It's movie time on BOS!
This week we talk to master producer, Jonathan D. Krane.
If you're not a Hollywood aficionado and have
no idea who Jonathan D. Krane is, chances are you'll definitely know his
movies. Krane has produced some of the biggest box office hits in movie
history; movies such as the "Look Who's
Talking" trilogy, Face/Off,
The
General's Daughter, Primary
Colors, Blind
Date and classics such as The
Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the
Pink Panther... the list goes on. Jonathan D. Krane
has made over 43 movies -- with a surprisingly large number of them starring his
longtime friend, John Travolta.
In fact it was Jonathan Krane who, as agent to Travolta, re-launched his
declining career and set him on the road to superstardom when he cast him in
the blockbuster movie "Look Who's Talking." Apart from managing Travolta, Krane has also managed
over 150 actors and directors including, Pierce
Brosnan, Drew
Barrymore, Kim
Basinger, Robin Wright
Penn, Julie Andrews, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Sally Kellerman, Ellen DeGeneres.
And
that's just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to the talents of Jonathan D.
Krane add to the list, distributor, lawyer, teacher, author and financier, and
you'll begin to get a glimpse of just how multi-faceted this man is. But
don't be fooled into thinking that Krane is a "Jack of All Trades and Master of None." Krane has excelled at practically everything he's
undertaken, which seems to be the story of his life. At age 4 he taught himself
calculus. He read the works
of Plato, Descartes, Immanuel Kant, Einstein, and Heisenberg. He left high
school at 15 and entered St. John's college in Sante Fe and Anapolis which provides the only non-elective classical curriculum in the country. He
graduated first in his class at 19 with an A+ average and the highest record in
the 300-year history of the school. He then went to Yale Law
School, graduating at age 23.
Thirty years on, Krane’s unique movie
industry experiences and knowledge have made their way into his 450 page tome, A Revolutionary
Approach to the Art and Science of Movie Making: A Treaties on Fixing the
Accidental Industry. As you can probably tell from the title, this book is
not for the faint hearted. At a cost of $125, it’s for the committed! The treaties itself forms part of what will
probably be Krane’s ultimate masterpiece as it represents a vital part of the
course materials for The Krane Academy
of Motion Pictures. The book/treaties teaches the Five
Fundamental Principles underlying the Ultimate Goals, and all the processes,
functions, rules and job descriptions of all aspects of the Industry. The
Ultimate Goals are to make films that are creatively and commercially
successful, but the current “Accidental Industry” will settle for commercial
profitability alone, which is one of the reasons virtually all films fail. The
Five Fundamental Principles are (1) The Five Stages of Production, (2) The
difference between Studio films and Independent films, (3) All power derives
from three sources – Talent, Production, and Distribution, (4) The cash flow,
cash on cash return and net profits and losses from film distribution and (5)
Mastering problem solving. All of which form the basis of his course.
And if
like me you feel his book is for the truly committed, you will also find that a
$52,000 price tag to enroll
in the Academy, will attract only the committed -- but I guess that's exactly the point he's making. If you are passionate and aspire to making it in the movie industry, don’t be put off
by the $52,000 commitment, it actully breaks down to about $35 per hour of tuition. And if you get even half of the promised experience
it will be money well spent. You will also get the opportunity to
travel to Europe and participate in the making a of feature length movie with full accreditation -- now that's what
I call practical on the job experience!
Having had the opportunity
to interview Jonathan D. Krane in person, and also live on the Business of
Success radio show, it’s clear he is not motivated by money or glory (he's had plenty of both already), but in sharing his vast wealth of knowledge. This clearly is a labour of love. As a visionary, a scholar and an
innovator Krane's real legacy will not be the movies he's made, but the knowledge he'll have imparted to an all new generation of movie makers who will entertain us for years to come.
Download jonathan_krane.mp3
Click on the above link to listen to this interview for a frank and illuminating insight into the wonderful,
yet complex, world of movies from the "Master of All" Jonathan D. Krane
In this interview we speak to Drew Levin, chairman and CEO of TMC Entertainment and executive producer of the ground-breaking 3-part TV mini-series 'Walking the Bible' which can be seen on PBS network on January 4, 11 and 18. This fascinating series which was filmed in five countries -- and four war zones -- is part adventure, part spiritual journey and takes viewers from the heights of Mt. Ararat, where Noah's Ark was reported to have come to rest, to the depths of the Salt Sea, the lowest point on earth. Having had the privilege of reviewing the mini-series, I have no hesitation in telling you that this series delivers big time and will take you on a rich, cultural, historical and spiritual journey like no other. Levin manages to skillfully strike the delicate balance between Christian, Jewish and Muslim beliefs, demonstrating that in the Middle East, a clear sense of cohesion exists between them even despite current unrest, particularly when it comes to their relationship with one God and the Bible. Whether you're religious or not, Walking the Bible presents an incredible archaeological and historical journey into a past that has shaped billions of lives today. 
Listen in as our resident host, Alan Rothman, interviews Drew Levin who tells us about his successful career and how after reading the New York Times Best Seller, Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler, he decided to take the 10,000 mile journey to make this tremendous documentary. This is powerful stuff. Don't miss the series and hear the interview by clicking the MP3 link above. 
