Episode
#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
1:37:06
Published: Sun Nov 12 2017
Description
Brian Grazer (@BrianGrazer) is an Academy Award-winning producer and New York Times bestselling author (A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, with Charles Fishman) who has been making movies and television programs for more than 25 years. Grazer and his longtime friend and business partner Ron Howard began their collaboration in 1985 on the hit comedies Nightshift and Splash, and in 1986 they founded Imagine Entertainment.In 2002, Grazer won an Oscar for Best Picture for A Beautiful Mind (shared with Ron Howard). In 2007, he was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World." His films and TV series have been nominated for 43 Academy Awards, and 131 Emmys.In this episode, we discuss:Brian's "supertool" that helped him earn opportunity.How to pitch people to open doors and opportunity.Favorite failures and lessons learned.Brian's criteria for choosing what movies to make.How to develop better decision-making abilities.And much, much more.This episode was recorded in front of a live, sold-out audience of about 2,000 people at Summit LA17 in Los Angeles. Enjoy!This podcast is brought to you by MeUndies. I've spent the last year wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the most comfortable and colorful underwear I've ever owned. MeUndies are designed in L.A. and made from sustainably sourced MicroModal -- a fabric three times softer than cotton. Even better, it includes free shipping.If you don't love your first pair of MeUndies, they'll hook you up with a new pair or a refund. If you love the product, they have three different subscription plans -- so you'll never be bored with the ever-changing selection. Check out MeUndies.com/Tim to see my current faves and get 20 percent off your first pair. That's MeUndies.com/Tim.This podcast is also brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients.FreshBooks tells you when your clients have viewed your invoices, helps you customize your invoices, track your hours, automatically organize your receipts, have late payment reminders sent automatically and much more.Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new Freshbooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter "Tim" in the "how did you hear about us" section.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
This episode is brought to you by Five Bullet Friday, Tim Ferris's email newsletter with weekly recommendations, and Athletic Greens, a nutritional supplement.
00:00 - 04:22 (04:22)
Summary
This episode is brought to you by Five Bullet Friday, Tim Ferris's email newsletter with weekly recommendations, and Athletic Greens, a nutritional supplement. There is also a brief mention of how Tim Ferris meets podcast guests through Five Bullet Friday.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, Tim interviews Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer about his career, the importance of curiosity, finding mentors, and overcoming fear to pursue a life worth living.
04:22 - 12:29 (08:07)
Summary
In this episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, Tim interviews Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer about his career, the importance of curiosity, finding mentors, and overcoming fear to pursue a life worth living. They also discuss Grazer's book "A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life."
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The experience of getting cut from the football team as a teenager was very impactful and made him resourceful which eventually led to the creation of the book Friday Night Lights which in turn became a famous TV series loved by many.
12:29 - 16:49 (04:19)
Summary
The experience of getting cut from the football team as a teenager was very impactful and made him resourceful which eventually led to the creation of the book Friday Night Lights which in turn became a famous TV series loved by many.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The guest on this podcast shares his experience dropping out of college and how he was still able to succeed, including finding a system to synthesize information and integrating it into his life.
16:49 - 23:41 (06:52)
Summary
The guest on this podcast shares his experience dropping out of college and how he was still able to succeed, including finding a system to synthesize information and integrating it into his life.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experience of working as a law clerk for Warren Beatty, who was a giant movie star at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, and delivering papers to powerful people in Hollywood.
23:43 - 29:03 (05:20)
Summary
The speaker shares his experience of working as a law clerk for Warren Beatty, who was a giant movie star at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, and delivering papers to powerful people in Hollywood.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about how he decoded the language and the mechanics of the show business, which helped him understand the leverage of different players in the industry and how to navigate it effectively.
29:03 - 33:14 (04:11)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about how he decoded the language and the mechanics of the show business, which helped him understand the leverage of different players in the industry and how to navigate it effectively.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on a conversation with an industry insider who gave him the advice to write ideas with substance and discusses the expansion of his curiosity conversations from industry insiders to people in various fields including the sciences.
33:14 - 38:30 (05:15)
Summary
The speaker reflects on a conversation with an industry insider who gave him the advice to write ideas with substance and discusses the expansion of his curiosity conversations from industry insiders to people in various fields including the sciences.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker describes the path he took to become a successful Hollywood producer, starting from getting access to the story department of Warner Brothers and eventually writing the movie Splash, to taking a job as the lowest assistant and slowly working his way up.
