Who is Peter Gerard?

Peter Gerard is an experienced film producer, an entertainment industry executive, a serial tech entrpreneur, and a leading expert in digital distribution technology and online marketing strategy.

My roots

I grew up in Columbia, Missouri, where, as a teenager, I made my first award-winning documentary (Out of Breath), published two books (written by my grandmother) and founded the Bargain Basement Film Festival (mid-Missouri's first film festival).

I then moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I worked in design and web development, volunteered as Design Editor for the Student Newspaper, and completed my film & photography degree.

Accidental Media (1999-2012)

My production company, Accidental Media, began flourishing in the early 2000s, and I made my first feature documentary for international television distribution (Just to Get a Rep). I produced and directed a range of documentaries, music videos, and short films, and picked up a pile of awards including a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award. Offering a full range of production services, we made films for businesses, theatres and non-profits, and filmed scenes that were adapted into the Oscar-nominated animation The Illusionist.

Simultaneously, I built a whole bunch of websites and web-apps, including a winner of an e-community prize, the homepage for an Oscar-winning production company, an interactive mapping service that predated Google Maps, and the premier forum for documentary professionals (The D-Word).

Distrify (2010-2014)

Then I combined my skills and founded Distrify to pioneer “direct-to-fan” digital film sales by inventing a shareable movie trailer that includes a built-in buy-button and the easiest affiliate rewards system ever. I ran the company for four years. Read more about what I did at Distrify.

In 2013 I won the British Council’s Creative Entrepreneur Award and was named in the h.Club 100 list by The Hospital and The Guardian Culture Professionals Network.

Vimeo (2014-2017)

In 2014, I moved to New York to join the team at Vimeo, where I ran marketing for Vimeo Originals and was promoted to General Manager of Entertainment. Read more about what I did at Vimeo.

Welcome (2017-Present)

After Vimeo, I co-founded the Welcome travel app, which we launched in 2019 with three features in the Apple App Store.

Original Films & Series Development (2017-Present)

I am currently developing an original series about the intertwining lives of Eric Hebborn, notorious art foger, and Sir Anthony Blunt, confidant to the Queen and spy for the Russians. I am also producing short documentaries, including the recently released The Point of a Ride.

Speaking & Consultancy

I am regularly invited to speak at film festivals (Cannes, Sundance, Amsterdam, Toronto, London, etc.) and to teach marketing and pitching workshops for film producers and distributors.

Email me if you would like to book me to speak at an event or want to enquire about my consultancy services.