Comments on: Thoughts from Hollywood http://www.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/ Meditations on strategy and life Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:06:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ryan Holiday http://www.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8340 Ryan Holiday Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:06:44 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8340 You're thinking about this in the totally wrong way. This part of the system isn't evolving and it certainly isn't functioning. It is a fundamentally wrong way to run an industry. And many, if not most of Hollywood's problems can be traced back to this mistake. People who make good executives don't make good assistants. Thus, people who make good assistants make bad executives. Answer phones isn't the bitch work of Hollywood--it's not even the work of Hollywood. It's entirely separate and they are fucking themselves by confusing them. You’re thinking about this in the totally wrong way. This part of the system isn’t evolving and it certainly isn’t functioning. It is a fundamentally wrong way to run an industry. And many, if not most of Hollywood’s problems can be traced back to this mistake.

People who make good executives don’t make good assistants. Thus, people who make good assistants make bad executives.

Answer phones isn’t the bitch work of Hollywood–it’s not even the work of Hollywood. It’s entirely separate and they are fucking themselves by confusing them.

]]> By: Nick http://www.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8339 Nick Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:16:54 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8339 It's easy to criticize Hollywood and claim that it doesn't function like any other industry. That is simply because there is none like it anywhere else in the world. The system is not antiquated and broken, it's constantly evolving. Maybe a the few remaining "Hollywood studios" such as Disney and Paramount function on an old model simply because they are forced to through layers of departments and HR structuring dating back from the 40's. Most of the new blood is coming in through the fringe talent pool of upstarts and super creatives that setup their own shops because they can do better than the current system. And they deliver the goods in a fresh and creative way. These firms are started by recent college grads with little to no professional business experience outside of macro economics class and business principles 101. They are former clubbers turned club promoters with a $200,000 budget. They report to high level execs and take meetings with studio suits. But they don't know how to prepare business plans or prep for a pitch meeting so they staff it out. To who? Their ubber smart, over worked, under payed interns who will do anything to suck at the power tit. This is like getting the pledges to clean the fraternity house after the parties. Is it wrong to ask the assistants to handle the bitch work? Maybe, maybe not. But if they are willing to support their team for a chance to it at the table someday it's up to the individual. You can also look at it from a support standpoint. The more menial work you can eliminate from your bosses desk, the more productive he will be and the more revenue can be generated. Time is money especially rings true in Hollywood. The house that can deliver the fastest usually gets the deal in a deadline driven industry. Does it suck being the bottom turtle? Absolutely. But in a city that is built on ego and not principle, searching for the moral highground is not the best option. Besides, Most of the hollywood dreamers are not motivated by the cash grab. You are absolutely right. Getting your studio desk job making 200k might be boring. What people really want is validation. They just want the chance to sit at the cool kids table for lunch and have some fun in the process. Sorry for the long post, I'm very opinionated about my former town. It’s easy to criticize Hollywood and claim that it doesn’t function like any other industry. That is simply because there is none like it anywhere else in the world. The system is not antiquated and broken, it’s constantly evolving. Maybe a the few remaining “Hollywood studios” such as Disney and Paramount function on an old model simply because they are forced to through layers of departments and HR structuring dating back from the 40′s.

Most of the new blood is coming in through the fringe talent pool of upstarts and super creatives that setup their own shops because they can do better than the current system. And they deliver the goods in a fresh and creative way. These firms are started by recent college grads with little to no professional business experience outside of macro economics class and business principles 101. They are former clubbers turned club promoters with a $200,000 budget. They report to high level execs and take meetings with studio suits. But they don’t know how to prepare business plans or prep for a pitch meeting so they staff it out. To who? Their ubber smart, over worked, under payed interns who will do anything to suck at the power tit. This is like getting the pledges to clean the fraternity house after the parties. Is it wrong to ask the assistants to handle the bitch work? Maybe, maybe not. But if they are willing to support their team for a chance to it at the table someday it’s up to the individual.

You can also look at it from a support standpoint. The more menial work you can eliminate from your bosses desk, the more productive he will be and the more revenue can be generated. Time is money especially rings true in Hollywood. The house that can deliver the fastest usually gets the deal in a deadline driven industry.

Does it suck being the bottom turtle? Absolutely. But in a city that is built on ego and not principle, searching for the moral highground is not the best option. Besides, Most of the hollywood dreamers are not motivated by the cash grab. You are absolutely right. Getting your studio desk job making 200k might be boring. What people really want is validation. They just want the chance to sit at the cool kids table for lunch and have some fun in the process.

Sorry for the long post, I’m very opinionated about my former town.

]]> By: jesse douglas http://www.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8338 jesse douglas Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:19:39 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/thoughts-from-hollywood/#comment-8338 Great post, it's interesting to hear about how you're handling things at your new job. Great post, it’s interesting to hear about how you’re handling things at your new job.

]]>