For nearly 30 years, 411 Publishing has set the standard for business-to-business directories.
411 Publishing provides the entertainment industry with the best, most trustworthy production resources for film, TV, commercials, video and music video production.
LA 411 is the most trusted and widely used production resource in Southern California. Rigorous editorial procedures, comprehensive listings, and a reputation for quality and integrity have earned LA 411 the unofficial title of "the bible" in the local production community. All LA 411 listings have been qualified to ensure legitimacy.
New York 411 offers the highest quality and most comprehensive production listings serving the New York Tri-State area. In support of the NYC Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting and their "Made in NY" program and incentives, they are committed to creating listings that provide the ultimate resource for the New York production community. All New York 411 listings have been qualified to ensure legitimacy.
Variety411.com. As film and TV production increasingly spreads out across the country, their national production directory allows production companies to research crew, equipment, location services production facilities, and much more in all 50 states. Listings designated with their exclusive "411 Qualified" logo, have been vetted by their editorial staff.
Resource 411 is the entertainment industry's one-stop shop for the most valuable information available from 411 Publishing. There you will find tools designed to assist with your production needs: L.A. & NY stage charts, crew & union guidelines, permit information, sunrise/sunset times, relevant articles and much more.
411 Publishing is owned by Reed Business Information—parent company of Variety. Covering 23 market sectors with more than 100 market-leading publications and 75 Web sites, as well as a range of services, Reed Business Information is North America's largest business-to-business information provider.
Sean Killebrew, Publisher, 411 Publishing
OCS: As publisher of the most recognized and arguably the most important resource for professional production companies, what was your path to your current position?
Sean: Prior to joining 411 Publishing, I was with WeddingChannel.com, where I was one of the first people hired on. For most of my few years with them I handled sales and then moved into project management. When I started with 411 I was handling sales and after about 4 years, I became the Advertising Director. From there I was promoted to Associate Publisher and then a couple of years ago I was named Publisher.
OCS: You have been with 411 Publishing for a decade or so and are obviously enthusiastic about your products. Was there an aha! moment when you knew this was the perfect fit for your talents?
Sean: It was basically when I realized I’d be dealing with all sorts of different clientele, from animal trainers to cinematographers and all the way to the major studios. Some meetings required a suit, others required anything but. It was that sort of exposure to all levels of the below-the-line realm that hooked me. Not to mention the overflowing amount of talent I was exposed to, as being around these types of people is inspiring.
OCS: You are a division of Reed Elsevier, the publisher of “The” industry entertainment magazine, Variety. That would be enough for many companies. Reed is much, much more. Please tell us a little more about Reed.
Sean: 411 Publishing, is part of Reed Elsevier, a global business to business publishing company that includes such publishing industry stalwarts as Variety, LexisNexis, Reed Exhibitions and Reed Construction Data. The major sectors covered by Reed include science, risk, medical and business. We share an office in West LA with Variety and 411 products are constantly featured in Daily Variety, Variety.com as well as their various newsletters. In addition, we co-publish Variety’s Inside Production newsletter.
OCS: What sets you apart from other local and regional resource guides?
Sean: First and foremost, you cannot be listed with LA or New York 411 unless you’ve worked in a production capacity. Every applicant must supply 3 references related to work in film and/or television and our editors actually call on those references to ensure that you or your company has done solid production work. As I’m sure you’re aware, the demands on set are quite different than those anywhere else. The pressure, the hours, the egos, etc. can all lead to a very demanding work environment, so it takes a special person or company to handle it. We take our vetting process so seriously that we turn down advertising dollars from applicants who are unable to qualify for a listing. The other piece to the puzzle is the painstaking task of keeping our listings up to date and accurate. Through calling and e-mailing our more than 30,000 listees in Southern CA and the Tri-State area, we’re able to keep our data clean.
OCS: In addition to your flagship hardcopy resource guides that everyone knows about, what other products or services do you provide? Please also talk about your online presence. Apps for smart phones and iPads. What kind of costs do are associated with these products?
Sean: We have two web sites – LA411.com and NY411.com and the listings mirror those in the printed guides. The LA and NY 411 books are annuals and publish in January and July, respectively. In addition, we launched a dedicated LA 411 iPhone app in September of last year. The response has been overwhelmingly positive as our users appreciate the speed and convenience of the app. Our dedicated NY 411 app is currently in development with a rough launch date of June.
OCS: From your unique perspective, how does the production business in the United States look to you now and over the next couple of years? Do you see any surprises or special opportunities over the horizon?
Sean: The most interesting thing happening right now concerns the newly elected governors of each state and their various positions on production incentives. Most studies show that for every dollar spent by a state on incentives, they earn more back, though the amount earned varies widely. That said, these various state governments are under incredible pressure to find savings in their budgets and the incentive programs are a major target. If LA and NY play their cards right, they’ll regain some of the production business (both in film and tv) that they’ve lost to places like Michigan and New Mexico. NY is already on the right path in terms of funding their incentive program, but out here in Southern CA, we need to be much more aggressive to stem the tide of runaway production. 411 recently partnered with Film LA on their Film Works project www.filmworksla.com which is their new initiative to keep production in Los Angeles. The health of our local economy is directly tied to production; as such I encourage everyone living in Southern CA to support this program..
For more information on LA411 and all 411Publishing products, visit them at http://www.la411.com/About_Us/Index.cfm
