SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LIONSGATE(R)'s
(NYSE: LGF) music business has expanded its core creative team with the
promotion of Russell Ziecker to the newly-created position of Vice
President of TV Music and A&R, it was announced today by Lionsgate Music
President Jay Faires. Alongside Faires, Ziecker will continue to head
Lionsgate's music operations in creative affairs, overseeing music for the
TV slate while pushing the company's A&R efforts.
"I've known Russell for almost 20 years going back to the early days of
Mammoth," Faires said. "His promotion to Vice President reflects his
growing value as an asset to our music business, and the impressive breadth
of his music career makes him an integral part of our company's growth.
Russell will be a key player as we move our music agenda forward."
Ziecker has been part of the Lionsgate Music team since its inception
in 2005 and has since worked alongside Faires on music production and
supervision of more than 15 shows, including the Golden Globe(R) winning
hits MAD MEN (AMC) and WEEDS (Showtime). Ziecker is currently working on
the television series CRASH with composer Mark Isham, who also scored the
Academy Award(R) winning film that inspired the series, and he is working
with composer/sound- designer Blake Leyh from HBO's THE WIRE on the
Showtime pilot NURSE JACKIE starring Edie Falco. He recently delivered a
main title from Serj Tankian for NBC's upcoming series FEAR ITSELF,
premiering June 5th, and produced the soundtrack releases for both MAD MEN
(Blue Note Records) and WEEDS, Vol. 3 (Lionsgate Records), which will both
hit stores on June 24th. Other upcoming projects include themes from
Lionsgate composer David Vanacore for Debmar-Mercury's TRIVIAL PURSUIT and
THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW.
Ziecker began his music career as a side/session musician and producer
before transitioning into music publishing at Chrysalis Music, where he set
up the company's New York operations. After nearly eight years at
Chrysalis, Ziecker moved to Virgin Music America and became instrumental in
signing and developing such acts as the Lemonheads, Jane's Addiction, and
Stone Temple Pilots.
Following Virgin Music, Ziecker served a three-year tenure as
President/COO of Milan Records/BMG where he was responsible for releasing
over 75 soundtracks including the hit TV series FRASIER (Paramount TV) and
THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER (Paramount). After leaving Milan, Ziecker ran SYN
Entertainment and FUZZ Music + Sound Design, two companies that specialize
in music for commercials and advertising and whose clients include
Cadillac, Toyota, Verizon, Tokyo-Disney, Honda, Haagen-Dazs, Panasonic and
many others. Overall, Ziecker has produced the music for over 250
commercials in the US and Japan.
Lionsgate's music team recently announced an unprecedented partnership
with Getty Images, providing award-winning scores for the launch of their
music-licensing venture. Continuing to expand its artist roster, Lionsgate
has signed eight-time ASCAP and seven-time BMI award winning TV composer
David Vanacore and three-time IBMA award winners The Infamous
Stringdusters. Other recent achievements include Marco Beltrami's Academy
Award(R) nominated score for the hit 3:10 TO YUMA, a prestigious line-up of
artists such as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and the Andrews Sisters on the
Golden Globe (R) winning television drama MAD MEN, innovative main title
covers from the likes of Linkin Park, Randy Newman and Elvis Costello on
the television comedy hit WEEDS, and original end titles from Dr. Dre and
The Flaming Lips on the latest Lionsgate features. Lionsgate Music is an
innovative, entrepreneurial and diversified company, complementing
Lionsgate's filmed entertainment content leadership with a growing role in
all facets of music IP.
Lionsgate is the leading, next generation filmed entertainment studio
with a major presence in the production and distribution of motion
pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment,
video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company is leveraging
its content leadership and marketing expertise through a series of
partnerships that include the operation of the highly successful
FEARnet-branded VOD and Internet horror channel with Sony and Comcast, the
recent announcement of the fall 2009 launch of a new premium entertainment
channel with partners Viacom, Paramount Pictures and MGM, investment in the
leading young men's digital distribution platform Break.com, ownership of
the premier independent television syndication company Debmar-Mercury LLC
and an alliance with independent filmed entertainment production and
distribution company Roadside Attractions. Lionsgate also has forged
partnerships with leading content creators, owners and distributors in key
territories around the world, including Televisa in the U.S. and Latin
America, StudioCanal in the U.K., Hoyts and Sony in Australia and Eros
International in India.
The Company generated approximately $450 million at the North American
theatrical box office in the past year and has released a string of hits
including The Forbidden Kingdom, Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns, The Bank
Job, Rambo, The Eye, Saw IV, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, Good
Luck Chuck, 3:10 To Yuma and War, most of which have opened at #1 or #2 at
the box office. The Company has also forged leadership positions in
television and home entertainment with the production of such
critically-acclaimed television series as Weeds and Mad Men, the
distribution of Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Family Feud, South Park,
Trivial Pursuit and The Dead Zone, among others, and approximately 7%
market share and the industry's leading box office-to-DVD conversion rate
in home entertainment. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library
of approximately 12,000 motion picture and television titles that is an
important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the
growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous
with entrepreneurial innovation and original, daring, quality entertainment
in markets around the globe.
http://www.lionsgate.com
For further information, contact:
Sheila Vand
310-601-2626
For licensing inquires:
David Falzone
310-300-2045
dfalzone@lionsgate.com
For Lionsgate corporate inquiries, please contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate.com
Kelli Easterling
310-255-4929
keasterling@lionsgate.com
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