\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIndustry insiders from Google, Warner Bros., Disney, DC Studios, Pinterest and more returned for Variety\u2019s<\/em> annual Entertainment and Technology Summit, presented by City National Bank. The day-long summit, held at the London Hotel in Los Angeles, explored the ever-changing relationship between technology and the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n \n\tThe morning started with an electric conversation between CEO of AMC Theatres, Adam Aron and Variety<\/em>\u2019s Senior Entertainment Writer Matt Donnelly. The movie theater mogul predicted a very \u201cbright future\u201d for the business and revealed that the theater chain spent $100 million on coke freestyle machines for all their theaters.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhy?\u201d Aron asked. \u201cBecause they have 140 flavors, and that beats having eight flavor choices.\u201d (Watch the full conversation here). <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFortnite\u201d co-creator Donald Mustard, who recently joined Antho<\/span>ny and Joe Russo\u2019s production company AGBO, broke down how they measure risk at the\u00a0\u201dPower Couple: Entrepreneurship + Entertainment\u201c\u00a0panel discussion. A very special episode of Variety\u2019s <\/em>\u201cStrictly Business\u201d podcast was recorded live with Variety\u2019<\/em>s co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton and president and chief media analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform Andrew Wallenstein.<\/p>\n \n\tAdditional conversations included discussions surrounding the growth of generative AI and how thought leaders across the globe are harnessing its power (now that the genie is out of the bottle); the creators of some of this year\u2019s most compelling marketing campaigns explained what it takes to stand out amidst the noise and much more.<\/p>\n \n\tHere are a few of the key takeaways from the 2024 Entertainment and Technology Summit:<\/p>\n \n\tEntertainment Content Visionaries<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tPresident of Blumhouse, Abhijay Prakash, joined chief content officer of Pinterest, Malik Ducard, president of scripted at NBCUniversal Entertainment, Lisa Katz, EVP of Original Programming at AMC Networks and AMC Studios, Ben Davis, and Head of Original Programming at Max, Sarah Aubrey, for a rousing talk about the intersection of technology and entertainment hosted by Variety\u2019s<\/em> Michael Schneider. <\/p>\n \n\tPrakash pointed out that we\u2019re currently at the precipice of the spooky season, and for a studio well-known for their horror output, it\u2019s basically their holiday season right now. The production company is currently working on a theatrical movie release, several streaming films and one of the biggest unscripted shows in the world, in addition to a live event in collaboration with Peacock.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAny place that consumers are engaging with scary stories, we\u2019ve got to figure out a way to be there,\u201d Prakash said. \u201cHorror is one of the few genres that\u2019s actually up year over year in the box office.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDucard revealed that over 520 million users visit the Pinterest platform globally, which provides key insights into the current and future state of the industry. He referenced how the content people save on Pinterest is an indicator of the cultural zeitgeist and cited the Pinterest Predicts system as accurately predicting trends in society with 80% accuracy. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a tool called trends.pinterest.com,\u201d Ducard explained. \u201cThat also aligns with the calendar of moments and trends that uses this data to help brands and people in the media community to really see what\u2019s happening now and peer into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAubrey discussed the success of the new Max series \u201cThe Penguin\u201d while revealing the challenges of maintaining the attention of audiences with many modern television shows producing short seasons episodically. She highlighted a 15-episode slate for a medical show from \u201cE.R.\u201d alum John Wells and a plan to bring the series back on an annual basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOne thing that we\u2019re focusing on is just trying to get back to delivering to an audience a longer batch of episodes\u2026 because I think that\u2019s really missing right now from a lot of platforms,\u201d Aubrey said. \u201cI think not only is it hard for us to get the audiences back, but audiences, too, just kind of forget and are less compelled when there\u2019s that big of a break in storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tGenerative AI \u2013 Succeeding With the Genie Out of the Bottle<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWith AI at an inflection point, the summit examined the subject with panelists Eli Collins, vice president of DeepMind, Google; Victoria Bousis, filmmaker and creative technologist; Katja Reitemeyer, director of data science and AI, media and entertainment, Nvidia; Abi Ashok, vice president and travel incubator, Expedia Group; and Michael Wise, CTO at Universal in conversation with moderator Carolyn Giardina.<\/p>\n \n\tThey also weighed in on some of the week\u2019s news, including James Cameron joining the Stability AI\u2019s board of directors. \u201cIt\u2019s another good example of industry partnering together both on the kind of creative side as well as the technology side,\u201d said Collins. \u201cI think that that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOn Runway launching a fund for filmmakers using AI, Bousis noted, \u201cI think with funding creators, we\u2019re gonna get a lot more of that content out to people to also change the narrative of how AI is being perceived\u201d so it\u2019s about \u201cthis democratization of AI versus this fear.