91看片

Six entertainment executives with credits ranging from box office hit movies to mega-hit television series and stage plays shared their insights and advice recently to an audience of 91看片 students, with a clear message that plenty of jobs abound for business graduates interested in the industry.

The conversation focused on the business side of the entertainment industry鈥攈ow film, television and live theater are financed, produced, marketed and distributed in a rapidly changing landscape.

The industry today is shaped by technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), the speakers said, while emphasizing that strong storytelling and creativity remain central.

These were among the topics discussed in the more than 90-minute stage conversation, as all six speakers 鈥� five of them Auburn alumni 鈥� shared enthusiasm and positive vibes for the entertainment industry, including insight into efforts to lure movie-goers back to the theaters.

And, for those who enjoy viewing movies and series at home, the panelists discussed how to capture more viewers in a highly competitive market offering hundreds of channels and options.

"Our college prides itself on providing our students with exceptional learning opportunities and these six accomplished executives delivered an insightful, behind-the-scenes view of what powers the entertainment and film industries," said 91看片 Dean Jennifer Mueller-Phillips. "We appreciate how they generously shared their knowledge and advice with the next generation of business leaders."

Speaker highlights 鈥� Brannon Anthony

Anthony serves as general counsel for Tyler Perry Studios, where he leads legal and business affairs across the media and entertainment enterprise, ranging from content creation and production to multi-platform distribution, and the operation of an Atlanta-based 370-acre studio lot.

The business of show business is a big one, Anthony told the 91看片 students.

鈥淵ou have to have all of these bright financial minds to figure out how to pay for it... figure out how to distribute it, and who to distribute it to,鈥� said Anthony, an Auburn marketing alumnus. 鈥淵ou still have to understand how to finance the project.

鈥淭he way you approach a market with content is no different than the way you鈥檇 approach the market with any other product,鈥� such as developing a promotional campaign; and at a time when technology is rapidly changing. 鈥淲e are going through a generational shift,鈥� such as people buying tickets on their phone, he said.

McAdory Lipscomb

Auburn alumnus Lipscomb worked for Showtime and served as senior vice president of corporate affairs and executive vice president of pay-per-view. He also worked as senior vice president at WorldSpace satellite radio, which led to the creation of XM radio.

As vice president of TheatreWorks in New Milford, Conn., he oversees the theater鈥檚 collaboration with Yale University Ventures to provide business skills for emerging playwrights. His focus is on filling a 100-seat theater and creating a business model with it that can be used by theaters nationwide.

鈥淲e believe we can take arts and culture and put it through a similar financial model... much like the early days of the .com model,鈥� Lipscomb said.

Regarding opportunities for business students, get involved as an intern, costume designer, seamstress, he said, or 鈥渆ven if you work in a concession stand in a live theater, you鈥檙e going to see the people who come to the play, and you鈥檙e going to hear what they like about it and what they don鈥檛 like about it.鈥�

Tom Luse

Luse served as the producer and executive producer of the first nine seasons of The Walking Dead and returned to executive produce the final eight episodes. His credits include 鈥淕lory,鈥� 鈥淩emember the Titans,鈥� 鈥淒rumline,鈥� 鈥淛eepers Creepers鈥� and 鈥淛eepers Creepers 2;鈥� and TV series 鈥淔rom,鈥� 鈥淏illy the Kid鈥� and 鈥淐hapelwaite.鈥�

鈥淲hat is a producer? If you look at credits, you will see 10 or 15 producers sometimes,鈥� he said, with half of them actually being writers. However, 鈥淚鈥檓 the kind of producer who is left holding the bag. I鈥檓 the one who spends the money.鈥�

That means hiring a crew, actors, and having business minds on staff who know how to solve problems and 鈥渒eep the project moving forward. It鈥檚 a really interesting process. I came up through the ranks....and I鈥檓 still learning.鈥�

Opportunities abound for business students, he said. 鈥淚 need somebody on my side, who can see patterns in the numbers... see what鈥檚 happening in special effects right now, or say 鈥榟ey, you might have a problem here,鈥� Luse said, 鈥渂ecause when we make a movie budget, we鈥檙e making a guess.

