|
 A member profile by Chris Davison, chris@lthmedia.com
Gary Marenzi is the President of Worldwide Television at MGM. Gary began his career as a sportscaster and has since worked in many areas of the business, from HBO to Columbia to Paramount. I recently had a chance to speak with Gary to discuss evolution, rugby and the pilot process.
Q: Can you tell us about your background and what made you want to work in entertainment? How did you get involved with the HRTS?
-I grew up in San Francisco wanting to be a sportscaster and I actually did that in college, but I really didn’t want to move around the country chasing on-air jobs. So when I got accepted to business school I changed my focus to the management side of the media. My summer internship in business school was at HBO in New York, where many of the colleagues I met are still some of my best friends and mentors. It was a great experience and opened my eyes to the growing opportunities in what was then the “new media”.
When I graduated, I joined Columbia Pictures and worked with an amazing team of dealmakers like Jon Dolgen, Rick Rosen and Chase Carey. I got a great post-graduate education at Columbia, including going to several HRTS luncheons! However, I wanted to move over to the international side of the business, which interested me both because of the tremendous growth it was poised for as well as the opportunity to travel to interesting places. In college I had studied in Italy and then coached baseball there, and I had played rugby internationally as well. As I traveled around Europe and the Asia/Pacific region, I realized how much I enjoyed learning about other cultures. So I jumped at the chance to represent Paramount, Universal and MGM as president of their London-based UIP Pay TV joint venture.
After 4 years in London I returned to LA for my first tour of duty at MGM, then to Paramount and now back at MGM. I actually served on the board of the HRTS in 1998-2000, and I’m happy to be back. The HRTS provides a great sense of community for our industry, so I hope we can expand on that to be as inclusive as possible in our events and initiatives.
Q: How has the international market changed the business of television?
-I’ve been around long enough to have seen the evolution of the international market from a mysterious source of “found money” for many US studios to the critical element of a successful business model today. We need to recognize that the international market is really made up of dozens of culturally distinct territories, whose tastes in programming can vary widely across neighboring borders.
Key players in larger territories (like the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Canada and Australia) have become excellent up-front collaborators in creating TV programming with global appeal -- whether or not a US network is involved. So while broadcasters from these territories still contribute substantial license fees to cover the deficits of US TV shows, they are also becoming key investors in programming that works beyond their borders. And there should be significant growth ahead, as many of key international territories still have the capacity to support more new channels and more new entertainment platforms.
Q: What do you look for when considering a potential acquisition or co-production?
-we see ourselves not just as producers but also as distributors, so we want to pursue projects that have the widest global appeal. Many of our initiatives stem from intellectual properties that MGM already owns, so we try to partner with domestic and/or international networks and experienced showrunners who share our passion for each project.
Having a significant global distribution presence keeps us close to the key clients who are increasingly interested in coming on board early as co-producers or pre-buyers of programming that hits their sweet spot. And top producers who have retained their own distribution rights know that they can utilize MGM’s global sales force to make an impact in every key market. With regard to the creative process, we try to be as collaborative as possible, and we look to hire the best possible showrunners and let them execute their vision to deliver us quality programming that will both entertain and endure.
Q: The pilot process can be very expensive, is there a more efficient way to demonstrate a new show’s commercial potential?
-we are continually working on new business models that we can adapt to the necessities of our clients/partners. If a pilot is absolutely required, we prefer to do a 2-hour version that can be exhibited on air and then released on DVD and in digital media outlets to cover its costs if it doesn’t ultimately go to series.
Many of our projects should have enough built-in appeal and can be produced using favorable economic models, thus rendering the pilot process unnecessary. If a project is based on MGM intellectual property, for example, the buyer can see how well we sell the original movie or series around the world, as well as how much internet traffic it generates. We can also create cost-effective presentations or local-market tests that can help the buyer visualize how we plan to execute the show on a larger scale.
Q: How do digital media platforms affect the value of MGM’s library?
-digital media platforms have unlocked tremendous value in MGM’s library, by providing us with an ever-increasing amount of global outlets for our films and TV shows. With over 4100 films in our library, we have a very “long tail” that can now be monetized effectively not just in the on-demand space, but in creating our own linear channels as well.
Under the direction of my co-president, Jim Packer, MGM has effectively demonstrated this in the US by launching MGM HD and THIS TV – two successful new channels that would not have existed in an analog world, but now allow us to collect incremental license fees on our existing catalogue. And as international markets develop and mature, more opportunities like this are presenting themselves abroad. We put a lot of time and effort into making sure our library is in top condition, and we’ve invested significantly in HD conversions and digital encoding necessary to deliver quality video in any language. And our global sales force again allows us to be a key supplier to iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Hulu, and a myriad of local EST and VOD services worldwide.
Q: Anything you would like to add?
-at MGM we often say “necessity is the mother of invention”, and these words couldn’t ring more true in describing today’s business challenges. But we at MGM are blessed with a great team, great assets and a great collaborative spirit that makes us look forward to every day, and it also makes us feel blessed that we work in such an interesting and vibrant industry.
|
