2:00 PM -3:30 PM
DVDA Excellence Awards Winners Circle
Presented by DVD Association
Panel of 2006 DVDA-winning producers discuss the creative process and secrets of their success.
Jeff Norton, Founder, Lean Forward Media
Randy Hudson, CEO, Broadness LLC; Co-founder, DVDA
Doug Textor, CEO, The Cannery
Bernie Mitchell, President, DVDA, Moderator
Jeff Norton, Founder, Lean Forward Media: Jeff Norton is a media entrepreneur and a founder of Lean Forward Media (www.leanforwardmedia.com), a venture-backed media and entertainment company which develops and produces ground-breaking interactive entertainment. Lean Forward Media’s mission is to "entertain, engage, and educate": as such, the company holds the exclusive home entertainment rights to the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE® book series, the number one best-selling kids book series before Harry Potter. Jeff recently produced the interactive DVD movie CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE®: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN staring William H. Macy, Frankie Muniz, and Felicity Huffman. Jeff co-developed the patent pending "Up2U" technology that enables viewers to literally control the storyline with their DVD remote control. Previously, Jeff worked in various capacities in the entertainment industry, including The Jim Henson Company, ICM, and Regent Entertainment. In April, 2004, Jeff opened the NADSAQ stock market after LFM won the nation’s largest business plan competition, the Venture Bowl. Before entering the entertainment industry, Jeff managed multi-million dollar brand franchises for The Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati and Toronto, including the best-in-class introduction of two new businesses to Canada, Febreze and Dryel. In 2000, Jeff spearheaded a national cause-related-marketing relationship with UNICEF that resulted in a donation of over 4 million vaccines to children suffering from tuberculosis. Jeff is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He received his Bachelor of Commerce in 1997 from Queen’s University in Canada, where he majored in Strategy and minored in Film Studies. Jeff is a frequent speaker at industry events and panels, and lectures on issues of entertainment and business strategy.
Randy Hudson, President and CEO, Broadness LLC; Co-chair, NY DVD
Association: Formally trained in broadcast electronics and as a musician and composer. In1990, as co-owner of a video and audio media production facility, managed media production for Sony Music, Capitol Records and Group W Westinghouse. Director of sales for Wings Digital Corporation (1996-97) and new media/CD-ROM sales for Allied Digital Corporation (1998-99). In 2000, formed Broadness LLC, a convergent media company, specializing in online A/V media workflow solutions for entertainment, ad/marketing, publishing and corporate communities. In 2001, Broadness LLC and United Entertainment Media formed PlanetStor. Voting member of NARAS; founding officer and corporate sponsor of the New York DVDA.Doug Textor, Founder & CEO, The Cannery: As The Cannery’s CEO, Doug Textor is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the company, large client engagements, and long-term strategy for the company. Textor founded the company as Canned Interactive in 1992 – a time when "new media" was in its infancy. Recognizing the opportunity to build an industry, Textor applied equal amounts of entertainment and engineering saaviness to create a new breed of business that combined the best of new interactive technologies, computer programming techniques and graphic design with cutting-edge marketing methods. Textor’s approach, combined with the advent of broadband and DVD, proved to be a recipe for success that helped make Canned Interactive the premiere creative design and multi-media boutique in Hollywood. The Cannery has developed many of the entertainment industry’s most acclaimed DVD projects, including "The Matrix," "American Beauty," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," and "Beauty and the Beast." Additionally, the company has also produced dozens of high-profile movie web sites, including those for "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and the release of "Rocky." The company’s clients include an impressive array of entertainment and media firms including Disney, DreamWorks, New Line Cinema, Sony Digital Sony Music and Warner Brothers. Textor began his career at 19 when he put his passion for mathematics and computer science to work by developing and programming real-time trading systems for Wall Street – systems that did not exist at the time and went on to change the way the world’s financial markets operated. Work with Hewlett Packard, Total Solutions Software, Inc., and The Index Group followed, where Textor continued to work on real-time trading systems, as well as laboratory automation projects, redundant and non-stop systems and business re-engineering programs. Textor holds a BS in Mathematics from Ramapo College of New Jersey and an MBA from Stanford University.
Bernie Mitchell, President, DVD Association: Owner and president of
Silver Platter Productions, Inc., digital video and interactive multimedia production company since 1980. Consultant for Panasonic’s new Hi-def HVX200 camera, and JVC ProHD Evangelist. Avid/Final Cut Pro editor and DVDSP author. DP for "American Kaleidoscope" (work in progress). Worked in various positions for Philips Media and Professional Products. International speaker and presenter on production, interactive media, DVD, and educational technologies. Emmy-nominated producer/director/writer and member of Television Academy and American Marketing Association. Graduate of UCLA Film School.