Faculty Spotlight: Thinking Outside the Box Office
10/26/2009
While production, marketing, and creative may claim most of the glory in the entertainment industry, it is distribution that is often misunderstood and is changing the landscape, Haas School lecturer and media insider Jeff Ulin writes in a new book.
In The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World, Ulin draws upon 20 years experience as a media executive to reveal how different media distribution markets -- including television, video, and game-changing online and digital delivery applications -- work together and independently to finance and maximize profits on productions. Endorsed by Variety newspaper, the book includes perspectives from studio, network, and online executives, and relates economic theory, best practices, market history, and current trends.
Ulin has worked as a media executive, attorney, lecturer, and entrepreneur. Half of his 20 years in the business have been at Lucasfilm, where he headed worldwide distribution for all markets (theatrical, video, TV, online), managed franchise sales for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and managed the release of Star Wars Episode III. He also helped manage Paramount and Universal’s overseas video distribution venture.
Ulin currently serves in an "of counsel" capacity to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati and teaches the course Media and Entertainment: Economic, Policy, and Strategy at the Haas School. His book was published at the end of September by Focal Press.
