September 29, 2023 • 36 mins
What's it like to hold the reins of producing authority in the highly unpredictable and thrilling world of show business? Join us as we learn about the transition from the Studio System to indie producing with film industry heavyweight, Sid Ganis. This episode is a treasure trove of insights as Sid describes his journey from a humble office boy to the President of the Academy. As we reminisce the transformation of the entertainment industry of the last 30 years, Sid brings to light the importance of championing creative storytellers and the evolving dynamics of producing projects, both big and small.
A big part of championing a project from idea to screen is in the heart of decision-making, where Sid reveals the secret behind his success - the power of intuition and a trusted opinion, specifically his wife Nancy's. There are trials and victories to be experience when it comes to believing in a unique vision, and we discuss the example of the making one of the many critically and commercially acclaimed films that Sid sheperded, "Akelah and the Bee". This conversation is a testament to the importance of trusting your gut, and the magic that can unfold when you do.
We also have a candid conversation of the ongoing industry strike, underlining the significance of direct negotiation. Sid throws light on the significance of clear communication channels, rejecting the reliance on social media and trade publications. This is a timely reminder of the necessity of valuing and compensating people for their work. So, sit back, tune in, and let's embark on this fascinating journey of show business together.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Heart of Show business.
I am your host, alexia Melochi.
I believe in great storytellingand that every successful
artist has a deep desire toexpress something from the heart
to create a ripple effect inour society.
Emotion and entertainment areclosely tied together.
My guests and I want to giveyou insider access to how the
(00:28):
film, television and musicindustry works.
We will cover Dreams Come True,the Road, life's Travel,
journey, beginnings and a lot ofinsight and inspiration in
between.
I am a successful film andtelevision entrepreneur who came
to America as a teenager topursue my show business dreams.
Are you ready for someunfiltered real talk with
(00:50):
entertainment visionaries fromall over the world?
Then let's roll sound andaction.
Alexia Melocchi (01:01):
Well, hello everyone.
On the Heart of Show business,I have with me a legend.
You know, when somebody talksabout the studio heads, it's
always like a scary name thestudio head because it's like
the enemy.
But it's not.
We're talking here with SidGannis, who has been in the
business for quite a bit of time.
(01:22):
We're not going to say how long, but he has been the president
of the Academy for four years.
He was president of ParamountPictures back in the day when
they greenlit Topgown and fatalattraction.
He has had his own independentproduction company.
He was chairman of Columbia.
He was based at Sony with hisproduction company.
(01:42):
He's done movies from everyside of the spectrum, from like
the Duke Spigolo, which I love,by the way, the B inspirational
movies, like documentary, secondOlympia Dukakis.
You know, pan Am, the TV series.
I want to hear about MargotRobbie because she's Barbie.
There's so much to talk about.
(02:02):
So, sid, welcome to my show.
Sid Ganis (02:07):
Alex, first of all, thank you very much.
Second of all, not long agosomebody said how long you've
been in the.
You just said he'd been in thebusiness a long time.
Somebody said how long you'vebeen in the business, so I
counted.
I'm so glad you're not tellinganybody how long I've been in
the business.
Thank you very much.
(02:27):
I can't believe it.
Alexia Melocchi (02:31):
What I say.
You were there back in the dayswhere the studio system was
actually not broken and andwonderful movies were coming
back out there not justsuperhero movies and you're
championing the storytellers andit was just like a different
world where producers hadmanners and had education.
(02:53):
I'm sorry new producers, but itwas quite not going to go there
.
So it's just so great to, buttell me something because I'm
curious, like how did you getstarted?
Because obviously you come fromNew York and then you just get
on a plane and come to LA andsay I'm going to be a movie
producer or a studio executive.
(03:15):
How did I?
Sid Ganis (03:17):
I'll tell you, but before I tell you, can I tell
you something else, please, yes,please.
Of course you get that.
I was there back in the daywhen people were polite and the
studios were, you know,different, and all that it's
true.
What you just said is true, buta lot of it is true.
(03:38):
Today too, we're seeingpublicly, social media wise,
we're seeing, I think, the veryworst of it, and you're saying,
back then they were really goodmovies.
Today they're really goodmovies.
You know what I saw the otherday?
I'm probably, I'm definitelygoing to answer your question,
but before I do.
(03:59):
The other day, you know, I, mywife Nancy and I live in the Bay
Area, so, sure enough, thereare Academy screenings in the
Bay Area.
Every every week there's anAcademy screen.
The other day We've seen, youknow, the big ones have been
through lately and they've beengreat.
And then the other day I sawthe Benage Julia Benage movie,
(04:25):
brand new movie, lovely movie.
Now, of course I can't think ofthe title of that lovely movie,
but a small little beautifulmovie that came out of France.
Of course, I think it had someUS producers also, so it works
always.
You know, yes, back then theywere terrific movies, god knows,
(04:47):
you were terrific movies, butthey were also the craziest,
strangest, you know, mostexploitive movies back then,
just like today.
They weren't big superheromovies, of course, back then.
Well, I mean Buster Crabb, asas Tarzan, I guess he was a
(05:08):
superhero in his day.
Anyway, that's not how I gotstarted.
Alexia Melocchi (05:15):
That's not.
Sid Ganis (05:17):
I was born and bred in Brooklyn, new York.
Really a long time ago.
I am, you know, aging now and Iwas us, you know, just amazed
at what I would see, both in thelocal movie theater where I
would walk to as a kid.
(05:37):
We could do that.
We walked to.
I think the first, one of thefirst movies I saw was the Third
man of all things.
What was I doing?
A little kid I must have been10 years old watching the Third
man, but I walked to it and paidmy 25 cents kids in the day, so
(05:59):
I was always fascinated by it.
Went to local high school JamesMadison High School, with a
whole bunch of other people whowound up and show business.
Nobody can tell you why, don'tunderstand why.
And then Brooklyn College.
And I wasn't doing very well inBrooklyn College.
I didn't quite know why I wasthere, so I quit.
(06:23):
And I came home and I said tomy mother Mom, I quit school, I
quit Brooklyn College.
And she said OK, sidney, nowwhat are you going to do?
And because I was just a kindof a little Jewish kid from
Brooklyn with a nice family, Iwasn't thinking about what I was
(06:44):
going to do, but I did answeran ad, a want ad in those days
in the newspaper that saidOffice Boy wanted in show
business publicity office mustwant to be in show business and
I thought, hmm, seems like agood thing to try and I answered
(07:05):
that ad.
And then, alexia, this is alittle bit of where luck comes
into life I answered the ad thatsent a letter, which I did, and
back in those days I sent aletter and I got a response and
the response was thank you, butwe filled the job.
I took that paper and put it onthe kitchen counter in our
(07:28):
apartment.
And it's so happened that thatafternoon or the next afternoon,
my uncle, my uncle Phil and myaunt Estelle came over to visit,
because that's what we did.
