Why Ask Why
If any of you are regular listeners of Hollywood Breaks, you will have already heard this story, but I will give you a little background for those of you who are exclusively FB fans. This past week, I'd been assaulted by the many germs my children brought from school since they are finally mask optional (HOORAY!), but that means my immune system got its first non-covid workout in over two years (BOOO!) I found myself looking to kill some time while I languished in bed. And this, dear readers, is when the glorious options of streaming services come in handy! I began perusing for something to distract my mind from the fact that I was non-COVID ill for the first time in two years. Finally, I settled on West Side Story version Speilberg, which took me a few minutes to find...as it's on HBO MAX...not Disney. Gotta love those 20th Century Studios, aka 20th Century Fox output deals, don't ya, Bob II? After the two and half hour viewing, I find myself asking one fundamental question: Why? Why did this classic need to be remade? Why did Fox agree to remake it? What was appealing to the studio execs to greenlight this flick?
With all the content options swirling around us, we have to start asking a fundamental question before we begin any creative work: Why? The most obvious answer is because Steven Speilberg wanted to make it and who among us would say no to that. However, I think we have to acknowledge a new reality. My co-host on Hollywood Breaks, Tim Thompson, runs a workshop called Show Launcher, which helps up-and-coming producers, writers, creators figure out how to get their shows off the ground. One of the first questions he asks his students is: Why? Why do you want to make this show? And it has to go beyond just because you want to. With ever-increasing content options, audiences are more picking than ever, and simply producing something because you want to isn't enough anymore. As the Entertainment Strategy Guy laid out so brilliantly in a piece last week for the Ankler, there are so many uncertainties now from the complete collapse of theatrical (unlikely) to the still unproven business models of streaming, that just wanted to make it isn't enough. You have to ask yourself more profound questions before tackling that next big project, and asking the why is a great way to start.
For starters, asking the why helps you dig even deeper into your thinking: Why do I need to tell the story? Why do I need to focus on this particular character? These questions and more will help any creator with a more justifiable reason for telling this story. It will also force to move into other more profound questions such as the "Where" (theatrical, streaming, etc.) and the all-important "Who." Be sure to check out Founder's Brew Vol. 4 for a deeper dive on why this is so important. Asking why won't necessarily derail your project, but I'm willing to be it will make it even better, and that's never a bad thing.
Paramount has a potential hit on its hands.
First off, I was not a big fan of the latest Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer 2 released this week. That's not a knock on those who worked on it, but I thought this is why I don't miss working on trailers every day, so I didn't have to figure out how to sell that. Then I happened to see the Youtube numbers for the first trailer released three months ago: 32 million! Just give that number context. The Top Gun 2 trailer released almost two years ago has 19 million views. Oh, and that trailer 2 released a mere three days ago has about 13 million views. Now, success on Youtube is by no means a barometer for success at the box office, but I confess to being surprised at those numbers. The first finished with about $319 million in February 2020, right before the world shut down. They have a shot at meeting or exceeding that mark.
I say all this to illustrate that your taste isn't always the best barometer. I confess I may not have greenlit a Sonic movie had I had it put before me, but clearly, the folks a Paramount took a deeper look at the why, pushed forward, and now they have a successful franchise on their hands. The fact that it's based on a successful video game helped, but that doesn't always guarantee success. Either way, Paramount has a potential hit on their hands.
Pages from the Commonplace Book
We'll stick with the Stoics for one more week. This week, a lesser-known gentleman, Diogenes Laertius:
"Zeno would also say that nothing is more hostile to a firm grasp on knowledge than self deception."
In other words, EGO. As Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman so eloquently put it: "Ego is more than just off-putting and obnoxious. Instead, it's the sworn enemy of the our ability to learn and grow." There is much to love about this quote and Holiday's and Hanselman's comment. Our egos are the major roadblock to constant self-improvement and growth. Think of how different our industry would be if many would chuck their egos out the door. Ah well, we can dream, right? I believe the small changes start at home and can be passed on from there. So check that ego at the door, a little bit at a time, and you'd be surprised to what it will open your mind.
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