Studio Contact Listing for Getting Titles Released on Blu. Can we start one? (1 Viewer)

[Kyrsten Brad]

Ronald:
I was just thinking being that so many of us want various titles released on blu that are currently not on blu. I suggest we start a thread (here would be good) of all the studio contacts (actual live ones now) at various studios all in one thread. People we could contact to request that a title that studio owns be released on blu thru the studio or a secondary producer like Twilight Time. Preferably, people who have the authority to say yes and get a title released or who have strong influence in the studio executive structure.

I"ll start this with a obvious one.

Disney Studios:
- Bob Iger, CEO

Anybody else, feel free to add any more Disney contacts who might be able to help get certain Disney titles out on blu.
That goes for other studios as well.
In my case, I'd like to get good contacts at Sony so I could directly request blu releases for Skatetown USA and Thank God Its Friday.

What say you all?

 

[Escapay]

If it's Disney, you'd want to contact Lori MacPherson. She's in charge of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, and would be the one to ask for particular titles on Blu-Ray rather than Iger. But given the studio's treatment of their library since Blu-Ray's debut, it's apparent that they don't think catalog releases are worth the time or effort unless it's one of their big moneymakers.

 

[MatthewA]

There used to be a whole mess of addresses online to which to send wish lists, but those people have probably moved on since then.

In 2012, we got 30 catalog releases from Disney not counting the Diamond Editions. In 2013, we got one hybrid while the three Walt-era live-action titles they promised didn't come. What happened? If they really don't want to release them (and it's embarrassing how many titles now available for streaming in HD got sub-par DVDs, The Barefoot Executive and Follow Me Boys! being two examples), there are plenty of small companies that would love to have them.

Warner seems to have slowed down, too, and they're too busy releasing Paramount catalog titles to look at their own library, even through the Warner Archive.

Fox has a small but consistent stream of good catalog titles coming out regularly, though.

I'm happy when Universal releases anything, and even happier when its transfer isn't slathered in DNR.

Sony had their deals with Image and Mill Creek, but stuff seems to have slowed down. Thank goodness for Twilight Time.

MGM/UA has a decent amount of stuff coming out in-house as well as some Criterion and Twilight Time.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Well, if anyone does take the time to contact Disney, it would be great if you could check out the likelihood of timely releases of some of my live-action favourites .. Pollyanna, and the two versions of The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday. I'd ask except the company would be sure to ignore questions from outside the USA.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I don't think anybody is at home!

 

[Dave Upton]

I let Ron know about this topic. If you want to reach someone specific, especially one of the mods or owners, please PM us!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Kyrsten,

Sorry I missed your personal request. I thank Dave for bringing this to my attention...

I think your idea is admirable. I wish I could help you better from this end.

Here's the situation....

I do have email addresses of studio people that could probably make a difference.
The problem is, those people don't want their email flooded by people requesting
specific titles.

I hope everyone understands that. For me to give out those addresses would
probably result in my relations with them being dissolved.

This particular forum serves a purpose to the studios. All the people that we deal
with directly at the studios, who help make the release decisions, read this forum
regularly. I promise you that.

When I talk to studio reps on the phone, they always mention active threads that
have caught their attention, and sometimes, members who they seem to have latched
on to for one reason or another.

So, the advice I have is to post your requests on this forum.

Of course, sending an email to someone like Eisner or another studio CEO is not a
bad idea either.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Good Day Ron:
Brad here. Well I see your point and fully understand why you can't release those email addresses and I'd never ask you to compromise that confidentiality. Also I fully understand that posting here is probably the best way to get the word to studio execs on titles we want in Blu. Problem is though that sometimes a thread will just about fall off the board unless someone bumps it up. And I won't post on any of my threads just to bump them up (unless someone else responds or if I get some breaking (and confirmed) news on a title).

I just still wish there was a way to get some emails (a reasonable number) to said studio execs. Most important, we'd like some feedback from studio execs on the status of selected titles.

In my case as folks here are probably very aware, I'd really like to see Skatetown USA and Thank God Its Friday on blu (transfer done correctly from original negatives of course). Sony I believe owns the rights so I'd like to do two things; 1. Get a email message to the Sony exec about these two titles and 2. Get a official response on the status.

In the case of Skatetown USA (which never had any type of home entertainment release), I believe music rights are holding it up. I get a fair amount of information on the internet about it but mostly just hearsay. I'd like to get a official word from a Sony exec on the status of Skatetown USA, what really is holding up any release and if there's any chance of getting a release in the future.

What are the chances that you could relay this to Sony. I understand if you can't as it would probably become your life's profession with all the requests for blus. In that case how about maybe designating someone here as a point of contact for us who would have access to the studio exec emails and could every so often contact them with a list of requests. This would avoid the problem of email accounts being overwhelmed and we could get some feedback on titles.
Just a suggestion of course.

I do want to express my thanks and appreciation to you and your crew for the work you do here on HTF. Sometimes you have to walk a fine line I know.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Kyrsten,

I need to speak to someone at Sony about another title.

I am sending an email today.

I will sneak those two titles in as suggestions.

 

[Ejanss]

If it's Disney, you'd want to contact Lori MacPherson. She's in charge of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, and would be the one to ask for particular titles on Blu-Ray rather than Iger. But given the studio's treatment of their library since Blu-Ray's debut, it's apparent that they don't think catalog releases are worth the time or effort unless it's one of their big moneymakers.

And if you're asking about THAT one (no, not that one, THAT one), Iger is officially the LAST person you'd ask. In fact, we're sort of expecting things to happen after he retires in '15.

And then, of course, with any studio, there's the question of print condition, rights holders, lapsed ownership, music rights (you're waiting for TGIF on Blu? I'm still waiting for "Electric Dreams" on DVD!), and other little stickler reasons that hold up titles apart from studios being "mean" or "not interested".

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Kyrsten,

I need to speak to someone at Sony about another title.

I am sending an email today.

I will sneak those two titles in as suggestions.

Ronald, you are Da Man!!!

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

And if you're asking about THAT one (no, not that one, THAT one), Iger is officially the LAST person you'd ask. In fact, we're sort of expecting things to happen after he retires in '15.

And then, of course, with any studio, there's the question of print condition, rights holders, lapsed ownership, music rights (you're waiting for TGIF on Blu? I'm still waiting for "Electric Dreams" on DVD!), and other little stickler reasons that hold up titles apart from studios being "mean" or "not interested".

If you're referring to THAT one as having the acronym SOTS, I hear you. I believe Bob Iger viewed the movie with the intent of evaluating it for a release and decided against it for now. Hopefully his successor in 2015 will be more open-minded. What gets me is there is a ride at Disney World for that movie (Splash Mountain) but no mention whatsoever of the movie itself.

 

[Escapay]

When I talk to studio reps on the phone, they always mention active threads that
have caught their attention, and sometimes, members who they seem to have latched
on to for one reason or another.

Hmm... maybe I should talk about Disney more often. I've written to their Home Entertainment division several times in the past, used to write reviews for UltimateDisney.com and maintained a weekly Disney column for three years on another website. Certainly wouldn't mind if Disney was keeping tabs on what I'd like to see from their studio, even if I'm not a Leonard Maltin or Bill Cotter.

As for Song of the South, it's not that hard to find through unofficial means. While I'd certainly enjoy an official studio release (perhaps they could get Jim Korkis to produce the disc and its supplements), I'm in no rush to see one done simply to get it out there under the Disney name. Especially if it would get the same treatment as other Walt-era live-action films not named after an English nanny, which is essentially none at all.