After starting his career in 1983 as a trailer editor and producer at famed advertising boutique Intralink, Jim Fredrick went on to serve as President of Marketing at Castle Rock Entertainment (1990-1997); Senior Vice President of Creative Advertising at Warner Bros (1997-2008); and Executive Vice President, Marketing at Sony Screen Gems (2008-2010).

Across a span of thirty-five years, Fredrick’s roles as a trailer maker and studio executive allowed him to craft advertising campaigns for a wide range of movies, from such iconic gems as The Shawshank Redemption, A Few Good Men, and Before Sunrise at Castle Rock, to massive blockbusters at Warner Bros including Happy Feet, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 300, Oscar-winner Million Dollar Baby, and the beloved Harry Potter franchise.

His time at Screen Gems saw the company’s most successful box office period, overseeing campaigns for Obsessed, Dear John, Takers and Easy-A. In 2011, he founded his own company, Jim Fredrick Motion Picture Marketing, where he produced and edited trailers and TV spots for Friends with Benefits, The Croods and many others. 

Fredrick began his teaching career in 2014, becoming a tenured Professor of Entertainment Marketing at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University, the 4th-ranked film school in the world. His leadership of the program has doubled enrollment, and his mentoring of graduates has led to many successful careers in the film marketing industry. 

His 2024 memoir, Opening Weekend: An Insider’s Look at Marketing Hollywood’s Hits and Flops (UPM) explores the intricacies of film distribution and marketing, unraveling the complex mechanisms through which movies are sold to discriminating audiences. Replete with triumphs, setbacks, and the relentless spirit that drives the creation and promotion of Hollywood’s unique product, Opening Weekend has been lauded by Chuck Lorre, Rob Reiner, Jerry Bruckheimer as an entertaining, emotional glimpse into the previously unseen world of film marketing.

Jim is also a Fulbright Specialist, traveling the world lecturing to university film students in Prague, Toronto and Buenos Aires.