• • To enable the business transformation of the entertainment industry through information technology by developing, advancing, and disseminating best technology, practices, knowledge, and research for the physical and digital media.

 

• • To foster the development of supply chain innovations to enable efficient, customer-centric B2B relationships through supply chain management innovations.

 

• • To encourage and promote collaboration in IT solutions for shared and outsourced services.

 

• To create a community of thought and practice leaders from the business, professional association and academic information through exchange, shared services and collaboration.

Focus

While there are numerous IT groups and conferences, what distinguishes HITS from others is that it is specifically a studio-centric entertainment industry effort, providing a unique platform for sharing solutions in non-competitive areas. It is able to achieve synergies amongst divisions of studios – motion pictures, TV and home entertainment divisions — and has the combined strength through collaboration to drive industry solutions for the physical as well as the digital world of entertainment.

The founding member companies of HITS believe significant opportunities exist to address the systematic challenges and business opportunities of the integrated and automated entertainment enterprise including:

• Supply chain processes
• Production workflows
• Asset management and
• Distribution of digital entertainment content

The primary activities of HITS are regular meetings and an annual conference (The Hollywood IT Summit, also called HITS), with webinars, research and special interest groups to be planned in the future.
 

Meetings

As facilitated by MESA, members meet every 6 to 8 weeks for a two-hour breakfast to identify problems and opportunities, present solutions and develop game plans for pursuit that will make a difference in the efficacy of the supply chain of the industry. The presentations are made by studios as well as service providers.
 

Membership

For service providers, membership in the society is complimentary to Advisory Board members of MESA. For content holders, membership and benefits are determined by the Board of Directors and dues are paid on an annual basis.

For more information about membership, please contact Evie Silvers, Director, Business Development by e-mailing [email protected]
 

Who’s in Charge:

• GUY FINLEY (President, MESA) Guy started his career in the entertainment industry as a successful performer and producer, making music with industry giants such as Phil Ramone, Elliott Scheiner, and Dave Grusin, among others. His New York City based group was signed to Larry Rosen’s N2K Encoded Music, the first record company to distribute music via digital downloads. He joined the home entertainment industry as President of LFA, Inc., providing home video brand and business consulting services for a worldwide clientele. His firm represented JVC in North America, licensing the loading and duplication of VHS videocassettes bearing the VHS Logo Trademark. In 2005 he joined the Content Delivery and Security Association (then IRMA, International Recording Media Association) where he pioneered the CDSA Daily News Portal and co-chaired the accountability sub-committee of the EPCglobal Item Level Tagging Public Policy Steering Committee. CDSA is currently managed by MESA. In 2008 he founded MESA as a coalition of service providers to the Hollywood studios, independent content holders, video game publishers, software publishers and music labels.

Contact:

 

Guy Finley, President, MESA
(917) 513-5963
[email protected]
 
MESA:

Caroline Baines, Director of Client Services
+44 7377 178798
[email protected]

Teresa Austerberry, Manager of Member Services
+44 7886 726 216
[email protected]

MESA Sales
[email protected]

MESA Operations
[email protected]
 
EDITORIAL TEAM:

Chris Tribbey, Editorial Director/Writer
(818) 307-5197
[email protected]

Jeff Hyatt, Newsletter Editor
(310) 989-7843
[email protected]

Jeff Berman, Technology Reporter
(516) 780-1341
[email protected]