MetaMedia Launches with First Global Cloud-Based Content Network For Cinemas

March 5, 2020

Former Disney, IMAX Exec Brenek Introduces MetaMedia Entertainment NetworkTM and Assembles Executive Team from Top Cinema, Studio and Tech Companies

 LOS ANGELES, CA – 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 Home President and Walt Disney Studios executive Jason Brenek announced the launch of MetaMedia, an entertainment technology company that 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’s ground-breaking distribution platform, the MetaMedia Entertainment Network TM, 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 Jason Brenek, CEO of MetaMedia.  “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.” 

MetaMedia’s new MetaMedia Entertainment NetworkTM 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 (DCP) content delivery system for conveying video, audio, and data.  The MetaMedia Entertainment NetworkTM 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.

Prior to founding MetaMedia, Brenek was President at IMAX Corp., where he developed and launched new products, platforms, and technologies. Brenek spent over a decade in senior management roles at The Walt Disney Studios, including overseeing digital cinema and cinema programming around the world. 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.

In addition to Brenek, MetaMedia includes a talented, trusted executive team of entertainment industry leaders with decades of content and cinema expertise. Joining Brenek at MetaMedia are:

  • A. Dale “Bud” Mayo as Board Chairman, who raised $600 million to convert over 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.
  • Daniel Fair as Head of Studio Client Services, who spent more than a decade leading client services at Deluxe Technicolor Digital Cinema.
  • Arbi Derzakharian as Head of Operations, who led distribution and post-production at IMAX and at Deluxe Entertainment Services.

“The MetaMedia team played a key role in the conversion to digital cinema and subsequently introduced new content, such as stereoscopic 3D and alternative content, which benefitted both studios and cinema owners.” said Bud Mayo, Chairman, MetaMedia. “I’m thrilled to join this team that’s fulfilling the true potential of digital cinema with new revenue and content, streamlined operations and distribution cost savings to content producers and cinema owners around the world.”

MetaMedia will announce more about the MetaMedia Entertainment NetworkTM and its launch partners in the weeks leading up to this year’s CinemaCon (March 30 through April 2, 2020),  the largest and most important gathering of cinema owners and studios from around the world.
 

# # #

MetaMedia is an entertainment technology company that creates next-generation technologies and new revenue-generating opportunities for content producers and cinemas.  MetaMedia created and launched the MetaMedia Entertainment Network TM the first global, cloud-based distribution platform that provides for the secure, rapid and cost-effective delivery of movies, trailers, live-streamed events and other big-screen programming to cinemas. MetaMedia is headquartered in Los Angeles.  For more information, please visit www.metamedia.global.

 

Media Contact

Charles Chamberlayne (202) 302-7612

© 2021 MetaMedia Tech Inc., a Delaware Company.

Get In Touch

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Jason Brenek

Chief Executive Officer

Leveraging two decades of senior executive experience across multiple sectors of the film and entertainment industry, Jason Brenek assembled a group of powerful industry leaders with incomparable experience and relationships to forge the building blocks of MetaMedia. As Chief Executive Officer of MetaMedia, Brenek focuses intently on realizing the operational, economic and programming benefits of creating a next-generation distribution network, which are mutually-beneficial to content producers and cinemas around the world.

Prior to MetaMedia, Brenek was President of IMAX HOME at the IMAX Corporation, where he led business and engineering teams around the world to develop and launch multiple new products, technologies, and platforms. Before IMAX, Brenek spent over a decade in senior management roles at The Walt Disney Studios. While serving as Senior Vice President of International In-Home and Head of Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Brenek established partnerships with global brands including Netflix, Google, Amazon, Apple. and Samsung to distribute Disney-owned content across new digital/OTT platforms, television, and retail. Brenek previously served as Disney's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Digital Cinema and Cinema Programming, overseeing the company's global transition from analog to digital cinema. Brenek also developed and co-produced two Disney feature films and multiple live sporting events in cinemas with ESPN. Brenek received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.

Danny C. Stein

Chairman

Danny Stein is a seasoned, growth-oriented media and technology executive with 30 years of operating and investment experience across media, technology, and consumer businesses. Stein has managed across the full life-cycle of deal origination, deal execution, business building and exit for small and mid- cap public, private and distressed companies. Stein is a digital media innovator having built a portfolio of businesses as CEO of Dimensional Associates 2003-2014, including as the Executive Chairman of the Orchard Enterprises, a global music and entertainment company, specializing in media distribution and 1091 Pictures, a digital and theatrical distribution company. From 2015-2016, Stein was the Senior Vice President, Growth Investments of MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings, Inc., a company that acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of public and private companies across various industry segments.  In that role, Stein’s focus was on building and investing in digital media and technology-enabled businesses. Through MacAndrews and Forbes, Stein also served as President of New Media and Corporate Development at Deluxe Entertainment (a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews of Forbes), responsible for Corporate Development, M&A, Strategy, Digital Media and Innovation.

Chuck Goldwater

President, North America

For over two decades, Chuck Goldwater has served as a senior executive in the entertainment and cinema exhibition industry which has earned him incomparable industry-wide trust and respect. As President, North America for MetaMedia, Goldwater draws upon his broad understanding and deep connections to exhibitors and studios across the country to create a robust network of exhibitor and studio partnerships for MetaMedia. He also applies his knack and experience for building successful entertainment startups to MetaMedia's growing infrastructure and success.

Prior to MetaMedia, Goldwater was co-founder and CEO at cinema chain New Vision Theaters. Before that, Goldwater served as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Carmike Cinemas, which acquired Digiplex Destinations, a cinema chain where Goldwater served as Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. At New Vision, Carmike, and Digiplex, Goldwater was an energetic and effective advocate for alternative programming and “event cinema” as a means of increasing seat utilization and creating incremental revenue for exhibitors. Before Digiplex, Goldwater was President of Cinedigm (formerly known as AccessIT), the company credited with deploying the first digital cinema infrastructure and electronic delivery network. Previously, Goldwater was selected by the then seven largest Hollywood studios to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Digital Cinema Initiatives (“DCI”), a joint venture that created the industry-wide specifications and the technical quality and security architecture for digital cinema systems. Goldwater was also inducted into the industry’s ShowEast Hall of Fame and is a Will Rogers/Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation Board Advisory Member.

Shaiwal “Shay” Priyadarshi

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

A dynamic inventor with over a dozen patents, Shaiwal "Shay" Priyadarshi is a trusted leader and mentor to high-performing tech teams, executives and business partners. For over 25 years, Priyadarshi has assembled and led front-end and back-end engineering teams, developed market-leading products and intellectual property that spans from embedded systems and data centers to leading cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Oracle Cloud. As chief technology officer (CTO) for MetaMedia, Priyadarshi continues to maintain his exemplary track record of overseeing innovative products from concept to delivery.

Prior to MetaMedia, Priyadarshi was CTO of IMAX Home, where he developed the world's highest-quality, internet-delivered video playback system needed to support IMAX Corporation’s pioneering technologies. Before IMAX, he served as CTO of PRIMA Cinema where he led the research, development and approval processes of the world's first and only movie service that was authorized to distribute new Hollywood movies to private home theaters. And previous to PRIMA Cinema, he worked as director of engineering at DivX, where he led the development of new technologies that power many leading streaming services today. Priyadarshi received his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Electronics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.