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLooking ahead, Wise summed up that Hollywood needs to get the foundational pieces right in order to proceed forward. \u201cWe have to get the labor piece of it right. We have to get the IP and copyright of it right. We\u2019re not gonna have an industry if copyrights aren\u2019t effective. We have to get the ethics of it right.\u201d He added that simultaneously, the industry needs to experiment with how this new tech could empower storytellers as well as create new types of entertainment. \u201cWe need to get that right too.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBousis said artificial intelligence has revolutionized how she approaches the creative process, highlighting the intersection between emerging technology and areas such as visual development, 3D modeling, sound engineering and more.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt just brings out the beauty, and it brings out depth to your narrative, which really connects personally to your audience at that moment that they\u2019re experiencing this world,\u201d Bousis said of AI.<\/p>\n \n\tCollins said he\u2019s excited by the recent progress in technology across the industry. He referenced developments in the music space and collaborations with YouTube and filmmakers such as Donald Glover to integrate AI into their storytelling.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe pretty much work across the spectrum,\u201d Collins said. \u201cWe\u2019re really just trying to enable people to push the frontiers of their medium.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tReitemeyer works with a number of streaming companies on recommendation systems and data analytics. She said from the consumer perspective, AI is going to enable people to receive much more tailored content specific to their interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWith the advent of AI\u2026there\u2019s so much more that can be done that is much more user friendly, that will gain us much better insights than we\u2019ve been getting.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAshok said the entirety of advancing technological tools is designed to augment the potential of artists. He emphasized AI is not here to replace creatives but should serve as a tool to enhance the product itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIf you weren\u2019t threatened by PhotoShop, you shouldn\u2019t be threatened by AI.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tExpedia Group Brands: Empowering Digital Creators and Commerce<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tOnline travel company Expedia flipped the switch on a new effort to drive more bookings by tapping digital creators, having just launched 100 \u201cExpedia Shops\u201d with influencers and brands on its site. What\u2019s behind the initiative? The numbers are compelling, said Lauri Metrose, SVP of global communications at Expedia Group: About 80% of people are inspired by social media to book their travel and 70% of consumers trust influencer recommendations. \u201cWe basically came up with a storefront and created a place where creators can share their content and then basically you, as a consumer, can book it right away,\u201d Metrose said.<\/p>\n \n\tOne of the company\u2019s new digital shops is curated by Caroline Baudino, whose \u201cShop With Caroline\u201d hub on Expedia features highlights of trips she\u2019s taken to Cabo San Lucas, Italy, French Polynesia and more. But it does not just highlight: \u201cShowing the good, the bad, and the ugly is how you really build connection\u2026 That\u2019s how you build community and that\u2019s how they trust you, right?\u201d Baudino said. \u201cPeople are so excited to see what you\u2019re experiencing. Because they\u2019re not reading a review, they\u2019re actually experiencing it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKeynote Conversation with Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tChanning Dungey, the chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, offered valuable insights at one of the summit\u2019s keynote conversations, which was moderated by Variety<\/em>\u2018s Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton.<\/p>\n \n\tDungey said she brings a fresh perspective to her role and is seeking ways to be more innovative in regards to content creation. She said advances in technology have allowed Warner Bros. to tell stories differently, citing improved elements in VFX and post-production. Like many speakers at the summit, Dungey reiterated AI is a tool to tell better stories quickly and more efficiently for audiences. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019re here to tell great stories. That\u2019s a skill that is not necessarily impacted by technology,\u201d Dungey said. \u201cWhat has been exciting is keeping pace with the audiences.\u201d The Warner Bros. chairman went on to reflect how audiences consume television in different ways. She said some shows are written and shot in a way that are directly binge-able for consumers, but that audiences consume television differently when they watch it in separate installments. <\/p>\n \n\tDungey said Warner Bros. is looking to the best creative home for talent and has the freedom to pursue different narrative projects. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of room for us to tell many different types of stories,\u201d Dungey said. \u201cWhen you feel the impact that storytelling in television can have, it\u2019s very powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe referenced how Warner Bros. currently has 90 shows across 20 different platforms, highlighting \u201cThe Penguin,\u201d \u201cCreature Commandos\u201d and \u201cShrinking\u201d Season 2. She explained \u201cThe Penguin\u201d is a huge property for the company and how many projects in development are building towards something.