C4, a new research-based SaaS company serving the entertainment industry, made a big statement Wednesday when it agreed to acquire all of Motion Picture Group’s extensive data assets. The announcement came just six weeks after C4 was launched by MPG’s former CEO and several of its executives.
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Former MPG chief and C4’s current CEO, Vincent Bruzzese, is steering the ship for the C4 co-founders, film producers D. Todd Shepherd and George Waud of Miscellaneous Entertainment, film producer and financier Michael Benaroya, and David Lugliani of MPG. Bruzzese joined MPG in 2001 where he helped that company innovate audience assessment, as well as a variety of other film-related analyses. According to the press release, Bruzzese “is widely considered the foremost expert on box-office predictions in the industry today.” (Bruzzese in photo above)
“The team at C4 is already working to revolutionize the way decision makers analyze creative and financial entertainment content with the support of sound research and smart data algorithms,” said Shepherd in a statement. “Having the MPG research data is useful in that quest.”
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Benaroya echoed Shepherd’s enthusiasm, saying, “Vincent has skillfully guided this process, and continues to impress with the new research products he has proposed, which we are now developing. With Vincent, and our newly formed management and technology teams, we look forward to bringing impactful new research product to the industry in the coming months.”
According to the press release, the new company offers its clients “script analysis, screening research, tracking and advertising testing as well as covering the research needs in the TV, digital and video game industries.”
As recently as June, Bruzzese was the CEO of MPG, which closed down shortly before C4 opened its doors. He is joined at C4 by former MPG executives Kristen Simmons, Miriam Brin, Wade Young and Rob Siegel. And now, he has MPG’s data assets as well.
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“To ensure the security of C4 as we capitalize this exciting new venture we felt it was necessary to make sure all parties who had any connection to the launch were on the same page going forward,” Bruzzese said in a statement. “We have found that place and look forward to growing an innovative and creative company.”