Presenting our annual “Crystal Ball” episode, featuring predictions and a review of the entertainment business, with ILAN HAIMOFF, Partner and Entertainment Practice Leader at accounting firm GHJ. His specialty includes forensic accounting on behalf of talent, investors, co-producers and distributors. With over 30 years serving clients in entertainment and financial services, he has overseen countless audits and studied the evolving business from a unique vantage point.

Host Jason E. Squire is Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts, and Editor of The Movie Business Book.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0)

JOHN ATTANASIO, CEO, and LUISA HUANG, COO, are Co-Founders of Toonstar, an animation story studio building content for social media platforms such as YouTube and Snap, which is also an investor. Their community-driven animated series include “The Gimmicks,” “Space Junk,” “House of Chico,” and franchises like “StEvEn and Parker” with influencer Parker James. As former Warner Bros. and Disney executives, John and Luisa are driving innovation in online digital content creation.

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

PETER J. DEKOM is a lawyer, management/marketing consultant and entrepreneur in entertainment, the internet, and telecommunications. Clients have included George Lucas, Ron Howard and JVC. As advisor to New Mexico, he was an architect of their film incentives. Honors include Forbes top 100 U.S. lawyers; Premiere’s 50 most powerful people in Hollywood; named Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by Beverly Hills and Century City Bar Associations. Peter is Vice-Chairman of Dick Cook Studios, lectures widely, and is the author of “Next: Reinventing Media.”

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

SCOTT SHOOMAN, Head of AMC Networks Film Group, leads acquisitions, development, production and theatrical distribution for IFC Films, RLJE Films and the Shudder streamer. As senior vice president of acquisitions and production for IFC Films, he acquired some 30 movies a year. Senior executive positions include Endeavor Content, CBS Films, Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition Group. Career highlights: THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, INSIDIOUS, HELL OR HIGH WATER, SKINCARE, and appearing on Variety’s New Power of New York List 2024.

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

JOSEPH N. COHEN is a media investment banker and film financier who founded American Entertainment Investors, AEI, which has advised independent production companies including Alcon, known for THE BLIND SIDE, River Road (12 YEARS A SLAVE) and Black Label (SICARIO). Earlier, he held senior positions at Salomon Bros. and Lehman Brothers before becoming president of Largo Entertainment, with hits including POINT BREAK and MALCOLM X. With over 20 producing credits include WORDS AND PICTURES and KANDAHAR, he is also the author of “Investing in Movies.”

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

ARON LEVITZ is President of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, an innovative studio from WEBTOON Entertainment that combines technology, a diverse new generation of creators, and passionate global fans to create data-backed, audience-driven series, films, and books. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios develops content from the WEBTOON and Wattpad platforms and their global community reaches 170 million users across 150 countries, enjoying the content made by some 24 million creators who have been paid over $2.8 billion (between 2017 and 2023).

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

JOEL GOTLER is CEO of Intellectual Property Group, a literary management company based in Los Angeles, whose film clients include Michael Connelly, John Scalzi, Piers Anthony, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Russo, Viet Nguyen, JD Barker, Debbie Macomber, David Wiesner and Andre Dubus III, as well as the estates of Sue Grafton, James M. Cain, Stephen Ambrose, Roger Ebert, Frank McCourt and John O’Hara. He is also executive producer of MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET and FERDINAND.

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).

RACHEL JOY VICTOR is a consultant and co-founder of FBRC.AI, which creates AI-supported tools for content production from films to games to location-based experiences. As a designer, Rachel draws from her education in computational neuroscience and spatial economics to facilitate the creation of data-informed emergent experiences where world simulation, systems design, and cognitive architectures intersect. These range from multiplatform narratives and gaming, to tools and platforms, spaces and cities. Clients have included Disney, HBO, Technicolor, Ford, and Nike, among others.

Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).