Thomas Benski, former CEO and co-founder of Gangs of London producer Pulse Movies, has introduced 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 perfect time to construct future dealing with firms. 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 every thing immediately, I strongly imagine expertise, manufacturers and IP are the multipliers. Our thesis is that there’s a huge alternative to decouple the IP creation course of by constructing studios and manufacturing firms round main expertise,” he mentioned.
This may assist them personal extra of their work and construct lengthy lasting firms 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 immediately,” 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, Prime 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 client manufacturers like Metier, DAACI and simply closed on their largest funding so far on a globally acknowledged energetic 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 tasks in manufacturing throughout Branded, Documentaries and Scripted.
Sy, co-founder of Carrousel, one in all Lumina’s firms 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 deliver capital however a strategic and operational method that provides artists like us the assets and experience to exit and notice our ambitions at a time when expertise is just too usually not on the desk to learn from a tasks’ long-term success.”
The Lumina launch mentioned the corporate’s method would mix monetary funding and the assets of a worldwide studio, and be strategically organized in 4 verticals: expertise pushed studios, manufacturing, children & household, and client.
It added that its funding technique would leverage an in depth investor community and inventive and storytelling experience, combining these strengths with strong monetary backing, operational self-discipline, and entrepreneurial observe document.
Moreover, by self-financing movie and TV tasks, it mentioned Lumina and its companions would be capable of obtain better artistic and monetary autonomy, enabling them to form ventures with daring, revolutionary imaginative and prescient and beneficial 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 tasks embody Gangs of London (Sky/AMC), Beastie Boys Story (Apple), PIG (Neon), The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Netflix) and Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now (Netflix).
In an formidable projection, the corporate mentioned it aimed 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 tasks which can ship early subsequent yr and be introduced shortly.
Lumina has additionally secured funding for an IP warfare chest that can allow the manufacturing of a lot of excessive worth movie and TV tasks over the approaching years throughout its group firms.
Magnus Rausing of BFK, one in all Lumina’s buyers, mentioned: “Lumina’s collective information in investing and working companies makes them the perfect platform for pioneering a brand new method that each helps expertise to create and personal beneficial IP whereas driving innovation throughout its firms – creatively, strategically and technologically. I used to be in search of a automobile to construct a media and leisure footprint and Lumina is totally the fitting platform given its creative mannequin so I’m excited to assist it develop into a defining participant within the ecosystem.”
Charles Dorfman, CEO, Dorfman Media Holdings, mentioned its funding was additionally primarily based on its perception in Benski, his staff and their observe document.
“We have now identified Thomas and his staff for an extended whereas, noticed them construct an amazing enterprise at Pulse and had been naturally excited to again his new enterprise. I’ve whole confidence of their means to establish thrilling alternatives throughout the media, leisure and client industries, particularly because the media business as an entire strikes into a brand new part of growth,” he mentioned.
Marie Savare and P.J. 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.
