Hey, gang!
Based on the e-mails I got yesterday as well as the notes that popped up on JHM’s discussion boards, it’s clear that you guys really like hearing what Vance Rest has to say. So I’m not going to waste any more of his or your time by foisting yet another yammering introduction on you all.
I just want to remind you folks that Vance is a rather passionate guy and that — upon occasion — he uses words and/or makes jokes that aren’t entirely family friendly. That said, I still feel that this is an important piece of writing. Something that everyone who loves what the Walt Disney Company once stood for should make a point of reading.
Okay. That’s enough out of me for this morning. Let’s see what Mr. Rest have to say today, okay?
jrh
IT WOULD BE TUNNEL-VISION, EXCEPT THEY SOLD THEIR EYES ON EBAY
In Part I of this series, “The Meek Shall Inherit the Happiest Place on Earth,” the shroud of ‘business as usual’ that veiled the strip-mining Nihilists in charge of the Walt Disney Company was cast aside, and we examined the roots of their cowardice. We are now at the Second PASS/ FAIL point for Disney’s Resuscitate and Revitalize Team. Once the callous fools that are currently holding the corporate reins are gone, it is time for the Mouse House’s new management team to line up its Creative Troops. With a decade of unrelenting greed by the company’s higher-ups and treatment of Disney employees that was so shameful that it is painful to even consider, this is going to be a Battle Royale to win back the hearts and minds of the people, and Disney’s Creatives are going to need your support.
That’s right, executive-producing-business-end folks. Your new role will be in support.
More than a fundamental understanding of Disney’s role in the American cultural fabric, more than developing a keen eye for storytelling that will keep you from saying “no thanks” to “Ice Age,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “we’ll do fine without ‘Harry Potter’,” you executive-producing-business-end folks need to be in the business of making Glass Tubes…
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KINGDOM *WHAT WENT WRONG* and *The STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES to REBUILD the NAME and IDEA of DISNEY* A 3 PART code book to the American Imagination PART II: THE FELLOWSHIP
Awash in a sea of typical ABC dreck, several years ago, there existed a lone program of exceptional quality. Naturally, the executives (who couldn’t market the Second Coming) had no idea what to do with it, and canceled it to make way for little gems like “Are You Hot?” and “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.” But the lessons of the unfortunately named screwball comedy “Sports Night” must not be forgotten. With devilishly clever dialogue and expertly crafted characters, the show revolved around the personal and professional lives of the quirky but immensely talented cast and crew of a “Sports Center” -esque cable sports show. Much of the show within a show’s conflict sprang from the production team’s ON-GOING BATTLE TO DO THEIR JOBS UNDER THE THUMB OF THE NICKEL-NURSING MBAs’ CRIPPLING MICROMANAGEMENT. Yes, Disney is getting dangerously close to buckling under the weight of its own *irony*, but let’s stay focused, people, shall we? Grasping the (hauntingly ironic) importance of one episode in particular is essential to Disney’s rebirth, and sustaining that success once its achieved. It features a tour-de-force 11th hour monologue from William H. Macy’s character, a ratings consultant named Sam Donovan. He addresses a coven of network executives, who, though they have no experience in creative fields, have been providing “helpful” notes on producing the show.
SAM:
You guys know who Philo Farnsworth was? He invented television. I don’t mean he invented television like Uncle Milty. I mean he INVENTED the television in a little house in Provo, Utah at a time when the idea of transmitting moving pictures through the air would be like me saying I figured out a way to beam us aboard the Starship Enterprise. He was a visionary. He died broke and without fanfare.
The guy I really like, though, was his brother-in-law, Cliff Gardner. He said, “Philo, I know everyone thinks you’re crazy, but I want to be a part of this. I don’t have your head for science, so I’m not going to be able to help much with the design and the mechanics of the invention, but it sounds like you’re going to need glass tubes.” You see Philo was inventing the cathode receptor, and even though Cliff didn’t know what that meant or how it worked, he’d seen Philo’s drawing, and he knew he was going to need glass tubes…
Sam goes on to rhapsodize on Cliff’s sacrifices and steadfast dedication to play an invisible, supporting role in this monumental achievement that would afford him NO fortune or glory.
SAM:
…”I want to be a part of this,” Cliff said. I don’t have your head for science. How would it be if I were to teach myself to be a glass blower? And I could set up a little shop in the backyard. And I could make all the tubes you’ll need for testing.” There ought to be Congressional Medals for people like that.
(turning to the Network Executives) I’ve looked over the notes you’ve been giving over the last year or so, and I would have to say they exhibit an almost *total* lack of understanding of how to get the best from talented people. You’ve said before that for whatever reason I seem to be able to exert some authority around here. I assure you it’s not ’cause they like me. It’s ’cause they knew two minutes after I walked in the door I’m someone who knows how to do something. I can help. I can make glass tubes. That’s what they need.
