Film journalism Hindes began his writing career in the early 1990s as a freelance contributor to entertainment publications including
Filmmaker and
Moving Pictures. He then joined the staff of
Variety and
Daily Variety, where he attained the positions of Senior Writer and Film Editor. His byline appeared on hundreds of articles including news, reviews and box office analysis. In Hindes’ oft-cited coverage of the distribution strategy for
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he confirmed the debut of a new theatrical digital surround sound technology, Dolby-Digital-Surround EX. He also was one of the first journalists to report on the radical changes roiling motion picture exhibition in the late 1990s, which led to the bankruptcy and consolidation of numerous major theater chains as well as the emergence of digital cinema projection. After four years at
Variety, Hindes moved on to IFILM.com. This early provider of user-generated content for public viewing predated YouTube by more than five years. In addition to being the site's founding editor-in-chief, Hindes oversaw the development of products designed specifically for entertainment industry professionals. Hindes’ next stop was pioneering media journalism website
Inside.com, where he held the positions of Senior Correspondent and Film Editor. He also worked at Nielsen EDI, overseeing all of the entertainment tracking firm's U.S. publications as Executive Vice President of Product Development. Hindes is the co-author with Chris Petrikin and Dan Cox of
Variety Power Players 2000: Movers and Shakers, Power Brokers and Career Makers, published by Perigee. The book provided detailed information about a long list of Hollywood insiders working on both sides of the camera.
The In-House Writer In 2004, Hindes founded copywriting firm
The In-House Writer. The company utilizes the skills of a team of freelance writers and copywriters selected for their creativity, subject knowledge and marketing savvy. The firm does not provide publicity services such as press release distribution or pitching to media outlets, preferring to partner with PR agencies.
Marketing philosophy As a guest lecturer in classes at UCLA Extension,
USC, the UBC2C Hollywood entertainment and media symposium, Pepperdine University and the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC), Hindes has shared his marketing writing expertise with students and professionals. Hindes was an early proponent of the Internet's power to reach a specialized audience. During his tenure at IFILM.com, he compared the proliferation of Internet use to the inexpensive video technology of the 1980s that first made it possible for music videos to be produced for artists outside the major labels. As president of
The In-House Writer, Hindes has drawn upon his experience with online media to craft web copy for diverse clients such as
Napster, Miller PR and Equator Financial Solutions. == References ==