Family just didn't knock,didn't call, I mean didn't book
in advance.
They just came over and UnclePhil said what are you doing,
(07:51):
sid?
And I said well, I'm trying toget a job.
Uncle Phil and I said here,look at this.
I tried to get a job with this,this firm, this guy.
And my uncle Phil looked at theletter, alexia, that he the
rejection letter, the one thatsaid we filled the job, and he
(08:11):
said I know that guy, there'syour story.
That's how I got started inshow business.
Wow, office boy, you know, $50a week, office boy.
I did it and and got the coffeeand went for the stuff and
(08:34):
delivered the copy to the NewYork Times and the Daily Mirror
and those it and was totallytaken with it and really and
truly that's the way I got mystart.
It was one of the biggest PRfirms too, so I think that you
lucked out, because that's leastall there is right, exactly,
you know that Exactly, it wasLee Salters firm Salt is called
(08:59):
Salters O'Rourke and Savinson inthose days and yes, I was the
office boy for Salters O'Rourkeand Savinson Exactly.
I don't even think that termexists today, Office boy.
Alexia Melocchi (09:13):
You know this is a testament to what we're
talking about, the good old days.
Well, there's still good olddays now there's good new days.
But I also started, you know,in the business and I wanted to
learn everything aboutinternational sales.
And they're like I speak a lotof languages and I, even though
I had done a few markets, I gothired at a small company and I,
(09:35):
like we're looking for a salesperson to help us with sales
Guess what?
I was vacuuming, I wasanswering the phones, I was
talking to labs to talk aboutdeliverables.
I was course putting telexiststogether with the course I
wasn't going.
Well, I have to rule the world.
I'm not paying my dues, and Ithink in today's generation,
(09:57):
they want everything so fast,and that's something that I
think I love.
What you just said, you knowit's yes, we have to learn
everything, but we also have towork hard.
Sid Ganis (10:10):
Yes, I mean yes, Uncle Phil started me off, but
of course I had to love it, bepassionate about it, work it.
You know, not even think abouthours and just do the job.
And I think you said a minuteago you think things are moving
(10:32):
so fast and young men and womenwho are in the business or
wanting to be in the businesstoday have to understand that
what you did and what I did isthe way to do it.
For goodness sakes, it is theway to do it.
And, yes, there's a lot more toabsorb.
(10:53):
I think, well, maybe it's thesame old stuff that just has
different veneer to it.
I think it is because you knowwhy we're storytelling and
selling our stories andmarketing our story.
I think it's the same, exceptwith different elements,
different veneer to it.
No, be patient, do the work.
(11:16):
You know, no matter how long wetalk today, Alexa, what's going
to happen is I'm going to saythe same thing.
That's what we have to do andthat's what young people have to
do today.
Get a sense of, get the feel ofall of it around you.
Alexia Melocchi (11:37):
Yes, absolutely .
And as we said even before wepushed record, people have to
learn the business.
It's not just I'm a speedwriter, I'm a producer, I'm a
director.
Right, Tell me more about that.
Sid Ganis (11:55):
Well, you know, I mean, it was me.
I can only speak it the way Idid it and it's what I tell to
my friends, kids these days, whoare very interested in this.
I say, you know, don't think ofit, as I just want to be a
(12:17):
production designer.
Yes, you do want to just be aproduct designer, but to be a
really good, complete productiondesigner, you also have to know
about.
You know what the grips aredoing and what the you know the
writers are doing and how toproduce, because you're
(12:40):
producing as a productiondesigner.
So don't just go this way, kindof go this way.
Spread out, be curious abouteverything you can absorb in the
business and today, of course,as I say, it's complicated by
the media, the social media andand all of the information
(13:04):
that's moving around so quicklyand also, if you want to be in
the production side of thebusiness, also be curious about
international sales.
Goodness knows and I've been,you know, I've been around long
enough to have directors who areinterested in international
(13:26):
sales and not interested ininternational sales.
But I'm using internationalsales and the example.
I have a great story to tellyou about that and it goes back
to the old days.
You want to hear it, yes,please, about the only Kubrick
of all things.
Way, way, way, way, way back Iworked at Columbia Pictures in
(13:49):
New York City.
It was one of my first jobs.
My first job was with Saltis.
My first job in the moviebusiness was at 20th Century Fox
and my second job was atColumbia Pictures and at
Columbia Pictures I was in thepublicity department in.
I wasn't the big shot.
I was in the publicitydepartment doing publicity,
(14:09):
learning, loving it, meetingpeople, getting to know people,
and we had this movie calledDoctor, strange, love and
Kubrick.
In those days I think he wasliving in London already he's
from the Bronx, but I think hewas living in London and
(14:31):
certainly he came back to NewYork after he finished the movie
in London, after he finishedStrange Love in London, and came
back to Columbia in New YorkCity and I got to know him and
we worked together, as did manyothers in the department.
But here's what I want to tellyou about this guy who knows
(14:53):
what he's doing, not only aboutthe movie he's making but about
what's happening, and I promiseyou this is a true story.
One day in the hallway he saidnot to me but to a guy in charge
of handling advertising aroundthe country.
In those days newspaperadvertising was very important.
(15:17):
You'd advertise in newspapers,you would begin to advertise on
television, but still thenewspaper ad was a big thing.
So Kubrick said to this verynice man, lenny Byer, he said
and what about Cleveland?
We were opening in Cleveland.
And Lenny said, yeah, we'reopening in Cleveland, and here's
the opening ad, and here's theMonday, tuesday, here's the
(15:40):
Wednesday ad and we'll have thebig Friday ad.
And Kubrick said I promise you,I couldn't believe my ears.
He said that Wednesday ad isn'tthat too big for Wednesday.
He saved it and put some ofthat money into someplace else.
He knew and he cared and he waswilling to have an opinion
(16:09):
about advertising in ClevelandOhio.
Alexia Melocchi (16:13):
Wow.
Sid Ganis (16:14):
The ad in the Cleveland Plain dealer or
something like that.
Isn't that amazing.
That is a lesson for me backthen.
A real lesson for me.
Alexia Melocchi (16:25):
Yeah, it's such an amazing story because, again
, people are forgetting thatthis is, this is global
storytelling more than ever.
So you need to know not justabout how to have success in the
three key cities in the UnitedStates.
You have to know how to havesuccess in the small towns in
the USF, how to have successoverseas Jordan Right, gonna
(16:49):
translate, and I know and Iwanted to ask you because you
have had such a varied body ofwork as a producer.
I mean, you go from reallyfunny comedy like a do speak a
little.
Then you go and go and producea Kayla and the B, which is an
inspirational story.
So what is it that makes yousay yes when you see something
(17:12):
as a producer?
What is it that you get, likethe hairs on your arms, standing
up and saying I have to getbehind this project.
Sid Ganis (17:20):
There was.
