Tuesday, September 30 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Session C: Games & Hollywood: From Feature & TV Crossover Development to Merchandising and Brand Extension In today’s global entertainment environment, the successful extension of a franchise is not only part and parcel of the business plan, it is also welcomed and embraced by the consumer. The power, quality and popularity of the various entertainment mediums, make it possible for a game to enable a successful movie franchise, just as a successful ‘70s TV show can be recast as a worldwide movie blockbuster. This of course can start the cycle all over again, generating the next generation of game, DVD, toys, CD, t-shirts, live events and so on. Unique to this phenomenon today however, is the need to protect the brand as it is extended into each category. Competition and consumer sophistication today demand a level of creativity in the games, movies and TV shows produced, something that brand extension itself can not overcome. Tom Frisina, Studio Vice President, EA Partners Philippe Erwin, Vice President Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products Torrie Dorelle, General Manager, Black Label Games (Thing, Lord of the Rings) Dean Devlin, Film Producer, Independence Day, The Patriot, Stargate, Godzilla Matt Ringel, President, Games Media Properties, Moderator Philippe Erwin, Vice President Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products: As Vice President of Interactive Entertainment for Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Philippe Erwin is responsible for the overall sales and marketing initiatives of Warner Bros. properties and brands in the interactive media. Erwin manages the development and creative production of games for current and next generation video game consoles, oversees brand management and utilizes studio partnership relationships throughout AOL Time Warner. Before joining Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Erwin held positions at Universal Interactive Entertainment and Activision. He has earned a DESS from the Universite Paris II Pantheon Assas, a J.D from Boston College Law School and a B.S. in Physics from the University of Rochester. Matthew Ringel, President, Games Media Properties: Matthew Ringel is regarded as one of the leading figures in connecting the worlds of video games and brand marketing. As President of Games Media Properties, a venture of the William Morris Agency, Ringel is responsible for the creation of properties, programming and strategies that integrate video game franchises into other mainstream media, entertainment and branding campaigns. Ringel also serves as Executive Producer of GameRiot, a groundbreaking gaming experience going to the Lollapalooza Festival and Best Buy stores. Knows for his pioneering work in branding video games and games-based marketing for Fortune 500 companies, Ringel comes to Games Media Properties from advergaming leader YaYa, where he served as Executive Vice President with principal responsibility for business development, strategy and client services. Credited with coining the term and the concept of "advergaming", Ringel identified games-based marketing strategies and created customized entertainment marketing solutions while working closely with YaYa’s principal accounts, including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, and Siemens. Prior to joining YaYa, Ringel served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Digital Solutions for digital services firm <kpe>, providing strategic services to its base of media and entertainment clients, leading strategic partnerships, and evaluating new business opportunities. Ringel worked with television networks, studios, and cable operators, providing them with interactive technology solutions that ranged from Web development to interactive television and beyond. He led the creation of business plans and digital solutions for clients such as the World Wrestling Federation, Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, Essence Communications, Discovery Networks, Microsoft, Cablevision, IFC/Bravo Networks, and MetroChannels. A recognized authority on digital media issues, Ringel has been featured in numerous publications, including Adweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Business 2.0, Internet World, Revolution, Newsday, Digitrends, and many others. He is a frequent speaker on the topics of digital media and interactive marketing at Internet World, Digital Hollywood and Jupiter conferences. Ringel also has an extensive background in television and live entertainment. He previously served as President of CAMI Spectrum, the Television and Events Production subsidiary of Columbia Artists, where he developed and produced numerous entertainment properties. Prior to CAMI Spectrum, Ringel served as a strategy consultant for Monitor Company, where he worked with a variety of Fortune 500 corporations in media and brand management. As a producer, his extensive credits most recently include the Brave New World Theater Festival in New York. Ringel earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale, and a Ph.D. from the University of London, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.