David Weitzner is an expert in entertainment marketing. He has over 50 years of experience working in marketing roles for major studios like Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Disney. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for the marketing of many successful films. Currently, he operates his own global marketing firm and teaches at USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is frequently interviewed and serves as an expert witness in entertainment industry legal cases.

1. DAVID A. WEITZNER
CURRICULUM VITAE
24138 Park Rosso
Calabasas, CA 91302
213.740.7374
EDUCATION
Michigan State University 1960 B.A., Journalism
Minor in American Literature
ACADEMIC CAREER
• Chairholder, The Mark Burnett Endowed Chair For The Summer Production
Program – April, 2016
• Director, Summer Program, for the University of Southern California's School of
Cinematic Arts, 2005-present.
• Professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts,
teaching the Business of Entertainment, 1997-present.
• Instructor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, teaching film marketing
and distribution, 1989-1993.
• Lecturer on behalf of the American Film Institute, 1993-1995.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
• Owns and operates David Weitzner Associates, a global marketing company
acting as a consultant and strategist to clients including Honda Motors, PepsiCo,
Philips Electronics North America, the Children's Television Workshop, the
American Film Institute, Universal Studios, and many others, 1997-present.
• Corporate Executive Vice President in charge of Universal's Strategic Marketing
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2. Group, created and developed marketing opportunities to elevate Universal's
assets into long-term revenue generating brands, 1997-1998.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for MCA/Universal Studios Recreation Services
Group. As President, had oversight for MCA/Universal Studios' theme parks in
Hollywood and Orlando, Universal CityWalk and the Universal Studios Cinemas,
an 18-theatre motion picture complex in Los Angeles representing the largest-
grossing motion picture theatres in the United States, 1985-1998.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for the Weintraub Entertainment Group, a
publicly funded start-up motion picture and television company, 1983-1984.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for Embassy Pictures, 1982.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for Universal Pictures, where he was responsible
for the marketing campaigns of major films such as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,
1979-1981.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for 20th
Century Fox, where he was responsible
for the marketing campaigns of major films such as Star Wars and Alien, 1976-
1978.
• President, Worldwide Marketing for Palomar Pictures, 1972-1974.
• Vice President and General Manager of the Entertainment and Leisure Division of
Grey Advertising, New York, with oversight of the Warner Bros. and ABC
Pictures accounts, 1969-1972.
EXPERIENCE AS AN EXPERT WITNESS
• Engaged by the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson as a consultant in the
FROZEN copyright infringement suit Wilson v Disney. I represented Disney’s
interests in this action which settled out of court in June, 2015.
• Served as an expert entertainment marketing witness in the case of Por Vida
Productions vs. Christopher Harrison on behalf of the motion picture “Down For
Life.” Appeared in Los Angeles Federal Court on October 18, 2013.
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3. • Served as an expert entertainment marketing witness in the case of
MiltonH.Greene Archives, Inc. v. BPI Communications brought before the United
States Court of Appeals For The Ninth Circuit. Summary judgment decision
established new protections for the use of publicity photos. Argued and submitted
May 9, 2007.
• Served as an expert entertainment marketing/distribution witness in the case of
Presidio Enterprises, Inc., Investors UN LTD. d/b/a Village Cinema Four, and
Lakehills Cinema LTD. v. Warner Bros. Distributing Corp. Testified in both the
initial 1983 trial and the 1986 appeal.
SELECTED MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND REFERENCES
• Interviewed and quoted on March 18, 2016 by Julia Greenberg of Wired
Magazine in an article entitled “Hollywood Is Not OK With You Watching New
Movies At Home.”
• Interviewed and quoted on March 15, 2016 by Brent Lang of Variety in an
article entitled “Inside The Screening Room’s Bold Plan To Disrupt the Movie
Business.”
• Interviewed and quoted on February 25, 2016 by Michelle Castillo of CNBC
in an article entitled “With Apple Entering Originals, Has Digital Arrived?”
• Interviewed and quoted on January 13, 2016 by Michelle Castillo of CNBC in
an article entitled “Does An Oscar Matter In The Age Of Digital Media?”
• Interviewed and quoted on February 25, 2016 by Michelle Castillo of CNBC
in an article entitled “With Apple entering Originals, Has Digital Arrived?”
• Interviewed on February 23, 2016 by T.L. Stanley of ADWEEK magazine in
an article entitled “Inside The Relentless Marketing Push Behind Every Oscar
Winner”
• Interviewed and quoted by Jimmy Rhodes of Scripps “What’s The Deal” on
November 24, 2015 in a broadcast article regarding why the film industry
chooses to make re-boot feature films.
• Interviewed and quoted on July 30, 2015 by Brent Lang of “Variety” in an
article entitled “As Relativity Implodes, Filmmakers Are Left In Limbo.”
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4. • Interviewed and quoted on June 9, 2015 by Michelle Coffey of NPR on the 40th
Anniversary of the theatrical release of JAWS.
• Interviewed by Nischelle Turner of CNN regarding “Hollywood’s Marketing
Makeover,” aired May 3, 2014
• Interviewed and quoted by Brent Lang of “The Wrap” in an article entitled “Fox
Marketing Shake-Up,” October 17, 2013.
• Interviewed and quoted by Christopher Palmeri of Bloomberg News in an article
entitled “Planes Rescued From DVD Pile In Bet For Summer,” August 8, 2013
• Interviewed and quoted by Natalie Brunell of CNN in an article entitled
“Afghanistan film students hope to educate through television,” August 23, 2012.