38:30 - 44:10 (05:40)
Summary
The speaker describes the path he took to become a successful Hollywood producer, starting from getting access to the story department of Warner Brothers and eventually writing the movie Splash, to taking a job as the lowest assistant and slowly working his way up.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, Brian Grazer shares his story of becoming a successful producer in Hollywood and how he forms his unique perspective on life and work.
44:10 - 49:18 (05:07)
Summary
In this episode, Brian Grazer shares his story of becoming a successful producer in Hollywood and how he forms his unique perspective on life and work. He also talks about how he met Ron Howard and their collaboration in the film industry.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this transcript, the speaker shares tips on how to make a powerful first impression while networking, including avoiding generic questions and asking for information that can be easily searched.
49:18 - 54:23 (05:04)
Summary
In this transcript, the speaker shares tips on how to make a powerful first impression while networking, including avoiding generic questions and asking for information that can be easily searched. The speaker emphasizes the importance of doing your homework and having an insight that connects your interests with the other person's interests.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experiences meeting people he knew he wouldn't like, like Darryl Gates, and how even failed interactions can lead to learning experiences.
54:23 - 1:02:16 (07:52)
Summary
The speaker shares his experiences meeting people he knew he wouldn't like, like Darryl Gates, and how even failed interactions can lead to learning experiences.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Eye contact is a powerful tool that can create a neurological connection and foster better communication.
1:02:16 - 1:06:09 (03:52)
Summary
Eye contact is a powerful tool that can create a neurological connection and foster better communication. While it may not always be appropriate, it is a valuable way to make others feel seen and heard.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker recalls being in a taxi cab over 20 years ago and listening to an interview of Old Dirty Bastard on a local radio show, where he spoke about his unique persona and approach to interactions.
1:06:09 - 1:11:18 (05:09)
Summary
The speaker recalls being in a taxi cab over 20 years ago and listening to an interview of Old Dirty Bastard on a local radio show, where he spoke about his unique persona and approach to interactions.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Brian Grazer, a film producer, shares an anecdote about his unsuccessful attempt to pitch a cinematic story to a rapper who had recently gained popularity.
1:11:18 - 1:15:08 (03:50)
Summary
Brian Grazer, a film producer, shares an anecdote about his unsuccessful attempt to pitch a cinematic story to a rapper who had recently gained popularity. Grazer was trying to prove that Hip-Hop is the culture not a subculture, but he failed to grab the rapper's attention during the meeting.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer talks about the importance of making good decisions and avoiding "good enough" in Hollywood, while also discussing his own failures and how they have helped him learn and grow in his career.
1:15:08 - 1:18:55 (03:47)
Summary
In this podcast, Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer talks about the importance of making good decisions and avoiding "good enough" in Hollywood, while also discussing his own failures and how they have helped him learn and grow in his career.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host discusses the moment when Apollo 13 was nominated as one of the five movies for the Best Picture category at the Oscars, and how the exclusion of Ron Howard for the Best Director category affected him.
1:18:55 - 1:23:05 (04:09)
Summary
The host discusses the moment when Apollo 13 was nominated as one of the five movies for the Best Picture category at the Oscars, and how the exclusion of Ron Howard for the Best Director category affected him.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker emphasizes the significance of emotions in creating a compelling story and highlights the need for relatable protagonist suitable for the target audience.
1:23:05 - 1:29:56 (06:50)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the significance of emotions in creating a compelling story and highlights the need for relatable protagonist suitable for the target audience. They also talk about their experience of creating a movie called "Fear" that has a hint of hope.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Taste is a crucial factor in identifying what is good or bad in film production or any business.
1:29:56 - 1:33:35 (03:38)
Summary
Taste is a crucial factor in identifying what is good or bad in film production or any business. Execution of taste comes through picking the right subject or developing a fresh perspective, selecting the best idea, and making sure that the people you work with have the same taste as you.
Episode#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Get a short email every Friday from Tim Ferriss where he shares the coolest things he's found or pondered during the week, including new music, gadgets, articles and more.
1:33:35 - 1:37:03 (03:28)
Summary
Get a short email every Friday from Tim Ferriss where he shares the coolest things he's found or pondered during the week, including new music, gadgets, articles and more.