some interesting stuff to consider...

[charles maynes]

this was forwarded to me from a longtime film industry worker-


Subject: The late David Brown explains it all for us

Lessons from a life in showbiz



By DAVID BROWN

What I've Learned and Unlearned in 50 years in the
Business:

An exec who is unwilling to put his job on the line
for a project he believes in should lose his job. One
person's vision, right or wrong, is worth more than a
consensus of 12. Trust passion. Relying on other's
opinions is a lazy and disastrous practice. Darryl F.
Zanuck ordered readers' opinions to be removed from
synopses. Barry Diller, while at Paramount, read full
material -- books, plays or scripts -- before deciding
to proceed with production. When preserving your
lifestyle is the main concern of your career, it's
time to quit the business. Satisfying work is never a
substitute for living or loving, and yet without it
life is barren.

Applause at the dailies is no guarantee of the success
of a film but a better indication than no applause.
Where is it written that an over-50 director with many
films to his credit is not preferable to an under-30
director with only a festival award in his resume?
Same for writers. Casting in payment for sex is a bad
idea. It's been tried by some of the greats of the
business and found to lead to poor performance on the
screen and in bed. Never be mean, chintzy and ugly to
your secretary or she'll write a book. Verbal pitches
rarely make it to the screen and are frequently
forgotten in the passage. Nobody but the filmmakers
can be trusted to form a valid opinion of a film by
seeing a rough cut or reading a script. Especially
marketing people. Show them the finished movie only
and even then, their opinion is suspect.

Enthusiasm is the fuel of show business, especially
unwarranted enthusiasm. Without it you can't go to
work in the morning. The larger number of executives
in a production department, the poorer their movie.
Bureaucracy dilutes the creative process -- and slows
decision making to a pathetic trickle. This is from
Darryl F. Zanuck. Interesting subject matter of a
movie is more important than brilliant execution.



I'd rather have a fair script on a provocative subject
than a brilliant one about the sex life of an
earthworm. I've had both. Being a waiter, book
salesman or a dealer in a casino is better preparation
for a producing career than four years in film school.
The best producers often are rogues and super
salesmen. Women are better judges of scripts than men,
and 12-year-olds know more about casting. The worst
preview audiences are your friends and relatives.
Don't invite them. Fame and fortune are temporary and
in time will go. Stars and tycoons eventually will be
forgotten. The only legacy is your care and love for
your fellow man (and woman). Remember Winchell's line,
"Be nice to those you meet on the way up -- they're
the same ones you meet on the way down." He wasn't,
sadly -- and discovered the truth of his utterance.

Scripts with camera angles and verbose stage
directions are the sign of an amateur. Booze isn't bad
-- in moderation. Smoking -- even in moderation -- is.
Water is boring. When health clubs took the place of
bars, the quality of movies suffered. So sue me.
Meetings are the bane of the business, along with
voice mail. Between meetings and dailies, it's almost
impossible to communicate on a personal level with
studios. Nothing is decided except in person. Finding
or hearing a live human being is all but impossible.
Never entrust a business manager with your
discretionary power. Anyone who makes creative
decisions can decide about his investments. It's
easier. How you handle your money can be fun. Not
returning phone calls is the sign of a loser. It's
always easier to get the CEO or boss of a studio than
an underling. That's why they're underlings.

You're only as good as your last picture -- depending
on how long ago your last picture was. Those entrusted
with greenlighting pictures should become involved
with the process at the beginning instead of at the
end. This would save scads of money spent by
development executives with only the power to say no.
In films as well as in television, it is ludicrous for
the decisionmakers to sanction this waste. When at
first you don't succeed try, try again but if then you
don't succeed give up. No matter how successful you
are as a producer you're always Willy Loman begging
for your next gig. Irving Berlin said, "The trouble
with success is that you have to keep being
successful." How tragically true.





Actresses (and actors) are smarter than most
executives. I don't know why that is, but it is. The
best advice I've heard for those of us in this
narcissistic business (of entertainment) was from
movie star Barbara Stanwyck, as quoted in William
Safire and Leonard Safir's book, "Good Advice." "Know
when your time is up," counseled Barbara. It's the
only advice I have. Hell, I knew 25 years ago it
wasn't going to last. Sooner or later, the demand
won't be there, and you'd better get ready for it. Get
ready for the dream to fade. So I'm no longer in
demand, but so what? I've had my time, and it was
lovely. And I'm very grateful for it. But now I move
over and make room for somebody else. What the hell.
Whatever I had, it worked, didn't it?

David Brown has
produced Broadway plays, films and television. His
film credits include "Chocolat," "Deep Impact," "A Few
Good Men," "the Player," "The Verdict," "The Sting"
and "Jaws."

[Rick Sanchez]

That is great Charles...thanks for posting and thank you David Brown.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

I am printing that out and posting it on my wall!

[bizzle]

That should be a sticky!!!! Thanks for posting! thumbsup

[soundguydave]

"When preserving your lifestyle is the main concern of your career, it's
time to quit the business. Satisfying work is never a substitute for living or loving, and yet without it life is barren."


best advice ever.

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by charles maynes

Nobody but the filmmakers
can be trusted to form a valid opinion of a film by
seeing a rough cut or reading a script. Especially
marketing people. Show them the finished movie only
and even then, their opinion is suspect.

Originally Posted by charles maynes

The worst
preview audiences are your friends and relatives.
Don't invite them.

Oddly enough, just had a screening OF finished product recently: attendees were asked to fill out 'test screening' questionnaires. This was at the FINAL mix. What good those questionnaires did...not really sure. And there was applause at the end. (which is preferable to no applause)


But I think I failed to mention that each of the attendees were people who worked on the movie in some aspect, from crew member to accounting and vis fx.


Jeff

[ErikG]

"When preserving your lifestyle is the main concern of your career, it's
time to quit the business. Satisfying work is never a substitute for living or loving, and yet without it life is barren."

I can hear most producers I know of getting breathing problems or perhaps a heart attack, reading this

[Henchman]

"When preserving your lifestyle is the main concern of your career, it's
time to quit the business. Satisfying work is never a substitute for living or loving, and yet without it life is barren."

Ain't that the truth.
You run into too many people in this industry who do it because they HAVE to.

Funny, I do it because I can and want to.
Even if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd still be going to work.

[ruy]

nice

[kk@jamsync.com]

The most interesting and enlightening piece I've read in a long time...thanks, Charles.