In “The Sting,” Paul Newman says “Don’t treat your Friends like your Mark.” The Second PASS/ FAIL point for the Better Angels in Disney’s immediate future is whether or not they can assemble a support network of producing- executive-business-end types who can “make glass tubes.”
HOW IT’S DONE
Getting the best from creative people is a difficult skill to learn in the best of circumstances, but given the amount of damage control that is going to have to be done when the rebirth is launched, it’s going to be like teaching shell-shocked war veterans to be pyrotechnicians. Fortunately, we have a decade of laughably disastrous mismanagement to turn to for anti-precedent. Whole careers will be made trying to undo the damage of that braying joker Pressler.
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR CREATIVES: TREAT THEM RESPECTFULLY
This one should go without mention, but sadly, the state of the art is that the folks up top treat their Creatives in a manner unbefitting prisoners of war. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT MEN AND WOMEN DEATHLY AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR JOBS TO FUNCTION ARTISTICALLY?!? In fact, forget that they are even in creative positions for the moment, you CANNOT treat any employees in this fashion. As you continue to give yourselves multi-million dollar bonuses for screwing up the most intellectually significant company in the world, it is UNCONSCIONABLE that you would say to the Heart and Soul of your company that “You were overpaid.” These are real people with real husbands and wives and real children, and given the FREEDOM and JOB SECURITY to create, they will provide you with the most extraordinarily resonant stories ever told.
This is an adjunct to the above point, but (apparently) it must be said: You Must Treat the Outside Companies You Deal With In An EQUALLY Respectful Manner. NO MORE CHEAP NEGOTIATING and SCHEMING to SCREW YOUR CREATIVE PARTNERS. This is precisely what blew the Muppet deal in the early ’90s- when the lawyers and executives tried to take advantage of the death of Jim Henson to craft a cheaper deal. And this POSTURING GARBAGE is what’s screwing up the PIXAR deal for Disney (EDITOR’S NOTE- Vance sent this last week, BEFORE PIXAR walked away. Jeez, the Psychic Friends Network should have called this guy). Folks, this is not typical deal-making, not even in Hollywood. Last May, Disney Executives reportedly CONSPIRED to plant stories the week after “Finding Nemo” opened- billing it as ‘the Summer’s Big Disappointment’ in an effort to strike a cheaper deal with PIXAR. Fortunately the good taste of the public (with the largest opening weekend for an Animated Movie- Ever) forced them to scrub that plan at the last second. Remember that the next time you hear Michael and his underlings take credit for “Finding Nemo,” and how it gave Disney a deceptively profitable year for the Studio. The fact remains, the higher-ups at the Mouse House pull this kind of bush league trickery ALL THE TIME. It’s offensive to their Creative Partners, and the absolute worst way to get the best out of creative people. Not to mention it’s Amateur Hour crap that leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, including the public’s. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO SEE YOU TREAT YOUR CREATIVES RESPECTFULLY… You’ll see how this is the cornerstone to Disney’s future and how this pays off in Part III.
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR CREATIVES: TRUST AND CONFIDENCE
You are the executive-producing-business-types. Your role is to support the creative. You must TRUST THE CREATIVES ON THE CREATIVE. Did you work hard to get where you are? So did they. Only more so because there is only ONE place in the world that does what they do. They are the summital of their craft. Leave the artistic decisions to them. When you figure that out, your lives GET A LOT SIMPLER.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MARKETING AND SURE-FAIL QUICK-FIXES TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO COME TO SOMETHING IF IT’S WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE. Stop telling people what they want. If people had wanted to go to a Six Flags with delusions of California Grandeur, they would have gone by now. How reliable was your marketing researching after all?
I very briefly touched on this in Part 1, but focus groups and surveys only tell you what that independent vendor wants you to hear to ensure more work for themselves. The way people answer surveys and in focus groups enters variables of posturing and what is socially acceptable. After an election, surveys show a significantly higher number of people who say they voted than actually did. Trust your artists, they won’t make fools out of you. Additionally, confidence in projects is essential to more than the artists. IT IS THE ROCK THE PUBLIC BUILT THEIR CHURCH ON. Again, you’ll see how this pays off in Part III, but (let me give you a little preview) not waiting to see if an animated or live action picture cracks $200 million before starting development of a ride would be a good thing. These things energize one another.
While we’re on the subject of box office, the receipts for the first 3 days (or in the case of the screwing of “Brother Bear” 2 days) are NO INDICATOR OF HOW WELL A STORY HAS RESONATED WITH THE PUBLIC. Quick, NAME the characters in “Armageddon” or “Independence Day” (and don’t say Bruce Willis and Bill Pullman). Remember, “The Wizard of Oz” tanked royally when it first hit theaters in 1939. It was only after WWII, with Annual Televised Valentine’s Days’ showings, that “Oz” found its way into the hearts of the people. If you can’t see parallels between this and current cash cow “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you’re not trying hard enough.
