The Business

<p>Agent-turned-manager-turned Producer Gavin Polone on his new movie, <em>Conan O'Brien Can't Stop</em>, and what it reveals about his star client...</p>

<p>We speak with John Wells about the creative freedom that comes from working in cable, and Mike Royce on co-creating that Peabody Award-winning <em>Men of a Certain Age</em>.</p>

<p>The producer of the origin story of the Marvel mutants recounts his own origin story -- from breaking in to Hollywood to morphing into a producer of big studio movies...</p>

<p>In the 70's and 80's Jeff Wald had a flourishing career managing big-name stars. Drug use was an accepted and arguably a necessary part of doing business in Hollywood...</p>

<p>Jimmy Kimmel roasts the TV industry at the ABC upfronts. Then, a conversation with NBC Chair Robert Greenblatt, and reporter Stephen Battaglio on the next TV season.</p>

<p>Robert and Michelle King say that having <em>The Good Wife</em>, presented to advertisers at the upfronts is like being at an insurance salesmen convention, but with great jokes...</p>

<p>We talk with two veteran casting executives about casting TV shows. Then, Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank and Molly Smith talk about their new production company.</p>

<p><strong>Steve Golin</strong> on the making and marketing an offbeat dramatic comedy with a troubled star and his history of collaborating with creative types...</p>

<p>Morgan Spurlock talks about <em>Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold</em>, which was entirely financed by brand partners doing product placement in the film.</p>

<p><strong>Phil Rosenthal</strong>, creator of <em>Everybody Loves Raymond</em>, deals with culture clash in Russia. <em>Mad about You</em> sitcom king <strong>Paul Reiser</strong> finds that success has a short shelf life.</p>

<p>Mexican telenovela star <strong>Kate del Castillo</strong> faces Hollywood culture shock. Then, filmmakers <strong>Jeff Malmberg</strong> and <strong>Chris Shellen</strong> go in search of an audience for <em>Marwencol</em>.</p>

<p>Barry Michels and Phil Stutz are two of the busiest shrinks in Hollywood. We talk about their unconventional techniques and hear from a couple of their former clients.</p>

<p>This week, two formidable men in very different show business worlds: painter/filmmaker<strong> Julian Schnabel</strong> and reality TV icon <strong>Simon Cowell</strong>.</p>

<p><strong>Maria Bamford</strong>,<strong> Al Madrigal</strong> and <strong>Paul F. Tompkins</strong> on the hard-knocks life of a professional comedian…</p>

<p>Comedy Central exec <strong>Elizabeth Porter</strong> on those raunchy celebrity roasts, which are meant to be outrageous and  raunchy, but most of all utterly hilarious.</p>

<p>Director <strong>Tom Shadyac</strong> (<em>Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, The Nutty Professor</em>) has made the new documentary. <em>I Am</em> is a spiritual journey in which he reevaluates his life while talking with great minds about big social problems. He tells Kim that some in the business think he's "nuts," but that others, like his longtime agent and lawyer, are coming around to understand him. Then I.M. Global CEO <strong>Stuart Ford</strong> gives us his take on the state of the international film market as he saw it in Berlin during the European Film Market.</p>

<p>Filmmaker Kevin Smith talks candidly about his admiration for Wayne Gretzky, his love of marijuana and his innovative plan to distribute his new movie, <em>Red State</em>, himself. We met with Smith as he embarks on a cross country tour screening the film in major venues. He discusses his rationale for bucking the traditional marketing route, reflects on his career in Hollywood, how smoking pot makes him more at ease with himself, and how some of his box office failures made him re-evaluate his ambition as a filmmaker.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Composer-singer-songwriter <strong>Randy Newman</strong> has had 20 Oscar nominations and one win. This year he's nominated in the Best Song category for "We Belong Together" from <em>Toy Story 3</em>. But despite his success he says he wishes he was really good. Then, <strong>David Friendly</strong>, the producer behind the <em>Big Momma's House </em>franchise, talks about being a white guy in the urban comedy business.</p>

<p>Ever since entering the business, filmmaker <strong>Darren Aronofsky</strong> has been as much a savvy entrepreneur as an <em>auteur </em>director. Now with <em>Black Swan</em> receiving five Oscar nominations and reaching $100 million at the box office, he's still not sure Hollywood will embrace his next passion project. But before he finds out he'll direct his first studio tent-pole movie, <em>The Wolverine</em>, starring Hugh Jackman.</p>

<p>When television writer-producer <strong>Shawn Ryan</strong> created <em>The Shield</em> he helped make basic cable a go-to place for sophisticated original scripted programming. With his new Fox series, <em>The Chicago Code</em>, Ryan hopes to bring his brand of storytelling to a broader audience.</p>

