Thursday, January 8 Noon - 1:00 PM Session B: DH4: DVD - Hollywood’s Booming Programming and Marketing Sector - Movies, TV Shows, Music, Collector’s Editions and Specialized Content At first it was a new technology. Then it had good buzz, for a new product – good word of mouth. Then it became the fastest growing home entertainment consumer electronics product in history. And now it is the foundation for a booming entertainment industry. DVD is a legitimate phenomenon. DVDs are VHS plus unlimited forms of extra content in a universally hailed superior technology. And the market is only first being realized. DVD is a must-own item for all entertainment fans. Who would have suspected that DVD was going to establish itself in the blockbuster category for the entertainment industry. Well, it has done just that and in this session, we welcome the leaders in the DVD sector. Rick Dean, Director Technical Business Development, THX Lori MacPherson, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Buena Vista Home Entertainment Peter Staddon, SVP, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Mark Rowen, DVD Producer, Dreamworks (Shrek & Minority Report) Ted Sarandos, VP, Content Acquisition, Netflix Bill Ostroff, Chief Marketing Officer, Columbia House Neil McGinness, Vice President, National Lampoon, Moderator Ted Sarandos, Vice President of Content Acquisition, Netflix: Ted has been the Vice President of Content Acquisition for Netflix since March 2000. Ted's responsibilities include developing strategic relationships with the major motion picture studios and producers and determining the title selection and purchase levels for Netflix's DVD rental inventory. From May 1999 until March 2000, Ted was the Vice President of Product and Merchandising for Video City. For 6 years prior, Ted was Western Regional Director of Sales and Operation and General Manager for 5 years at ETD, where he managed several video distribution branches. Ted is a former chapter president and board member for the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA). Mark Rowen, DVD Producer, Dreamworks: As producer of DreamWorks Home Entertainment’s DVD releases, Mark Rowen oversees all aspects of the studio’s DVD production process including content development, menu design, compression, authoring, and technology advancements for DreamWorks’ domestic and international titles. Some of the high profile titles Rowen has produced include Shrek, the best selling DVD of all time, Almost Famous/Untitled -- The Bootleg Cut, which was honored for its artistic and creative merits at the inaugural Festival de Cannes Collection, as well as the Steven Spielberg DVD titles Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, and Catch Me If You Can; the animated hits Chicken Run, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Antz; and as a co-producer on the highly acclaimed Gladiator DVD. Most recently, Rowen produced the DVD releases of Old School and the upcoming Spin City: Michael J. Fox, His Favorite Moments and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. An accomplished commercial director and producer, Rowen’s clients have included Walt Disney Home Video, CBS Sports, Shell Oil, Nike, Twentieth Century Fox, among others. Lori MacPherson, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Buena Vista Home Entertainment is responsible for the marketing of all theatrically based films and all catalog releases under the Walt Disney, Touchstone, and Miramax brands. She is also responsible for New Business Development and Canadian Marketing. MacPherson, joined BVHE in 1991 as a Brand Assistant, and through a series of promotions landed the title of Vice President, Brand Marketing in 2000. She has been responsible for the marketing plans behind some of the industry’s most successful video and DVD releases to date, including "Pearl Harbor," "The Princess Diaries," "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Signs." Keeping pace with industry developments, MacPherson was pivotal in developing and implementing BVHE’s entry and subsequent leadership in the rapidly growing DVD marketplace. She was also instrumental in the expansion of BVHE’s Disney Video Premiere brand to include live-action releases, such as "Inspector Gadget 2", and has championed acquisitions of such successful video titles as "Summer of the Monkeys" and "The Kid In King Arthur’s Court." MacPherson is a graduate of Pomona College with a BA in French Literature. While attending Pomona she was the recipient of a highly coveted Fulbright Scholarship. Richard A. Dean, Director, Technical Business Development, THX Ltd.: Rick Dean has more than 20 years of experience in the motion picture industry. He serves THX Digital Works studio clients, providing QA and process management services in postproduction of motion pictures for Digital Cinema, DVD and VHS release. As the founder of quality assurance programs for superior cinema presentation, THX was established in 1983 by George Lucas to ensure that the entertainment consumer experienced films as the director intended. Today, THX Certification assures the finest picture and sound quality for cinemas, mixing studios, home theatres, DVDs, multimedia products, and luxury automotive vehicles. Bill Ostroff, Chief Marketing Officer, Columbia House: As Chief Marketing Officer, Bill Ostroff is responsible for the conception and implementation of its customer acquisition, product and channel strategies. He also leads the company's efforts in creating strategic marketing relationships with industry leading companies in media, entertainment and other related sectors. Ostroff was most recently President of Columbiahouse.com, and in that role he led the team that grew the companies online revenues to over $300 million, a growth rate of over 10x in four years. He was named to the position in February 2000. Ostroff was formerly Vice President, Columbia House Interactive, a position he held since 1998. In that role, Ostroff led the growing team that helped make columbiahouse.com a top 20 e-commerce Website with 1999 revenue of $100 million and more than three million online consumers. Prior to joining Columbia House, Ostroff was general manager of NewYork.Citysearch.com, an on-line guide to New York, where he was responsible for building the management team and significantly increasing traffic and strategic partnerships. From 1986 to 1997, Ostroff held a variety of positions at Ticketmaster including Vice President of Marketing, Vice-President of New Media, and Vice President and General Manager of Ticketmaster Midwest. He was part of the original team that conceived, developed and executed Ticketmaster's online strategy, including the 1993 joint venture with Tribune Company/AOL to launch online ticketing and the 1995 launch of Ticketmaster.com. Ostroff graduated Northwestern University in 1986 with a BA in History. He received his MBA from University of Chicago in 1990. Neil McGinness, is Vice President for National Lampoon, known worldwide as a leading film and entertainment brand. At National Lampoon, McGinness develops entertainment-based strategic marketing programs through National Lampoon properties in film, television, radio, publishing, online, and on-campus through its in-dorm college cable television network. Before joining National Lampoon, Mr. McGinness spent 10 years working for Lorne Michaels' company, Broadway Video Entertainment eventually becoming Vice President for Marketing & Business Development. His clients have included Coca-Cola, MTV, Nokia, Showtime Networks, Philips Electronics, SONY, TDK, AOL and Airwalk Shoes. He holds a master's degree from NYU's Institute of Film and Television (Tisch School) and received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University.