On today’s episode of Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast, Madison Wells Media head Gigi Pritzker and newly appointed president and chief content officer Dan Steinman discuss how well-positioned indie companies navigate the ups and downs of a changing market. “We have to get smarter,” Pritzker said. “Even cheap movies are expensive,” Steinman says.
Pritzker said he hired Steinman at this time because the company wants to have a bigger presence in international film sales. Steinman is a Black Bear Pictures alumnus and former CAA agent.
“The opportunity with Dan was to bring in someone who has tremendous experience and expertise in distribution, exhibition and finance and understands how those things work, to increase our production to the extent that it makes sense for the kinds of things we do,” Pritzker says. “The goal isn’t necessarily to suddenly make X number of movies a year. We still have the same company DNA that we’ve always had, and the content that fascinates us and the things we want to be involved with are and will continue to be the same. But Dan’s experience and expertise will help us increase our shots on goal and give us greater opportunities to work on content across the board.”
Steinman said the priority for a company the size of Madison Wells is to know exactly who the audience is for everything they create or support.
“In my experience, it’s never been easy. So we have to take into account the specificities of not being easy and manage our fears. If indies want to make money, we have to do what indies in general are thought to have to do,” he says. Producers say, “What do we want to make? But we also have to adapt to the market and the culture. We’re not in a vacuum. We’re not writing sonnets. Even cheap movies are expensive.”
“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. (Click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes are published every Wednesday and available for download on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, and more.
