Cory Weisman
Cory Weisman (born December 30, 1962 in Chicago, IL) is an American entertainment industry executive and technology entrepreneur. Weisman was a senior agent at International Creative Artists Management (ICM), representing A-list actors, directors, and producers in Hollywood.[1] He brokered the industry's first deals that combined A-list talent with animation. In 2000, he resigned from ICM and opened Weisman Worldwide Entertainment, Inc.[2]
Early life and education[edit]
Weisman graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, with minors in Public Relations and Journalism. While attending SIU, he took a music business program affiliated with Nashville’s Country Music Industry. Through that program, Weisman secured a year-long internship with Sound Seventy Concert Productions, owned by concert promoter Joe Sullivan and Country music artist Charlie Daniels.
Career[edit]
Weisman became a live music promoter and talent manager, securing his first recording and publishing deal with Roadrunner Records (International) and Shrapnel Records (Domestic) while still in college. During this time, he also established strong venue and club relationships in the Midwest including Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville,TN. After graduation, he accepted a marketing and record promotion position at the pioneering House Music label Trax Records. His role included radio promotion and servicing Midwest distribution to record chain retailers and one-stops in the Midwest. That job led to a National talent buyer and GM position for the newly renovated and nationally acclaimed Riviera Theater and International Amphitheater, both in Chicago.
Around the same time, MTV was becoming increasingly influential, and Weisman collaborated with the MTV Network, local music promoters, and artists’ agents to contract major music acts for performances in the Chicago metropolitan area. The top artists of the era including Madonna, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, Iggy Pop, INXS, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads and Split Enz performed in Chicago per Weisman's booking.
In 1991, Weisman moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a junior agent at a boutique talent agency and swiftly rose through the ranks. At this time, feature animation films experienced a massive surge of production and resulting popularity. Weisman identified the animation industry's future growth, and created a new division at ICM that serviced Animation and Digital distribution of traditional content.[3]
At ICM, he packaged A-list live-action talent with feature and television animation studio productions. [1]His clients included Jodie Foster,[4] Tommy Lee Jones, [5]Meg Ryan, Steve Martin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rosie O’Donnell, Mel Gibson, Ann Bancroft, James Woods, Jim Belushi, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeff Goldblum, Chazz Palminteri and Joe Pantoliano.
Some of the major studio projects that he packaged include Toy Story 1&2 (PIXAR), Babe (UNIVERSAL), Space Jam (WB), Homeward Bound 2 (DISNEY), All Dogs Go To Heaven (MGM ), Hunchback Of Notre Dame DISNEY) , Mulan (DISNEY), Antz (DREAMWORKS) , The Prince of Egypt (DREAMWORKS), SHREK (DREAMWORKS) ICE AGE (FOX), the Rugrats Television and Film Franchise (NICKELODEON / PARAMOUNT) and King of The Hill (FOX).
In 2000, Weisman left ICM to form Weisman Worldwide Entertainment, Inc., Hollywood’s first new media agency [2]. “The vision was to create a bridge between the talent, traditional production houses, and technology elements to create opportunities for all in the ever-expanding entertainment technology[6] convergence space,” Weisman was quoted in Daily Variety.
Holographic Entertainment Technology[edit]
In 2014, Weisman began to focus on packaging talent for immersive media and holographic media in addition to film and television. Weisman participates in cutting-edge projects such holographic artist performances at live concert venues[7] [including live, pre-recorded, and digital resurrection] virtual reality and augmented reality applications.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 M.A. (18–26 December 1998). "The Voiceover King of Egypt". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Vol.15 No. 46 Candlelighting.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Donahue, Ann. "High Tech Channel, Weisman bows new-media creative conduit." Daily Variety, 20 Nov. 2000.
- ↑ Lawson, Tim (2004). The Magic Behind the Voices. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1604736852. 9781604736854 Search this book on
. Search this book on
- ↑ Gennusa, Chris and Zorianna, Kit. "Foster Joins 'Tusker' Herd." The Hollywood Reporter, 30 March, 2000.
- ↑ Fleming, Michael. "Jones Enlists at D'Works" Variety, 4 Feb., 1996. p.15.
- ↑ Kaminer, Michael (14 June 2001). "It's Glamour with a Twist as the 5th Annual Webby Awards Ready Red Carpet for Stars of Stage, Screen, Music".
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Globe Newswire (16 June 2017). "Chicago's Historic Avalon Regal Theater Goes Hologram".
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