#012 Saving Cinema One Disc at a Time: Inside the World of Film Collectors with Claudio Ulrich

Built For This Podcast, with Carly Pepin

April 23, 2026 by

Carly Pepin

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Carly Pepin sits down with Claudio Ulrich, a veteran film licensing and distribution expert with more than 30 years in the industry and the founder of Focus Media.

In this thoughtful and nostalgic episode of Built for This, Claudio pulls back the curtain on the world of film distribution, revealing the immense amount of unseen work required to bring a movie from original film reels to a finished home release. From licensing rights and restoring 35mm film to creating artwork, subtitles, packaging, and bonus content, he explains why a finished disc represents craftsmanship, history, and care far beyond what most people ever see.

After experiencing burnout during the peak of the VHS and DVD boom, Claudio made a defining decision. Instead of chasing scale and volume, he chose collectors, quality, and meaning. That shift led to the creation of premium “media books” that transform restored films into collectible experiences. At its heart, this conversation is about choosing passion over pressure, redefining success, and building a life where work becomes a mission rather than a grind.

Listen On

Key Themes:

Passion Outlasts Markets: Why industries do not truly disappear, and how following what you love can create sustainable niches even as markets change.
The Invisible Work Matters: A behind-the-scenes look at the complexity, cost, and care involved in preserving and distributing films properly.
Freedom Is Real Success: How Claudio designed a life centered on joy, creativity, and choice instead of constant scale and stress.

Memorable Quotes:

“I don’t see myself as a distributor. I see myself as a film lover who wants to share movies with other people.”

“When you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. It becomes a mission.”

“People don’t see what’s behind a movie. They only see the end product.”

Claudio Ulrich