On January 11, 1991, Disney's motion picture head, Jeffrey Katzenberg, penned a sprawling 10,000-word critique of the very system he helped build. It was an inspiring look at how Hollywood, specifically Disney, needed to change in order to succeed. Though intended for internal eyes only, the memo eventually leaked to the press. It's a memo so good that it actually inspired the movie Jerry Maguire! But that's an article for another day. At its core, the document was a reaction to a troubling trend: while Disney had conquered the 1990 box office, it had done so with expensive gambles like Dick Tracy that barely broke even. Katzenberg lamented the move away from a reliable strategy of "singles and doubles" toward a high-stakes "yes, but" culture that chased blockbuster glory at a perilous cost.Sound familiar? Well, I think Hollywood needs to go back and read this memo because it's happening all over today. Let's dive in. 'Jerry Maguire' Credit: Fox Jeffrey Katzenberg's MemoI've attached a PDF of Katzenberg's memo below. It's way too long to copy and paste in here, but I would encourage anyone who wants to work in Hollywood to read it. I think it's an important North Star for people to understand the town and to avoid the pitfalls we've seen in the past. Check it out below. Jeffrey Katzenberg's MemoJeffrey Katzenberg's MemoMemorable Quotes From the Memo I really do believe that everyone in Hollywood should have to read and understand this memo, but in case you don't...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 2 days ago