There was a word that we usedto use that may not be in the
vocabulary anymore, I'm not sureWith all of the information
that we have coming fromeverywhere.
There was.
A term is probably ancient.
I'm sure many of your viewersand listeners probably would say
(17:41):
what's he talking about?
So the answer to your questionis my gut.
G U T.
My gut helped me along, helpsme along the way to this day.
I promise you I'll listen tothe research and I promise you
(18:04):
I'll dig into the statistics andthe box office and the previous
stuff.
But also when I'm certainlywhen I'm reading a script, it's,
it's what moves me on the page.
And I got to tell you a Kila andthe B do speak low, also in its
(18:24):
own way.
I mean, you couldn't havepicked two diverse examples of
my work.
Do speak low, you know, in allits silliness and craziness.
You said you liked it.
It had a good story for women,I thought, and my wife, who
reluctantly saw it when it wasfinished, said, oh, that's
(18:49):
pretty good.
And Akilah and the B.
From when I first heard aboutit I just knew I wanted to make
that movie.
And then the other big part ofthis on Akilah, especially my
wife Nancy.
I mean, you know I said, nancy,please read this.
As I once said to her when Iwas at Paramount, please read
(19:13):
ghost.
You know plenty of other peoplewere, you know, reading and
giving me their opinions and allthat, but my wife's opinion I
pay attention to it.
I don't always go with it, butI certainly pay attention to it.
And when she read Akilah andthe B, she said, oh God, yeah,
let's, let's do it.
(19:34):
And we did, the two of us didit together.
Alexia Melocchi (19:36):
Wow, and you know my.
Sid Ganis (19:38):
God G U T.
Alexia Melocchi (19:41):
I live by it said I live by my God.
I always say intelligence isnot here and because it never
fails you, how many times havewe are?
I should have listened to myGod?
We both say that why didn't Ilisten to my God?
But you know I love what yousaid that your wife enjoyed Do
(20:03):
speak alone.
And one of the reasons why Ienjoyed it, beyond the campiness
of Rob Schneider and all of it,was the message that every
woman is deserving of love.
That to me, the fact that thisguy would go out with all this
different kind of needed to beseen and value.
(20:24):
That's that's why we go.
When we see films that theyhave great success, you know,
like the book club or or themiracle, I mean those are the
stories that, even though, well,those were a little bit more
niche than obviously do speakalone.
But and I kill and the be, Imean to be making such a diverse
(20:46):
movie in not a diverse time.
That's got to have to begroundbreaking for you.
I mean, did you have to get alot of rejection because
obviously those big old aseasier to set up, because you
got Rob Schneider and all thatcampiness?
Sid Ganis (20:59):
And and can produce it.
So you know yeah yeah, a lotgoing for it.
Yeah, I feel that it was arough go.
But, alexia, this is the game,this is where you, if you
believe, really, truly believein it and you have enough
(21:24):
intestinal fortitude to stickwith it, it might happen, and in
the case of Akila it happened,but it happened in a little bit
of a strange way.
Again, luck came into it alittle bit.
You wanna hear?
Alexia Melocchi (21:43):
Yes, I love it.
Sid Ganis (21:44):
Like you told me before, when we were talking,
before we started, I said beforewe started shooting, but I wish
it were on a set right now,before we started talking about
just about how you kind of neverknow in this business.
(22:08):
And you said you worked forLionsgate and so I'd been around
with the script.
We'd been around with thescript and, yes, it was a very
good script from the beginningand we were rejected time and
time again On the script alone.
We had no elements other thanthe script.
On the script alone.
(22:31):
We were told no, we said it'sthe same old thing that you
would expect as any financier tosay you want me to finance a
picture about a little AfricanAmerican kid from South Los
Angeles which is a spelling bee?
What are you kidding AtLionsgate?
(22:52):
I sent it.
I have two friends at Lionsgate, the guys who many years later
are still running the company,john Feldheimer and Michael
Burns.
But Michael Burns had youngkids, felt had older kids.
So I sent it to Michael.
I said, michael, just have alook at this over the weekend.
(23:12):
Well, michael handed the scriptto his assistant and said
please, you know, asked her toread it over the weekend and she
came back to Michael Burns andsaid you gotta do this movie.
Who knows?
Alexia Melocchi (23:30):
Who would have thunk it?
Sid Ganis (23:32):
Who would have thunk it?
Alexia Melocchi (23:34):
Those are the great stories.
I mean, you know my buyers.
Some of my buyers financed apre-bought lullaline when
Patrick was going around talkingabout it.
Tammy and Chazelle and theywere gonna give him all this
money to make this movie frommaking a smaller film, you know.
And now he wanted $4 millionjust on the opening scene on the
freeway and this and that.
(23:55):
But you know, there are thepeople like you and the
Patrick's of the world and theMark Damon's and the Arnold
Coppins of course.
If you know Mike Meta Boys andthe Mario Casars and those
people who believe in the vision.
We've known them all in theambivanias.
I had the pleasure of meetingthem.
Sid Ganis (24:14):
Good for you.
What a bunch of great names.
Alexia Melocchi (24:17):
My gosh.
I mean, I honestly got morestarstruck, to be honest, to
talking to you than it would beto just talking to you, whatever
the guy who made the hottestfor a movie of the moment,
because you're giants and you'veseen it all and we are right
now in a business that ischanging so much and you know
the elephant in the room we'rein the midst of a strike and I
(24:39):
do.
You have a viewpoint about this?
Because obviously, ampts andother work don't call us
producers, don't call us what'sgoing on, like.
Why is this not gettingresolved in Europe?
Sid Ganis (24:53):
Well, first of all, alexa, I hope when this airs,
when this podcast airs, thestrike is so over and people are
saying you know that wasterrible, but here we are now.
But here we are now and it'svery disheartening.
(25:15):
I, you know, I've been around,like you say, and I love the
business and I love the peoplein the business.
This one is a rough one, really, really, really rough.
Part of it is becauseeverybody's angry at everybody
else.
Part of it is becauseeverybody's angry and the anger,
anger is out there.
(25:36):
It's not personal anger, it'snot people sitting in a room
screaming and yelling at eachother.
It's, you know, social mediaand the trades and you know, and
the gossip guys reporting theyelling and screaming and that's
no good.
And you know, people say in theold days there was Lu Wasserman
(25:59):
, but today there are plenty ofmen and women smart on the
studio side.
Every single one of the men andwomen who are on the studio
side are terrific.
They know this stuff and theirstate's people as well.
And on the WGA side and on theactor side it's the same thing.
(26:25):
They're a good, wise peopleready to negotiate.
It's baffling almost to see howit doesn't seem to be happening
at the moment, this very moment, including this morning, when,
you know, there was somethingdamning I read, but remember I
was reading it just the way.
(26:46):
I was complaining about readingit a minute ago.
I was reading it on socialmedia.
So it's got to end and it canend.