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s a cohesive narrative that all of these shows and movies are playing into,\u201d Dungey said. \u201cWe\u2019re all working in concert towards a bigger narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPerfecting the Business of Streaming<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe summit also examined the business of streaming with panelists Alisa Bowen, president, Disney+, Annie Luo, executive vice president of global partnerships and strategic development, Peacock, Frank Boulben, chief revenue officer, Verizon, Takashi Nakano, head of content and merchandising, Samsung TV Plus and Adam Waltuch, executive vice president, global distribution and partnerships, TelevisaUnivision.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s a premium experience that people should pay for. There is a free environment where people should explore and find great content that they otherwise wouldn\u2019t see,\u201d\u00a0Nakano said. \u201cThis world of streaming and the world of free and the world of subscription all work together in concert.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLuo said this summer was the first time people could go to one place to watch the entirety of the Olympics. She also emphasized the data-driven metrics Peacock gathered from streaming the live events. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe richness of data is sort of a superpower,\u201d Luo said. \u201cWhat you can do with it, what you can translate that into or content to discover.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWaltuch said TelevisaUnivision focuses on Spanish-speaking content from both a subscription and an advertising perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe way that people in Mexico consume (content) is different from the way that people in Colombia or Argentina consume content,\u201d Waltuch said. \u201cThat allows us to have enough demand on the subscription side to justify that completely free tier.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s most interesting right now is how quickly the marketplace has matured around measurement and accountability,\u201d Bowen said. \u201cYou can really start to see how the economics are scaling on that side, and we\u2019re seeing that happen in geographies all around the world\u2026in some cases, more than half of the sign-ups are coming through on the ad tier. So there is a real appetite for access at those price points.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBoulben said Verizon is focused on improving customer lifetime value, retaining more customers for connectivity, and selling them added-value services.\u00a0He added that the company \u201ccan gain a subscriber at a very low acquisition because we integrate those content services into a marketing mix.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKeynote Conversation with Peter Safran, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, DC Studios<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tCo-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, Peter Safran, sat down to discuss the workflow between him and his fellow co-chairman and co-CEO, James Gunn, and how the duo is attempting to reinvigorate the audience\u2019s interest in superhero franchises. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhen we took the job, a lot of people were talking about superhero fatigue,\u201d Safran said to Donnelly. \u201cFor us, it was never superhero fatigue. It was mediocre movie fatigue. We felt that the bar for theatrical release was higher than it had ever been and that your film really had to be genuinely empathetic, genuine comedy, and a commentary on the human condition. And if you had those things, then your film could truly work. So for us, our job at DC studios is to develop stories to tell for the worldwide audience.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tDoes Safran share notes on the projects his business colleague is working on as a director (Gunn has currently wrapped filming a new iteration of DC\u2019s Superman). \u201cJames is one of those great filmmakers who loves to get feedback and ideas from everywhere. He\u2019s truly a \u2018best idea wins guy.\u2019 So it is incredible to work with him because, no matter who it is, he wants the feedback.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAs for the new film itself, Safran described it as hopeful. \u201cIt is a story that\u2019s rooted in love and compassion and in the essential goodness of the human spirit. There\u2019s a lot of hope in there, which is a real hallmark of Superman in general. But all of that is wrapped in that kind of genre-bending, crowd-pleasing four quadrants theatrical experience that James is so great at delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSafran also spoke to the scrutiny both he and Gunn face guiding this beloved collection of characters into the new era. \u201cThere\u2019s no decision we can make that will not be debated,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether Superman has his trunks or no. Trunks is a giant federal issue, as far as the fans are concerned and they\u2019re right, they should care this much.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAnd in case you were wondering, they went with trunks. <\/p>\n \n\tPodcast All-Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe summit also spotlighted major podcast hosts such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, \u201cDinner\u2019s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson,\u201d Jenna Ushkowitz, \u201cAnd That\u2019s What You REALLY Missed,\u201d Lliza Shlesinger, \u201cAsk Iliza Anything,\u201d Whitney Cummings, \u201cGood For You\u201d and Lamorne Morris, \u201cThe Mess Around,\u201d \u201cThe Lamorning After.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMorris, who just won his first Emmy for \u201cFargo,\u201d said \u201cNew Girl\u201d was such a popular show that he would constantly be asked questions about the series on the street. This led him and former co-star Zooey Deschanel to start a podcast where they would recap episodes of the hit comedy.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s so hard to get into this business that now that I\u2019m in it, I don\u2019t want to get out of it,\u201d Morris said. \u201cI do enjoy the process of engaging with fans\u2026fans were asking for a \u2018New Girl\u2019 podcast, so that\u2019s what I gave them.