As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Threshold Entertainment Group, Lawrence Kasanoff produces films and theme park rides based on some of the world’s biggest IP brands, including 'Spider-Man', 'Mortal Kombat', 'Justice League', 'Lego', 'Terminator 2', 'Marvel', 'Star Trek', and 'Star Wars'. As a business innovation speaker, Larry's star-studded anecdotes translate the lessons he learned to corporate audiences, leaving them inspired to push the boundaries of creation.
Larry did not come from the world of Hollywood. He attended the oldest high school in the United States - Boston Latin School, whose alumni include Benjamin Franklin - then onto a BA at Cornell University and an MBA from The Wharton School. From an East Coast Ivy League background, Larry jumped into a world of creativity, crazy people, no rules, huge gambles, constant change, zero security and lots of weasels – in other words, Hollywood, where he still operates today.
As a speaker, Larry serves as a Rosetta Stone between the corporate landscape and Hollywood, using examples, stories and lessons learned from the film industry to instil outside-the-box thinking in corporate audiences. Larry produced all 'Mortal Kombat' media including three #1 films, a television series, an animated series, platinum-selling soundtracks, direct to DVD, and a live tour. He was also Executive Producer of 'True Lies', the box-office smash film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by James Cameron.
A true visionary, Larry has pushed the boundaries of filmmaking throughout his career. Examples of such innovation include ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’, which featured morphing for the first time in cinema, ‘Mortal Kombat’, the first film based on a video game and ‘Bobbleheads: The Movie’, a 2021 release that featured CGI rendered in GPU in Asure Cloud - the first of its kind. At events, he reveals the mindset needed to push the boundaries of innovation, essential for industry disruption.
Previously, as President and Co-Founder of Lightstorm Entertainment, Larry supervised production, marketing, publicity, and merchandising for the four-time Academy Award-winning hit, 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day'. He also produced two movies with Academy Award-winning director, Kathryn Bigelow. Larry - as a Producer or Studio Head - has made over 200 feature films, including 'Dirty Dancing' and Academy Award Winning Best Picture, 'Platoon'. He has also raised well over a billion dollars in the film business.
In the music world, Larry has packaged or produced video projects with several of the world’s biggest talents, including Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, and Dick Clark. For 'Terminator 2', he produced MTV’s top video of the year, 'You Could Be Mine' with Gun’s ‘N Roses. Larry and Threshold Entertainment Group have been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, USA Today, Time Magazine, Wired, Maxim, and Playboy and have been featured on CNN, FOX News, ABC World News Tonight, CNBC, The Howard Stern Show and more.
As a speaker, Larry reveals the process of producing Academy award-winning and big Box Office hit movies, and the secret to generating investment. His successful career in the film industry has equipped Larry with unique insight into networking, producing and innovation, topics he now discusses with event attendees. An expert in creativity, your conference will benefit from the inventive mind and compelling anecdotes of this Hollywood producer.
How to hire Lawrence Kasanoff
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Lawrence Kasanoff for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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A TOUCH OF THE MADNESS
How a little crazy goes a long way
Everyone wants to innovate, but most use tried and true methods. This is dead wrong! You cannot be unusual by following a usual path. You have to foster a culture of eccentricity and yes, a bit of madness, to truly innovate. Larry reveals his unique creative process at events, including how he uses a 'touch of the madness' to break boundaries.
ALL THE GREAT SCOUNDRELS
Lessons from unlikely places & people
The film business is full of charming, eccentric iconoclasts who break the rules. Using often outrageous stories from people like these, Larry explains how he embraced these people and the lessons learned that apply across the board. This speaking topic explores the many different personalities found in the workplace, and how different ways of thinking lead to innovation.
PROBLEM? THIS ISN’T A PROBLEM
Hollywood Producer's Guide to Problem-Solving
A great producer never lets anything stop them from getting the shot - not actors who will not come out of their trailers, deranged directors, or gunshots from perturbed locals. What most corporate types perceive as enormous problems would barely raise the heartbeat of a capable producer because in Hollywood, no one keeps their word and everyone has an angle. You’ll learn some of the tricks of the trade to stay calm in the perfect storm.
GLOBALIZATION ROCKS
A World of Opportunities
Forget about supply chain hiccups and clogged shipping lines. Technology now raises globalization to a new level because we can create for the world and create with the world. Using a case study from his recent animated feature film for Universal, Bobbleheads, starring Cher, Larry Kasanoff explains how, with the help of new tech from Microsoft and Nvidia, they created a worldwide production platform that included artists, animators, and technical experts in the US, Nepal and all over India. Not only did it withstand the pandemic and two cyclones, but it allowed the filmmakers to infuse into the movie the cultural aspects of all these countries. So globalization is also now inclusivity and diversification.
"On behalf of IBM Corporation, I would like to thank you for participating in the IBM case study profiling Threshold Animation Studios. Your experience with IBM serves as an important example of how collaboration and technology-enabled solutions can drive business value and accelerate the attainment of short- and long-term goals.
"Through your groundbreaking, real-time animation process you have found a new way to more affordably and quickly bring quality digital entertainment to market, and we are honored to have been a part of it.
"Your vision and leadership not only create real and lasting business benefits, but also reinforce your value to your customers, your partners, and the marketplace at large."
- Jeff, Vice President at IBM
“Threshold is the next generation Pixar”
- USA Today
”Threshold is on the threshold of a new concept in Hollywood”
- CNN
“Threshold (is spinning) gold from digital threads.”
- The New York Times
"There’s a company of technowizards called Threshold Entertainment – it’s amazing the worlds they can create.”
- Entertainment Tonight
”Threshold turns out as much content… as most studios a thousand times its size.”
- Chicago Tribune
“The Maestro of ‘Mortal Kombat’ has seen the future of film production – and it’s right around the corner.”
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Threshold Entertainment Group
- Former President and Co-Founder of Lightstorm Entertainment
- Founder and Chairman of Blackbelt TV
- Producer of all 'Mortal Kombat' films
- Produced one of MTV's top videos of the year - 'You Could Be Mine' with Gun’s ‘N Roses
Larry's Technological Innovations in Filmmaking:
- 'Making Michael Jackson's Thriller' – The First 1,000,000 Home Video
- 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day – The First Morphing in a Movie
- 'Mortal Kombat' – The First Hit Movie Based on a Video Game
- 'Star Trek: Borg Adventure' – The First Stereoscopic 3D Steadicam Shot
- Disney World's Mission: Space – The First Theme Park Simulator Attraction to pull 2.5 Gs
- Marvel Superheroes 4D, London – First Time Marvel Characters Together in Stereoscopic 3D, Projected on a 360 Degree Dome.
- 'Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers' – The First Feature-Length Film Based on LEGO
- 'Spiderman, Universal Studios Orlando' – First of Only Two Moving Points of 3D Convergence Rides in the World
- 'Bobbleheads: The Movie' – First time CGI movie rendered in GPU in Azure Cloud, in collaboration with Microsoft and NVIDIA
