Meet the Team
Steve Elzer
President, Elzer & Associates
Steve Elzer is a veteran entertainment public relations specialist and founder of the boutique strategic communications firm Elzer & Associates.
Launched in 2014, Elzer & Associates represents high profile clients in the entertainment industry. Past and/or current clients include Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, STX Entertainment, Roadside Attractions, Pearl Studio/Oriental DreamWorks, National Research Group (NRG), leading 3D technology innovator RealD, Sony Pictures Digital Marketing, producers including Matt Tolmach (Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Venom, Jumanji: The Next Level), Gianni Nunnari (The Departed, 300), Allison Shearmur (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cinderella), Doug Belgrad (Bad Boys 3: Bad Boys For Life, Peter Rabbit) and filmmakers including The Erwin Brothers (ICan Only Imagine, I Still Believe), as well as The Golden Trailer Awards, Create Advertising Group, UCLA (for work on behalf of the David Geffen Foundation), Paradigm Talent Agency, Slated, and other companies and individuals.
Prior to forming Elzer & Associates, Steve was the chief spokesperson for the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, serving as the key press contact for the studio for twelve years. During that time, he was the liaison between Sony’s senior management team and national consumer and business media, industry trade publications and entertainment fan sites and bloggers. He worked closely with publicity supervisors from each of the studio’s public relations divisions. Among his many duties, he was responsible for announcing new projects and related film stories, all box office related press, overseeing press announcements for the motion picture group, as well as coordinating studio Co-Chairman Amy Pascal’s media relations and appearances at major industry and philanthropic events.
For nearly 30 years, Steve has worked in entertainment PR and has been involved in the launch of more than 300 motion pictures and several television series. He has worked in Corporate Communications to support and help position such hit films as Spider-Man™, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Knives Out, Bad Moms, Hustlers, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Skyfall, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Bad Moms, 2012, Zero Dark Thirty, The DaVinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Hitch, Pineapple Express, Men in Black™2, Bad Boys II, Something’s Gotta Give, Black Hawk Down, The Social Network, Moneyball, The Upside, and Captain Phillips among many others.
Prior to joining Sony, Steve was the primary spokesman for New Line Cinema, where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications. During his seven year tenure at New Line, he was a key member of the publicity team that launched such hits as The Lord of the Rings, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Seven, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Boogie Nights, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Rush Hour, Wag the Dog and Michael.
Elzer began his publicity career at the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1989 and later served as the network’s in-house publicist for memorable series such as “In Living Color” as well as numerous specials including The Emmy Awards, The Billboard Awards and more than a dozen motion pictures for television.
Elzer is married and the father of two. He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Entertainment Publicists Professional Society as well as the Board of Advisors for Dances With Films. Between 2012 and 2016, he also was an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern California teaching a popular course in entertainment public relations.
Todd Kaplan
Executive Vice President, Elzer & Associates
Todd Kaplan is a communications executive with over twenty years’ experience in creating positioning, messaging, and compelling storytelling for the motion picture industry.
At Elzer & Associates, he works with Steve Elzer to oversee and execute studio and film communications strategy for all E/A clients, including managing positioning, messaging, crisis communications, and branding for dozens of motion pictures annually for diverse audiences, from before start of production to the launch of the film. His strong relationships with press and colleagues allows him to manage breaking news stories and secure positive coverage for the firm’s clients and their films.
Before joining Elzer & Associates, Kaplan served Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Media Relations. There, he oversaw day-to-day departmental operations and functions as he created positioning strategy, messaging, and compelling storytelling for all Sony films; he was additionally the head point of contact for communications for the studio’s Screen Gems and TriStar labels. As he sought out and executed opportunities to drive, build, and evangelize Sony’s broader narrative, he handled all leaks and transactional stories for the busy studio. He was also a key voice in formulating strategy on crisis communications issues.
Having earned a reputation as one of the strongest writers in the industry, Kaplan has guided the written materials for many studios over the years, including Disney, Paramount, and Sony (all of which he served as staff writer), as well as many others. A graduate of Brandeis University, he enjoys reading fiction, spending time outdoors, playing board games, and of course, being the best dad he can be.