Vowing to complete the digital revolution that began nearly two decades ago when cinemas around the world converted from analog film projectors to digital cinema, former Imax president and Walt Disney Studios executive Jason Brenek has launched MetaMedia, an entertainment technology company that he says creates next-generation content delivery and new revenue-generating opportunities for content producers and cinemas.
When cinemas began to upgrade from 35 mm film to digital technology 20 years ago, technology and bandwidth constraints made it difficult and expensive to access or deliver content over IP networks. MetaMedia says its distribution platform, the MetaMedia Entertainment Network, solves these issues and provides secure, rapid and cost-saving delivery of movies, trailers, live-streamed events and other big-screen programming to cinemas.
"MetaMedia was borne out of our team's passion for the big screen cinematic experience and for new technologies that propel this entertainment medium forward," said Brenek. "By connecting cinemas to MetaMedia's global cloud-based broadband network, we will introduce game-changing, leading-edge innovation and programming opportunities that will elevate the cinema-going experience to the next level."
According to Brenek, the MetaMedia Entertainment Network creates a managed, last-mile connection for cinemas that cuts delivery times and removes hundreds of millions in cost out of the exhibitor and studio digital cinema package content delivery system for conveying video, audio and data. The MetaMedia Entertainment Network also provides new sources of revenue-generating opportunities for cinema operators and content producers by enabling much broader programming choices, new cinematic content formats, and enhanced release targeting.
In addition to working at Imax and Disney, Brenek also chaired Digital Cinema Initiatives, a joint venture formed by the then seven largest studios: The Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros, to create industry-wide standards for digital cinema systems.
The MetaMedia management team includes:
Dale "Bud" Mayo as Board Chairman, who raised $600 million to convert more than 13,000 cinema screens to digital. Mayo founded AccessIT, Cinedigm and several cinema chains
Chuck Goldwater as President, North America, who was CEO of Digital Cinema Initiatives, President of Cinedigm, Co-founder and CEO of New Vision Theatres and held senior executive positions at Carmike Cinemas, Mann Theatres, Clearview Cinemas, and Digiplex Cinemas
Frank Bryant as Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, who served as the head of Dolby Cinema, International Digital Distribution for 21st Century Fox and held senior positions at The Walt Disney Company and Sony Pictures.