<p>He may not be the biggest Hollywood name behind <em>The Social Network</em>, but without his relationship with author Ben Mezrich Hollywood may not have made this movie. Producer <strong>Dana Brunetti</strong>, recounts how he and now-partner Kevin Spacey wooed Facebook co-founder Eduardo Severin into telling them the story. He also explains his his own fascination with Facebook.</p>

<p><strong>John Sloss</strong>, one of the Sundance Film Festival's most seasoned players, gives a window into selling movies as the independent film world struggles to recover. He talks about diversifying his business last year by distributing the documentary <em>Exit through the Giftshop</em>, and how that was both a solid business decision and a wild ride because Banksy, the famously secretive street artist behind the film, was in charge of all the marketing yet refused to talk with him.  Then we meet <strong>Loyd Catlett</strong>, Jeff Bridges' longtime stand-in and stunt double. After some 50 odd movies together Catlett talks about being at peace in the shadow of "The Dude," getting his head shaved for <em>Iron Man</em>, and the security of knowing that when the next gig comes he'll be there.</p>

<p>During their two-month ordeal the 33 Chilean miners made a pact that they would stick together and sell the rights to their story as a group when and if they emerged. Now attorney <strong>Guillermo Carey</strong>, part of a team that's formed a corporation to sell their story, talks about setting up a fund to take care of miners' needs and strategy for selling the rights to the story for books, movies, video games and more. Plus, Mindset Media's <strong>Jim Meyer</strong> discusses how what you watch could reflect your personality and buying choices.</p>

<p>We air a conversation from comedian <strong>Marc Maron</strong>'s <em>WTF</em> podcast. Maron and comedian-writer-producer <strong>Louis C.K. </strong>discuss C.K.'s career in the TV business, as well as their their relationship as fellow comics and struggles as friends.  <br /><br /></p>

<p><strong>John Horn</strong> of the Los Angeles Times and <strong>Michael Schneider</strong> of Variety join Kim Masters to drag in the new year and muse about what 2010 trends could affect 2011...</p>

<p>The LA Times' <strong>John Horn</strong>, Variety's <strong>Michael Schneider</strong> <strong>and Kim Masters</strong> discuss the big show business stories for 2010. The three industry veterans break down the top stories and tell us what it all means.</p>

<p><em>The King's Speech</em> director <strong>Tom Hooper</strong> talks about the anxiety of funding this historical buddy drama and the anxiety of learning Hollywood etiquette. He also gives a convincing argument for changing the MPAA ratings system. Plus, <strong>Franklin Leonard</strong>'s 2010 Black List, the annual compilation of the most loved scripts that made the rounds in Hollywood this past year.</p>

<p><em>The Fighter</em> is a natural awards-bait movie but producer <strong>David Hoberman</strong> says that in today's Hollywood, studios didn't want to make it. It started as a $70 million film produced by Paramount and ended up as an $18 million film made with outside money from Relativity Media. Along the way Matt Damon and Brad Pitt showed interest, as did director Darren Aronofsky, but all dropped out leaving the producers to scramble. Also, Christian Bale, whose performance in <em>The Fighter</em> is generating Oscar buzz, goes a few rounds with the writer of an Esquire magazine Q&A. We talk with <strong>John H. Richardson</strong> about his unconventional and utterly entertaining encounter with this reluctant celebrity. </p>

<p>Director <strong>Andrew Jarecki</strong> on the making of his first narrative feature, <em>All Good Things</em>. The film, starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella is inspired by the bizarre, real life story of Robert Durst — the wealthy son of a New York real estate magnate — whose wife went missing in 1982 and whose good friend is murdered years later. Not tried for either case, Durst was later was arrested in Texas after his neighbor’s dismembered body was found floating in Galveston Bay. Durst, who had been living there disguised as a mute woman, pled self defense and got three years in prison for illegal dismemberment of a body. Today he's free. Jarecki talks about the threatened lawsuit by the Durst family organization and how Robert Durst actually liked the film.</p>

