1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
DH13: Session A:
Animation on the Net - The Web’s Hottest Entertainment Sector
Who would have suspected that animation on the Internet would become its hottest entertainment content segment? In a few short months, animation has gone from being another Internet technology into being the “Coolest Thing on the Net.” The technology is great, the tools are easy to use, the industry’s most creative animators have come on board, and the audience of users measures in the tens of millions. That is a formula for success. In this session, Digital Hollywood brings together the executives who are leading the way in Net animation. Their sites are more than making animation the next hot thing, they are setting the stage for untold expansion into other entertainment mediums.
Fred Angelopoulo, Chief Executive Officer, Pulse Entertainment
John Hegeman, President & CEO, Distant Corners Entertainment
Frederic Bien, Senior VP, New Media Technology, Turner Broadcasting
Scott Rupp, VP Business Development, IceBox.com
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO, Platinum Studios
Charles Wiltgen, Software Product Manager, Media 100
Jan Mallis, Executive Producer, Third Party Development, Mondo Mini Shows, Moderator
Frederic V. Bien, Senior Vice President New Media Technology, Turner Broadcast
Michael Yanover, Vice President and General Manager, Series and Show Content, shockwave.com: Since joining shockwave.com, Yanover has initiated and is overseeing some of its key content, including recently concluded deals with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and acclaimed film director Tim Burton. Prior to joining shockwave.com, Yanover was an independent producer and comic book publisher, and won first place at the 1999 Annecy International Animation Festival. Before that, he practiced as a transactional entertainment attorney in Los Angeles, and as a corporate attorney in New York at Stroock, Stroock & Lavan. Mr. Yanover holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a Law Degree from the University of Toronto
Fred Angelopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, Pulse Entertainment: Fred Angelopoulos, CEO, came to Pulse Entertainment from Hitachi PC Corporation, where he was Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Support. Mr. Angelopoulos helped the company become the nations fastest growing notebook computer maker, moving from an IDC rank of #99 to #7 in just one year. PC Magazine listed Hitachi PC as one of the top 100 influential companies. Previous to his tenure with Hitachi, Angelopoulos was General Manager with Velocity Inc., in the Electronic Entertainment Division; innovating retail packaging and marketing concepts that are now considered industry standards. A pioneer in the multimedia business, Angelopoulos was Vice President of Sales for Macromedia Inc. Before Macromedia Inc. he served as Director of Sales at Symantec Corporation. During his time with Symantec Mr. Angelopoulos led the company's sales and marketing operations from a 10 million-dollar organization to a 100 million-dollar business. Finally, while working for Wang Labs, Inc. Mr. Angelopoulos served as the youngest Regional Sales Manager in the company's history.
Damon Danielson, President and Chief Executive Officer, DotComix: Danielson arrived at DotComix from the high-end computer graphics and themed retail entertainment sectors with a track record of creating, funding and managing fast-growing ventures. Prior to DotComix, he was CEO and president of Silicon Entertainment, a Silicon Valley start-up where he raised $17 million. Danielson successfully positioned the company as number one in its industry segment by combining the best of real-time computer graphics technology, entertainment, retail and NASCAR auto racing. Earlier, he co-founded and was COO of OneMusic Company, Inc., an Internet-oriented production music library business serving new media, film, television and radio entities. In 1994, Danielson served as vice president and executive producer for Sony New Technologies. Before joining Sony, he held the office of president at Iwerks Entertainment's highly profitable entertainment simulation division. Danielson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BES in Speech Communications and Music, and holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
John Hegeman, president and ceo of Distant Corners Entertainment Group, is a pioneer in the use of the Internet for film marketing campaigns. Hegeman, who co-founded Distant Corners with entertainment industry veteran Joe Roth, established the first film promotional website for Stargate, and his most recent use of the Internet was credited with the success of the box office phenomenon, The Blair Witch Project. Distant Corners Entertainment is poised to become the "golden spike" of converging media, recognizing the Internet as the next platform to develop and grow source material for film and television, in much the same way that traditional publishers have done in the past. Focusing on the development of sci-fi, horror, fantasy and cult-content across all media, Distant Corners Entertainment Group will use its broadband online network to create a community of original programming that helps launch these franchise properties to film, television and other merchandising ventures. Prior to Distant Corners Entertainment Group, Hegeman was president, worldwide marketing for Artisan Entertainment, where he successfully orchestrated campaigns for such notable Artisan releases as The Blair Witch Project, The Buena Vista Social Club and Pi.
