Podcast Summary
Media's Impact on Society: Jason Blum's Approach to Low-Budget, High-Concept Films: Jason Blum's success in low-budget, high-concept films demonstrates the importance of taking risks and staying relevant in media, despite potential controversy or polarized perspectives.
The way information is consumed in media, particularly in Hollywood, has a significant impact on society. Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, has built a successful career on low-budget, high-concept films, including horror movies. His approach to taking risks and staying relevant has led to both box office successes and flops. Blum's latest film, "The Hunt," has been mired in controversy due to its controversial marketing and themes. Blum believes that despite political differences, it's important for people to engage in dialogue, as demonstrated by his decision to appear on The Ben Shapiro Show. The media industry's role in shaping public discourse and the potential consequences of polarized perspectives are significant issues that warrant further discussion.
A satirical take on American politics in 'The Hunt': The Hunt is a comedic remake of 'The Most Dangerous Game', satirizing both sides of the political spectrum and challenging stereotypes, despite initial perceptions. Online privacy is also significant, as internet activity can be traced and sold to tech giants, but ExpressVPN can provide an additional layer of security.
The film "The Hunt," despite initial reactions, is not a politically charged wish fulfillment movie as some perceived from the trailer. Instead, it's a comedic remake of "The Most Dangerous Game," making fun of both sides of the political spectrum and aiming to challenge stereotypes. The film's creators were surprised by the intense backlash, especially since they intended to satirize both sides equally. Another important point is the significance of online privacy. Despite using incognito mode, internet activity can still be traced and sold to tech giants. ExpressVPN can provide an additional layer of security by encrypting 100% of data, ensuring privacy even when using public Wi-Fi. Overall, "The Hunt" serves as a reminder to look beyond stereotypes and consider the complexity of the American debate.
Perceived Political Bias in Hollywood: Despite political biases in Hollywood, good movies should transcend politics and bring people together through shared enjoyment and laughter.
There is a perceived political bias in Hollywood, with some in the industry openly admitting to not hiring conservatives. This bias, according to the critique, makes it difficult for conservative films to be made and for openly conservative individuals to succeed. However, the speaker believes that good movies should transcend political affiliations and that everyone should be able to enjoy them. The movie "Red State" is an example of a film that aims to please no one and piss off everyone in a certain way, and if people can get past the political overtones and just enjoy it, it could help bring people together and promote better communication between different groups. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of being able to laugh at oneself and at others as a means of fostering understanding and working towards common goals.
Effective communication and compromise in filmmaking: Bipartisan writing team creates humorous and insightful film, low to mid-budget production strategy allows for creative risks and unconventional storytelling
Effective communication and understanding, even between individuals with different political beliefs, can lead to compromise and progress. The film "The War with Grandpa" serves as an excellent example of this, with its bipartisan writing team creating a humorous and insightful film that avoids lacerating one side. Additionally, the interview highlights the unique film production strategy of the interviewee, who focuses on making low to mid-budget movies that allow for creative risks and unconventional storytelling. This approach was born out of frustration with the studio film production process and a desire to compete effectively with the studios. By sticking to smaller budgets, the interviewee is able to take risks and hire less established talent, resulting in a diverse range of films that sometimes hit and sometimes miss, but always keep the company moving forward.
Hollywood's focus on big budget movies despite risks: Critics argue that Hollywood's obsession with large-scale movies, driven by ego and the belief in bigger budgets leading to success, often hinders creative risks and meaningful messages.
Ego and the belief that bigger budgets equate to success are major reasons why Hollywood continues to invest in large-scale movies despite financial risks. However, there's a growing critique that these movies often prioritize pleasing everyone over taking risks and delivering meaningful messages. The studio system, which requires movies to appeal to all four quadrants, makes it difficult to take creative risks on big budget films. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the shift towards streaming services may force Hollywood to reevaluate its business model and take more risks on smaller, more innovative projects.
Impact of Coronavirus on Movie Industry: Streaming vs Theaters: The pandemic is driving more people to stream movies at home, but theaters won't disappear entirely, with genres like horror continuing to thrive in cinemas.
The coronavirus pandemic will significantly impact the movie industry, particularly in the way movies are consumed and released. Streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, and Apple are expected to gain more ground as people spend more time at home. However, theaters are not expected to disappear entirely, but there may be fewer movies in theaters and shorter runs. Genres like horror, which rely on the collective experience and immersion, may continue to thrive in theaters. Watching horror movies at home is not as effective as in a theater because viewers tend to lose focus, missing crucial build-ups and scares. The pandemic is accelerating trends towards more at-home entertainment, but the movie theater experience is unlikely to vanish completely.
Competition and Shifting Consumer Behavior in the Streaming Industry: Netflix's success uncertain due to intense competition and consumer preference for multiple subscriptions, while its focus on entertaining content sets it apart from traditional media.
The streaming industry, led by companies like Netflix, faces intense competition and shifting consumer behavior. While Netflix had a first-mover advantage and a large subscriber base, the proliferation of streaming services and the ability to subscribe and binge-watch content on demand could lead to more subscribers churning and subscribing to multiple services. Additionally, political or controversial content is not a priority for Netflix, with filmmakers encouraged to create visceral, entertaining movies first and foremost. The success of Netflix and other streaming services remains uncertain, especially during economic downturns, but their ability to generate and distribute large amounts of content continues to set them apart from traditional media.