Of course it can, and itdoesn't matter that there's AI
and streaming and residualissues.
Those are issues.
They're resolvable issues.
(27:07):
They are resolvable.
People have to sit in a roomand talk directly to each other.
Not just talk, but negotiatedirectly with each other, and it
can be done.
I wonder, as I'm saying this toyou, alexia, I wonder.
I can't imagine.
No, I know I was about to say Iwonder if people are not
(27:30):
willing to negotiate.
No, the people we're talkingabout are.
But in the meantime, people arehurting all over the place.
The last writer strike 2007, oreight or something like that.
I was smack in the middle of it.
I was an independent producer,but I had just come from the
studios and I knew the game andI was president of the Academy.
(27:53):
And guess what?
In 2008, I had to put on a show, so I needed the writers to be
willing to give me a waiver.
I had to go to them hat in handand ask for a waiver.
And there's a way to do that,alexia.
There's a way to do it, I gotit.
(28:15):
So there must be a way to do it.
And the writers were allowed towrite in a minimal way.
I think I forget what the dealwas Bye.
This is horrible and hurtful,and the writers deserve what
they want to appoint, as do theactors, of course they do.
And the studio guys.
(28:36):
I can't imagine Mr Iger and allof them.
But I point to Iger because Isaid Lou Wasserman's name before
and Iger is the closest thingto Lou Wasserman today.
I think Bob knows, he knows.
So I'm only hoping you know, Idon't know.
(28:56):
I can't say anything morebecause I don't know anything
more.
I don't know what the solutionis.
But, as I said, by the timethis podcast airs, this thing
better be over.
You know why?
Don't even air it.
If it's not over, we won't bean industry anymore.
Alexia Melocchi (29:17):
This is.
You are so right, Sid, andunfortunately, as I'm hearing it
in well, let's hope that by thetime it airs, I'm going to say
what the hell were they talkingabout?
Fake news, because I am hearingin May drag until January or
February, because all this, likeyou say, anger.
And the thing is that what isupsetting me is, again, I stand
(29:41):
by the fact that writers shouldget more actors.
They deserve to have theirresiduals but at the same time,
what about all the other people?
Sid Ganis (29:51):
Oh God.
Alexia Melocchi (29:53):
All the producers going out of business.
You know the craft service, andthey're so fixed on finding
their own battle, their ownsingle battle, that they're like
, well, those are just going tobe.
It's for everybody?
No, it's not for everybody,because everybody's hurting.
And you know and I was talkingto a friend of mine just he's
(30:13):
actually coming on my podcastI'll send you the link, you know
in a few weeks and he will sayI get asked for residuals by SAG
before I even paid my investorsor the banks that I borrowed
money from.
Sid Ganis (30:28):
Can't be.
Alexia Melocchi (30:29):
And he can have and then at the same time,
studios Okay, everybody'stalking about Bob Iger.
It's a big, like every studiohad.
They live in some like privateislands with five you know
planes and 25 Ferraris and it'slike again, they're bunching
everything together and I don'tbelieve.
Oops.
Sid Ganis (30:49):
My wife just walked in.
That's great.
My partner, the woman we weretalking about before.
Alexia Melocchi (30:57):
Exactly Believe that every studio had is greedy
and they don't want people toget paid.
I don't believe that and youknow because you've been one, so
you would right.
Sid Ganis (31:10):
No, we want it to be fair.
We will and it can be, and atthe moment it's not.
And God, I hope you're wrong ornot you're wrong, but what
you've heard is wrong and it'snot going to be January or
February.
That would be horrifying.
Hey, my son in law is a propman, so I know the feeling.
(31:32):
My son in law is a prop man.
Right now he's getting paid,but he's not a happy prop man.
Alexia Melocchi (31:42):
No, no and it's .
And, like I said, I mean we'veall got to come together and
talk.
You know how many times have weall talked about you know
studio movies and we don't get aresiduals even before this and
we go oh, it's creativeaccounting of the stupid.
You know the P and a money andall that.
I guess nobody will get angrylike this.
The anger, and how social mediais exploiting all this to
(32:06):
incinerate even more the partiesis not a healthy way to go.
And praying for you, for me,for you know the transportation
coordinator, of course,everybody you know to get back
to work because we just came outof COVID and it's like couldn't
you know my grandson, couldn'twe wait a year?
(32:27):
We're just coming out of COVID,you know, but I mean that said
what's coming next for you saidI mean, do you still love
producing?
Are there still things that youdon't have to talk to me about?
What they're about?
Obviously, because stuff it'sconfidential.
But is there stuff that stillfires you up and says I want to
(32:47):
keep going?
Sid Ganis (32:48):
I remember I said to you about five minutes ago I
made a mistake and said Ialluded to the fact that I was
on a set instead of on thispodcast.
I'd love to be on a set again,probably not the same way I used
to be, but I'd love to be.
Yes, and the good news is, thevery good news, is that voice
(33:12):
you heard before my wife, whojust came in, is, you know,
she'll be the next one on theset and I'll be kind of hanging
around with her on the set, youknow.
So, yeah, this is not over forme, but just now I finished a
documentary about a Japaneseartist called Yoshiki, which is
(33:41):
going to open in September,going to start in September.
And then there's anotherdocumentary I'm working on about
trafficking, human trafficking,kids, and it's coming along
nicely too, and it too is goingto be on one of the streaming
services.
So, yeah, but do I want to do abig ass feature again?
(34:05):
Yeah, sure, be nice, but Nancymight be doing that very thing.
Alexia Melocchi (34:10):
Well, I think we're all at it.
I always say you know, I'mnever going to stop.
I'm never going to stop, youprobably won't.
Sid Ganis (34:17):
You know why?
Because you're a good Greek.
That's why, and good Greeks,don't stop.
Alexia Melocchi (34:23):
The Greeks, the Greeks and the Jews.
They never stop.
And you got the both.
Sid Ganis (34:28):
I got both.
Alexia Melocchi (34:30):
Me too, from great grandfathers in Russia.
So, yes, we never stop, and Ithink this is what I want to
tell to all the filmmakers,because one of the things that
impressed me with said, andshout out to our friend Rick
Berman, who was my student I'msure he told you in a class that
I taught about pitching yeah,he did, yeah, he loved it.
(34:51):
And he told me you were sogenerous to him and you picked
up the phone and you told himyour thoughts on your script.
That is such a rarity and I amso grateful that you are on this
podcast to share your wisdom.
I mean, I think you need towrite a book.
That's my two cents, because Isaid we probably won't have
enough.
We will have more to say.
(35:12):
So maybe talk about you mightwant to write a book, you know,
and if not, I'll have to bringyou back, maybe after the strike
is over.
Okay, we can come up with newthings and new everything, but
no, sid, thank you so much forcoming on my show.
I'm just soaking it up.
I want to hear more and I'msure my listeners will, and you
(35:34):
know to everyone.
