Behind the Scenes: Marketing Movies with Tim Sommerfeld

Many Screens, Big Picture with Paul Dergarabedian

This week host Paul Dergarabedian is joined by Tim Sommerfeld, a veteran marketing executive and creative director responsible for creating award-winning advertising campaigns for television, motion pictures and digital entertainment. His career as a motion picture executive includes stints at Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Entertainment, New Line Cinema and Global Road. At Summit Entertainment, he was part of the marketing team responsible for launching the “Now You See Me,” “Divergent” and “RED” franchises, plus six-time Academy Award winner “The Hurt Locker,” as well as all five films of the wildly successful “Twilight Saga”.

This episode covers:

• The intricacies of building a marketing campaign for a new movie
• The importance of earning the trust of filmmakers and creatives
• Dealing with unexpected changes during the development of the marketing plan
• Actors who were collaborative and fun to work with over the years
• Challenges/benefits of working with large ensemble casts

ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST:

Tim Sommerfeld, As a creative marketing consultant, Tim has worked on numerous films, including specialized movies as Lionsgate’s Tupac Shakur biopic “All Eyez on Me” and “Overboard” from Pantelion Films. He has also produced long-form content for “HBO: First Look” and the BET Network. Before working as a creative director at The Ant Farm Agency for six years, Tim began his career in local television at WJBK-TV in Detroit and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. He then moved to FOX Broadcasting where he was responsible for promoting “The Simpsons” and other iconographic comedies.

Mr. Sommerfeld holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University, Philadelphia where he majored in Radio-TV-Film. His work has received numerous Key Art Awards, local Emmys and a London International Advertising Award. Tim is a husband, dad and writer.

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