World Courant
Thomas Benski, former CEO and co-founder of Gangs of London producer Pulse Movies, has introduced the brand new London, New York, Paris and Los Angeles-based enterprise Lumina.
The brand new firm is billed as a “well-capitalized expertise & IP-led media group” backed by a primary spherical of funding in mid-eight figures, with buyers together with Magnus Rausing’s BFK, Charles Dorfman’s Dorfman Media Holdings and SVS Holdings.
“The present media panorama is in flux, and we imagine that is the best time to construct future going through corporations. Drawing from our wealthy previous expertise, we’re constructing within the current to form the long run,” mentioned Benski.
“With content material on the coronary heart of all the pieces as we speak, I strongly imagine expertise, manufacturers and IP are the multipliers. Our thesis is that there’s a large alternative to decouple the IP creation course of by constructing studios and manufacturing corporations round main expertise,” he mentioned.
This can assist them personal extra of their work and construct lengthy lasting corporations that take away pointless and costly layers within the course of of making IP. With capital and strategic enter we imagine within the decentralized United Artist mannequin for as we speak,” he mentioned.
Lumina has already partnered with Oman Sy and Louis Leterrier for the brand new European studio, Carrousel Studios led by CEO Cecile Gaget, and Yann Demange’s Wayward Movies (’71, High Boy).
On the Children and Household vertical, it has backed award-winning gaming studio Creators Corp (2023 WEBBY winner) in addition to Bafta-winning Children IP enterprise – Strike.
It has additionally invested in shopper manufacturers like Metier, DAACI and simply closed on their largest funding so far on a globally acknowledged lively put on model quickly to be introduced.
Lumina has additionally launched a brand new multi-disciplinary movie studio, Magna Studios, led by Marisa Clifford and Davud Karbassioun which has scaled in a short time with initiatives in manufacturing throughout Branded, Documentaries and Scripted.
Sy, co-founder of Carrousel, considered one of Lumina’s corporations mentioned: “on the coronary heart of this partnership, Louis, Thomas and I noticed an enormous alternative in constructing an formidable talent-led enterprise that may leverage the present market dynamics. Lumina & Thomas not solely carry capital however a strategic and operational strategy that provides artists like us the assets and experience to exit and notice our ambitions at a time when expertise is simply too usually not on the desk to learn from a initiatives’ long-term success.”
The Lumina launch mentioned the corporate’s strategy would mix monetary funding and the assets of a worldwide studio, and be strategically organized in 4 verticals: expertise pushed studios, manufacturing, youngsters & household, and shopper.
It added that its funding technique would leverage an intensive investor community and inventive and storytelling experience, combining these strengths with sturdy monetary backing, operational self-discipline, and entrepreneurial observe report.
Moreover, by self-financing movie and TV initiatives, it mentioned Lumina and its companions would be capable of obtain larger inventive and monetary autonomy, enabling them to form ventures with daring, revolutionary imaginative and prescient and worthwhile IP.
Benski is drawing on his expertise constructing Pulse into a worldwide main multi-disciplinary studio that garnered accolades throughout all of its output and realized vital scale.
Pulse had revenues of greater than $150m and greater than 150 employees by the point Benski and Clifford exited in 2021. Their earlier initiatives embody Gangs of London (Sky/AMC), Beastie Boys Story (Apple), PIG (Neon), The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Netflix) and Lewis Capaldi: How I am Feeling Now (Netflix).
In an formidable projection, the corporate mentioned it aimed to be worthwhile in its first yr of operations, delivering greater than $55 million in income throughout the group, and that it had already began producing its first IP and long-form initiatives which is able to ship early subsequent yr and be introduced shortly.
Lumina has additionally secured funding for an IP struggle chest that may allow the manufacturing of plenty of excessive worth movie and TV initiatives over the approaching years throughout its group corporations.
Magnus Rausing of BFK, considered one of Lumina’s buyers, mentioned: “Lumina’s collective data in investing and working companies makes them the best platform for pioneering a brand new strategy that each helps expertise to create and personal worthwhile IP whereas driving innovation throughout its corporations – creatively, strategically and technologically. I used to be on the lookout for a car to construct a media and leisure footprint and Lumina is completely the proper platform given its creative mannequin so I am excited to assist it grow to be a defining participant within the ecosystem.”
Charles Dorfman, CEO, Dorfman Media Holdings, mentioned his funding was additionally based mostly on his perception in Benski, his workforce and their observe report.
“We’ve recognized Thomas and his workforce for a very long time, noticed them construct an amazing enterprise at Pulse and have been naturally excited to again his new enterprise. I’ve complete confidence of their skill to determine thrilling alternatives throughout the media, leisure and shopper industries, particularly because the media trade as an entire strikes into a brand new part of growth,” he mentioned.
Marie Savare and PJ van Sandwijk, co-founders of SVS Holding, added: “We firmly imagine Lumina’s strategic mannequin, combining talent-driven content material creation with a venture-backed enterprise framework, represents the way forward for media and leisure.
Thomas Benski Launches Expertise & IP-Led Media Group Lumina
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