Deluxe has launched Deluxe Technologies, a division that will be comprised of over 250 engineers from six tech centers around the world with plans to significantly grow the size of the team over the next 12 months. Deluxe has played a key role in the technical evolution of the entertainment industry over the last century, and this is an initial step in the next transformation, towards Deluxe as a virtualized services and platform company.
Currently the company’s end-to-end capabilities include Deluxe creative services, which include its premier visual effects and postproduction brands, and the recently formed Deluxe Distribution, a global portfolio of content management and distribution capabilities. With the acceleration of technological and transformational change in the industry, Deluxe will increase its investments in technology and the rapid development of platforms to help clients meet the growing demand for content by consumers.
Deluxe Technologies will be led by chief innovation officer, Morgan Fiumi. As a key first step in building a top-tier engineering and product team, Deluxe has appointed Andy Shenkler to serve as chief product officer, leading the development of its technology solutions and platforms. An industry veteran, Shenkler brings with him considerable experience in product management, innovation and technology, having pioneered cloud-based content management services. Shenkler most recently served as executive VP, chief solutions and technology officer for Sony DADC New Media Solutions, where his work was widely recognized for its quality and innovation.
“The traditional supply chain has grown organically and become overly complex. As a leading content management company in the world, Deluxe is in a unique position to apply our experience, scale and knowledge to simplify the process and create new value for our customers,” said Fiumi. “We are very fortunate to have Andy–who has extensive experience leveraging new and emerging technologies to build cloud-based platforms–joining the team as we hone our advanced offerings to meet the demands of a growing global industry.”
Deluxe Technologies’ platform innovation efforts will address all key areas of this value chain including:
- Content Creation – Enabling creators to efficiently connect, collaborate and manage projects through to delivery via tools, data and machine learning;
- Marketing – Providing tools to efficiently manage and track the sales, marketing and rights of content globally;
- Localization – Leveraging automation, AI and machine learning to more efficiently create subtitles, dubs and access content;
- Distribution – Simplifying and connecting how content is transformed, packaged and securely delivered to screens;
- Measurement – Leveraging data to improve efficiency and maximize the value of content across the globe.
“Platform-based technologies are transforming the entertainment industry. Our creative services and distribution clients are becoming increasingly reliant not only on our talented people, but the technology used to complete the job,” said Deluxe’s CEO John Wallace. “The proven experience of Morgan, Andy and the Deluxe Technologies team will no doubt bring exciting new platform innovations to market, helping our customers respond to a complex and fast-changing industry.”
Deluxe’s commitment to technological platform innovation goes hand in hand with its efforts to simplify operations for its clients. This follows the recently announced formation of Deluxe Distribution, integrating multiple Deluxe content management services and solutions offerings into a single integrated unit. Now, all such services will be integrated into a single supply chain, which will provide a more integrated approach for its clients and drive better value for them. Deluxe Distribution and Deluxe Technologies sit alongside Deluxe’s creative brands giving the company a true end to end capability from creation to delivery.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More