Biggest Challenges Faced By A Theatrical Distribution Director At A Media Company
Dillan, a Director of Content Operations at a global media company, identifies theatrical distribution's uncertain future as the biggest challenge in their role, describing it as "unsteady ground" due to shifting consumer behavior towards home viewing. This necessitates justifying the significant investment in theatrical releases, especially for big-budget films, as a necessary step to maximize digital revenue.
Industry Realities, Overcoming Challenges, Executive/Leadership, Problem-Solving, Workplace Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Dillan Damodar
Director, Content Operations
Global Media Company
University of California, Irvine
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA, Spring 2024
Economics, Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The evolving landscape of theatrical distribution and the impact of shifting consumer behavior (from theaters to streaming) on film release strategies.
2. The challenge of justifying theatrical release windows as a loss leader to drive digital platform success, especially for high-budget films.
3. Balancing investment in theatrical distribution with the need to generate sufficient revenue across all platforms (theatrical and digital).
Transcript
What's your biggest challenge in your current role?
Our biggest challenge right now, especially given the COVID pandemic and us all coming out of it, is that in my role in theatrical distribution, we've been on unsteady ground. Consumer behaviors have been changing so rapidly.
A lot of people are more often choosing to watch movies at home instead of going to the theater. So, we're looking at the theatrical window more as a loss leader effort. The goal is to build awareness for the film and increase its presence on digital platforms so it can do well there.
Since theatrical distribution is such a heavy investment as part of the whole release strategy, justifying that window for the sake of all the others is our main core challenge. The more we invest in a title and the bigger its budget, the more likely it's going to need theatrical release to justify its investment and generate sufficient revenue.
Navigating the prospects of this part of the business within the context of the whole, where a lot of people are going straight to streaming, has definitely been our biggest challenge.