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A discussion with Alan Christensen

Alan Christensen joins Qube Wire to drive North American growth

Alan Christensen, an innovative leader with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, has joined Qube Wire as the Head of Business Development. Formerly the CEO of Digital Cinema United (DCU), Alan played a pivotal role in transforming global film distribution, from spearheading the transition from 35mm film to digital formats at 20th Century Fox to introducing groundbreaking distribution models for major studios and IMAX. As part of Qube Wire, Alan will drive strategic advancements in cloud-based distribution solutions, empowering studios, independents and distributors in North America and globally with cutting-edge technology. Qube Wire is pleased to have found a seasoned and forward-thinking executive to spearhead its efforts to revolutionize the industry. 


Welcome aboard, Alan! - Can you tell us a bit about your journey in the entertainment industry and what inspired you to focus on digital distribution? 


Initially, I was looking for an entry point position at Deluxe with the intention of working in creative post services. However, I ended up in the film department during the transition to digital cinema, and I really enjoyed the process of DCP creation and distribution. I managed studio clients for Deluxe and quickly became first line support for exhibition in those early stages of troubleshooting issues with content and keys. It was exciting to see the adoption of these new formats and the industry’s process of evolution. 


Your experience spans significant milestones in cinema history, such as the transition from 35mm film to digital. What were some of the challenges and opportunities you faced during that period? 


Well, in film days for example, we’d deliver 3 prints of the same title to a theater who would run each print in a different auditorium. Due to the lack of Theater Management Systems at the time, we’d send out 3 Drives containing the same DCPs so that each auditorium would have their own ‘print’. This was costly and inefficient. Also, the Trusted Device List data was all over the place and everyone collected their own information. Evetually, this issue led to better integration of systems and automated reporting. 


What attracted you to Qube Wire, and how do you see the company contributing to the global distribution ecosystem? 


I’ve known Rajesh Ramachandran for many years and always admired his tech expertise. Qube had the foresight to build its own applications and control the end-to-end supply chain without external influence. That’s the model behind companies like Apple and Tesla which are hugely successful due to their closed-circuit ecosystem. Qube is technology oriented and changing the future of our industry and that’s something I want to be a part of! 


DCU became a much larger player in the distribution industry under your leadership. What lessons from that chapter of your career are you bringing to Qube Wire? 


My time at Deluxe and Fox gave me good insights into pitfalls in distribution and a keen sense of what customers wanted. We deployed very early on a multi-territory hub and spoke model for drive distribution that became heavily supported by the studios internationally. Unfortunately, the infrastructure for terrestrial was not quite ready to convert at scale during my time at DCU and then the pandemic impacted the industry at large. My key takeaway would be to balance current solutions with future models and be impeccable with timing of deploying new initiatives. Qube Wire is leading the charge to provide the best possible global distribution infrastructure available to the industry today and that’s our goal. 


How do you approach leadership and decision-making, especially when faced with industry disruptions or major changes? 


Listening to all sides and paying close attention to the things that are not effective. A lot of people are driven by cost benefits and yes, that’s important, but it’s equally important to see longevity and stability in our services and ensure we are building a more robust solution for the future. I love taking on new ideas and running with them as long as they align with customers. Qube has a stable and conservative model, and their updated initiatives layers so well on top of this foundation.


What personal values or philosophies guide your professional journey? 


Never be afraid to fail. I look at trends across other industries that underwent transformations and pick out the weak spots to learn from them. There’s no perfect model out there, but I believe good customer service and strong technology solutions ultimately brings the most value to distributors. 


On a more personal note, when you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing to recharge or gain new inspiration for your professional life? 


I spend a lot of time with my daughter and most people will also tell you I’m an avid surfer. I start my days very early and try to get in the water at sunrise if I can. This is a great way to draw inspiration from nature before my brain has to adjust to DCPs and keys :)

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