Beyond the Studio System: Entrepreneurship in Entertainment

Under our new rebrand and name, LBS's Arts & Entertainment Club is excited to welcome you to our first event!

The media and entertainment landscape is undergoing a structural transformation. Legacy business models are being disrupted by emerging technologies, shifting consumer behaviours, and the globalisation of content. Where traditional gatekeepers once dominated, a new wave of founders is finding white space to build agile, scalable, and innovative companies.

To kick off our new chapter, we are thrilled to host an exclusive panel featuring trailblazing founders who stepped out of top-tier agency and studio systems to redefine how content is financed, produced, and distributed globally.

FEATURING GUEST PANELISTS:
Jason Hafford – Founder of Prototype Content & Former CAA Agent
Jason founded Prototype Content, a London-based management and production company representing leading global voices. Before launching Prototype, Jason spent 12 years at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the world's leading entertainment agencies, representing top-tier talent across film and television. During his tenure, he curated a world-class roster of Oscar, Emmy, and BAFTA winners, including global icons like Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt, successful filmmakers like Zoya Aktar (ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA), S.S. Rajamouli (RRR), while advising corporations on international strategy and market launches for brands like IMAX and Cirque du Soleil. Leveraging this top-tier representation experience, Jason built Prototype Content to operate at the intersection of global strategy and creative development. By identifying high-value IP and bridging markets across the UK, India, the Middle East, and Africa, he focuses on scaling narratives for maximum commercial and cultural impact across borders. Jason continues to be a key driver in the evolution of television and film as a boundary-breaking, global medium.
Website: https://prototypecontent.com/

Fassa Sar – Founder of Callo & Former Sony Pictures Executive
Fassa founded Callo in 2022 after serving as the youngest Studio Executive in the history of Sony Pictures. Drawing from her experience, she observed that while the top 1% of talent received comprehensive support, the vast majority of high-quality creators and producers were left to navigate the "messy and expensive" hurdles of development alone. Callo was built to disrupt this model. Today, the platform removes the friction that traditionally slows down media projects, providing creators and producers across 32 countries with the clarity and infrastructure needed to bring their work to life. By leveraging a streamlined, tech-driven platform, Callo simultaneously offers studios, brands, and distributors an efficient vehicle to source new narratives and connect with elite collaborators globally. Fassa’s work is redefining how creative projects are developed, managed, and brought to market at scale.
Website: wearecallo.com

MODERATED BY:
Ari Elan Deshpande (MBA 2027) – Founder of Meet Qute Entertainment. A former development & acquisitions executive with experience at Netflix, Universal Pictures, and John Legend's Get Lifted Film Co., Ari is a producer developing a slate of multicultural romantic comedies and dramas for film and television, anchored in three pillars: romance, wine, and travel. Her credits include M3GAN (Universal), GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT (Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, HBO), FANCY DANCE (Apple TV+), LONELY PLANET (Netflix), THE PERFECT FIND (Netflix), LIFT (Netflix), MAESTRO (Oscar-nominated, Netflix), and SLUMBERLAND (Netflix).

KEY DISCUSSION TOPICS:
- Venture Creation: The strategic calculus behind leaving established powerhouses (CAA, Sony) to launch disruptive startups.
- Innovative Financing: Sourcing capital and structuring alternative vehicles to support the next era of global content.
- Media Tech & Platform Economics: How AI is solving friction in industry collaboration and democratizing access at scale.
- Global IP & Production: Developing cross-border narratives that balance local cultural specificity with global commercial viability.
- Talent Relationships & IP Monetisation: How founder-led companies are layering co-ownership, revenue sharing, and new IP structures on top of traditional representation to unlock greater long-term value.

Whether you are recruiting for media tech, strategy, venture capital, or traditional studio leadership, this conversation will equip you with high-level insights into the economic and structural future of the entertainment industry.

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