Exploring Beyond Organic Themes: Artists can expand their audience by blending themes with personal stories, even if they challenge conservative values.
While it's important for artists to stay true to their vision, they don't necessarily have to limit themselves to organic themes when creating entertainment. Using the example of Barry Levinson's documentary-turned-horror-movie about the Chesapeake Bay, the speaker emphasizes that conservative audiences, in particular, tend to prioritize thematic considerations over storytelling. However, they are more likely to support and engage with films that have a personal connection or an intimate story at their core, even if those films carry conservative values. The speaker's own career in the film industry began with selling cable TV door-to-door and producing Noah Baumbach's film "Kicking and Screaming." He later moved on to work for Miramax and eventually founded Blumhouse Productions, focusing on low-budget, weird, and subversive horror movies.
A Horror-Loving Producer's Journey: A Democrat producer, influenced by Hitchcock, runs a genre-focused production company, believing in a safety net for all, despite political differences, but finds living in high-tax California less appealing.
The producer, who started off loving all types of movies but found his niche in horror, runs a production company that produces both films and television, with a focus on genre movies to get distributed. He identifies with the horror community due to their shared oddities. Hitchcock's movies serve as a major influence on their productions. The producer, a Democrat, believes that the uninformed are the future of the country and that everyone, including the rich, should pay more taxes to provide a safety net for those in need. Despite the political divide, he believes there's more that unites us than divides us. He currently resides in California, but the high tax rate has made living there less appealing.
California's Social Issues and the Entertainment Industry: The speaker expresses frustration with unaddressed social issues in California, advocates for work ethic, and shares insights on Hollywood's net profits and immediate payments to talent.
Despite California having the largest tax base and more resources than most states, there are significant social issues that remain unaddressed. The speaker expresses frustration with the lack of effective government services and disagrees with the notion that people who are able-bodied and unwilling to work should be supported financially. However, he holds positive views towards individuals like Andrew Yang and Timothée Chalamet, and is excited about upcoming Blumhouse projects, particularly the John Brown series "Good Lord Bird." The speaker also shares his experience with Hollywood's net profits and his commitment to paying actors and directors immediately upon reaching certain thresholds, which has helped him attract high-profile talent to work on low-budget films. Overall, the conversation touches on themes of government inefficiency, social welfare, and the entertainment industry.
Hollywood's Impact on Politics: Entertainment vs News: Hollywood's depiction of Trump as a successful businessman may have influenced his election, but the media industry's shift towards entertainment-driven news consumption played a larger role.
The relationship between Hollywood and politics has been intertwined for a long time, and the blurring of lines between news and entertainment has been a significant contributor to the current political climate. The speaker argues that Hollywood's portrayal of Trump as a successful businessman may have contributed to his rise to power, but it's not fair to blame Hollywood entirely for creating him. Instead, the media industry's shift towards entertainment-driven news consumption played a role in Trump's election. Additionally, Hollywood's fascination with politicians has led to a merger of sorts between the two industries, with politicians becoming celebrities in Hollywood and vice versa. The speaker also points out that this merger is not unique to Trump, as it began with the rise of Fox News and has since spread across all media platforms. Ultimately, Hollywood's role in shaping public perception and the intersection of news and entertainment are important issues to consider in understanding the current political landscape.
Hollywood's political messages and culture of silence: Despite potential hypocrisy, Hollywood's right to express political views. Culture of silence around power abuses, but Me Too movement brought change.
Hollywood's political involvement can come across as hypocritical and out of touch to the general public, especially when they engage in preachy or judgmental messages. However, it is entitled to express political views. The other key point is that the entertainment industry, like many others, had a culture of turning a blind eye to abuses of power, such as in the case of Harvey Weinstein. It was only when the Me Too movement gained momentum that the industry began to take action against perpetrators. It's important to distinguish between inappropriate behavior and criminal acts. The culture of silence around such issues is a complex issue that requires ongoing dialogue and change.
Misconceptions about Hollywood's political views: Despite diverse political views, fear of controversy stifles creativity and free expression in Hollywood, hindering productive dialogue.
Hollywood is diverse and not everyone in the industry shares the same political views. The misconception that all Hollywood figures live unconventional, liberal lifestyles is not accurate. Many individuals in the industry lead conservative lifestyles despite their political differences. The current atmosphere of fear and controversy surrounding the entertainment industry is stifling creativity and free expression. People are afraid to make mistakes or speak their minds for fear of being attacked. This trend needs to change, as the pendulum has swung too far, and the fear of controversy is hindering productive dialogue. The hope is that this trend will shift towards a more accepting and open environment where people can express themselves freely without fear of backlash.
Hollywood's Narrow Overton Window: Producers like Jason Blum advocate for open dialogue and diverse viewpoints in Hollywood, despite a narrow acceptance of political views, encouraging aspiring professionals not to be discouraged by the current climate.
The entertainment industry, particularly Hollywood, has a narrow "Overton window" when it comes to acceptable political views. This can create barriers for individuals who hold certain beliefs, making it difficult for them to find employment. Jason Blum, a successful producer in Hollywood, acknowledged this issue and shared his perspective on the importance of having diverse viewpoints and not shrinking the mainstream too small. He also emphasized the need for open dialogue and debate, rather than silencing or deplatforming those with differing opinions. While the situation may seem discouraging, Blum believes that change is on the horizon and encourages those who aspire to work in Hollywood to not be deterred by the current climate.
