Door to door to Web Tu hear Charlie Fink tell it. his formu- areas of production. The talent was gath- la for success hasn't been much dif- ered and the transformation took place. ferent from those of the animation During his tenure there. Disney Pictures heroes he helped to create during his days turned out a string of animation hits, includ- at Disney Pictures: put yourself in harm's ing "Roger Rabbit.' "The Little Mermaid." way and count on sheer dumb luck. "Beauty and the Beast." "Aladdin" and "The That's the way America Online's Lion King " -a story line he suggested. Greenhouse Networks senior VP /chief cre- With Schneider and Roy Disney as his ative officer sees a career that seemed to mentors, Fink was named director of pro- get its kick -start when Fink graduated from duction in 1988 and vice president of pro- the Art Institute of Chicago with a master's duction in 1989. He was particularly in film in 1983. He produced "Door to pleased with his position on the animation Door," a "fictional documentary" about side. "I was the only one doing the anima- door -to -door salesmen, for $7,500. took it tion stuff. These poor guys in live action around to film festivals and concurrently were beating each other up to get ahead. made a reputation as a promising filmmak- But I got to he sort of a specialist," he says. er. "I've been very lucky and very oppor- He got offers from other major studios. tunistic." says Fink. "I think there's a but didn't see the sense in slaking the jump He got a video deal on the film and made and trying to recreate what had been back most of the cost of production when set of new applica- accomplished at Disney. He was looking Shapiro Entertainment macle a film of the for something different, though. and Tim same name and paid him $5.0(1(1 for rights tions that this Disney pitched him on an opportunity with to the title medium will a new media company he had acquired Fink began doing free -lance production called Virtual World Entertainment. work in Chicago on Hollywood produc- develop. And some At that time Virtual World had a multi - tions, TV commercials and whatever else he player location -based game in Chicago could lind. Eventually. he landed a produc- of it will be old called Battle Tech. Interested in gaining tion assistant's post with independent pro- service developed operating skills beyond those he exercised ducer Alex Rose and director Garry Mar- at Disney in developing films, Fink made shall for the TriStar feature "Nothing in in new ways." the move to become executive vice presi- Common." with Toni Hanks and Jackie dent and chief operating officer at Virtual Gleason. World in mid-1992. He established himself in Los Angeles Charles David Ultimately. he helped develop Battle Tech in 1985 and worked with Rose and Mar- into an animation series and attendant mer- shall on a series of other projects. "I react Fink chandising products. "I really got to be a scripts and ran out for lunch," he recalls. grown -up and run a company," he says. But things move fast in Hollywood, and Senior VP /chief creative After that. the move to America Online to Fink was soon recommended to Peter officer, Greenhouse Networks, create hybrid multimedia seemed a natural Schneider at Disney Pictures. which was America Online, Dulles, Va.; b. one. Fink started talking to AOL in late 1995 looking for someone to read scripts and Jan. 31, 1959, Westchester, and Sark striking similarities to the situation N.Y.; BA, film, Sarah help revitalize its animation division. Ini- Lawrence he had walked into at Disney. He would be College, 1981; MA, film, tially. he wasn't thrilled at the prospect: Art the only person doing his job: developing Institute of Chicago, 1983; "Disney Animation, as far as I knew. online entertainment properties with the assistant producer "Nothing In hadn't made a film since ' Bambi.' " prospect of migrating them to television. Common," TriStar Pictures, After interviewing for the job, he real- "Here. we're really building off the tradi- 1985 -86; Walt Disney Pictures, ized that the sense of mission and the tions a lot Los Angeles: creative of of disparate businesses," resources were there at Disney to effect a executive, animation, 1987; including TV. publishing and software, he turnaround. So despite Disney's relatively director of production, 1988; says. "I think there's a set of new applica- low animation profile at the he signed time, VP of production, 1989 -92; tions that this medium will develop. And on as a creative executive in 1987. with the chief operating officer, Virtual some of it will he old service developed in resulting elevation in stature: "Somebody World Entertainment, Chicago, new ways." else was running out for lunch and I was 1992 -96; current position Next on his list at AOL is the creation of taking story meetings." since February 1996; m. Jane a sports channel to rival ESPN SportsZone Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner Hostick, Sept. 1, 1984; and expansion of AOL's entertainment were determined to revive the art of anima- children: David, 9; Michael, 7; channel with an area on mainstream tion at Disney on a grand scale, and Fink Betty, 2 movie -making. Bringing things full circle, found himself in the midst of an effort to Fink says animation eventually will have a draw top Hollywood talent to Disney in all presence there too. -RT

90 June 23 1997 Broadcasting & Cable