Jan Mallis, Executive Producer for Third-Party Content, Mondo Mini Shows: Jan Mallis has recently joined Mondo Media, as Executive Producer for Third-Party Content, bringing with her an extensive knowledge and background in producing Internet arts and entertainment. In this position, Mallis is responsible for all of the Mondo Mini Shows created by and acquired from outside sources, including such shows as Julius and Friends and This Modern World. Most recently, Jan Mallis was President over her own company, Blitcom, LLC. Blitcom, LLC developed proprietary software for permission based e-mail marketing. Some software created by Blitcom includes MouthMusic, a software animation tool enabling the real time character lip-synching and Animailer; a web based composing tool for embedding multi-media into html mail messages. Prior to co-founding Blitcom, LLC, Ms. Mallis was Executive Producer at Protozoa, Inc where she won awards for Driftwood and the 3-D animation Floops. While at Protozoa, Inc. Mallis also produced an award-winning CD-Rom entitled Squeezils and produced projects for MSNBC, HBO, C-Net, ABC, and SGI. Previously Mallis was a Creative Producer and Interactive Designer at Colossal Pictures. Mallis produced characters for ABC and HBO Productions new series development, designed TV Guide On Screen, and wrote and presented a treatise on the state of Broadband Development. Mallis has attended several world-renown institutions including: Jaques LeCoq School of Theatre and Etienne Decroux School of Movement, both in Paris France, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, and Pratt Institute of Fine Arts, Brooklyn, New York. Jan Mallis is married with one son. When she isn’t working you’ll probably find her surfing off the coast in San Diego.
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO, Platinum Studios: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg is Chairman of Hollywood’s premier company for comic book-to-film adaptation, Platinum Studios. His company has earned a reputation as a diversified, producer-based provider of outstanding online/offline content in the global marketplace. In addition to developing original entertainment properties, Platinum Studios cultivates an extensive and growing library of over 1,000 comic book characters to create global franchise properties encompassing the full range of film, television, multimedia, licensing and merchandising on a worldwide basis. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Platinum Studios was established in 1997 by Rosenberg. During its first years in operation, Rosenberg and Platinum Studios carved high-profile motion picture development deals with Universal Pictures for Cowboys & Aliens; New Line Cinema for Million Dollar Heroes; and Miramax/Dimension Films for Dead of Night and Ghosting. In late 1999, Rosenberg broke new ground with Miramax’s Dimension Films for a first-of-its-kind agreement to develop Platinum’s extensive global library of top comic book titles for international co-production. Greenlighted films will be co-produced by Platinum and Dimension on location within the selected titles’ country of origin utilizing local talent and crews. Produced in the language of each titles’ originating country for distribution within the local country, the films will be dubbed or sub-titles into English for worldwide distribution. Platinum has assembled an exciting slate of high profile feature films which will be produced by Rosenberg. The company’s long term alliance with Europe’s Strip Art Features, will have company president Ervin Rustemagic, serving as co-producer along with Rosenberg. Cowboys & Aliens, based on Rosenberg’s original upcoming comic book webisodic series has been licensed to Universal Pictures. Based on the Italian comic book, Nathan Never is an inventive futuristic buddy-action film for DreamWorks SKG. For Miramax/Dimension Films is Dead of Night, based on the top-selling action horror comic book Dylan Dog, as well as Ghosting, a suspense tale set on a college campus. Created by Rosenberg for New Line Cinema, is the high-spirited comedy Million Dollar Heroes where two comic book artists, embroiled in a fierce rivalry, adopt their comic book personas and take to the streets of Manhattan. Under their international local language banner, and in association with Miramax/Dimension Films, Platinum Studios will produce Trace of Chalk, an intriguing romance set against exotic European locales, and Teen Witch a coming-of-age story with an inspired twist. Premiering late Fall 2000, Platinum Studios will launch PlatinumStudios.com, the official online home to its comic-book characters. PlatinumStudios.com exemplifies the growth of the Studio as they access and utilize renowned comic book artists to create webisodics for television, cable and the Internet. PlatinumStudios.com will be a focal point for original animated webisodes from noted creators from around the world, and will be released in all languages. Platinum Studios has effectively amassed an extensive global library of best-selling comic book titles and over 1,000 comic book characters. The library features action-adventure, romance, comedy-adventure, science fiction and fantasy titles created and produced by the most celebrated writers and artists in the field. Together with his creative development team, Rosenberg transforms select titles from the company’s vast library into global film franchises effectively meeting the growing audience demand. Rosenberg launched Platinum Studios following a successful, high-profile career in the comic book industry as founder and head of Malibu Comics. As principal of Malibu Comics, Rosenberg gained an industry-wide reputation for translating comic titles into feature film blockbusters when he developed Men in Black for Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Men in Black ranks as the highest grossing comic to film adaptation, generating over $580 million box office worldwide, demonstrating the tremendous appetite for comic book-based filmed entertainment.