The Knowledge - Jonathan Chissick
The Knowledge is a series of interviews with leading screen industry figures, conducted by experienced film journalist Andrew Urban and published via the CSB blog.
Jonathan Chissick - biography
Jonathan Chissick has worked in the film industry since 1969. He began as a trainee with United Artists in New York, before becoming Managing Director of UA’s foreign operations (first in Israel, then Australia and the UK). During the 1980s he worked for the Hoyts Corporation, eventually becoming Managing Director and then President of the Film Division. Between 1991 and 1997, he was UIP’s representative in Israel, responsible for all theatrical distribution and marketing of Universal, Paramount and MGM/UA product in that country. Between 1997 and 2004 he was based in London as head of international theatrical marketing and distribution for DreamWorks. More recently, he has acted as a consultant to the FFC, Screen Australia and Animal Logic.
Chapter 1 - Current and past roles/ the importance of instinct - 17 minutes
- Consulting to FFC on marketing, distribution & scripts
- Consulting to Animal Logic – on strategy and development
- International marketing/distribution at DreamWorks
- In business you need time to just think
- Hoyts in the 80s – purely exhibition, then joined to form distribution arm
- Gut feel drives the selection of films – difficult to analyse
- For example - buying the rights to Amadeus based upon instinct
- Assessing films a on one-line description
- Acquiring rights for a long time
Video downloads
Chapter 2 - Early experiences/ the challenge of marketing - 15 minutes
- Father was in cinema, worked there
- Went to New York, started at United Artists as trainee for international dept
- Back to Israel with UA, then to Australia
- You need an aptitude for film industry
- Marketing Australian films is hampered by the fact that they’re in English – difficult to differentiate from American movies
- Essence of marketing is to be heard above the clatter
- Producer Offset is a test for the Australian industry – can it focus on the business of filmmaking?
- Marketing profiles, research & testing
Video downloads
Chapter 3 - New technologies/ the future of the industry - 6 minutes
- New technology’s impact on movies
- Multiplatform simultaneous release not viable
- Israeli army experience
- Australia is sexy – the world wants to be Australia
- Optimistic about the future
Video downloads
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