You know, of course, if youenjoy the episode, please
subscribe, rate, review, look upsome of Sid's work.
He needs his residuals, just asI do.
Yeah, right.
So if you want to go see againand Olympia and do Spigolo and
Pan Am, wherever you're going tocatch it somewhere, keep
(35:55):
watching.
Sooner or later we'll get our20 cents in the mail and we'll
be waiting for the hosts intothis episode.
So thank you, sid.
Thank you for coming on theshow.
Sid Ganis (36:06):
You're welcome, Alexia, of course.
Alexia Melocchi (36:09):
And that is the Heart of Show business, over
and out.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Yeah.
Welcome to the Heart of Show business.
I am your host, alexia Melochi.
I believe in great storytellingand that every successful
artist has a deep desire toexpress something from the heart
to create a ripple effect inour society.
Emotion and entertainment areclosely tied together.
My guests and I want to giveyou insider access to how the
(00:28):
film, television and musicindustry works.
We will cover Dreams Come True,the Road, life's Travel,
journey, beginnings and a lot ofinsight and inspiration in
between.
I am a successful film andtelevision entrepreneur who came
to America as a teenager topursue my show business dreams.
Are you ready for someunfiltered real talk with
(00:50):
entertainment visionaries fromall over the world?
Then let's roll sound andaction.
Alexia Melocchi (01:01):
Well, hello everyone.
On the Heart of Show business,I have with me a legend.
You know, when somebody talksabout the studio heads, it's
always like a scary name thestudio head because it's like
the enemy.
But it's not.
We're talking here with SidGannis, who has been in the
business for quite a bit of time.
(01:22):
We're not going to say how long, but he has been the president
of the Academy for four years.
He was president of ParamountPictures back in the day when
they greenlit Topgown and fatalattraction.
He has had his own independentproduction company.
He was chairman of Columbia.
He was based at Sony with hisproduction company.
(01:42):
He's done movies from everyside of the spectrum, from like
the Duke Spigolo, which I love,by the way, the B inspirational
movies, like documentary, secondOlympia Dukakis.
You know, pan Am, the TV series.
I want to hear about MargotRobbie because she's Barbie.
There's so much to talk about.
(02:02):
So, sid, welcome to my show.
Sid Ganis (02:07):
Alex, first of all, thank you very much.
Second of all, not long agosomebody said how long you've
been in the.
You just said he'd been in thebusiness a long time.
Somebody said how long you'vebeen in the business, so I
counted.
I'm so glad you're not tellinganybody how long I've been in
the business.
Thank you very much.
(02:27):
I can't believe it.
Alexia Melocchi (02:31):
What I say.
You were there back in the dayswhere the studio system was
actually not broken and andwonderful movies were coming
back out there not justsuperhero movies and you're
championing the storytellers andit was just like a different
world where producers hadmanners and had education.
(02:53):
I'm sorry new producers, but itwas quite not going to go there
.
So it's just so great to, buttell me something because I'm
curious, like how did you getstarted?
Because obviously you come fromNew York and then you just get
on a plane and come to LA andsay I'm going to be a movie
producer or a studio executive.
(03:15):
How did I?
Sid Ganis (03:17):
I'll tell you, but before I tell you, can I tell
you something else, please, yes,please.
Of course you get that.
I was there back in the daywhen people were polite and the
studios were, you know,different, and all that it's
true.
What you just said is true, buta lot of it is true.
(03:38):
Today too, we're seeingpublicly, social media wise,
we're seeing, I think, the veryworst of it, and you're saying,
back then they were really goodmovies.
Today they're really goodmovies.
You know what I saw the otherday?
I'm probably, I'm definitelygoing to answer your question,
but before I do.
(03:59):
The other day, you know, I, mywife Nancy and I live in the Bay
Area, so, sure enough, thereare Academy screenings in the
Bay Area.
Every every week there's anAcademy screen.
The other day We've seen, youknow, the big ones have been
through lately and they've beengreat.
And then the other day I sawthe Benage Julia Benage movie,
(04:25):
brand new movie, lovely movie.
Now, of course I can't think ofthe title of that lovely movie,
but a small little beautifulmovie that came out of France.
Of course, I think it had someUS producers also, so it works
always.
You know, yes, back then theywere terrific movies, god knows,
(04:47):
you were terrific movies, butthey were also the craziest,
strangest, you know, mostexploitive movies back then,
just like today.
They weren't big superheromovies, of course, back then.
Well, I mean Buster Crabb, asas Tarzan, I guess he was a
(05:08):
superhero in his day.
Anyway, that's not how I gotstarted.
Alexia Melocchi (05:15):
That's not.
Sid Ganis (05:17):
I was born and bred in Brooklyn, new York.
Really a long time ago.
I am, you know, aging now and Iwas us, you know, just amazed
at what I would see, both in thelocal movie theater where I
would walk to as a kid.
(05:37):
We could do that.
We walked to.
I think the first, one of thefirst movies I saw was the Third
man of all things.
What was I doing?
A little kid I must have been10 years old watching the Third
man, but I walked to it and paidmy 25 cents kids in the day, so
(05:59):
I was always fascinated by it.
Went to local high school JamesMadison High School, with a
whole bunch of other people whowound up and show business.
Nobody can tell you why, don'tunderstand why.
And then Brooklyn College.
And I wasn't doing very well inBrooklyn College.
I didn't quite know why I wasthere, so I quit.
(06:23):
And I came home and I said tomy mother Mom, I quit school, I
quit Brooklyn College.
And she said OK, sidney, nowwhat are you going to do?
And because I was just a kindof a little Jewish kid from
Brooklyn with a nice family, Iwasn't thinking about what I was
(06:44):
going to do, but I did answeran ad, a want ad in those days
in the newspaper that saidOffice Boy wanted in show
business publicity office mustwant to be in show business and
I thought, hmm, seems like agood thing to try and I answered
(07:05):
that ad.
And then, alexia, this is alittle bit of where luck comes
into life I answered the ad thatsent a letter, which I did, and
back in those days I sent aletter and I got a response and
the response was thank you, butwe filled the job.
I took that paper and put it onthe kitchen counter in our
(07:28):
apartment.
And it's so happened that thatafternoon or the next afternoon,
my uncle, my uncle Phil and myaunt Estelle came over to visit,
because that's what we did.
Family just didn't knock,didn't call, I mean didn't book
in advance.
They just came over and UnclePhil said what are you doing,
(07:51):
sid?
And I said well, I'm trying toget a job.
Uncle Phil and I said here,look at this.
I tried to get a job with this,this firm, this guy.
And my uncle Phil looked at theletter, alexia, that he the
rejection letter, the one thatsaid we filled the job, and he
(08:11):
said I know that guy, there'syour story.
That's how I got started inshow business.
Wow, office boy, you know, $50a week, office boy.
