From the evolution of preferred seating to the revolution of technology-driven booking systems and premium experiences, movie theater chains continue to reinvent the business for movie-goers. While on the horizon of big releases over the next six weeks, from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to Avatar: The Way Of Water, in this podcast episode Wim and Jim have a conversation with one of the most innovative CEOs in the industry, Tim Richards of Vue International. Find out what inspires Tim to revolutionize the cinema experience for his customers.

With a string of blockbusters—including Avatar: The Way of Water—on the way to your local cineplex, Miguel Mier of Cinépolis takes us behind the business of delivering magical experiences to movie fans worldwide. Find out what one of our industry’s most respected leaders is excited about in the year ahead and how the fast growing Cinépolis continues to build premium experiences for audiences in more than nineteen countries.

What gives environmental advocates like Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG, hope for the future of the planet? As a “pathological optimist” and senior leader of an activist organization, Kathleen shares her thoughts with Wim and Jim on this podcast episode on the role media and entertainment play in sustainability, how companies can do the right thing while making record profits and tangible ways each of us can make a difference for the best.

The motion picture and streaming boom has buoyed the entertainment industry, keeping the workforce vigorous during the pandemic and never busier to meet the growing demand for content. But with new challenges on the horizon like rising inflation and a potential recession, how can Hollywood’s below-the-line workers best prepare for what’s to come in the next 12 months? In his new role as President and CEO of First Entertainment Credit Union, Stephen Owen joins Wim and Jim in this podcast episode to advise today’s entertainment professional on effective strategies to manage their finances during these uncertain times.

Filmmaking is a montage of four essential elements, according to Lightyear editor Anthony Greenberg. What are those four elements and how do Pixar’s animation editors compose with them to create some of the finest emotional cinematic moments in the last 25 years? Tony joins our co-hosts Wim and Jim to explore the galactic creative leaps in Lightyear and bringing back to the big screen one of their most beloved characters, Buzz Lightyear. Also, box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian visits with his take on the trajectory of the movie business in this star-studded podcast.

Larger than life, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis promises to be visually stunning summer ride of a biopic following the dizzying life of one of the world’s greatest icons. Played in the film by Stranger Things Dacre Montgomery, Steve Binder is the rebellious TV producer who without his unconventional vision there would be no ’68 comeback special for Elvis and his infamous manager, Col. Tom Parker. Joined by co-hosts Wim and Jim, Steve recounts the real personalities, conflicts and loyalties that he experienced in his mission to revive Elvis’ career and produce a TV special like America had never seen before.

One of the most exciting films championed at the CinemaCon annual gathering is an action thriller with a strong comedic edge. Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt is a story about five competing assassins on a fast moving Japanese bullet train who discover that their objectives are all intertwined. In this episode, Bullet Train Director David Leitch and NATO's Jackie Brenneman join Wim and Jim for a live podcast show from Cinionic World to discuss the communal experience of the cinema, technological advances and the state of the industry for the year ahead.

What are the most powerful ways studios can promote their films? Industry veteran and distribution and marketing expert John C. Hall joins Wim and Jim to explore what he sees as the best strategies for tentpole film promotion and how theaters play a pivotal role in converting a target audience to ticket buyers.

What does the 94th Academy Awards mean for the film industry? Deadline Hollywood’s Pete Hammond joins Wim and Jim on this podcast episode to discuss why the award ceremony is still must-see-TV and which of the films is most deserving of recognition. 

Set in a timeless seaside town on the Italian Riveria, the Academy Award-nominated animated feature film Luca from Pixar has made waves with audiences as a quintessential coming-of-age story. But how did this movie come to be? Luca director Enrico Casarosa joins Wim and Jim on this podcast episode to dive deeper into the pools of thought that produced this enchanting adventure and shares his own “fish out of water” experiences that served as inspiration.

After more than two years of workplace disruption due to COVID, both employers and employees are reimagining the way we work. In this thought-provoking conversation, Hollywood Human Resources veteran Kathy Mandato shares her surprising conclusions about the permanent changes coming to our work lives. 

From the magic lantern to the digital era, the cinema has been shaped by the brilliant technological achievements of key innovators. Tracing the evolution of motion picture technology alongside the lives of these innovators, historian, entrepreneur and author Lenny Lipton joins the program to discuss his book The Cinema In Flux and reflect on cinema’s scientific foundations and technologies that continue to thrill audiences around the world.

With the year ahead promising new twists and turns for managers trying to navigate change and create team success, Wim and Jim are joined by the President/CEO of Cablelabs and innovation expert Phil McKinney. Phil’s most recent book, “Beyond the Obvious- Killer Questions that Spark Game Changing Innovation” explores the future of disruptive technologies and how we can all thrive in a time of disruption. 

As top studio executives, technologists and theatrical exhibitors gather at Skywalker Ranch for the AIS Summit to discuss the future of the media and entertainment business, NVIDIA’s Bob Pette took a moment from the meeting to chat in-person with Wim and Jim to demystify the metaverse and technology trends that are driving what’s been called the “new internet.”

As top studio executives, technologists and theatrical exhibitors gather this week at Skywalker Ranch for the AIS Summit to discuss the future of the media and entertainment business, Cinépolis Americas President Eduardo Acuña took a moment from the meeting to chat in-person with Wim and Jim on why a theatrical window is best for both studios and theater chains and what audiences can expect as they return to watching movies on the big screen. 

