PayPal Vet Selby Launches Digital Film Production, Distribution And Marketing Firm

Horsethief Pictures logo

Former PayPal SVP Jack Selby is getting into the film business: He’s funding and launching Horsethief Productions, a digital movie production, distribution and marketing firm. Selby currently serves as managing director of hedge fund Clarium Capital Management; before Clarium, he spent three years as SVP of corporate and international development at PayPal.

Horsethief plans to release two-to-three films per year on various digital platforms, including VOD, subscription services like *Netflix* and premium video channels like Hulu. The company will also rely on the web to promote its content. For example, its first film, The Last Rights of Ransom Pride, already boasts two microsites: lastritesfilm.com, and whokilledthedwarf.com, which introduces viewers to “The Dwarf,” one of the main characters in the film.

The Dwarf site includes an official trailer, as well as links to Facebook and Twitter; launched last week, the company says it has garnered over 100,000 views from the social media promotion alone. Horsethief will release mini-trailers spotlighting more of the film’s characters, as well as Facebook and MySpace profiles; the company also plans to have a crowd-sourced songwriting contest, with the winning tune getting placement in the official movie trailer, as well as a comic book-creation contest.

What makes the campaigns interesting is that they’re coming directly from the Horsethief team, with input from The Last Rites’ cast — not an outside marketing agency. Selby will serve as Horsethief’s Chairman; a pair of Hollywood vets — Drop Dead Sexy producer Duncan Montgomery and Bad Boys of Summer director Tiller Russell — will serve as head of production and business affairs, and head of creative development, respectively. Release.

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