I did it and and got the coffeeand went for the stuff and
(08:34):
delivered the copy to the NewYork Times and the Daily Mirror
and those it and was totallytaken with it and really and
truly that's the way I got mystart.
It was one of the biggest PRfirms too, so I think that you
lucked out, because that's leastall there is right, exactly,
you know that Exactly, it wasLee Salters firm Salt is called
(08:59):
Salters O'Rourke and Savinson inthose days and yes, I was the
office boy for Salters O'Rourkeand Savinson Exactly.
I don't even think that termexists today, Office boy.
Alexia Melocchi (09:13):
You know this is a testament to what we're
talking about, the good old days.
Well, there's still good olddays now there's good new days.
But I also started, you know,in the business and I wanted to
learn everything aboutinternational sales.
And they're like I speak a lotof languages and I, even though
I had done a few markets, I gothired at a small company and I,
(09:35):
like we're looking for a salesperson to help us with sales
Guess what?
I was vacuuming, I wasanswering the phones, I was
talking to labs to talk aboutdeliverables.
I was course putting telexiststogether with the course I
wasn't going.
Well, I have to rule the world.
I'm not paying my dues, and Ithink in today's generation,
(09:57):
they want everything so fast,and that's something that I
think I love.
What you just said, you knowit's yes, we have to learn
everything, but we also have towork hard.
Sid Ganis (10:10):
Yes, I mean yes, Uncle Phil started me off, but
of course I had to love it, bepassionate about it, work it.
You know, not even think abouthours and just do the job.
And I think you said a minuteago you think things are moving
(10:32):
so fast and young men and womenwho are in the business or
wanting to be in the businesstoday have to understand that
what you did and what I did isthe way to do it.
For goodness sakes, it is theway to do it.
And, yes, there's a lot more toabsorb.
(10:53):
I think, well, maybe it's thesame old stuff that just has
different veneer to it.
I think it is because you knowwhy we're storytelling and
selling our stories andmarketing our story.
I think it's the same, exceptwith different elements,
different veneer to it.
No, be patient, do the work.
(11:16):
You know, no matter how long wetalk today, Alexa, what's going
to happen is I'm going to saythe same thing.
That's what we have to do andthat's what young people have to
do today.
Get a sense of, get the feel ofall of it around you.
Alexia Melocchi (11:37):
Yes, absolutely .
And as we said even before wepushed record, people have to
learn the business.
It's not just I'm a speedwriter, I'm a producer, I'm a
director.
Right, Tell me more about that.
Sid Ganis (11:55):
Well, you know, I mean, it was me.
I can only speak it the way Idid it and it's what I tell to
my friends, kids these days, whoare very interested in this.
I say, you know, don't think ofit, as I just want to be a
(12:17):
production designer.
Yes, you do want to just be aproduct designer, but to be a
really good, complete productiondesigner, you also have to know
about.
You know what the grips aredoing and what the you know the
writers are doing and how toproduce, because you're
(12:40):
producing as a productiondesigner.
So don't just go this way, kindof go this way.
Spread out, be curious abouteverything you can absorb in the
business and today, of course,as I say, it's complicated by
the media, the social media andand all of the information
(13:04):
that's moving around so quicklyand also, if you want to be in
the production side of thebusiness, also be curious about
international sales.
Goodness knows and I've been,you know, I've been around long
enough to have directors who areinterested in international
(13:26):
sales and not interested ininternational sales.
But I'm using internationalsales and the example.
I have a great story to tellyou about that and it goes back
to the old days.
You want to hear it, yes,please, about the only Kubrick
of all things.
Way, way, way, way, way back Iworked at Columbia Pictures in
(13:49):
New York City.
It was one of my first jobs.
My first job was with Saltis.
My first job in the moviebusiness was at 20th Century Fox
and my second job was atColumbia Pictures and at
Columbia Pictures I was in thepublicity department in.
I wasn't the big shot.
I was in the publicitydepartment doing publicity,
(14:09):
learning, loving it, meetingpeople, getting to know people,
and we had this movie calledDoctor, strange, love and
Kubrick.
In those days I think he wasliving in London already he's
from the Bronx, but I think hewas living in London and
(14:31):
certainly he came back to NewYork after he finished the movie
in London, after he finishedStrange Love in London, and came
back to Columbia in New YorkCity and I got to know him and
we worked together, as did manyothers in the department.
But here's what I want to tellyou about this guy who knows
(14:53):
what he's doing, not only aboutthe movie he's making but about
what's happening, and I promiseyou this is a true story.
One day in the hallway he saidnot to me but to a guy in charge
of handling advertising aroundthe country.
In those days newspaperadvertising was very important.
(15:17):
You'd advertise in newspapers,you would begin to advertise on
television, but still thenewspaper ad was a big thing.
So Kubrick said to this verynice man, lenny Byer, he said
and what about Cleveland?
We were opening in Cleveland.
And Lenny said, yeah, we'reopening in Cleveland, and here's
the opening ad, and here's theMonday, tuesday, here's the
(15:40):
Wednesday ad and we'll have thebig Friday ad.
And Kubrick said I promise you,I couldn't believe my ears.
He said that Wednesday ad isn'tthat too big for Wednesday.
He saved it and put some ofthat money into someplace else.
He knew and he cared and he waswilling to have an opinion
(16:09):
about advertising in ClevelandOhio.
Alexia Melocchi (16:13):
Wow.
Sid Ganis (16:14):
The ad in the Cleveland Plain dealer or
something like that.
Isn't that amazing.
That is a lesson for me backthen.
A real lesson for me.
Alexia Melocchi (16:25):
Yeah, it's such an amazing story because, again
, people are forgetting thatthis is, this is global
storytelling more than ever.
So you need to know not justabout how to have success in the
three key cities in the UnitedStates.
You have to know how to havesuccess in the small towns in
the USF, how to have successoverseas Jordan Right, gonna
(16:49):
translate, and I know and Iwanted to ask you because you
have had such a varied body ofwork as a producer.
I mean, you go from reallyfunny comedy like a do speak a
little.
Then you go and go and producea Kayla and the B, which is an
inspirational story.
So what is it that makes yousay yes when you see something
(17:12):
as a producer?
What is it that you get, likethe hairs on your arms, standing
up and saying I have to getbehind this project.
Sid Ganis (17:20):
There was.
There was a word that we usedto use that may not be in the
vocabulary anymore, I'm not sureWith all of the information
that we have coming fromeverywhere.
There was.
A term is probably ancient.
I'm sure many of your viewersand listeners probably would say
(17:41):
what's he talking about?
So the answer to your questionis my gut.
G U T.
My gut helped me along, helpsme along the way to this day.
I promise you I'll listen tothe research and I promise you
(18:04):
I'll dig into the statistics andthe box office and the previous
stuff.
But also when I'm certainlywhen I'm reading a script, it's,
it's what moves me on the page.
And I got to tell you a Kila andthe B do speak low, also in its
(18:24):
own way.
