Data Dump

I am, to be frank, a data nerd. I loved reading charts that break down this or that. At Fox, I was an outlier in diving into the books our research team put together about some of our TV and trailer testing. Most of the execs would only care about toplines, which are basically the summary scores, versus diving deeper. I, however, would dive right in, looking for the little snippet of information that could improve my spot or trailer. I also wanted to include our research team more in conversations with my creative vendor, but some of my supervisors actively discouraged this practice (Not Marc Weinstock, for those with inquisitive minds.) Regardless, I also saw data and research as the gold mine to crafting a well-thought-out campaign. Does it always work? No, but what does? As my former boss and friend of the podcast, Tomas Jegeus, is fond of saying: Research is like the street lamp; the sober (aka wise) man uses it as a guide whereas the drunk (aka dummy) uses it as a support. I've worked with people who view it both ways, but in today's day and age, data has only improved in the last few years: Witness, Entertainment Strategy Guy, and his four-part series from last week.

For those who don't know, Entertainment Strategy Guy or ESG has worked in roles ranging from strategic planning to business development at several entertainment companies. A few years ago, he started writing a blog called, you guessed it, Entertainment Strategy Guy. I can't quite remember how I found his site, but I was hooked after my first site visit. He now writes a column for The Ankler, but he also still writes for the ESG blog, although it is now pay-walled. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to dive deep into industry trends and the data behind them, and his four-part series last week is a great example. The four-part series, delivered via The Ankler to whom ESG is a contributor, analyzed the American TV audience. Part 1 focused on geography, age, race, and gender, Part 2 on politics, money, and religion, Part 3 on how and where we watch TV, and Part 4 on what we're watching. 

I have to admit; there were a lot of surprises (how much of the population is still religious and how much more popular the NFL is than anything else, even after the last couple of years). Regardless there is so much to unpack in this series that every executive should immediately read it, which of course, they won't, and therein lies the problem. As Tomas once said (the guy has some great quotes), the biggest problem with Hollywood is that almost all of us work behind gates and live behind gates, whereas nearly all of the audience does not. The point was simple: Hollywood doesn't understand the audience and has never tried. I've made this point before with shows such as Succession and Yellowstone. You would guess by the press coverage that Succession was a monster hit over Yellowstone, but you'd be wrong. Yellowstone is the most popular show on television, but Succession gets all the attention because it's a show that appeals to Hollywood. Full disclosure: I watch both and think both are great, but I would argue I'm a rarity. ESG has gifted Hollywood a deep dive into the audience and calls out Hollywood for mistaken assumptions that drive decision-making contradicted by the data he presents. 

As we move into an era of significant disruption and change, I think it is a good time for all entertainment to embrace the opportunity that data offers to understand the audience and to make entertainment that they will watch. Of course, I'm not saying that movies or shows made on gut instinct should go out the window. I simply don't trust the gut of anyone in Hollywood right now. However, data can be a helpful lamp post to guide decision-making, and as ESG has shown, it is right there at your fingertips. 

Trailer Time

I've highlighted a few trailers on the Founder's Brew, but three stuck out this week. First up, The Fabelmans, Steven Speilberg's latest about his childhood:

The Fabelmans | Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube

Quite a beautiful piece. As some may remember, the podcast got its first write-up in Fast Company after I mentioned that Speilberg has transitioned from celebrating America to trashing it and hasn't recovered. Well, perhaps this could be the film where he comes back from the brink and back to the magical Speilberg, we all remember, although the co-screenwriter is Tony Kushner, who has primarily contributed to the loss of the magic. Count me cautiously optimistic. 

The second trailer this week is for Damon Chazelle's latest, Babylon.

BABYLON | Official Trailer (Uncensored) – Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva - YouTube

I have no idea what this movie is about, but man does this trailer make me curious. Also, from a creative perspective, what a genius way to get around the film. I would love to have been a fly in the wall to watch this piece come together. I'm sure it all involved many cuts, notes, and late nights in getting it to this point, but it paid off. Well done, Paramount Creative Advertising. I look forward to the full trailer. 

Lastly, Netflix's The Good Nurse (Hat tip to Sean McNulty for calling this to my attention in his daily newsletter, The Wake Up) 

The Good Nurse | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

I love trailers that use music and cut sequences to set the mood and make you feel it, even if you're watching on your computer. That is no easy feat, but this trailer pulls it off beautifully. There is another nice little trick that I won't spoil for those who want to watch but do watch all the way to the end. 

Pages from the Commonplace Book

As I return to my "back to school" routines, I've begun re-reading The Daily Stoic, a book by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. I've read the book a few times, and a new quote stands out every time I do. This one is from September 12th, following a selection by Diogenes Laertius, a Stoic Philosopher:

"But if you are already humble, no one will need to humble you - and the world is much less likely to have nasty surprises in store for you. If you stay down to earth, no one will need to bring you - oftentimes crushingly so - back down."

This quote applies to those of us who have gotten a little big for our britches at one time or another, which for those in Hollywood, almost always happens at least once in your career. Few industries can be as humbling as the one we have chosen. 

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