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An Interview With Matt Bierman, President, Phoenix Pictures
(The
People vs Larry Flynt, The Thin Red Line, Urban Legend, Lake Placid, The 6th
Day)
The American Accolades prides itself on providing honest feedback, helpful
resources, and access to mainstream Hollywood.
The below interview is the opinion of one Hollywood executive.
AASC: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN FILM AND WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE INDUSTRY?
MB: I think I started like everyone else: I watched a lot of television. That was sort of my initiation. And, there were favorite movies that I would watch over and over again. We had cable and we had Beta Max before anyone else, so I really saw a lot of things. In terms of how I ended up here. I started working at an agency as the script librarian. Then, I got a job working for Jon Peters as a script reader/runner. So, I would deliver chicken soup to John’s girlfriend or bat mobiles for his daughter’s birthday, but I would also read scripts. I got promoted there to story analyst, then to story editor. Then I went to Disney as a Creative Executive. Then I became the director of production there. Then, after three years, I went to a company called Village Roadshow. I was there for two and half years, and while I was there I made Saving Silverman, and I developed a movie called Showtime among other things. I was involved in a few things that will probably go long after I’m gone. And, then I came to Phoenix about nine months ago.
AASC: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A SCREENPLAY? WHAT MAKES A GOOD SCREENPLAY?
MB: To some degree it depends on the genre, but I look for something that is a new idea. If it’s a comedy, I look for something that’s very funny. In a comedy I look for a somewhat familiar idea, but it’s the execution that makes it fresh, that makes it different. In a thriller, you want the idea to be novel. In an action movie you also want it to be something that you haven’t seen before. But, the first thing I look for is the idea, and whether the idea feels like a movie. There should be some familiarity so the audience has some sort of grounding.
AASC: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE WORKED ON THUS FAR?
MB: Definitely, Saving Silverman, Other People’s Wishes, and Showtime, which is being made. Here at Phoenix, there is a project called Werewolf which I love. There is a project called Defenseless…
AASC: WHICH OF YOUR PREDECESSORS DO YOU EMULATE OR LOOK UP TO?
MB: Right now I work for Mike Medavoy, and he has an incredible body of work. He’s made well over 300 films, and a number of Academy Award Winners. He was the head UA, and he co-founded Orion. Then he was head of Tri-Star. The movies made in those places, are outstanding: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, Amadeus, Silence of the Lambs, People vs. Larry Flynt, Philadelphia. It would be great to do what he’s done, which is to make really great films which are also commercially successful.
AASC: DO YOU FORESEE ANY CHANGES IN THE WAY THAT FILM IS BEING PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, OR EXHIBITED IN THE FUTURE?
MB: Sure, and I am by no means an expert in what I am about to say, but a lot of people talk about film being distributed digitally. So, it just seems like that is going to come fairly quickly. In terms of films being made, I think they will also be shot on digital film. That is on the more technical side, but in terms of how films are made and the development process, I don’t foresee huge changes. The change is happening right now, the pendulum swings. Right now, a lot of companies are co-financed and financed by foreign entities, movie companies in other countries. They will lower the risk for the studios. So, a lot of what gets made occurs with the assistance of outside companies and studios, and that is a big trend right now. This means that screenplays that are not foreign friendly will be more difficult to get made. So, urban films, sports movies, political movies, girl films, things that are very American or that have to do with Americana are more difficult to make in light of the fact that many films are co-financed by foreign companies.
AASC: HOW DO YOU THINK DIGITAL MEDIA WILL PLAY INTO THE FUTURE OF FILM?
MB: I think that it will make things easier for the studios. In the future, digital will cut costs and more studios will be able to take risks on more films. The marketing process in some cases costs more than the actual production of the film, and some of those marketing costs are making prints of the film, printing up thousands of copies of the film on celluloid to send to theaters. That will change. Also the making of movies will change. A lot of the money spent on a film is on the film stock itself. Also, effects will change. The amazing thing is we are in the 21st century, and we are still working with the 19th century technology. So, that will certainly have to change. I think ultimately, it will be a change for the better.
AASC: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR SCREENWRITERS OR FILMMAKERS WHO ARE TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE BUSINESS?
MB: If you are a filmmaker, I would say try to get a film made. Even make a short film because in Hollywood that’s really helpful, and a lot of doors get opened by people who make really interesting short films. And with the Internet now, in distribution, its easier to get your film seen. If you’re a director, it’s probably easier now to get your foot in the door than it has ever been before. It’s your creative calling card to your potential, for your talents.
In terms of young screenwriters I would say, don’t try to second-guess the market. Don’t try to write something because you think it’s a good commercial screenplay. If you write a good screenplay, if you write a good story, even if it is something that can never get made because it’s not commercial enough, but it’s interesting, you will get your foot in the door. You will start getting opportunities because the community will respond to good writing. If you intentionally try to write something commercial your first time out, chances are that it will feel too deliberate. It won’t have the soul that a good screenplay needs. The other thing I would suggest to screenwriters is to see lots of movies, read lots of screenplays, and see what has worked in the past. Also, write the kinds of movies that you like to see.