Venable represented Picturestart, a newly-launched media company focused on creating, co-financing and producing "Discovery of Voice" content. Founded by producer and media executive Erik Feig (former co-President of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group and President of Summit Entertainment and producer and originator of, among other projects, The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games franchise, La La Land, The Hurt Locker and Wonder), Picturestart raised $60mm from leading media companies including Warner Bros., Scholastic and Endeavor Content and entered into an array of strategic film, television, digital and publishing agreements in connection with the launch. Picturestart's "Discovery of Voice" concept is focused on identifying and telling diverse stories with diverse creatives in film, television and digital productions across all distribution platforms, channels and markets.
Venable's team included Alan Epstein, Ronn Davids, Jennifer Cappelletty, Scott Thompson, Shane Nix, Nicholas Jacobus, Ryan Andrews, Joshua Kaufman, Rebecca Lee, Kimberley David, Eric Bakewell and Shannyn Yates.
This deal has been covered by several publications, including Deadline, Variety, and The Wrap.