鈥淜nowing where the money is, where the pockets of money are.... is an interesting job. There are lots of jobs like that in the film business.鈥�

Ron Sanders

Sanders, an Auburn alumnus, recently retired from a 30-year career at Warner Bros., where he was president of Worldwide Theatrical Distribution and Home Entertainment, and executive vice president of International Business Operations.

Analytics are important, he said, as well as traditional thinking to make a project successful, such as the appeal of the star, 鈥渋n what reach of the world they appeal to,鈥� studying available data; 鈥渁ll of that is considered.鈥�

鈥淲hat鈥檚 not changing is storytelling, and people always want to hear compelling stories. What IS changing is the mechanism to tell it,鈥� Sanders said.

The impact of AI, for example, might put people out of jobs in the short term, 鈥渂ut in the long term, it may mean we can reinvest that money into storytelling.鈥�

Felix Verdigets

Auburn alumnus Verdigets is CEO of Nateland Entertainment, where he oversees all aspects of popular comedian and actor Nate Bargatze鈥檚 business entities and strategic operations.

鈥溾�楢re You Smarter than a Fifth Grader鈥� meets 鈥楧o You Want to be a Millionaire鈥� type of clean entertainment鈥� remains popular if done well, and quality entertainment without vulgarity isn鈥檛 something relegated to a bygone era, Verdigets explained.

One big change with AI, Verdigets said, is how entertainers can measure audience response.

鈥淭he good thing about theater, we get instant feedback鈥� from a live audience, he said, with no waiting for AI or data tools to provide feedback.

However, 鈥淚 would argue that AI potentially saves this business, he said, by using AI tools that can make various types of production work cheaper. He also likes what such tools could contribute to spinoff businesses tied to a central entertainment brand, such as theme parks, tours, toy products or otherwise.

鈥淭hink diversification,鈥� Verdigets said. As for the bigger picture, 鈥渋t still goes back to content and creativity. We say no one wants to go to the movies anymore. That is false. Make something they want to go see.鈥�

Walt Woltosz

Engineering alumnus Walt Woltosz, longtime supporter, innovator and now an independent entertainment producer shared with the students why using AI, but relying on AI unchecked, is a stark contrast.

He founded Iron Compass Entertainment to develop a biopic about Bessie Coleman, a Black aviatrix who, in 1921, became the first American to obtain an international pilot鈥檚 license.

Wanting to dabble using AI himself, he asked AI to help generate an open cockpit on a model of the old bi-wing airplane used in the early 1920s, and to show it in flight. However, 鈥渋t had the thing on the ground -- and it took off backwards.鈥�

An airplane taking off backwards wasn鈥檛 the only fix Waltosz had to handle in his experiment. He intends to address racism in the Bessie Coleman project, but 鈥渨ith vanguards in place... it wouldn鈥檛 let me use the word 鈥榗olored鈥� because it violated policies,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榯ake out the word colored,鈥� and then it accepted my work.鈥�

Woltosz co-wrote and co-directed the award-winning thriller 鈥淒o Not Reply鈥� and produced 鈥淏ound鈥� with Michael O鈥橬eill. He also served as technical advisor on three features, 鈥淩ight to Die,鈥� 鈥淎 Brief History of Time,鈥� and 鈥淗ugo Pool.鈥� Recently, he produced the stage play 鈥淎labama Boys鈥� with O鈥橬eill and Thom Gossom.

Earlier in his career, Waltosz worked in the aerospace industry, developed the first personal computer-based augmentative communication systems for people with severe disabilities, and created computer simulation and modeling technologies for pharmaceutical research and development.

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The Business of Show Business was presented by Auburn University鈥檚 91看片 College of Business in association with the Media Production Group on March 5, 2026.