Today we’d like to introduce you to Romeo Duchene.
Hi Romeo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Monaco with a lifelong passion for the film industry and moved to Paris to begin a career at Universal Pictures. It was here that I developed a love for theatrical distribution and used this passion to bring greater transparency to the relationships between studios and exhibitors, facilitating negotiations. I was also responsible for market analysis, box-office forecasting, and script potential analysis.
However, in 2015, I was involved in a motorcycle accident that nearly claimed my life. Determined, I told myself that day I have to move to the United States. I joined Sony Pictures in Paris, where I served as the head of business intelligence. Two years later, I joined Webedia – The Boxoffice Company as the Business Development Manager for EMEA, developing business intelligence tools for studios and the film industry as a whole. After four years, I made the move to Los Angeles as the VP of Strategic Content Partnerships, tasked with expanding the company’s presence in the US.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Moving to Los Angeles with a cat was no small feat, but fortunately my company was able to take care of the logistics. While the transition was relatively smooth on the surface, there were certainly cultural differences to navigate. For instance, the banking system and credit score systems in the US differ significantly from those in France.
On the positive side, I have come to see LA as a sort of adult theme park, full of endless entertainment and opportunities for fun, business and work-life balance. In an effort to fully immerse myself in the local culture, I have made an effort to meet and socialize with Americans rather than just sticking with a group of French expats. However, I have found that the cultural differences can be challenging, particularly when it comes to humor – what was once a strength in France now feels like a bit of a challenge in LA.
We’ve been impressed with Webedia US – The Boxoffice Company, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Boxoffice Company is the world’s #1 provider of media, technology, and data for the global film industry. We operate a global network of media brands reaching over 74M movie fans across Europe and Latin America. We partner as well with leading search and discovery platforms, studios, and exhibitors of all sizes to help them connect directly with moviegoers and fans, using the latest innovations in ticketing, business intelligence, and digital marketing.
The Boxoffice Company offers a collection of premium products including websites, mobile applications, CRM, and online ticketing solutions for thousands of exhibitors worldwide, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in box office revenue for movie theatres every year. Over 90% of internet audiences searching for movie showtimes and listings are exposed to data powered by The Boxoffice Company. Uniquely positioned at the heart of the entertainment industry, we also publish Boxoffice Pro magazine, the world’s leading source of business information for film professionals for the past 100 years.
My role as a VP Strategic Content Partnership is to close strong relationships with movie studios in order to expand their revenue online throw shorts formats on social media. This is the first part of my job. Because of my previous job at the Boxoffice Company, I still develop and sales business intelligence stools to studios all around the world. Tools like Boxoffice forecasting AI, tracking tools…
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor is essential to me! It’s a booster to your career. My first mentor named Frederic Bovis who is the CEO of KanZaman Production show me how to produce a movie. Then I met Stephane Huard when I joined Universal Pictures France and I followed him to Sony Pictures. Thanks to him I became an expert of the movie theatrical distribution. To finish with, I met Stanislas Ruszkowski, president of the Boxoffice Company in the US who became my last and current mentor. Thanks to him I learned how to properly do business. What worked well for me is to try to focus on the thing you like to do. Finding a mentor has to be natural and it becomes to be when you show passion for what you do.
