Lauren Selig
Shake and Bake Productions
Founder and CEO
Los Angeles
Core to the growth of new technologies and companies are experienced investors whose advice and financial resources can be the difference between failure and success. To help attendees navigate the landscape, the Society is honored to welcome New Media Investor and TV and Film Producer, Lauren Selig. She’ll share her insights about how to create and then communicate your value to the right investment partner.
Lauren Selig is an entrepreneur and executive with a 20-year track record of global impact in the media, real-estate and start-up communities. In 2013, Selig founded Shake and Bake Productions and V.A.L.I.S Studios to finance and produce high quality independent studio pictures, television and virtual reality.
Selig executive produced the Academy Award winning film Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson, American Made starring Tom Cruise and is currently producing Roman Israel with Denzel Washington and Last Full Measure with Al Pacino, Sebastian Stan, and Chris Plummer. She executive produced the Universal Studios thriller Everest, directed by Bathasar Kormákur starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Sam Worthington, Jason Clarke and Robin Wright, Warner Brothers Black Mass, Sony’s Pride Prejudice and Zombies.
In 2013, Selig Executive Produced Lone Survivor, directed by Peter Berg starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, and Emile Hirsch. Lone Survivor was the highest grossing movie during the month of January in 2014, won the Critics Choice Award, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2012, Selig Co-Executive Produced Parkland, directed by Peter Landesman and featuring an ensemble cast which includes Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Billy Bob Thorton, Jacki Weaver and Paul Giamatti. Parkland made its debut at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival in 2013.
In 2013, Selig co-produced Begin Again, written and directed by John Carney and starring Keira Knightly, Mark Ruffalo and Hailee Steinfeld. Begin Again was acquired by The Weinstein Company during an all-night bidding war resulting in the single most lucrative deal of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Selig’s other releases include the hammer horror film The Quiet Ones, which was quickly sold to Lionsgate for release in April 2014; The Liam Neeson-starrer A Walk Among the Tombstones, directed by Scott Frank, and the romantic comedy Two Night Stand starring Miles Teller, which was sold to Entertainment One. 2015 movies include James Franco’s I Am Michael, the documentary Finders Keepers and the upcoming James Franco, Seth Rogan and Will Ferrell movie Zeroville.
Selig’s other up and coming development projects include Frank Darabont directing the last Kurbick script The Downslope with producer Ridley Scott, Neal Stephenson’s best selling sci fi book The Diamond Age, Daniel Radcliffe’s Imperium, Christopher Yost and Wetaworks The Monkey King, the television series Cleansing with the creators of Call of Duty and Ratpac, Torn with academy award winner Michael Sugar and Ritz with Vikings producer Alan Gasmer.
In the virtual reality space Selig created the Facebook 360 studio bringing important content strategies to the emerging VR ecosystem, with a major focus on key areas such as audience development, talent partnerships, and community building. Surreal and Lauren also partnered on the VR content for the upcoming Tom Cruise movie American Made and she partnered with Endemol and TIME magazine to produce the first virtual reality summit of Mt. Everest. She produced Intels Smithsonian American Virtual Reality experience that launched at the 2017 CES keynote.
Selig is an owner of the China advisory firm Lila and formerly she was the president of business development and strategy at IndieFlix, one of the largest collections of independent films online. Selig served in the role of director of development at her private family office, managing the asset allocation and portfolio management of family investments in startups.