To revitalize, to succeed, DISNEY MUST BE A BRAIN TRUST OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST CREATIVE MINDS IN THE WORLD TODAY- fostering new genius and partnering with established brilliance (Hey, executives. That was your cue to put down that product proposal for the “Lizzie McGuire” home pregnancy test and call J.K. Rowling and Peter Jackson NOW).
NO MORE CASTE SYSTEM OF IDEAS. there’s no such thing as “good enough for TV.” DON’T MOVE ON ANYTHING UNTIL IT BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK AND MAKES YOUR EYELIDS FLAP LIKE WINDOWSHADES!
Do you producing-executive-business-types even watch the Bonus Features on the PIXAR DVDs? They’re only the highest selling movies of all time… <pause for awkward silence from executives>… Fine, let me explain… no there is too much, let me sum up- THE STORY IS EVERYTHING!
Your R and D and STORY Departments are your best friends. And they must have YOUR TRUST and THEIR FREEDOM to do their jobs. The Haunted Mansion was in development for over a decade. And now it is one of the most beloved attractions of all time. It has been a tent-pole of the park experience since the day it opened in 1969 and its merchandise potentials (only vaguely being realized now) are making more $ for the company than ever.
Speaking of which, CLASSIC IS CLASSIC BECAUSE IT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE- THE GOAL MUST BE TO MAKE EVERYTHING YOU MAKE CLASSIC (THE PARKS ARE THERE FOREVER. QUICK-FIXES ARE FICTION. PEOPLE WHO PROPOSE THEM ARE LIARS TRYING TO GET AHEAD AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LONG TERM. THEIR LOYALTY IS TO THEMSELVES. This is a great Loyalty Test.).
Now that’s only the tip of the ice berg, but this foundation should give you an idea of how to progress. But I would be remiss not to at least mention an epidemic that has slipped in under radar- one that absolutely cripples any attempt to get the best from your Creatives…
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR CREATIVES: THE CHEATER’S OPINION
Cynicism. This unspeakably detrimental outlook is poisonous and it courses through the heart of the Walt Disney Company, heralding its downfall. There is not enough time now to examine its roots, but there is time to warn of its existence to those that would rebuild.
No one ever asks you to back up a cynical argument, because it comes with BUILT-IN LEGITIMACY. A cynical perspective *implies* you have examined an idea and rejected it because you know better. And now you are able to reap the windfall brilliance mystique. It’s easier. It isn’t risky. The power-players responsible for the gutting and collapse of Disney only offer negative fodder, and they *SEEM LIKE* the Smart Ones. Hell, anybody can sit around and criticize and reject. In a post-post-modern, info-saturated world, it’s a remarkably easy, popular position to take, just for the sake of having a position.
QUO VADIMUS — WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
Randy Bright was right. His “American Adventure” show at Epcot speaks the truth. It is in mankind’s darkest hours that Americans are at their best, when they pull together and shine most spectacularly. Today, everywhere you turn, hope has faded to a twinkle — invisible to the naked eye. Who is refueling the imagination of man? Who is sparking the excitement of a world of possibilities to children? Disney must be the WPA for the human Imagination- lifting man’s hopes up by their bootstraps and giving them a new star to follow. This is only possible with management that TRUSTS the Creatives.
Returning once more to that lost gem “Sports Night,” this time we look to wisdom of Robert Guillome’s character, managing editor Isaac Jaffee.
ISAAC:
If you’re dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you’re smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.
You must let go of the obsessive need to follow trends, and marketing data and all that other b.s. Trust your Creatives. Support them and your lives become a lot simpler. As it has been said, THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT.
There are Greater Minds poised to unleash Disney’s potential standing at the gate. They have learned from the abundant mistakes of the past. They have the will to fight. They have the drive to enact change. Their quest is clear. Rid the company of the Creative Cowards whose loyalty is to themselves.
Fill the executive positions with folks who have finely honed instincts for creativity. You wouldn’t have a Medical Review Board without Doctors, would you?
Allow the artists to do their jobs by showing that you TRUST THEM
Then all that’s left is the fun part… ELECTRIFYING NEW IDEAS. And knowing what we know about the Creatives of Disney, when they have the freedom to do what they do best, well… THEY’LL BLOW THE DOORS OFF THE PLACE!
We’ll explore the specifics of these plans in Part III.
ADDENDUM: If I may have a word with the UNenlightened executives in power now…
Attention all producing-executive-business-end types who are incapable or unwilling to TRUST the Creatives in the manner discussed in Parts I and II: If you’re ashamed of what the real Disney is, you have no place at the organization.
Heed my words like you’ve never listened to another piece of advice in your lives. TIME IS UP. The Ramifications you’ve been ducking for a decade are breaking down the front door. IT’S TIME YOU FOUND GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE, WHERE YOU CANNOT HARM ART, STORIES AND THE IMAGINATIONS OF THE YOUNG AND THE YOUNG AT HEART. It might be best to leave Disney now, decrying it as a madhouse run by the inmates, than to be forced out when the great purging is upon you and the STENCH of your transgressions hangs upon you for the rest of your professional lives.