I mean, you couldn't havepicked two diverse examples of
my work.
Do speak low, you know, in allits silliness and craziness.
You said you liked it.
It had a good story for women,I thought, and my wife, who
reluctantly saw it when it wasfinished, said, oh, that's
(18:49):
pretty good.
And Akilah and the B.
From when I first heard aboutit I just knew I wanted to make
that movie.
And then the other big part ofthis on Akilah, especially my
wife Nancy.
I mean, you know I said, nancy,please read this.
As I once said to her when Iwas at Paramount, please read
(19:13):
ghost.
You know plenty of other peoplewere, you know, reading and
giving me their opinions and allthat, but my wife's opinion I
pay attention to it.
I don't always go with it, butI certainly pay attention to it.
And when she read Akilah andthe B, she said, oh God, yeah,
let's, let's do it.
(19:34):
And we did, the two of us didit together.
Alexia Melocchi (19:36):
Wow, and you know my.
Sid Ganis (19:38):
God G U T.
Alexia Melocchi (19:41):
I live by it said I live by my God.
I always say intelligence isnot here and because it never
fails you, how many times havewe are?
I should have listened to myGod?
We both say that why didn't Ilisten to my God?
But you know I love what yousaid that your wife enjoyed Do
(20:03):
speak alone.
And one of the reasons why Ienjoyed it, beyond the campiness
of Rob Schneider and all of it,was the message that every
woman is deserving of love.
That to me, the fact that thisguy would go out with all this
different kind of needed to beseen and value.
(20:24):
That's that's why we go.
When we see films that theyhave great success, you know,
like the book club or or themiracle, I mean those are the
stories that, even though, well,those were a little bit more
niche than obviously do speakalone.
But and I kill and the be, Imean to be making such a diverse
(20:46):
movie in not a diverse time.
That's got to have to begroundbreaking for you.
I mean, did you have to get alot of rejection because
obviously those big old aseasier to set up, because you
got Rob Schneider and all thatcampiness?
Sid Ganis (20:59):
And and can produce it.
So you know yeah yeah, a lotgoing for it.
Yeah, I feel that it was arough go.
But, alexia, this is the game,this is where you, if you
believe, really, truly believein it and you have enough
(21:24):
intestinal fortitude to stickwith it, it might happen, and in
the case of Akila it happened,but it happened in a little bit
of a strange way.
Again, luck came into it alittle bit.
You wanna hear?
Alexia Melocchi (21:43):
Yes, I love it.
Sid Ganis (21:44):
Like you told me before, when we were talking,
before we started, I said beforewe started shooting, but I wish
it were on a set right now,before we started talking about
just about how you kind of neverknow in this business.
(22:08):
And you said you worked forLionsgate and so I'd been around
with the script.
We'd been around with thescript and, yes, it was a very
good script from the beginningand we were rejected time and
time again On the script alone.
We had no elements other thanthe script.
On the script alone.
(22:31):
We were told no, we said it'sthe same old thing that you
would expect as any financier tosay you want me to finance a
picture about a little AfricanAmerican kid from South Los
Angeles which is a spelling bee?
What are you kidding AtLionsgate?
(22:52):
I sent it.
I have two friends at Lionsgate, the guys who many years later
are still running the company,john Feldheimer and Michael
Burns.
But Michael Burns had youngkids, felt had older kids.
So I sent it to Michael.
I said, michael, just have alook at this over the weekend.
(23:12):
Well, michael handed the scriptto his assistant and said
please, you know, asked her toread it over the weekend and she
came back to Michael Burns andsaid you gotta do this movie.
Who knows?
Alexia Melocchi (23:30):
Who would have thunk it?
Sid Ganis (23:32):
Who would have thunk it?
Alexia Melocchi (23:34):
Those are the great stories.
I mean, you know my buyers.
Some of my buyers financed apre-bought lullaline when
Patrick was going around talkingabout it.
Tammy and Chazelle and theywere gonna give him all this
money to make this movie frommaking a smaller film, you know.
And now he wanted $4 millionjust on the opening scene on the
freeway and this and that.
(23:55):
But you know, there are thepeople like you and the
Patrick's of the world and theMark Damon's and the Arnold
Coppins of course.
If you know Mike Meta Boys andthe Mario Casars and those
people who believe in the vision.
We've known them all in theambivanias.
I had the pleasure of meetingthem.
Sid Ganis (24:14):
Good for you.
What a bunch of great names.
Alexia Melocchi (24:17):
My gosh.
I mean, I honestly got morestarstruck, to be honest, to
talking to you than it would beto just talking to you, whatever
the guy who made the hottestfor a movie of the moment,
because you're giants and you'veseen it all and we are right
now in a business that ischanging so much and you know
the elephant in the room we'rein the midst of a strike and I
(24:39):
do.
You have a viewpoint about this?
Because obviously, ampts andother work don't call us
producers, don't call us what'sgoing on, like.
Why is this not gettingresolved in Europe?
Sid Ganis (24:53):
Well, first of all, alexa, I hope when this airs,
when this podcast airs, thestrike is so over and people are
saying you know that wasterrible, but here we are now.
But here we are now and it'svery disheartening.
(25:15):
I, you know, I've been around,like you say, and I love the
business and I love the peoplein the business.
This one is a rough one, really, really, really rough.
Part of it is becauseeverybody's angry at everybody
else.
Part of it is becauseeverybody's angry and the anger,
anger is out there.
(25:36):
It's not personal anger, it'snot people sitting in a room
screaming and yelling at eachother.
It's, you know, social mediaand the trades and you know, and
the gossip guys reporting theyelling and screaming and that's
no good.
And you know, people say in theold days there was Lu Wasserman
(25:59):
, but today there are plenty ofmen and women smart on the
studio side.
Every single one of the men andwomen who are on the studio
side are terrific.
They know this stuff and theirstate's people as well.
And on the WGA side and on theactor side it's the same thing.
(26:25):
They're a good, wise peopleready to negotiate.
It's baffling almost to see howit doesn't seem to be happening
at the moment, this very moment, including this morning, when,
you know, there was somethingdamning I read, but remember I
was reading it just the way.
(26:46):
I was complaining about readingit a minute ago.
I was reading it on socialmedia.
So it's got to end and it canend.
Of course it can, and itdoesn't matter that there's AI
and streaming and residualissues.
Those are issues.
They're resolvable issues.
(27:07):
They are resolvable.
People have to sit in a roomand talk directly to each other.
Not just talk, but negotiatedirectly with each other, and it
can be done.
I wonder, as I'm saying this toyou, alexia, I wonder.
I can't imagine.
No, I know I was about to say Iwonder if people are not
(27:30):
willing to negotiate.
No, the people we're talkingabout are.
But in the meantime, people arehurting all over the place.
The last writer strike 2007, oreight or something like that.
I was smack in the middle of it.
