David Dreilinger

World Screen Weekly, February 07, 2008

President & CEO

Lightworks Enterprises

Nearly four years ago, David Dreilinger was asked by Faith & Values Media to build a strategic plan for a company dedicated to building bridges among people of different faiths and cultures. He welcomed the challenge and devised a growth strategy that has already yielded positive results.

Today, Lightworks Enterprises is divided up into four main lines of business: Lightworks/KPI Productions, Lightworks Producing Group, Lightworks New Media and a new venture, Lightworks Pictures. And the content being produced and distributed by these divisions is finding acceptance worldwide.

Dreilinger is helping the company grow organically and through acquisitions, most recently acquiring Sandra Carter Global, known for its series Shop the World and The Hollywood Reporter. “Ms. Carter will be joining us as executive VP of business development for Lightworks Program Distribution,” says Dreilinger.

Lightworks is offering buyers the 13-part series Narc-Ops, about drug trafficking into the U.S. “We have full access to the front lines of major drug busts in four countries in Latin America culminating from a six-month investigation,” says Dreilinger. “We are also launching Lightworks Spirituality. There is an enormous demand for spiritually oriented programming throughout the U.S., and we are going to be the major provider of this programming for different technological platforms. And spirituality doesn’t mean religious. It’s inspiring—it helps people get to the bottom of some very important issues and deals with interrelations among people.”

Lightworks Pictures continues the company’s mission by developing and producing TV movies and indie theatricals that focus on human relations, understanding among people and social justice, explains Dreilinger. “We’re looking to do seven to nine films a year.”

Lightworks/KPI Productions, as its name implies, reflects the recent acquisition of Kralyevich Productions, Inc. (KPI). The entity has been busy maintaining a steady flow of production. “We have completed a co-production with the BBC on a one-hour drama, The Unusual Miss Nightingale,” says Dreilinger, “and produced more than 135 hours of programming for Hallmark Channel in 2007. For The History Channel we are in post-production on a two-hour special entitled Clash of the Cavemen and are in preproduction for six one hours, Prehistoric Megastorms.”

Lightworks New Media is an Internet platform and services-development business whose single biggest initiative is the FaithStreams Network. “It’s a content-distribution platform for a very large but targeted market. [We have a] goal of reaching 10,000 or more congregations, having hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dedicated users that will have access to faith-based content, general-interest programming. [It will] also provide for the creation of online communities throughout this underserved market.”

Dreilinger has greatly enjoyed expanding the company. “I’ve had tremendous support from Dan Matthews, Ed Murray and Bob Thomson of our parent company,” he says. “We have also been able to attract top-notch personnel in all areas of the company’s operations. Structurally we are where we want to be. Now our challenge is to build on what we have accomplished thus far and to continue to execute our vision.”