Click on the Video Below and Sample a Session from a previous Digital Hollywood event. For Additional Video Sessions, Click Here Digital Hollywood Events at CES Monday, January 7th 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Session B – DH3 - Digital Hollywood Hollywood and the Digital Consumer: How Technology, Content and Services Establish the Next Level of Consumer Entertainment Experience The next generation of technology within the digital home will bring with it not only more content to the consumer, it will bring with it greater choice and more individual personalization into the process. While the actual definition of the digital home is still emerging, the idea of a fully connected consumer, living in a high speed DTV, PVR, HD, broadband and wireless environment is a good jumping off place. Hollywood, the provider of the content will not only flourish in this environment, it will probably enter a new golden age of production as it discovers how best to relate to it consumer base. How Hollywood will respond to a fully realized OnDemand television, film and games universe is the latest challenge to be faced. The technologies now finding their way into the home are disruptive, not only to the content community, but to the consumer electronics community as well. The brave new world of the digital home is not only an exciting new market opportunity for Hollywood, it is also brings with it a complex labyrinth of difficult options Jason Hirschhorn, President, Sling Media Entertainment Steven Abraham, Global Leader, Media & Entertainment Practice, IBM Global Business Services Dan York, Executive Vice President, Programming, AT&T Phil Wiser, Chairman and President, Building B Chris Carvalho, Head of Business Development, Lucasfilm Bob Greene, Executive Vice President, Advanced Services, Starz Entertainment Gabriele Di Piazza, Managing Director, Media & Entertainment Business, Communications Sector, Microsoft Corporation Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President, Digital Sales and Marketing, Sony Pictures, Moderator Steven Abraham, Global Leader Media & Entertainment, IBM Global Business Services: Steven Abraham has worldwide responsibility for IBM’s global business services in the media and entertainment industry, the management consulting, systems integration and application systems outsourcing arm of IBM. Under his leadership the M&E business has grown to encompass many segments, including filmed entertainment, television, media networks (cable, satellite, internet-based, broadcast), music, publishing (newspaper, book, magazine, internet-based), consumer products, information providers, advertising, theme parks and sports. The business has significant operations throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Before IBM he held increasing levels of responsibility for a similar practice in Pricewaterhouse Coopers Consulting, joining in 1981 and becoming a partner in 1988. With the acquisition of PwCC by IBM in late 2002 he was named global leader of M&E for GBS. His primary role has been building and operating the business, but he has been directly involved in many deals and projects for clients around the world, including Sony, Disney, AT&T, DreamWorks, NBC Universal, Time Warner, Newscorp, EMI, Viacom, Washington Post, D&B, BBC, NTT, Qwest, Sprint, Echostar, Canal +, Zee TV, Cox and Comcast. Chris Carvalho, Head of Business Development, Lucasfilm: Chris Carvalho heads up Lucasfilm Business Development and the company's internet division. In his business development role he leads the company's strategic analysis of new technology and digital media - internet, mobile, digital downloads, visual effects and animation software, among others. He works closely with all of the company's divisions identifying both outside and internally developed technology opportunities, identifying new business opportunities leveraging the Lucasfilm intellectual property, crafting and refining strategic plans, and on more tactical, near term issues. Chris is also involved with THX at the Board level -- helping set and execute strategy and goals. For the internet division, Chris has operational and P&L responsibility for Lucas Online, and has crafted all of the major business deals done to date, including ones with established companies like Yahoo, Apple, and AOL and startups like Eyespot, Homestead, and TalkCity. Chris has been the driving force behind creating new features that deliver additional content and revenue, including the first movie property ever to have an internet subscription service (Hyperspace). Prior to coming to Lucasfilm, Chris spent seven years as a management consultant, with Deloitte & Touche, consulting to executives in a range of companies, from startups to the Fortune 500. Chris has served as a speaker at numerous events including the Stanford Graduate School of Business Future of Content Conference. Bob Greene, Executive Vice President, Advanced Services, Starz Entertainment LLC: Bob Greene is Executive VP of Advanced Services for Starz Entertainment LLC (SE) and reports to Robert B. Clasen, president and chief operating officer. He is responsible for the development of new, advanced distribution vehicles, including broadband delivery systems for SE products such as Starz Ticket on Real Movies, the first-ever, premium television subscription-based on-demand movie download service. Prior to joining SE, Greene served as CEO and chairman of Digital