X|Media|Lab: Greg Suess

Greg Suess is a founding partner of ROAR, a Beverly Hills-based management consulting company, and practices corporate and entertainment law.  He says digital media tools have empowered actors, writers, directors, developers, musicians, industry icons and brands to have more control than ever over their success. 

Greg Suess and Trent J Blacket , head of ROAR Asia Pacific, are international mentors at X|Media|Lab, Commercialising Ideas, in Auckland from May 22-24. The lab is designed to help local digital media companies get their ideas to market.

What is exciting you most right now in the digital arena? 

The ability for actors, writers, directors, developers, musicians, industry icons and brands to have more control than ever over their success. 

Prior to the digital tools available today, talent was beholden to film and television studios, radio stations, record labels and retailers, as these groups largely controlled the marketing and distribution platforms. 

Now talent is empowered with powerful digital media tools, which enable them to have greater control over their careers, profile, marketing and distribution.  They are looking for groups like ROAR to help them unleash and maximize their potential.     

What are some of the challenges of ‘commercialising ideas’ in the current economic climate? 

Waiting.  Conversations have been directed towards the first quarter of 2010, but we don’t like to wait.  So, finding near term solutions to limited budgets is a focus.  We’ve done a number of 3 month and 6 month deals, where they would have been 12 month or multi-year deals last year.      

What is your “Big Idea” for 2009?

We’ve invested in a company called Rocketstream.com (Ticker: voyt.ob), which provides for ultra-fast, secure, and reliable transfers of large media and other files up to 200x faster than traditional FTP.  For game developers, animation companies, and others sending large files between NZ and the US, this is an essential tool. 

We are working with everyone from mining companies and hospitals, given the large x-ray files, to mobile phone companies, TV stations and animation companies. It’s really exciting to see Rocketstream fill a need in the marketplace.

Greg Suess bio

Greg Suess is a founding partner of ROAR, a Beverly Hills-based management consulting company.  He also practices corporate and entertainment law with Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP (www.glaserweil.com). 

Since ROAR’s inception, Greg has overseen more than $250 million in financing transactions for clients, including SBE Hotels’ acquisition of Le Meridien Hotel, and PCCW’s acquisition of client Harmony Resort’s ski resort in Hokkaido Japan.  Greg serves as a key member of ROAR’s management team, which represents a number of select actors, writers, directors, industry icons, brands, entertainment properties and government trade and investment offices. ROAR provides comprehensive management services for its clients including talent and brand management, managing partnerships, strategic alliances and marketing strategies that engage consumers through entertainment, music, and lifestyle experiences. 

Under the ROAR banner, Greg co-executive produced the acclaimed mockumentary, Pittsburg, starring Academy Award winner Jeff Goldblum, and also served as co-executive producer on the moving drama, Memories of Tomorrow, starring Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe.  Greg is currently producing a feature film with Fox, entitled Little Big War, to be directed by Walt Becker (Wild Hogs), and the comedy, Tug, financed by TicTock Studios.  Greg produced the first ever Girls Gone Wild music compilation, with Jive Records and ZOMBA.  He also produced a live HD concert for Billboard’s #1 World Band, Gaelic Storm, entitled Gaelic Storm: Live From Chicago, and co-executive produced Aisha Tyler is Lit: Live at the Fillmore, which sold to Comedy Central. 

Greg made the unprecedented move of becoming “Of Counsel” to Glaser, Weil as a third year lawyer, after securing a number of high profile clients for representation, including Quincy Jones, CJ Entertainment (the largest entertainment company in South Korea), PCCW (the dominant telecommunications company in Hong Kong), and The Milken Family Foundation.  Prior to joining the law firm, Greg was director of business development for Knowledge Exchange, an educational entertainment-publishing firm in Santa Monica, founded by Michael Milken.  The firm was bought out by management in 1996. 

Greg is a graduate of the University of Southern California's Entrepreneur Program, holds a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University, and is a member of the State Bar of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. 

Greg was listed as a “Super Lawyer” in 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics.  Greg is also the co-author of “I Love You Man, But Not Like THAT” (Andrews McMeel 2007).