The Company
Vanquish Alliance develops, produces and markets motion pictures for broad and distinct audiences.
The strategy the company applies to all its movies is based on two simple principles. First, a project does not end with delivery but with a successful primary market release. Hence, it needs to be planned backwards with the release as a starting point. Second, to achieve creative and market success there must be a fit between a project’s particular creative and financial needs on the one hand, and its structure on the other.
Vanquish Alliance is truly independent in the sense that it fully finances its own movies. By doing so, the company retains a level of control and coordination throughout the production and marketing processes that significantly contributes to realizing each movie’s full potential. By securing its financial resources for all stages of the project independently, the company is also able to effectuate more efficient value claiming, and it retains ownership of its movies. Yet, in the film business everybody is ultimately interdependent, and the company thus takes great care and effort in structuring each project with appropriate partners in a manner that is mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.
In order to create value in a highly competitive marketplace, great talent must be identified, brought together and given the chance to perform at its highest possible level. As an independent, Vanquish Alliance is able to offer its filmmakers a favorable and non-bureaucratic work environment in which they can excel.
Vanquish Alliance was established by Terje Gaustad and Lukas Erni in 2001 and successfully developed a number of feature film projects for the international market. One of these – “Save Angel Hope” – was also financed and produced by the company and released internationally in 2007. In 2009, Erni decided to focus on his career as a writer and story analyst while Gaustad took time out from production to pursue a research project on contracting and value creation in the American film industry. Upon his return to film finance and production in 2013, Gaustad restructured the company so as to pursue its current financial and creative strategy.
Vanquish Alliance is headquartered in Switzerland.
Executive Bio
Chairman / CEO
Terje Gaustad is a producer and a highly respected entertainment industry analyst. Gaustad’s production credits include the English comedy “Save Angel Hope” (2007), the Swiss Alpine western “The Rebel” (2001) and the UK theatrical feature drama “Nasty Neighbours” (1999).
Other entertainment industry experience includes positions as an Entertainment Industry Analyst at Baskerville Communications Corp. and as Motion Picture Coordinator for Business and Legal Affairs at Playboy Entertainment Group. Gaustad has also consulted for clients such as the Norwegian Film Fund, MPA and IFPI.
Terje Gaustad holds a PhD in strategic management from BI Norwegian Business School, where he is also Adjunct Associate Professor. His main research interests have been in entertainment industry organizational economics and strategy, and he has contributed to top-rated international journals, books and book chapters. He is a member of the International Society for New Institutional Economics.