Like most professionals working in Hollywood today, John Landgraf cannot predict what the industry will look like when it continues to contract with the decline of the linear and the rise in streaming. But he feels optimistic that Hollywood is “still there” at the end of this period of change, and those who have the mentality of persist will also be there.
The president of the FX expressed the optimistic and realistic feeling of the parties to the equality of the future of entertainment during a panel conversation with the chief of the Disney television studios, Eric Schrier, moderated by the filmmaker Paris Barclay and organized by the Hollywood Radio & Television Society. Barclay raised the subject as he jokes the leaders of television a glimmer of hope that the industry would be “good” in the midst of layoffs and will change permeating in the sector.
“And there will be room for all of us?” Barclay responded to the optimistic view of Landgraf.
“I don't all know about us,” he said. “I cannot speak for everyone. Personally, my singular strategy is to continue to improve. At the start of my career, I was the bug-not the windshield. I went home by feeling terribly what had happened that day … But every day, I said:” Ok, well, what can you improve? “My theory was:” Well, I might not be good yet in this area, but if I improve myself every day, I will finally be really good in this area. ” »»
Landgraf called Tardif Bloomer, after joining FX at the age of 41, and noted that he had not started to feel confident in his role until he was 50 years old. His advice for young managers in the room was to persevere and never stop learning.
“My first mentor said:” Persistence is everything. The difference between people who are still there and who have succeeded and those who are not is that those who are still here have not abandoned, “said Landgraf.
Beyond the encouraging words, Landgraf and Schrier shared the scene to share their information on the creation of daring projects towards world success and the recognition of Emmy Records, including the ambitious “Shōgun”, which spent 10 years in development and was launched to impressive viewers – which led him to develop from a series limited to two additional seasons currently in works – The series Bear ”.
For “Shōgun”, Landgraf and Schrier noted the desire to give their own turn to the tendency of sweeping dramas after the success of “Game of Thrones”.
“We mortgaged the farm,” said Landgraf about the realization of the Japan-Set series by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo. “Probably all the brands and all the studios said:” I want my “Game of Thrones”. Most of what they did had swords or dragons. We were more focused on what would be an interesting way to make an epic which was relevant at the moment, which transcended the heavy policy of real history, which is a very contested terrain very contested at the moment. “
“We always sucked in to make an epic. It was not before Disney entered and we had access to the streaming platforms that there was a financially capacity to do something with this scale,” added Schrier.
In the midst of what makes the best argument for a show and the best way to approach by giving notes to “sensitive” creatives, the conversation also addressed the broader existential crisis triggered by the current political climate, finding comfort in the idea that disturbing times tend to arouse creativity.
“We had a meeting with Donald Glover the day after a particularly devastating election some time ago, from my point of view,” Landgraf told the panel. “Donald said:” It will be the ideal moment to make big arts. “And he came out and did” Atlanta “.”