I was an independent producer,but I had just come from the
studios and I knew the game andI was president of the Academy.
(27:53):
And guess what?
In 2008, I had to put on a show, so I needed the writers to be
willing to give me a waiver.
I had to go to them hat in handand ask for a waiver.
And there's a way to do that,alexia.
There's a way to do it, I gotit.
(28:15):
So there must be a way to do it.
And the writers were allowed towrite in a minimal way.
I think I forget what the dealwas Bye.
This is horrible and hurtful,and the writers deserve what
they want to appoint, as do theactors, of course they do.
And the studio guys.
(28:36):
I can't imagine Mr Iger and allof them.
But I point to Iger because Isaid Lou Wasserman's name before
and Iger is the closest thingto Lou Wasserman today.
I think Bob knows, he knows.
So I'm only hoping you know, Idon't know.
(28:56):
I can't say anything morebecause I don't know anything
more.
I don't know what the solutionis.
But, as I said, by the timethis podcast airs, this thing
better be over.
You know why?
Don't even air it.
If it's not over, we won't bean industry anymore.
Alexia Melocchi (29:17):
This is.
You are so right, Sid, andunfortunately, as I'm hearing it
in well, let's hope that by thetime it airs, I'm going to say
what the hell were they talkingabout?
Fake news, because I am hearingin May drag until January or
February, because all this, likeyou say, anger.
And the thing is that what isupsetting me is, again, I stand
(29:41):
by the fact that writers shouldget more actors.
They deserve to have theirresiduals but at the same time,
what about all the other people?
Sid Ganis (29:51):
Oh God.
Alexia Melocchi (29:53):
All the producers going out of business.
You know the craft service, andthey're so fixed on finding
their own battle, their ownsingle battle, that they're like
, well, those are just going tobe.
It's for everybody?
No, it's not for everybody,because everybody's hurting.
And you know and I was talkingto a friend of mine just he's
(30:13):
actually coming on my podcastI'll send you the link, you know
in a few weeks and he will sayI get asked for residuals by SAG
before I even paid my investorsor the banks that I borrowed
money from.
Sid Ganis (30:28):
Can't be.
Alexia Melocchi (30:29):
And he can have and then at the same time,
studios Okay, everybody'stalking about Bob Iger.
It's a big, like every studiohad.
They live in some like privateislands with five you know
planes and 25 Ferraris and it'slike again, they're bunching
everything together and I don'tbelieve.
Oops.
Sid Ganis (30:49):
My wife just walked in.
That's great.
My partner, the woman we weretalking about before.
Alexia Melocchi (30:57):
Exactly Believe that every studio had is greedy
and they don't want people toget paid.
I don't believe that and youknow because you've been one, so
you would right.
Sid Ganis (31:10):
No, we want it to be fair.
We will and it can be, and atthe moment it's not.
And God, I hope you're wrong ornot you're wrong, but what
you've heard is wrong and it'snot going to be January or
February.
That would be horrifying.
Hey, my son in law is a propman, so I know the feeling.
(31:32):
My son in law is a prop man.
Right now he's getting paid,but he's not a happy prop man.
Alexia Melocchi (31:42):
No, no and it's .
And, like I said, I mean we'veall got to come together and
talk.
You know how many times have weall talked about you know
studio movies and we don't get aresiduals even before this and
we go oh, it's creativeaccounting of the stupid.
You know the P and a money andall that.
I guess nobody will get angrylike this.
The anger, and how social mediais exploiting all this to
(32:06):
incinerate even more the partiesis not a healthy way to go.
And praying for you, for me,for you know the transportation
coordinator, of course,everybody you know to get back
to work because we just came outof COVID and it's like couldn't
you know my grandson, couldn'twe wait a year?
(32:27):
We're just coming out of COVID,you know, but I mean that said
what's coming next for you saidI mean, do you still love
producing?
Are there still things that youdon't have to talk to me about?
What they're about?
Obviously, because stuff it'sconfidential.
But is there stuff that stillfires you up and says I want to
(32:47):
keep going?
Sid Ganis (32:48):
I remember I said to you about five minutes ago I
made a mistake and said Ialluded to the fact that I was
on a set instead of on thispodcast.
I'd love to be on a set again,probably not the same way I used
to be, but I'd love to be.
Yes, and the good news is, thevery good news, is that voice
(33:12):
you heard before my wife, whojust came in, is, you know,
she'll be the next one on theset and I'll be kind of hanging
around with her on the set, youknow.
So, yeah, this is not over forme, but just now I finished a
documentary about a Japaneseartist called Yoshiki, which is
(33:41):
going to open in September,going to start in September.
And then there's anotherdocumentary I'm working on about
trafficking, human trafficking,kids, and it's coming along
nicely too, and it too is goingto be on one of the streaming
services.
So, yeah, but do I want to do abig ass feature again?
(34:05):
Yeah, sure, be nice, but Nancymight be doing that very thing.
Alexia Melocchi (34:10):
Well, I think we're all at it.
I always say you know, I'mnever going to stop.
I'm never going to stop, youprobably won't.
Sid Ganis (34:17):
You know why?
Because you're a good Greek.
That's why, and good Greeks,don't stop.
Alexia Melocchi (34:23):
The Greeks, the Greeks and the Jews.
They never stop.
And you got the both.
Sid Ganis (34:28):
I got both.
Alexia Melocchi (34:30):
Me too, from great grandfathers in Russia.
So, yes, we never stop, and Ithink this is what I want to
tell to all the filmmakers,because one of the things that
impressed me with said, andshout out to our friend Rick
Berman, who was my student I'msure he told you in a class that
I taught about pitching yeah,he did, yeah, he loved it.
(34:51):
And he told me you were sogenerous to him and you picked
up the phone and you told himyour thoughts on your script.
That is such a rarity and I amso grateful that you are on this
podcast to share your wisdom.
I mean, I think you need towrite a book.
That's my two cents, because Isaid we probably won't have
enough.
We will have more to say.
(35:12):
So maybe talk about you mightwant to write a book, you know,
and if not, I'll have to bringyou back, maybe after the strike
is over.
Okay, we can come up with newthings and new everything, but
no, sid, thank you so much forcoming on my show.
I'm just soaking it up.
I want to hear more and I'msure my listeners will, and you
(35:34):
know to everyone.
You know, of course, if youenjoy the episode, please
subscribe, rate, review, look upsome of Sid's work.
He needs his residuals, just asI do.
Yeah, right.
So if you want to go see againand Olympia and do Spigolo and
Pan Am, wherever you're going tocatch it somewhere, keep
(35:55):
watching.
Sooner or later we'll get our20 cents in the mail and we'll
be waiting for the hosts intothis episode.
So thank you, sid.
Thank you for coming on theshow.
Sid Ganis (36:06):
You're welcome, Alexia, of course.
Alexia Melocchi (36:09):
And that is the Heart of Show business, over
and out.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Yeah.
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