Michael Rubin

Current

Product Management, Consultant at Public Earth
Executive Consultant at Rope Partner
Chairman/CEO at Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge

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Past

Director, Product Management at Netflix, Inc.
Author, Publisher, Consultant at Nonlinear.info (Sole Proprietorship)
Author at DROIDMAKER (Self-employed)

Author at Peachpit Press
Editor, Post Production Consultant at Playground Productions (Sole Proprietorship)
Nonlinear Guy at The Post Group
Product Manager, CMX 6000 at CMX
Digital Audio Projects Manager at Sonic Solutions
Marketing Specialist at Lucasfilm/The Droid Works

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6 more...

Education

Brown University
GHS

Connections

265 connections

Industry

Internet

Websites

Michael Rubin’s Summary

I have a disparate range of business experiences that give me unusual perspective and insight into companies of all kinds - from the Hollywood film post-production industry, to a start-up/venture financed consumer retail, to independent book publishing, to innovative fast-paced technology/consumer facing businesses. These roles were not as a consultant but as a stake-holder. I bring an valuable combination of depth and breadth to my work.

Historically, my passion has been to make high-end communication tools (for filmmaking, in particular) available to the consumer market. I've spent almost 25 years educating and evangelizing professionals and then consumers about the ease and power in these capabilities. It is what I call "video literacy." I believe these will be increasingly important skills for people to have.

More recently, I have developed an understanding about the costs and benefits of online communities, and a deep interest in making them advantageous to both the members and the businesses that surround them. Whether its larger businesses (like Netflix), small independent retailers (like Petroglyph), or iconoclastic individuals/author projects (Droidmaker, Little Digital Video Book) - blogs and social networks have value and a proper business place, and I have a range of experiences associated with each of these. I have expertise from the large scale to the small and look for opportunities to capitalize on this background and integrate it with my instincts about the future of network effects/online communities.

Most importantly, my experiences are not simply academic, but spring from a history of entrepreneurship, individual empowerment and creativity.

Anyway, enough about me.

Michael Rubin’s Specialties:

brand strategy, web (product management/UI/UX), entertainment technology, movies (in general), digital video education and content, graphic design, photography, start-ups, guerrilla marketing, networking, freedom & responsibility

Michael Rubin’s Experience

Product Management, Consultant

Public Earth

(Internet industry)

May 2009 — Present (3 months)

Working with a start-up to build new applications for their wiki. A "lifestyle site for geographic information." Funded by Polaris Venture Partners (Seattle).
Executive Consultant

Rope Partner

(Renewables & Environment industry)

January 2009 — Present (7 months)

Supporting and partnering with the founders of this established pioneer of wind turbine maintenance; to rebrand and reposition the company in the Wind Energy field, and to scale operations with the rapidly accelerating industry.
Chairman/CEO

Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge

(Privately Held; Retail industry)

September 1993 — Present (15 years 11 months)

Co-founded a new concept in retail (called by Forbes "Participatory Retail") and launched the pioneer "contemporary ceramics studio" which lead to a national phenomenon. Petroglyph continues to be an industry leader here. Built the company rapidly from 1994-2000, raising venture capital, and growing to 7 studio locations in the bay area. Scaled back operations in 2000 and supervised a Director of Operations to lead the 4 studios. In 2009 returned to reorganize and restructure. Chairman of the Board and acting CFO, I continue to work with the creator of the concept and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Rubin.
Director, Product Management

Netflix, Inc.

(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; NFLX; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

January 2006 — May 2008 (2 years 5 months)

Netflix is accutely focused on connecting people to movies they'll love. My particular exploration is how connecting people to each other helps them all find movies they'll deeply enjoy. Consequently, this extends to work in online communities, social networks, RSS, blogs, APIs, and the implications of "Web2.0" on our business metrics.
Author, Publisher, Consultant
Nonlinear.info (Sole Proprietorship)

(Sole Proprietorship; 1-10 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

March 1991 — January 2006 (14 years 11 months)

Digital literacy advocate-author of film/video industry textbook NONLINEAR: a field guide to digital video and film editing (Triad).
1st edition 1991
2nd Edition 1992
3rd Edition 1995
4th Edition 2001

Also the author of:
The Little Digital Video Book (Peachpit Press, 2001),
Beginner's Final Cut Pro (Peachpit Press 2002),
Making Movies with Final Cut Express (Peachpit Press, 2003),
iLife '04 Apple Training Series (Peachpit, 2004).
iLife '05 Apple Training Series (Peachpit, 2005)
iLife '06 Apple Training Series (Peachpit, 2006)
The Little Digital Video Book, 2nd edition (Peachpit, 2008)

Rubin has consulted for Apple Computer, Sony Digital Entertainment (Screenblast) and has presented papers internationally, at the NAB conference, Macworld, IBC, Montreux, OUMU (Beijing), AFIfest, and others.
Author
DROIDMAKER (Self-employed)

(Self-Employed; Myself Only; Writing and Editing industry)

November 2003 — January 2006 (2 years 3 months)

"George Lucas and the Digital Revolution" (TRIAD, $34.95) -released in November 2005. A detailed history of the Lucasfilm Computer Division and its impact on media technology and independent cinema. The definitive story of the creation of Pixar.

20-city US Tour through Winter 2005/06, limited dates in 2007-2008; highlights:
Brown University
University of Washington
Columbia College
Apple Stores (Soho, Michigan Ave, San Fran)
Memphis Institute of Technology
Pixar
Adobe
Netflix
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
Keynote Macworld '06,
Computer History Museum,
Final Cut Pro User Groups (SF, Chicago),
University of Florida
Yahoo!
Siggraph (Vancouver)
Commonwealth Club (SF)
Author

Peachpit Press

(Public Company; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

2001 — 2006 (5 years)
Editor, Post Production Consultant
Playground Productions (Sole Proprietorship)

(Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

April 1989 — July 1993 (4 years 4 months)

Edited (and assistant edited) television and feature film projects. First editor on the Avid Media Composer for a network telelvision show.
Nonlinear Guy

The Post Group

(Internet industry)

1987 — 1992 (5 years)
Product Manager, CMX 6000

CMX

(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

September 1987 — September 1990 (3 years 1 month)

Introduced nonlinear editing tools into the film and broadcast industry. Consulted on post production projects ranging from Lonesome Dove to The Sheltering Sky. Worked in join-venture between CMX and The Post Group (LA) to introduce nonlinear editing in Hollywood.
Digital Audio Projects Manager

Sonic Solutions

(Public Company; 51-200 employees; SNIC; Music industry)

February 1987 — August 1987 (7 months)

Assisted founders in the start-up in all activities, marketing, production, CD premastering. Employee #4.
Marketing Specialist

Lucasfilm/The Droid Works

(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

June 1985 — February 1987 (1 year 9 months)

Joined the Lucasfilm spin-off of the Computer Division to develop and introduce the EditDroid and SoundDroid post production tools to Hollywood. Worked with VP Marketing, and VP of Development.

Michael Rubin’s Education

Brown University

Sc.B , Neuroscience , August 1981 — May 1985
GHS

Additional Information

Michael Rubin’s Websites:

Michael Rubin’s Interests:

photography, design, filmmaking, macs, entrepreneurship, good food

Michael Rubin’s Groups:

TED Conference ['03-'08], Sundance Film Festival ['87-'08], National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference ['85-'05], Macworld Expo Keynote Speaker, Board Member, Santa Cruz County Cultural Council ['02-'03].