Company: Paramount Worldwide Home Entertainment
Title: Prexy
How she’s leading: When Paramount bought DreamWorks, execs tapped the smaller studio’s homevid chief to oversee its expanded worldwide homevid operations.
And why wouldn’t they?
Avery, a respected veteran known for her even-handed manner, learned her chops at Disney during the dawning of the sell-through era, spending 12 years at the Mouse House before jumping to DreamWorks for an eight-year stint in the exec suite.
Since coming onboard at Par in February, Avery has been charged with integrating the two studios’ homevideo operations while gearing up its high-definition disc initiatives.
At Paramount, Avery has a far bigger slate and library to deal with than at DreamWorks: Besides Paramount, Paramount Vantage, DreamWorks, MTV and Nickelodeon, she’s responsible for distributing homevid releases from Viacom properties such as CBS, Comedy Central and DreamWorks Animation titles.
“It’s a different business we’re in here,” admits Avery, who enthuses, “Paramount is a studio in transformation.”
The executive has been working closely with domestic prexy Meagan Burrows, along with former DreamWorks execs including Kelly Sooter and Mary Kincaid, who also toiled at Disney with Avery.
Bullish about hi-def, the studio joined Warner Home Video as the only majors to release product on both formats this fall.
POV: “I like to say that really 2007 will be the true launch of hi-def,” Avery says. “Yes, we did get out to a late start, but the good news is we’re seeing enthusiasm for hi-def content among the early adopters.”
Homevid Leader Report:
