Chris Ryan is a content creator manager based in Los Angeles, guiding the careers of popular social media personalities.
He started his entertainment career at the top talent agency WME. He then went on to be a development executive with film/TV production companies on the Universal and Disney studio lots.
His first foray into talent management was representing feature writers and reality television producers at a boutique talent management firm before forming his own, Oceanside Entertainment.
Chris Ryan managed the careers of writers who sold scripted feature projects to Disney Animation, Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, Fox, and independent film companies. I’ve staffed reality producer clients on shows on Fox, MTV, G4, TLC, GSN, etc.
Chris Ryan sold reality and alternative television shows to Discovery Channels, G4Tv, EndemolShine North America, and QEDTv. I assembled teams for clients that included ICM, CAA, UTA, and WME agents. I connected clients with entertainment attorneys and publicists. Supervised negotiations on deals with networks and motion picture studios.
In 2005, he assisted a colleague in producing a pop-up lounge during the Sundance Film Festival. He fell in love with experiential marketing and event sponsorship, focusing on tentpole platforms associated with top awards shows, music, and film festivals. Beyond event sponsorship, he also talent-wrangled celebrities and social media creators into events.
For 10 years, he kept the master grid of all the parties at the Sundance Film Festival, which was used by media outlets, publicists, and very select industry players. The party list resulted in profiles in Businessweek, ABC News, Vanity Fair, and many others.
He’s returned to talent management post-pandemic, representing popular TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube creators.
He does occasionally work with high-profile events, securing brand sponsors.
Outside of events and talent management, he is a big fan of Broadway plays and musicals. He has been a co-producer on Doctor Zhivago on Broadway and is currently involved in the Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations Musical 1st national tour through his friend and producing partner Wendy Federman. He keeps knowledgeable about everything in the development for Broadway and welcomes investment discussions.
He also loves to travel, especially on cruises. He’s a bit of a sci-fi geek and fantasy genre movies like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. His knowledge of Star Trek is extensive and worrying. He has two cats, Deanna and Beverly.
He blogs on LinkedIn about the creator economy, influencer marketing, best practices, and what influencers need to do to be successful.
Bloomberg Article – January 16, 2014