As James Bond launches on movie screens across the world, we’re thrilled to welcome Academy Award-winning cinematographer Linus Sandgren to the podcast. Wim and Jim explore with Linus many of the exciting action sequences in No Time To Die and why he’s excited for the future of cinema.

What’s behind the recent mergers and acquisitions taking place in Hollywood and how is the content race a catalyst for more than just new films and series? In this podcast, Wim Buyens and Jim Chabin are joined by Deadline Hollywood’s D.C. Correspondent Ted Johnson to put today's headlines in focus and help make sense of a marketplace constantly in realignment.

Has there ever been a time when more summer blockbuster movies are heading to the big screen then now? After months of delays, studios are releasing a season's worth of blockbusters this fall as the box office rebounds from the greatest challenge it’s ever faced. To unpack the slate of movies coming to theaters over the remainder of the year, Wim and Jim welcome Paul Dergarabedian, Sr. Media Analyst at Comscore, who's one of the industry’s recognizable authorities on media-based analysis and has appeared on CNBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, among many other credits.

It’s been called the most important movie industry gathering in two years. A critical moment where decisions are made about what movies millions of fans will see between now and Christmas. Two drivers of this effort to get fans back to the movies are Mark Zoradi, a Disney veteran and CEO of Cinemark, and John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners and producer of this week’s CinemaCon power meetings in Las Vegas. They sat down this week for an exclusive discussion with Wim Buyens and Jim Chabin in front of a live audience at Caesars Palace.

Kip Kroeger, Supervising Producer, Ted Lasso;

Ramy Katrib, Founder & CEO, DigitalFilm Tree;

With production teams in London and Los Angeles, the producers of the hit show Ted Lasso have used innovative remote tools to create the summer’s biggest comedy. Now with 20 Emmy nominations, Kip Kroeger, Supervising Producer of Ted Lasso, is joined by Ramy Katrib, CEO of DigitalFilm Tree, to discuss how they collaborate remotely to produce the show. We’ll also check in on what’s happening in Las Vegas with Insiders contributor Matt Kenagy, a veteran of Caesars and Venetian.

James Aquilina, Advisory Board Member & Strategic Advisor to the CEO, BlueVoyant;

Austin Berglas, Global Head of Professional Services, BlueVoyant;

Cyber criminals no longer fit the movie cliché of the big screen. Instead these bad actors now form complex networks that resemble enterprises more than rogue agencies. They will cripple a business with ransomware costing millions. Wim and Jim are joined in this episode by cyber security experts James Aquilina and Austin Berglas to find out what’s behind this online criminal activity and how to avoid being the next target. 

Paramount’s A Quiet Place 2 jolted the U.S. box office back to life. So where do we go from here? Chris Aronson of Paramount joins Wim and Jim in a chat about the titles and technologies that will thrill movie fans and drive blockbuster box office revenues. 

As major media companies and advertisers announce their deals for the balance of 2021, a boom in the business is predicted. Join Ad expert Angela Tietze of ECN as she briefs Wim and Jim on the historic news from Madison Avenue. 

In a flurry of company and management re-structurings, entertainment industry organizations large and small are transforming themselves for the future. At the center of these changes are recruiters with an inside understanding of the new strategies and skills needed to accelerate growth in the midst of change. We want to discuss what these game plans look like and find out what kinds of teams these stakeholders are assembling.

What’s it like to create the visual effects that's thrilled millions of movie-goers across the world? Come behind the scenes with Danielle Costa, VP of Visual Effects, who leads a global team of artists and technicians who create the visual magic at Marvel Studios.

In this episode, WandaVision Director Matt Shakman discusses the hit Disney+ show and reveals the real villain of the series. Fans of the show and upcoming directors in Hollywood won’t want to miss this master class in the art of storytelling.

As fans return to cinemas, MetaMedia CEO and veteran Disney and IMAX exec Jason Brenek joins our conversation about how studios and cinemas are reconnecting with fans. He’ll also share how to find a mentor in Hollywood. 

With Godzilla vs Kong bringing fans back to movie theaters worldwide, Hollywood insider Hanno Basse joins us to share how movies, culture, and technology work together to drive blockbuster revenues and profits. As CTO of Microsoft Azure, and a veteran of 20th Century Fox Films and DIRECTV, Hanno reveals why filmmakers are harnessing technologies to produce movies in the cloud and deploying cutting edge laser technology to present them in theaters. 

After a year’s absence, movies are back in theaters. To find out what’s happening behind the scenes, we’ve invited a Hollywood insider to share her perspectives. Gretchen McCourt has spent her career creating great experiences for movie fans at ArcLight and AMC theaters. She’s also been an advocate and driver for promoting Women working in entertainment. Join Co-Hosts Wim Buyens, CEO Cinionic, and Jim Chabin, CEO, The Advanced Imaging Society, beyond the red carpet for this inside view of what makes movies great. 

How and where will people get their favorite music, movies and media in the 2020s? The global population of content-hungry consumers, confined by COVID-19, but empowered by digital services and screen devices of all sizes, is re-shaping how and where content in distributed. Media and entertainment companies are responding with bold strategies. From cinema to streaming services, this episode will host a frank conversation about where and how current platforms are likely to evolve.

Our first episode explores the landscape of where 2021 begins, and touches on the kinds of challenges facing the leaders in entertainment organizations. We set out our goals and a few guests for the series. This discussion explores the kinds of questions we hope to get answers to from a wide variety of industry “insiders” and “innovators” during our series.