How to destroy something beautiful... and build it back better... maybe!

Neglect, neglect, neglect, build, and try again. The5's latest edition of inspiration and provocations for the creative industries.

sitting on a wire, sitting on a fence, not much makes much sense; one day I will just fly far far far away

The5 (when not taken over by guest curators — as has been happening every Friday as of late) is a benefit of paid HFF membership. There are a lot of you now, and you make this newsletter work for everyone else, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I appreciate your help and I know all the other readers do to.

Sure you get access to over 450 archived articles, and you get a regular supply of The5 that no one else does. These are the links and observations that I think might help us better perceive what the hell is going on in our culture industries. Sure I focus on cinema, but a great deal of what concerns us, concerns all of us — whether you work in film or music or fashion or publishing.

Change is here, but our cultural industries are still moving slowly in terms of addressing it. In many aspects the creators have lapped the corporations. In many aspects the corporations have a stranglehold on how business is done and who gets to do it. Many in charge seem predominantly concerned with making sure they get theirs; they’d rather loot the store than build it’s future. There is going to be a great deal more pushing and pulling. There is going to be… utter fucking chaos. And how are you going to handle it?

I can’t answer for you, but I am committed to sharing what I’ve learned from what is now forty years in the film business, producing movies, starting companies, and being one of the early entrants into the global streaming platform business (I ran Amazon Studios’ feature film program when they launched it).

I don’t hold all the answers, but I am willing to ask the questions. I won’t hold back. I won’t whisper. And I won’t do it alone by any means. We are in this together.

I am a great believer in group learning. When people gather, share interests and converse about all their concerns, we learn quicker and bring more of us along. We become a community. That’s the goal here. We all need to do some lifting. We contribute how we can. But we make it better together.

HFF’s The5: 04.27.25 Edition

1. LA is a shadow of itself

2. They’ve gutted the center of Hollywood

3. If they can do it, why can’t we in America?

4. Never say dead. Resurrected a/or coming back stronger that before.

5. If theirs is crap and a rip off, will ours be too?

Bonus #1:

An unfortunate reason to check out one of the films I helped produce…

I was fortunate to get to help produce FRANCESCO. Unfortunately, you now have another reason to check it out.

I came aboard this film because I knew the world needed to see what leadership with a compassionate heart looked like. We need that again. Pope Francis was different from all that came before him, but we best honor him by embracing his example of modesty, forgiveness, openness, and action.

It’s on TVOD right now, but we need a new home…

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/francesco-2020-0

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