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFerguson explained that the origin of his podcast came from a cookbook he wrote over the pandemic and wanted to do a podcast in the food space. The \u201cModern Family\u201d actor\u2019s podcast is recorded in various restaurants and possesses a unique format outside of a typical podcast studio.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHaving a conversation over a meal felt very fun to me,\u201d Ferguson said. \u201cA lot of it has to do with bringing your authentic self to these conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tUshkowitz discussed episodes of \u201cGlee\u201d on her podcast and revealed that she\u2019s learning new perspectives through podcasting. She felt she had a responsibility to give fans of \u201cGlee\u201d the truth about the joyful moments of the series amid the tragedy surrounding the show.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019re so lucky to have millions of fans to come listen,\u201d Ushkowitz said. \u201cRyan Murphy decided to come and do the show with us\u2026 We were able to have these therapy sessions and set the record straight for what the experience was on our show.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tComedian Shlesinger said she started her podcast to work on her interview skills and found talking with comedians to be an art form. She recalled Seth Rogen graciously guest-starring early on in her podcast.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI loved doing it because it\u2019s another avenue to perform,\u201d Shlesinger said. \u201cPeople spend time with you even when you think you don\u2019t matter. Podcasting reaches all those people.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCummings said many people today have short attention spans and podcasting allows for a sort of cultural antidote to this dilemma. \u201cI just had on the \u2018Hawk Tuah\u2019 girl,\u201d Cummings said. \u201cShe was oddly riveting\u2026she\u2019s not trying to build a brand. She\u2019s just exactly who she is. I asked \u2018what interests you?\u2019 and she was like, \u2018Seafood!’\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMarketer Renaissance \u2013 Masters of Storytelling Across Platforms<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe \u201cMarketer Renaissance \u2013 Masters of Storytelling Across Platforms\u201d panel highlighted authenticity and innovation as they pertain to designing marketing campaigns that meet audiences where they are. The summit examined the subject with panelists Mike Benson, president & CMO, CBS, Danielle Bekas, executive vice president, international marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures, Danielle De Palma, executive vice president, global marketing, Paramount Pictures, Kristine Segrist, vice president, consumer marketing, Canva, Jennifer Storms, CMO, entertainment and sports, NBCUniversal and Elana Sulzer, head of entertainment, in conversation with moderator Angelique Jackson.<\/p>\n \n\tBenson reflected on \u201cYellowstone\u201d airing on CBS following its Paramount+ debut and the opportunities for increased viewership afforded by this development. The group discussed the potential for fans to go from watching a live NFL football game to Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane in his \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d or \u201cMission Impossible\u201d films.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt was really a unique opportunity for us to not only make some noise from a media perspective but gain reach and hopefully bring new audiences in,\u201d Benson said. \u201cWe have to have partnerships. We need to understand the strengths of our properties and the brands and how we are doing that in a way that feels authentic and organic to the IPs that we\u2019ve gotten.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDanielle De Palma shared Paramount\u2019s excitement over \u201cGladiator 2,\u201d which is scheduled to be released Nov. 22. She said the company is approaching the premiere as less of marketing a movie and rather creating an immersive experience for fans.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s really figuring out what those pockets of fandom are\u2026I know there is a large audience that is there to watch the plot,\u201d De Palma said. \u201cHow do we make this an event that is gonna get people out of their homes to buy a ticket and show up opening weekend because it has to be an event movie for them to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDe Palma added that marketing strategies for \u201cMean Girls\u201d involved sharing content in various clips via TikTok and releasing the original film in 23 clips on the platform. She said the impact of this method led to massive reach across different audiences.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe had this incredible film that had the nostalgic audience, but then we also needed to bring in a new audience that had never seen it,\u201d De Palma said. \u201cOn \u2018Mean Girls\u2019 Day\u2026I think over a million views, and the comments were coming from audiences that said they had never seen it and they were excited.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBekas discussed engaging talent in ways that make sense for their personal brands and fanbases. She brought up Michael Keaton promoting \u201cBeetlejuice Beetlejuice\u201d on \u201cHot Ones,\u201d Jenna Ortega\u2019s involvement in the feature, and the Lady Gaga Harley Quinn photo shoot at the Louvre for \u201cJoker: Folie a Deux.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe never thought we would get Michael Keaton to get back into his Beetlejuice costume to do marketing for the movie,\u201d Bekas said, adding that Jenna Ortega \u201cbrings a younger audience\u2026coming off of \u2018Wednesday\u2019 and Tim (Burton) and the success of that show, it just was the perfect time to be able to evangelize her fans, where her fans are, in an authentic way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n