<p>We revisit our conversation with filmmaking brothers <strong>Jay</strong> and <strong>Mark Duplass</strong>, whose movie, <em>Cyrus</em>, marked a turning point in their careers.  They'd made feature films but never before with studio backing, never with known actors and never with significant budgets.  As darlings of the indie world and trailblazers in the mumblecore filmmaking style they gained acclaim at festivals and on blogs, but now they're rising stars in Hollywood and are currently in post production on their next film, <em>Jeff Who Lives at Home</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Valerie Plame</strong> and <strong>Joe Wilson</strong> on seeing their story in the new Doug Liman movie, <em>Fair Game.</em> Plus, an audio diary of a veteran line producer, <strong>David Streit</strong>, looking to finance his first feature. A senior lecturer at AFI, after years of dreaming of shepherding his own movie from script to screen, this year at the American Film Market he bravely went for it and brought a microphone along to record his experiences.</p> <p> </p>

<p>The special-effects gurus known as the <strong>Brothers Strause</strong> made <em>Skyline</em> for a thrifty $10 million. They wanted to prove themselves as directors to the studios but found out they'd rather make their own films. Plus, we go behind closed doors to where deals are made at the American Film Market. We spend a day shadowing the head of the international sales and distribution company IM Global and track their landmark deal on <em>Walking with Dinosaurs</em>. <br /><br /></p>

<p><em>The Hobbit</em> movies have suffered a cursed road to the screen marked by studio financing problems, the loss of director Guillermo del Toro and a fire at a New Zealand studio. But nothing generated so much public anger and government attention as when the actors tried to unionize and Warner Bros threatened to move the $500 million production out of New Zealand. <strong>Jonathan Handel</strong>, contributing editor to the Hollywood Reporter, breaks down the high drama and big dollars involved. Plus, young filmmaker <strong>Lena Dunham</strong>, who wowed people with her little personal movie, <em>Tiny Furniture</em>, is the hottest new thing in Hollywood...</p>

<p>We hear from <em>Paranormal Activity</em> producer<strong> Jason Blum</strong> on the challenge of making a sequel to the 2009 break-out hit. This time with studio backing from Paramount, the producers had to find a way to make the follow-up true to the ethos of its micro-budget original. Plus, producer of <em>Toy Story 3</em>,<strong> Darla K. Anderson</strong> -- the lone woman in Pixar's famed brain trust. She weighs in on gender dynamics at this successful studio and in the movie business as a whole while addressing the controversy over Pixar firing its first female director.</p>

<p><strong>Gary Calamar</strong>, music supervisor of hit TV shows <em>(True Blood, Dexter, House</em> and <em>Six Feet Unde</em>r) on choosing the right songs to convey a mood and brand a show.  <strong>Gareth Edwards</strong> on working guerrilla-style and doing his own effects to make his sci-fi thriller <em>Monsters</em> on the cheap.<br /><br /></p>

<p>Since 2005, <strong>Franklin Leonard</strong>, creator and keeper of The Black List, has kept Hollywood on pins and needles every December awaiting this compilation of the most loved unproduced screenplays making the rounds in town. Plus, <strong>Darlene Hunt</strong> -- creator and executive producer of Showtime's <em>The Big C</em>, starring Laura Linney -- started out as an actress but hit it big as a writer. </p>

<p>Celebrated director <strong>Stephen Frears</strong> (<em>The Grifters, High Fidelity, The Queen</em>) talks about his new movie <em>Tamara Drewe</em> and his comfort level working in the independent film world. After two failed attempts at Hollywood studio movies, the indie director says he retreated to a more sensible place, away from the large budgets that had a paralyzing effect on him.  Then we meet <strong>Dan Bern</strong> and <strong>Mike Viola</strong>, the Lennon-McCartney of mock rock movie songs, including those sung by the fictitious rock stars in <em>Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story</em> and <em>Get Him to The Greek</em>. <br /><br /></p>

<p><strong>Kyle Killen</strong> created the Fox drama, <em>Lone Star</em>, which was recently canceled after just two airings.  While that television dream didn't exactly work out as planned, his film career is hanging in limbo. He wrote the much lauded screenplay for the movie <em>The Beaver</em>, which was due out this year. Killen talks about how this screenplay turned his life around and how the casting of Gibson may have affected the possibility of it's release.</p>

<p>"Jumped the Shark" may be the most famous thing <strong>Fred Fox, Jr.</strong> has ever written and in a way he didn't even write it-- not that phrase exactly.  Fox is the <em>Happy Days</em> writer behind the now infamous episode that inspired the iconic catchphrase 'jumped the shark.' <strong>Fox</strong> discusses writing the episode and its aftermath, and answers the question, "Why water skiis?" Then we go to the West Coast Documentary and Reality Conference, where eager producers and willing television executives engage in speed pitching.<br /><br /></p>