• Quoted by Tom Long, Detroit News Film Critic in an article entitled “Skilled
Labor, Facilities Key To Michigan’s Movie Success, April 17, 2009
• Interviewed and quoted by Tom Long, Detroit News Film Critic in an article
entitled “Box Office Still Reeling In Billions, April 17, 2009
• Interviewed and quoted by Hirschfield & Kula, CBS “Intelligent Talk Radio,” on
the current financial health of the motion picture industry, February 21, 2009.
• Interviewed and quoted by Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent, a British
entertainment publication on an article entitled “Cult Classics Take On The
Blockbusters As Internet Audiences Switch On To Internet Downloads,” July 26,
2008.
• Interviewed by Alain Gales of the BBC’s World Service “Arts & Music” radio
show concerning the negative effects of reporting boxoffice grosses to the global
press, August 19th
, 2008.
• Interviewed and quoted by Allison Hope Weiner of The New York Times on an
article regarding film director M. Night Shyamalan, entitled “Shyamalan’s
Hollywood Horror Story, With Twist” June 2, 2008.
. Interviewed and quoted by ReelzChannel about movie trailers intended only for
restricted audiences, June 7, 2007.
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5. • Interviewed and quoted for the National Public Radio Morning Edition piece
“'Star Wars' “Merchandise Still Sells After 30 Years”, May 25, 2007.
• Interviewed for the KPCC Air Talk piece “Thirty Years Ago, in a Galaxy Not So
Far Away”, May 25, 2007.
• Quoted in the Variety article “Peacetime fallout of 'Star Wars'”, May 4, 2007.
• Quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article “'A Christmas (Success) Story'
for Turner”, December 22, 2006.
• Interviewed for the National Public Radio piece “A Paucity of Publicity for
'Idiocracy'”, September 8, 2006.
• Interviewed on CBS News' The Early Show for the piece “Tom Cruise finds new
partner to produce movies”, August 30, 2006.
• Subject of the Variety article “Endeavor tries hand at strategic marketing”, July
18, 2000.
• Quoted in the New York Daily News article “How the original 'Star Wars' blasted
into Hollywood hyperspace”, May 3, 1999.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Commentary: May-December
romances in cinema are not abating because audiences buy into the double
standard”, June 19, 1998.
• Referenced in Fred Zinneman, An Autobiography: A Life in the Movies, by Fred
Zinneman, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992, p. 235.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “'E.T.' call Sears: Giant retailer uses
giant film to ring in holiday ratings, shoppers”, November 27, 1991.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Spielberg to help rebuild fire-ravaged
back lot sets”, November 20, 1990.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Hola, Capitan Kirk: Universal Studios
and other attractions hope to tap the Latino market with Spanish-language shows
and guides”, October 29, 1989.
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6. • Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Jerry Weintraub's struggle”, September
17, 1989.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Whatever happened to the missing
movies of 1985?”, January 19, 1986.
• Quoted in the Los Angeles Times article “Universal manages a real tour de
force,” July 10, 1985.
• Referenced in Dale Pollock's biography Skywalking: The Life and Films of
George Lucas, published by Harmony Books, 1983, p. 184.
SELECTED TELEVISION APPEARANCES
• Interviewed on Fox News about the opening of the E.T. Ride at Universal Studios
Hollywood, June 1, 1981.
• Two-part interview on ABC's Eyewitness News about the 1985 rash of summer
sequels, May 20 and 22, 1986.
• Interviewed on CNN's Showbiz Today about the importance of trailers in the
marketing of motion pictures, December 20, 1985.
• Interviewed on NBC's The Today Show about whether the Summer Olympics
would adversely affect the summer box office gross, March 3, 1984.
• Interviewed on Entertainment Tonight about the financial impact of motion
picture marketing, July 11, 1983.
• Interviewed on Inside Entertainment about motion picture marketing, June 16,
1983.
• Interviewed on KHS' Channel 7 News about the importance of movie trailers as a
marketing tool, June 14, 1982.
SERVICE
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7. • Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Landmark School for the Learning
Disabled, 1995-1996.
• Has worked extensively with the American Red Cross, raising awareness and
support in the entertainment industry for their work.
• Former member of the Board of Directors of the California Special Olympics.
AWARDS AND HONORS
• Presenter of the 2009 Commencement Address to the graduating class of the
College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University,
May 8, 2009.
• Selected for the Outstanding Alumni Award of 2009, by the College of
Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University.
• Presenter of the annual Michigan State University Frederick S. Siebert Lecture on
behalf of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, September 12, 2008.
• Received a Certificate of Commendation from Mayor Riordan and the City of Los
Angeles for his charitable contributions and work with the Landmark School for
the Learning Disabled, 1997.
• Was named the Landmark School’s “Man of the Year” in 1997.
• Received a private reception with President Clinton, recognizing his help with a
Red Cross anniversary celebration, and his efforts in raising the entertainment
industry's awareness of the Red Cross, 1996.
• Received an award from the University of California, Santa Barbara for his
contributions of time, wisdom and expertise to its students, 1993.
• Received a personal letter from President Ronald Reagan thanking him for his
assistance in the planning and execution of the grand opening of the Ronald
Reagan Library, 1992.
• Received a Golden Globe Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
for his work on Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander in 1983; he is the only
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8. marketing executive ever to have received a Golden Globe.
• Was chosen as Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America's
Advertising/Publicity Committee, 1979-1981.
• Was presented with a letter from Brigadier General Brent Scowcroft, United
States Air Force and Military Assistant to President Nixon, personally thanking
him for his assistance in acquiring motion pictures for the President and First
Lady to screen at the White House in 1973. He also received a thank you letter
from President Nixon.
MEMBERSHIPS
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
• Past member of the Screen Publicists' Guild
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