ARwall Taps Hollywood Dealmaker Mark Rodriguez as Head of Revenue
Dynamic industry vet, known for his work at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Global, and having worked on world-class IP such as ABC's THE ROOKIE, CBS's GHOSTS, and movie franchises GHOSTBUSTERS and MEN IN BLACK, will oversee three ARwall divisions worldwide: Pro Services for Soundstages, Pro Services for Productions, and ARFX products and software.
Los Angeles, October 11, 2024 -- ARwall, the industry leader in XR virtual production (VP), announced today that veteran media and entertainment executive Mark Rodriguez has joined its management team as Head of Revenue. In his new role, Rodriguez will lead three ARwall divisions worldwide: Pro Services for Soundstages, Pro Services for Productions, and ARFX Products and Software. The addition of Rodriguez signals a new growth phase for the company, which has expanded from a pioneering startup to an award-winning leader in XR and VP, with multiple patents, several lines of business, a sizeable portfolio of clients and products, and international adoption.
“We’re extremely glad Mark has joined our team,” said ARwall CEO and co-founder Rene Amador. “His background as both a seller and buyer in the studio ecosystem has already proved to be a great asset. ARwall has been the leader in discovering the myriad ways that emerging XR virtual production technology can positively affect not just the film set, but also galvanize the film business. Now that the industry faces top-to-bottom disruption, we appreciate someone in our corner with Mark's insider dealmaking skills.”
For his part, Rodriguez noted his recognition of industry disruption in part attracted him to the ARwall role. “It’s clear that trends toward production democratization and the upending of traditional distribution will continue,” he explained. “Legacy studios are looking to curb costs, while leveling production capabilities allows smaller studios to meet demand. ARwall has been at the forefront of bringing this future-facing business model to market, leading the way for the nascent VP sector to become standard practice. And it doesn’t hurt that they’ve earned their pedigree with numerous awards, including an Emmy and a Product of the Year for AI at NAB!”
Moreover, ARwall’s strategy at the outset has been to empower creators of all types around the world by offering a suite with a low barrier to entry. The team refined this alternative way of making films using integrated LED screens, camera tracking, and real-time engines, unified by ARwall’s proprietary, intuitive software. They’ve now rolled out a solution that works for both the most demanding high-end studio productions, and for the creator at home with a smartphone and a TV.
“We’ve over 120 deployments under our belt,” Amador revealed. “By creating a complete ecosystem from beginner to studio pro, we've provided a path for educators and hobbyists to generate amazing stories with tools on par with those used by Hollywood professionals. And the next year will likely be our most exciting since we began the company, we’ll be announcing some new surprises. Mark's experience collaborating with household brand powerhouses will help us find the partners to ensure these amazing tools reach the creators looking for them.”
Rodriguez agrees that ARwall’s technology is unique in its ability to deliver for premium programmers as well as the creator community, “Top tier content will no longer belong only to the major studios,” he averred. “Hollywood will no longer be the gatekeeper. Democratizing high-quality production capabilities will have major impacts on cost/time savings, environmental sustainability, creator collaboration, immersive content creation and much more. Higher education can now include VP in their curriculum to prepare them for the future, and the ARwall team have been leaders there.”
Looking toward that future, ARwall is practicing what it preaches. Over the summer they announced their new studio, Glowcraft Films, a co-development and co-production house leveraging VP. VFX legend Scott Ross came on as an advisor, and Rodriguez also will participate in the effort along with ARwall’s Co-founder and President of Production Jocelyn Hsu.
“ARwall is at the perfect stage to scale,” said Rodriguez. “And I’m coming in at the perfect time to help make that happen. All of my previous studio jobs had growth requirements, and I’ll be doing so here by expanding the client portfolio, adding new partnerships, and yes, developing great content on the Glowcraft side. Collaborating with Scott Ross is a flag-planting move for us. It’s time to combine ARwall’s VP software innovations with its own content development. How exciting to be at the crossroads of art and commerce!”
Amador sees a bright future in the near term for ARwall, one that Rodriguez will help realize. “Along with his experience, Mark’s analytical abilities and intuition accelerate conversations to a successful close,” Amador summarized. “At the end of the day, all filmmakers want their projects to be a commercial success, and Mark understands that our technology will help them do just that. The VP market is estimated to grow from its current $1.8B to $7.2B by 2029, so in many ways we haven’t even begun, Mark couldn’t have joined at a better time.”
About ARwall
ARwall is an award-winning XR/AI technology and services company, leaders in XR virtual production (VP), software development and XR/VP content development, including film, TV, advertising and immersive AR experiences. Its diverse multi-disciplinary team comes from TV, VFX, design, mobile, games, and brands, experience which they applied in creating innovative, patented proprietary software and systems optimized for a wide range of industry sectors. Glowcraft Films, the company’s co-production division, incorporates ARwall’s tech into a full range of VP resources, offering co-production, creative direction, project management, virtual/real set design, production, post and VFX.
