies.Michael Kassan, Entertainment and Media Consultant:
Michael E. Kassan is a internationally recognized leader in the area of media and entertainment. Mr. Kassan has acted as a development consultant presently to brands and companies including Home Depot, National Lampoon, Visible World, DIC Entertainment, Mindshare Worldwide, TV Guide, FBC (Fact Based Communications), Brandsense, Warner Home Entertainment, Revolution Studios, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Microsoft, Verizon, Constellation Ventures (Bear Stearns), Cerberus Capital Management and The Leverage Group, BNC, Cimarron Group. Previously, Mr. Kassan was the President/Chief Operating Officer and Vice-Chairman of Initiative Media Worldwide a division of The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG:NYSE), at the time, the largest and most diversified media management company in the world, with more than 75 offices in North America, Europe and Asia. In 1997, he was named one of the top media executives in America by Advertising Age magazine. Mr. Kassan joined Initiative Media Worldwide in 1994 and was instrumental in the sale of the company to IPG. While there, he oversaw the day-to-day operations in North America and was the architect of the firm’s international expansion and grew media billings from $1.5 billion to over $10 billion. Mr. Kassan, an attorney was counsel to the Los Angeles law firm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro. He had been President and Chief Operating Officer of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). Mr. Kassan has acted as a director and advisor to many charitable and community organizations, including The Hollywood Radio and Television Society, and previously serving on The Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy. He also has been Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry in California and in 1998 was elected to the Board of the American Advertising Federation. Mr. Kassan has served on the following Boards as Director: H.E.L.P Group, Big Brothers of Los Angeles, Stephen S. Wise Temple and Skirball Cultural Center.Ken Solomon, founder, FINE LIVING: Solomon's industry experie
nce is extensive. As president of Universal Studios Television, now Studios USA Television, he oversaw asset development and distribution activities on a worldwide basis for primetime network, cable, syndication, and made-for-television movies. His administration pioneered the first ever network licensing of an original series simultaneously across multiple platforms with "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" to NBC and USA Network. Additionally, "Law & Order" won the primetime Emmy for best drama during his tenure. As co-head of DreamWorks Television, Solomon helped lay the groundwork for what would be the landmark DreamWorks SKG Studio, working to create and build its extensive television operations in domestic and international markets. This included worldwide first run program development and production, domestic sales and marketing. Before joining DreamWorks, Solomon held two high-ranking positions at News Corp., including executive vice president of network distribution at Fox Broadcasting, where he was charged with leading the campaign to level the playing field among all broadcast networks, including among other major accomplishments, the "broadcast affiliate" wars. To this end, the network acquired the NFL and NHL sports franchise rights, securing Fox's ascension from the ranks of fledgling program service to top-rated broadcast network. His campaigns resulted in more than two dozen NBC, ABC and CBS affiliates moving to Fox. After News Corp's historic acquisition of New World Television, which was comprised of mostly CBS affiliates, Solomon oversaw the group's transition to Fox affiliation. Additionally, he was integrally involved in the launch and early development of the FX cable network, News Corp's first foray into basic cable. His career at News Corp. began as executive vice president and general sales manager for Twentieth Century Fox Domestic Television, managing the company's first run and off-net marketing and distribution strategies. Solomon's experience also includes the positions of vice president-eastern regional manager at Disney's Buena Vista Domestic Television and eastern division manager for Paramount Domestic Television. He most recently served as founding president of iBlast, where he was responsible for building the nation's largest and farthest-reaching digital content broadcast distribution network, with 246 stations covering 93 percent of U.S. television households. Solomon was involved with the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) for five years, serving on the board and the executive committee. He was named Humanitarian of the Year in 1998 by H.E.L.P. Group, one of the largest and most influential children's charities in the Western United States.