In this much anticipated conversation, we had the joy of sitting down with Dwight Caines, President of Domestic Marketing for Universal Pictures. With a career that evolved from being an aspiring scriptwriter to high-profile marketing roles, Dwight generously shares about his personal and professional experiences and what he learned along the way that helped shape his success in the industry. We discuss his early interest in film; freelancing on production gigs around NYC on TV and film (which led to his epiphany that freelance is not his cup of tea!); how he got his first job in the business; and he details the digital innovation he championed in marketing and the campaigns that left a significant impact on him.

 

Dwight goes beyond discussing his professional achievements and delves into subjects that matter deeply to him. He highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood, underlining the evolution of inclusivity in film marketing. He also talks about his role in the Universal Pictures Inclusion Council and the 'Make It Universal' initiative aimed at showcasing diverse talent in the company. Dwight also underlines the significance of mentorship, the benefits of his teaching roles, and how he tries to inspire the next generation of filmmakers; as well as his involvement with Stand Up To Cancer and why the organization is so meaningful to him. Before we wrap, it was cool to hear Dwight shed light on the future of the film industry in the face of an increasingly digital world.

 

Be sure to check out our wonderful sponsor:

Defacto Sound - www.defactosound.com/

 

Oh, and doesn't our new episode artwork look great?!?! Many thanks to our brilliant pals at BOND for that. Also very grateful to the good folks at Ignition Creative for building a fantastic boutique studio for our recordings. And much love to Brian at BRASH for the terrific music his team created for this podcast.

 

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps. Here's the link: https://apple.co/3QYy80e. Just scroll down a bit and the option to review is tucked in middle of the episode list.

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as

www.linkedin.com/in/coreysnathan.

 

Below are links to the Make It Universal Instagram and YouTube playlist:

• Make It Universal IG - https://www.instagram.com/makeituniversal/?hl=en

• Make It Universal YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuq_rgCzEP_Nwi0LlH_i-v9z1i7UVE2Lb

 

For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, check out

• https://standuptocancer.org/

 

Here’s a Deadline feature covering the work Dwight and the studio team did on behalf of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition:

• Deadline ARC Article - https://deadline.com/2023/05/anti-recidivism-coalition-universal-helps-disenfranchised-win-hollywood-careers-1235368833/ 

 

Lastly, here’s some information on the Inclusion Council:

• Inclusion Council - https://www.universalgtdi.com/culture (Scroll to the second widget)