Meet Jay Heiskell, Disney’s Local Boots-on-the-Ground
We've had a shift. Marvel was a powerhouse here in Atlanta, with Pinewood which then [became] Trilith, as well as other various sound stages, and then the pandemic happened. I think people had to get more creative with where they were scouting and [the] locations.
By Carol Badaracco Padgett
Midtown Atlanta-based Jay Heiskell’s job is to help make Disney’s dreams a reality – effectively and efficiently — in Georgia and around the world. Unknowingly, he was prepping for his current role as global team leader of Disney Studio Productions for about 10 years while working as director of entertainment sales for Loews Atlanta Hotels.
The Magic Kingdom was watching and eventually came knocking. Here’s how Heiskell’s story with the entertainment giant unfolded.
Tell us about your segue from Loews Atlanta Hotels to Disney. How did the career transition come about?
Heiskell: I was part of the opening team for Loews Atlanta Hotel. My market was the entertainment vertical. So, I was in that market for 10 years and basically had a variety of studios that I supported in that vertical, [including] Disney Studio Productions. This was really before streaming took off.
With Disney’s studio productions, it literally was a franchise of back-to-back filming. When I would finish one production, a franchise, it would literally lead into others of various titles. But it kept the business flowing through the [Loews Atlanta] hotel. We were a brand new hotel at the epicenter of Atlanta and Midtown, and we were equipped to all the studios, and I had a team that supported the Disney account.
Read more at Funwoody
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