Best Parts of Being a Director Business Operations at a Top Entertainment Company
Colin, a Director of Business Operations at a Fortune 100 entertainment company, most enjoys the proximity to the creative process in their current role, a stark contrast to prior marketing positions at Disney and Warner Brothers where they were "incredibly removed from that world". The legacy of the studio and access to its history, such as "a giant Bugs Bunny statue and a bunch of paints from the 40s and 50s," further enhances this fulfilling experience.
Project Management, Communication, Executive/Leadership, Behind-the-Scenes, Creative Production
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Colin Sommer
Director, Business Operations
Fortune 100 Entertainment Company
Chapman University
USC: Master of Communication Management; UCLA: Master of Business Administration
Advertising, Public Relations
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Operations and Project Management
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Being close to the artistic and creative side of production and having input into project development
2. Working on projects with talented people and contributing to a creative process
3. The legacy of the studio and working with iconic intellectual property (IP)
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about your current role in business operations?
The thing I enjoy most is being so close to the artistic and creative side of production. For so many years, when I was at Disney and even in my former job with Warner Brothers, I was incredibly removed from that world.
I had a marketing role and was responsible for selling content once it was complete. I had no input into the actual development of the content itself.
My new job is the complete opposite. I'm responsible for forging ahead with a project, trying to communicate why we need to do it, and finding the money and funding. Once production starts, I'm pretty hands-off.
It's really cool to be involved with the people who are actually creating this material and who are so talented. They have wonderful talents, whether they be voices, drawing, or animation. It's just really cool to be around.
The other thing that's really cool is the legacy of the studio and the IP. The fact that I work for the same company responsible for my favorite Looney Tunes growing up is pretty cool.
I walk down the hallway and there's a giant Bugs Bunny statue and a bunch of paints from the '40s and '50s used for the original production of Looney Tunes shorts. That's pretty cool.
So, I think definitely being close to the creative side of the production space is really the coolest part of my role.
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