This story first appeared in a special CineEurope 2016 issue of BoxOffice magazine. To subscribe to the magazine click here.
Name: Adam MacDonald
Company: MasterImage 3D Inc.
Title: European Sales Director, Digital Cinema
Country: United Kingdom
Adam MacDonald began his career in advertising, but quickly segued into cinema through Carlton Screen Service and 20th Century Fox. This led him to senior sales roles at Datasat and Panavision, before his current role as European Sales Director for stereoscopic 3D powerhouse MasterImage 3D.
MacDonald’s former colleague Matt Liszt credits him as not just being responsible for MasterImage’s strong growth in Europe, but also says that “he is not one to sit back and watch. He has an entrepreneurial passion to push things forward and innovate.”
Like more than one person in the 40 Under 40 EUR survey, Adam cites “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” as his first cinema memory. “Before the days of pre-booking we had to get there really early to get a place in-line and try and get a good seat,” he recalls. “It felt like such a long time until the movie started but was all part of the excitement.” MacDonald cites his MasterImage colleague Sean Lohan as a mentor.
Stressing the need for better understanding of what drives people to go to cinema, MacDonald is adamant about the push for quality: “I think quality seating, concessions and the whole ‘experience’ needs to be something people will value and want to do time and time again.” High brightness 3D will be part of this, in his view, pointing to “Avatar” and “The Jungle Book” as examples of great films for the 3D medium.
MacDonald will be at CineEurope. And in the future? “I’d like to think that in 10 years’ time I could still be making a difference in this industry and helping the next generation to keep it moving forwards,” he says. “Maybe taking part in your 50 under 50 feature?”
