2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
HD DVD Studio Panel Discussion
Steve Nickerson, Senior Vice President, Warner Home Video
Jerry Pierce, Senior Vice President, Technology, Universal Pictures
Paramount Pictures, Speaker to be announced
Matt Lasorsa, Executive Vice President, Marketing, New Line Home Entertainment
Bruce Apar, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher, MediaWare Magazine, Moderator
Matt Lasorsa, Executive Vice President, Marketing, New Line Home
Entertainment: Lasorsa joined New Line Home Entertainment in 1998 as vice president of promotions and publicity. In his current position as executive vice president of marketing, he is responsible for the supervision and implementation of all marketing objectives. He oversees the strategic execution of rental, sell-through and all DVD campaigns and new format initiatives, as well as promotions, publicity, creative advertising and DVD content development. Previously, he was the director of cartoon brand marketing for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Lasorsa also has eight years of packaged goods marketing experience, having worked for such notable organizations as Procter & Gamble and H.J. Heinz.Stephen Nickerson, Senior VP – Market Management, Warner Home Video: As the Sr VP of Market Management for WHV, Steve is responsible for worldwide sales and marketing activities. Since joining WHV in 2000, Steve has also been Managing Director for WHV’s operations in Australia/New Zealand and Sr VP of US Sales. Prior to joining WHV, Steve was VP of Sales and Marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products. He was there from 1991-2000, helping Toshiba to develop a leading market share in the USA in Projection TV’s and large tube TV’s, and also lead the introduction of Toshiba’s DVD products into the market in 1997. He also worked at Toshiba from 1983-1988 in sales and marketing positions. Steve has served in several industry associations, including the CEA Video Division Chairman from 1997-1999, and as a founding board member of the DEG. A graduate of Drexel University (’83), also has attended post graduate programs at Stanford University.
Bruce Apar is an executive consultant specializing in digital + ente
rtainment communications under the banner Mediapar. His expertise and broad background covers more than three decades of writing, speaking and advising on new media, from his role in the introduction of VHS to christening former Warner Home Video President Warren Lieberfarb "Father of DVD." Apar also created with Time Magazine its "Video Man of the Year" honor in 1987. He is founding Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mediaware Magazine, the first professional journal of the 21st Century for media makers, movers and users, published by International Recording Media Association (IRMA) with Mediapar. He also serves as Executive Producer of the annual DVD Awards with Leonard Maltin (of Viacom’s "Entertainment Tonight" TV show). Apar authors speeches, scripts and white papers for IRMA and other corporate clients in the media industry, including DVD Forum. He is on the National Board of DVD Association and Advisory Board Member Emeritus of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. In March 2005, he added the title of Movies Editor at Grab.com, a major new website featuring DVD and theatrical releases, owned by Los Angeles company Intermix, being acquired by News Corp. He also consults with the Magazine Publishers of America and consumer magazine companies such as Rodale.Jerry Pierce, Senior Vice President, Technology,
Universal Pictures: Jerry joined Universal in 1995 and established the New Technology Department for Universal Pictures in 2000. He was responsible for the technical launch of DVD and D-VHS for Universal and is currently responsible for Digital Cinema activities for Universal. He was chairman of the SMPTE Digital Cinema Mastering group, a member of the Studio's Digital Cinema Consortium- DCI, is an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers, as well as member of the Board of USC's Entertainment Technology Center. Prior to his current position, Jerry established the joint project with Universal and Panasonic for DVD disc authoring and High Definition Telecine Transfers. Jerry was part of Stanford Research Institute's team for over 13 years. Jerry holds a MSEE degree from Stanford University and an BSEE from UC Berkeley. He has been issued over 15 patents on optical cards, hybrid optical/magnetic memories, and scanner systems.