Lava Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of streaming media software. Before joining Digital Lava, Greene was senior VP of Lightspan Inc., a San Diego-based developer of interactive educational software delivered over cable and telephone networks. He served for 13 years at Showtime Networks Inc., rising to senior vice president of sales and marketing. Greene graduated from the University of Virginia. Jason Hirschhorn, President, Sling Entertainment Group: The Sling Entertainment Group was formed to define and create even richer and more engaging experiences for Slingbox customers as well as their family and friends. Jason is tasked with delivering entirely new applications and services enabled by the Slingbox’s marriage of familiar TV programming and richly interactive web-connected devices. The Sling Entertainment Group is also chartered with managing Sling Media’s existing and future collaborative efforts with content creators, distributors and advertisers. Prior to joining Sling Media, Jason Hirschhorn was a Founding Partner at TripleH Media Advisors, a digital media consultancy. Before TripleH, Jason was Chief Digital Officer at MTV Networks. At MTV Networks, Jason was responsible for the company's digital media businesses and interactive strategy. Hirschhorn joined MTV Networks in March 2000 via the acquisition of his company, Mischief New Media, a leading web site design and content development firm he founded to serve the entertainment industry. Dan York, Executive Vice President, Programming, AT&T - Dan York heads content strategy and acquisition for AT&T. AT&T’s Project Lightspeed is the initiative to expand the fiber-optics network deeper into neighborhoods to deliver AT&T U-verseSM TV, voice and high speed Internet access services. AT&T companies expect to reach approximately 19 million households by the end of 2008 as part of initial deployment, using fiber-to-the-node and fiber-to-the-premises technologies. In his role, York leads the company’s direction for video content, and oversees all content acquisition efforts for the company. His team negotiates all linear and on-demand programming deals, including sports, music, studios, gaming, interactive services and broadcast stations. He also handles the company’s increasingly integrated content efforts on the emerging video platforms of broadband and wireless. York was recently senior vice president, Programming and Development at iN Demand Networks for several years. He oversaw all programming, content acquisition, program planning, scheduling and distribution to other platforms. This included over 70 linear channels of high definition, out-of-market professional and college sports packages, pay-per-view, and more VOD content than any other entity. He was the first to program titles in high definition VOD, and has overseen many of the biggest events in TV history. He also helped create and deliver the Emmy Award winning NASCAR iN Car service. Previously, York spent more than 12 years at HBO, recently as VP/GM of Time Warner Sports/HBOPPV. There he was responsible for distribution, marketing, programming operations, content acquisition and sponsorship. A 20-year media and entertainment veteran, York started his career at HBO in marketing, and also worked in content distribution at the company. York holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University. PHIL WISER, Co-Founder, Chairman and President, Building-B: Phil Wiser is co-founder, chairman and president of Building-B. Prior to Building-B, Wiser served as chief technology officer of Sony Corporation of America (SCA). In this role, Wiser led SCA’s overall digital media business and technology strategy and was responsible for coordinating these efforts across Sony’s content and electronics companies. Wiser joined Sony Music in 2001 as the leader of their digital media group. He forged the ground breaking deals with iTunes and pioneered the mobile music space during his tenure at Sony Music. Prior to joining Sony Music, Wiser co-founded Liquid Audio, Inc. and served on its board of directors and as chief technology officer. At Liquid Audio, Phil created the first commercial internet music distribution platform and led the creation of key technologies that now enable the digital music marketplace. Wiser holds a series of patents in digital music distribution, audio compression and processing and security as a result of these efforts. Prior to Liquid Audio, Wiser worked extensively in Silicon Valley developing audio algorithms and audio processing systems for several professional and consumer audio organizations including Chromatic Research, Studer Editech Corporation, Sonic Solutions and Euphonix. Wiser holds a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He spent time at the world-renowned Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) during his tenure at Stanford. Gabriele Di Piazza, Managing Director, Media & Entertainment Business, Communications Sector, Microsoft Corporation: Gabriele Di Piazza, Managing Director, Media & Entertainment Business, Communications Sector, Microsoft Corporation: Gabriele Di Piazza is the managing director for the Media & Entertainment business in the Communications Sector at Microsoft, a group responsible for delivering innovative software solutions to advertising, broadcast, film, music, publishing companies and new digital media distribution channels. In this role, Di Piazza is focused on partnering with media & entertainment organizations as they