Brett Dismuke- Talks The New Normal of Production & Being Flexible In This Business

Before returning to UMC to helm the subscription service of UMC, , Brett Dismuke maintained his own entertainment outfit, So Chi Entertainment as well as served as President/COO of The Swirl Group, President of Moguldom Entertainment, and previously as the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Urban Programming for RLJ Entertainment's One Village studio. Brett has over 25 years of marketing, production, sales and branding experience. Through partnership with Swirl Films in 2014, Dismuke formed The Swirl Group. Through the power of their collaboration, the company established itself as the leading urban independent production company in North America, with over 80 productions in their catalog. This multi- hyphenate outfit was devoted to offering high-quality production value at lower costs, including production of independent features and multi-camera content, casting, budget creation, scheduling, post-production, talent relations and distribution. With the solid foundation, So Chi Entertainment continued the legacy, priding itself on developing the highest quality productions, developing the most interesting content and acquiring the best product available within its genre. In addition to locating and securing new content, Dismuke oversaw strategic planning, financial management, brand-building and product lines for So Chi Entertainment. Over the last few years, he has acquired and/or produced several films; including notables such as 35 & Ticking, a theatrical comedy starring Kevin Hart, Meagan Good, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Nicole Ari Parker; What My Husband Doesn't Know, a musical stage play written and directed by David E. Talbert and starring Morris Chestnut, Michelle Williams and Tiffany Haddish; and Back to the Goode Life, a critically-acclaimed, comedy, starring Kyla Pratt, London Brown, Lahmard Tate and Kelly Jenrette. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Brett Dismuke worked for Motown, PolyGram Group Distribution, Universal Music and Video Distribution, Hollywood Records, UrbanWorks Entertainment, First Look Studios and Image Entertainment. His list of projects supervised includes Jay-Z, Brian McKnight, Mary J. Blige, Mike Epps, The Cosby Show and Ultimate Fighting Championship; as well as numerous award-winning independent films. Brett is a Chicago native and currently lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys time as an empty- nester, while his son is attending college on the East Coast.