<p>Premieres, parties and press junkets at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kim Masters goes insides a junket to interview <em>Conviction</em> director Tony Goldwyn about working a festival. Then its off to an industry party where Nigel Cole, director of <em>Made in Dagenham</em>, compares this year's TIFF to two years ago when he was promoting a film that was jeopardized by financial troubles. Plus, the original title for Cole's latest film and why it changed.</p>

<p>Director Ken Kwapis's latest TV project is the new NBC series <em>Outsourced</em>, which premieres September 23. The show follows an American running a call center in Mumbai, and has been accused of stereotyping the Indian characters. Kwapis discusses these accusations and the nature of provocative comedies. He also talks about directing the pilot episodes of <em>The Bernie Mac Show, The Larry Sanders Show</em> and American version of <em>The Office</em>, and on working with show-runners and talent to create the tone and template for these beloved shows.<br /><br /></p>

<p><em>Battlefield Earth</em> recently won the Razzie for being the "worst picture of the decade."  The two credited screenwriters on that film -- <strong>J.D. Shapiro</strong> and <strong>Corey Mandell</strong> — say, "Don't blame us!"  We find out how their careers survived writing one of the most notorious movies ever.  (This program was originally broadcast on April 19, 2010. Today's show features an all new Hollywood banter.)<br /><br /></p>

<p>The documentary <em>The Tillman Story</em> was given a controversial R rating for language by the Motion Picture Association of America. We talk with filmmaker <strong>Amir Bar Lev</strong> about his failed effort to challenge that rating in an appeal. Then we hear from <strong>Joan Graves</strong>, head of the MPAA's rating's board, about their reasoning on this and other questionable ratings.</p>

<p>Veteran television producer <strong>Winnie Holzman</strong> and <strong>Savannah Dooley</strong> go from being mother and daughter to writing partners. They run the ABC Family dramedy <em>Huge</em>, which is set in a weight-loss camp for teens.  While Holzman is an old hand at TV this is the first project by 25-year-old Dooley. Because of her inexperience the network paired her with her mom. Matt Holzman, Executive Producer of <em>The Business</em>, talks with the mother-daughter team about making <em>Huge</em> a family affair, their particular writing-partner fights, and nepotism in Hollywood.</p>

<p>Behind every filmmaker stands an assistant. The former assistant to Phillip Noyce, director of <em>Patriot Games</em> and <em>Clear and Present Danger</em>, read scripts for four years until finally finding his latest project, <em>Salt</em>.  <strong>Bea Sequeira</strong> talks about being a script reader and working in the shadows as an assistant.  Then Warner Bros' <strong>Michael Tritter</strong> gives us the back story on the stealth marketing campaign for <em> Inception</em>.</p> <p> </p>

<p>In 1976 <em>Star Wars</em> was the first movie presented at Comic-Con. Now the four-day event, with about 125,000 attendees, is a huge marketing bonanza -- not just for comic-book movies, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and animation but practically any movie or TV show loosely connected to this fan base. We hear what the people at this year's Comic-Con think about Hollywood and speak with long-time studio "genre consultant" <strong>Jeff Walker</strong>, who's lived the geek dream, working for and with the studios on movies' publicity campaigns.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Producer <strong>Dean Zanuck</strong>, goes out on his own, independent of his Oscar-winning producer father and of studio financing to make his new indie movie, <em>Get Low</em>.  He talks about being the third-generation in the family business of show business and of living up to his grandfather and father's legacy. Then filmmaker <strong>Robert Bella</strong>'s efforts to bring his movie , <em>Colin Fitz Lives</em>, back from oblivion...</p>

<p>This week on <em>The Business</em>, it's Reality-palooza! Three producers of big unscripted hits -- <em>Intervention</em>, <em>Top Chef</em> and <em>The Hills</em> -- talk about the reality of reality television. They reveal the keys to casting, the dilemma of who really "writes" these shows, what soft-scripted mean and how important authenticity really is in reality TV.</p>

<p><strong>Rona Barrett</strong>, who brought Hollywood gossip and entertainment industry news to TV, discusses show business -- then and now.  Then, with all this bad star behavior out there -- from Mel Gibson to Roman Polanski to Charlie Sheen -- we ask <strong>Dean Valentine</strong>, former head of UPN and Walt Disney Television, where Hollywood draws the line in a business that's all about the bottom line.</p>

<p>We look at the decision in the Celador versus Disney case. What was at issue? How will the decision awarding Celador a $270 million payout affect business in Hollywood? Then, <strong>Lance Daly</strong> directed a couple of 11-year-olds with no acting experience in his new movie <em>Kisses</em>. The Irish filmmaker wanted kids who were gritty and tough, but the very reason they're so affecting in the film made them a challenge to direct. <br /><br /></p>