make the transition to a fully digital world, helping them to capitalize on the new business opportunities this paradigm shift presents. With the growing convergence of media and telecommunications, Di Piazza is in a unique position to help companies streamline the creation, management, and delivery of content while enhancing the end user’s digital lifestyle experience. Di Piazza joined Microsoft in August 2005 as director of business development for the Digital Media Division, with the task to scale digital content solutions and lead the business development team for the wireless industry on a global basis. His team closed key agreements for the launch of music and video services based on Windows Media technologies with Tier 1 wireless carriers in North America as well as EMEA and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Microsoft, Di Piazza was the worldwide director for the Broadband & Media segment at Hewlett-Packard Co. In this role he drove the strategy, development and go-to-market for HP solutions focusing on digital media management and distribution. His team has led engagements and partnerships with the key media and telecommunications companies across the globe, including the HP/Microsoft partnership around the Microsoft IPTV solution. Di Piazza has also held various marketing, business development and project management positions at Hewlett-Packard with an emphasis on the telecommunications industry, specifically in the areas of Computer Telephony Integration, OSS (Operations Support Systems), BSS (Business Support Systems), network intelligence and IP value-added services. Di Piazza holds a bachelors degree in electronic engineering, with major in telecommunication networks from the Politecnico University in Milan, Italy. Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures Digital: Ira Rubenstein has built a career on identifying and implementing new marketing and distribution tactics for entertainment properties through interactive, online and mobile initiatives. As executive vice president of Sony Pictures Digital, Rubenstein is responsible for overseeing the division’s production efforts to extend Sony Pictures properties into the digital marketplace through SonyPictures.com, mobile games and personalization products, casual games, and innovative strategic partnerships. Rubenstein manages the digital growth of the studio’s most important brands including Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! as these and other properties have progressed through various platforms including broadband, interactive television, mobile, and emerging platforms such as the PSP and PS3. Most recently, Rubenstein’s team launched a full suite of digital products on behalf of two of Columbia Pictures’ most highly anticipated films – THE DA VINCI CODE and CASINO ROYALE. In addition, Rubenstein oversees production for all Sony Pictures properties breaking into the growing mobile marketplace. His team has developed an array of successful mobile entertainment offerings such as the award-winning games Ratchet and Clank: Going Mobile and Spider-Man 2: The Hero Returns, retro titles such as Elevator Action and Q*Bert and personalization products for "The Boondocks." Under Rubenstein’s leadership, SonyPictures.com generates online awareness for the studio’s film, television, and home entertainment properties by driving traffic with partnership marketing, media buys, community building, e-commerce, auctions, games and original content. Prior to his role as executive vice president, Rubenstein was senior vice president and directed the division’s brand integration and sponsorship strategies and was also responsible for the production and creative direction for SonyPictures.com.Beginning in 2000, Rubenstein oversaw the establishment of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment’s on-demand movie initiative to offer theatrically released motion pictures via digital delivery for broadband Internet users. From concept to working technical trials, Rubenstein directed the project (developed under the name Moviefly), which ultimately became Movielink, a groundbreaking partnership among five studios. More recently, Rubenstein helped to develop Sony Pictures Digital’s "Movies on Memory Cards" initiative in Europe. Several films, including SPIDER-MANTM 2, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, HITCH, GHOSTBUSTERS, CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE and STUART LITTLE are now available on memory cards to view on mobile phones. Before the establishment of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Rubenstein was vice president, marketing, Columbia TriStar Interactive. In this role, he managed the strategic implementation of media planning, promotional and creative advertising campaigns for more than 100 film sites including STUART LITTLE, MEN IN BLACK, AIR FORCE ONE, AS GOOD AS IT GETS and THE MASK OF ZORRO. Recognition for his work includes Webby Awards, Mobie awards, a Gold Clio and The Hollywood Reporter Key Art award. Before joining Columbia TriStar Interactive, Rubenstein served as manager of media research and interactive marketing for Twentieth Century Fox. Rubenstein was recently included on the highly regarded "Digital 50" list, a distinction given to fifty new media innovators by The Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council and The Hollywood Reporter. He is a graduate of the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC.