SECRETS OF AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT INVESTORS with JOSEPH N. COHEN

PETER J. DEKOM is a lawyer, management/marketing consultant and entrepreneur in entertainment, the internet, and telecommunications. Clients have included George Lucas, Ron Howard and JVC. As advisor to New Mexico, he was an architect of their film incentives. Honors include Forbes top 100 U.S. lawyers; Premiere’s 50 most powerful people in Hollywood; named Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by Beverly Hills and Century City Bar Associations. Peter is Vice-Chairman of Dick Cook Studios, lectures widely, and is the author of “Next: Reinventing Media.”   Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).  

SCOTT SHOOMAN, Head of AMC Networks Film Group, leads acquisitions, development, production and theatrical distribution for IFC Films, RLJE Films and the Shudder streamer. As senior vice president of acquisitions and production for IFC Films, he acquired some 30 movies a year. Senior executive positions include Endeavor Content, CBS Films, Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition Group. Career highlights: THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, INSIDIOUS, HELL OR HIGH WATER, SKINCARE, and appearing on Variety’s New Power of New York List 2024.   Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

JOSEPH N. COHEN is a media investment banker and film financier who founded American Entertainment Investors, AEI, which has advised independent production companies including Alcon, known for THE BLIND SIDE, River Road (12 YEARS A SLAVE) and Black Label (SICARIO). Earlier, he held senior positions at Salomon Bros. and Lehman Brothers before becoming president of Largo Entertainment, with hits including POINT BREAK and MALCOLM X. With over 20 producing credits include WORDS AND PICTURES and KANDAHAR, he is also the author of “Investing in Movies.”                          Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

ARON LEVITZ is President of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, an innovative studio from WEBTOON Entertainment that combines technology, a diverse new generation of creators, and passionate global fans to create data-backed, audience-driven series, films, and books. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios develops content from the WEBTOON and Wattpad platforms and their global community reaches 170 million users across 150 countries, enjoying the content made by some 24 million creators who have been paid over $2.8 billion (between 2017 and 2023).     Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

JOEL GOTLER is CEO of Intellectual Property Group, a literary management company based in Los Angeles, whose film clients include Michael Connelly, John Scalzi, Piers Anthony, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Russo, Viet Nguyen, JD Barker, Debbie Macomber, David Wiesner and Andre Dubus III, as well as the estates of Sue Grafton, James M. Cain, Stephen Ambrose, Roger Ebert, Frank McCourt and John O’Hara. He is also executive producer of MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET and FERDINAND.     Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).  

RACHEL JOY VICTOR is a consultant and co-founder of FBRC.AI, which creates AI-supported tools for content production from films to games to location-based experiences. As a designer, Rachel draws from her education in computational neuroscience and spatial economics to facilitate the creation of data-informed emergent experiences where world simulation, systems design, and cognitive architectures intersect. These range from multiplatform narratives and gaming, to tools and platforms, spaces and cities. Clients have included Disney, HBO, Technicolor, Ford, and Nike, among others.       Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

PETER JAROWEY is Partner at Vertical Entertainment, a leading global independent distributor, leveraging creative and platform relationships to maximize revenue across all media. Recent titles include the 2023 Cannes Film Festival opener JEANNE DU BARRY, directed by Maïwenn who stars alongside Johnny Depp; the 2023 Berlin Film Festival opening night movie SHE CAME TO ME directed by Rebecca Miller; the 2023 Independent Spirit Award winner EMILY THE CRIMINAL written & directed by John Patton Ford.                               Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0)  

DAN MINDEL worked his way up through the camera ranks, from camera loader, to assistant camera, to camera operator, second unit D.P., to director of photography, for directors including Tony and Ridley Scott, J.J. Abrams and Marc Webb. Credits include STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS, PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING, and STAR WARS: EPISODE IX – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. He is a member of both the American and British Society of Cinematographers.          Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0)  

DANIELLE COSTA is Vice President, Visual Effects at Marvel Studios. Early in her career, she was visual effects coordinator on SPIDER-MAN 3 and SPEED RACER, then visual effects executive, then Vice President, Visual Effects. Credits include the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies; the BLACK PANTHER movies; the ANT-MAN movies; the THOR movies; two DR. STRANGE movies; two CAPTAIN AMERICA movies; THE ETERNALS; BLACK WIDOW; SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS and CAPTAIN MARVEL.    Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0)

LLOYD KAUFMAN is president of independent producer-distributor Troma Entertainment, a cult-movie icon, co-founded with Michael Herz. They’ve distributed over 1,000 titles including early work of Hayao Miyazaki and South Park’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker. When Lloyd and Michael co-directed The Toxic Avenger, its success spawned two sequels and Toxie became Troma’s mascot. Lloyd, a Yale graduate, has produced over 150 titles, directing nearly 60. He’s authored books including “Make Your Own Damn Movie” and is the consummate showman in marketing the Troma brand.         Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0)