Madison Wells balances art, commerce and audience demands
Madison Wells Media chief Gigi Pritzker and newly appointed president and chief content officer Dan Steinman explain how Madison Wells balances art with commerce and audience demand by expanding international film sales while keeping the company's creative DNA intact, per Variety's Strictly Business podcast.
Key Takeaways
- Pritzker and Steinman appeared on Variety's Strictly Business podcast to discuss how the indie navigates a transforming marketplace.
- Steinman was hired as president and chief content officer to deepen expertise in distribution, exhibition and finance.
- Madison Wells aims for a bigger presence in international film sales without changing the kinds of stories it pursues.
- Steinman stresses that indies must know their target audience and stay attuned to market and culture to stay profitable.
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What did Madison Wells leaders say on Strictly Business?
On the latest episode of Variety's weekly Strictly Business podcast, Madison Wells Media chief Gigi Pritzker and newly appointed president and chief content officer Dan Steinman discussed how the well-positioned indie handles the ups and downs of a shifting entertainment marketplace.
Pritzker put the challenge plainly: "We have to be smarter." Steinman added a blunt production reality check that resonates across film and TV: "Even inexpensive movies are expensive."
The conversation, reported by Variety, frames how Madison Wells balances art against commercial pressure while still chasing audience demand.
Why did Gigi Pritzker recruit Dan Steinman now?
Pritzker said she brought Steinman aboard as Madison Wells looks to build a bigger presence in international film sales. Steinman is an alum of Black Bear Pictures and a former CAA agent, with a background that spans distribution, exhibition and finance.
"The opportunity with Dan was to bring someone in who had an enormous amount of experience and expertise in distribution, exhibition, finance — understanding those mechanics. It is in order to increase our output to the extent that it makes sense for the kinds of things that we do," Pritzker said.
She stressed that the goal is not suddenly cranking out a fixed volume of films each year. The company's DNA and the content that attracts it "didn't change and won't change," she said. Steinman's role is to help "increase the shots on goal" and widen the opportunity set for content across the board.
How does the indie keep art, commerce and audiences aligned?
Steinman said companies the size of Madison Wells must know exactly who the target audience is for everything they produce or support. Profitability for indies, he argued, means responding to marketplace uneasiness rather than pretending the business has ever been easy.
Producers still decide what they want to make, he said, but they also have to be attuned to the market and the culture. "We're not in a vacuum. We're not writing sonnets," Steinman said, returning to the cost reality that even low-budget movies carry real financial risk.
Strictly Business is Variety's weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment, with new episodes debuting every Wednesday.