There's an old saying that no one in Hollywood has a crystal ball. But entertainment industry executive Amir Jacob Malin has caused more than a few folks to question that assumption, thanks to his uncanny knack for having a strategic vision of the future.
After all, what else could explain his record? Over the last few decades, at four different and varied companies, Malin has overseen an enviable list of successful film productions, rights acquisitions, publishing deals, and distribution contracts that is lauded in the industry.
He has discovered and nurtured overlooked auteurs, breathed new life into a failing company, and managed to successfully guide libraries of movies profitably through the transition from analog to digital with ease.
As the CEO of Artisan Entertainment, Malin led the studio to new levels of success by using innovative marketing ideas and novel business approaches. Now, as the Managing Principal of the media investment firm Qualia Capital, he continues to build a new model of success-despite operating in a very different realm of business.
What's in a name?
Early in his career, Malin made a name for himself in the world of art-house cinema. In 1982, he co-founded and oversaw Cinecom Pictures, which produced hits like "A Room with a View" and "Stop Making Sense." He then presided over product acquisition, distribution, and strategic initiatives at October Films.
But it wasn't until 1997, when he joined Artisan Entertainment by new owner Bain Capital, that he began working on behalf of more general audiences.
And he started with a name change.
When Bain acquired Artisan, the company was known as LIVE Entertainment. The studio's main business was video cassettes, but it had recently opened a theatrical division that produced low-budget genre films. Hoping to steer the company toward wider, more discerning viewership, the management team jettisoned the company's old name in favor of Artisan.
The new name signaled that the company would be handling more daring, director-led features. That was a departure from the mid-90s status quo, when movie studios relied on producing formula-based films. But Artisan saw an opportunity to bring a new kind of movie to audiences, which he believed had an unmet appetite for art-house sensibilities that wasn't being met.
The studio bought and released "Pi" by Darren Aronofsky to a warm critical reception. It followed that success by securing rights to the auteur's next movie, "Requiem for a Dream," which starred Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, and Ellen Burstyn and became both a critical and commercial success, resulting in a slew of awards.
Artisan's strategy of building relationships with unknown and overlooked directors paid off. Under his guidance. Artisan releasing a string of innovative and successful films, such as "The Blair Witch Project," and "Van Wilder"
Beyond the movie business
After six years of running Artisan, Malin left the movie industry. Malin sold the studio to Lions Gate Entertainment for a 700 percent return on investment.
With time to think about his next move, Malin decided to take on a different challenge and co-founded the media investment firm Qualia Capital LLC. The new company looked beyond film to other aspects of the industry, such as music publishing and TV.
In those areas, too, he showed rare foresight.
Soon after the company launched, it acquired the libraries of Gaylord Entertainment and Rysher Entertainment, which mostly consisted of older TV shows like Nash Bridges, Hogan's Heroes, and Sex and the City. At the time, these titles were primarily shown in reruns and sometimes sold on DVD.
He believed tectonic shifts were in store for the entertainment industry. With more outlets internationally and the advent of streaming and video on demand, history proved him right.
Crystal ball or not, that's good business.
