An Interview with Expert and Author Frederick Levy
This is the first expert Insider Cinema has had that included his bio, as a video. So pull up a chair, pop some corn, and enjoy…
IC: Did you ever meet someone casually at a club that wound up leading to a great job, or a major step in your career?
F.L.: When I was in college covering the Golden Globes for the Daily Trojan, another journalist took me under his wings. His name was Rick Joyce. Back then, he was the morning deejay on KWNK-AM. He hired me to produce that show (which I did while still a student). Years later Rick went on to executive produce Entertainment Tonight and we’ve always remained close friends, always trying to find new ways to work together.
IC: How would you advise people to network? (places, methods, etc.)
F.L.: Network constantly, wherever you are, but make it organic. If you try too hard, it comes off as ingenuine and people see right through that. Be yourself, put good energy out there, and you will build relationships.
IC: If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?
F.L.: I think I would have spent time working in the mailroom of a major agency. It’s the one area of the business I’ve never worked.
IC: What motto do you try to live your life by?
F.L.: Never take No for an answer.
IC: You’ve written many books. Which is your favorite and why?
F.L.: It’s hard to choose a favorite. That’s like asking a mother which of her children she likes best!
IC: What was the hardest book to bring together?
F.L.: The most difficult book to write was my first one, Hollywood 101: The Film Industry, because I had never written a book before and I wasn’t entirely sure how to do so. I actually overwrote the book by about 50% and had to cut it down to meet editorial guidelines.
IC: Why did you write Hollywood 101?
F.L.: I wrote Hollywood 101 to serve as a guide for people wanting to break into the entertainment industry. The subtitle is Breaking into How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Connections. When I came to LA twenty years ago—I didn’t know a soul. I wish I had a book like this to guide me through the system.
IC: What gave you the idea to write Hollywood 101?
F.L.: I was having lunch in New York with a book agent who I had optioned some properties from. She suggested that I write a book, and jokingly I told her if she could get me a book deal, I’d be happy to write a book. She put me together with an editor she knew, we discussed some concepts, and they made me an offer. It never happens that easily—I just got extremely lucky.
IC: How did you gather your research?
F.L.: Most of the research for Hollywood 101 came from the over two dozen interviews I did with industry professionals; combined, of course, with my own personal experience of navigating the entertainment industry.
IC: What was the hardest part about compiling Hollywood 101?
F.L.: The hardest part of compiling the book for me was the fact that I was working a fulltime job at the same time I was writing the book. And everyone knows that in Hollywood, fulltime jobs are 80+ hours a week, so I didn’t have much of a life until the book was finished.
IC: You followed that success up with Short Films 101. What were your goals for that book?
F.L.: I had noticed an overwhelming trend of young filmmakers producing amazing short films, and using these shorts to launch careers directing major feature films. Every week the trades would write about another such deal so I thought I would study these films to see what they had in common. My hunch was that they had discovered a winning formula for success and I wanted to share that with other aspiring directors.
IC: What are the biggest mistakes a film school student can make while in school?
F.L.: The biggest mistake that I see film school students make is immersing themselves in the art, but ignoring the entire business side of the industry. You must understand how these two sides coexist and figure out how to combine your personal goals with the current and constantly changing needs of the industry.
IC: Did you go to film school?
F.L.: I went to USC, but I was a business major. I did minor in film and I currently teach classes at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the summers.
IC: Why did you choose to go there versus some other place?
F.L.: I grew up in Boston and applied to all East Coast schools and USC. At the time, I had no idea that USC had the best film school in the world, or that you could even go to school to study film. I just thought it would be fun to go to school in Los Angeles.
IC: Do you feel that you got the education you wanted from your time in school? Do you think you would have been better off going someplace else of simply just diving right into the industry?
F.L.: The education I got was fine—although if I had to do it over again, I would have chosen different courses. I think back then I was programmed to take courses that I knew I could excel at versus courses that were new and different and challenging. That said, my real education came from all of the extra-curricular activities I was involved in: writing for The Daily Trojan, producing programs for KSCR, the student radio station, working as an RA, etc. When I wrote for the paper, I was one of the first students ever to get credentialed for the Academy Awards. I covered that, the Emmys, the Peoples Choice. I got celebrity interviews, covered premiere parties, etc. I really learned how to network—which has always proven integral to my later success.
IC: What advice would you give to a prospective student who is applying to film school?
F.L.: Figure out what makes you unique and different from everyone else. Why is your vision one that we should see?
IC: What are the biggest mistakes a person can make when they first start working in the industry?
F.L.: The biggest mistakes people make today is their sense of entitlement and their lack of work ethic. Nothing is going to be handed to you. You need too work hard and earn it. A lot of kids think that because they come out of film school that they should be handed the keys to the kingdom and it just doesn’t work that way. My former assistants who had an amazing work ethic are incredibly successful today: Kristieanne Reed is the Exec VP of TV for Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Jeremy Garelick is a successfully produced screenwriter (The Breakup). The ones who didn’t work hard or thought they deserved more probably left town years ago.
IC: What did you do after school?
F.L.: While I was in school I had an internship on the TV show “Love Connection.” That led to my first fulltime job when I graduated as a guest coordinator for that show. I worked for the next year on several other early reality/relationship shows until I discovered that was not what I wanted to do with my career. So I quit, and started temping, almost exclusively at Walt Disney Studios where I got a first rate education on how a studio operates and the synergy between departments. Eventually, I was offered a job as the assistant to a producer and I took it and grew with the company for the next 8 1/2 years of my life.
IC: What difficulties (if any) did you encounter in Hollywood?
F.L.: Hollywood is like a big puzzle. Luckily, I love puzzles and solving them is both challenging and fun. The thing is, there are no rules in Hollywood. So inventing and reinventing your own set of rules is the key. I learned long ago that Hollywood is a very entrepreneurial business. It’s also an extremely creative one. So come up with great ideas and run with them.
IC: Did someone ever try to take advantage of your inexperience in Hollywood?
F.L.: No one ever tried to take advantage of me—but many gave me great opportunities. It all depends on how you look at it. To me, working for free at an internship is an amazing opportunity to learn and network. Others may see that as being taken advantage of.
IC: Did you ever pay for a program that promised big results to help further your career, but it never delivered?
F.L.: I never fell into this trap but there are many programs like this out there. There’s also many legitimate ones as well. If you’re going to put down good money, make sure you do your homework, research the companies online, get references and check those references out thoroughly.
IC: How did you form your management company?
F.L.: I had worked at another management company for about nine months. Unfortunately, my partners and I didn’t see eye to eye on several issues. So I cleared out one night, called all of my clients in a very Jerry Maguire moment and set up shop overnight. Many of those clients are still with me today.
IC: How did you come to be Associate Producer on Frailty?
F.L.:Frailty was a project I set up while working at Marty Katz Prods. We had partnered with David Kirschner and I was set to executive produce the film. We had started preproduction and the company that was financing at the time didn’t have their money together. Matthew Maconaughey was already on board but if we weren’t able to keep to our schedule we were going to lose him. If we lost Matthew, we wouldn’t have a movie. Kirschner decided to fund preproduction out of his own pocket until a new distributor came onboard. Marty thought that was too risky a proposition and opted out. David let me stay on the project as associate producer.
IC: What was that experience like?
F.L.: It was a great experience. Brent Hanley is one of the most talented writers I know. His script was brilliant; and Bill Paxton proved he was a capable and competent director. He did a nice job and honestly, he should be directing many more projects.
IC: How did you come to Executive Produce Uknown?
F.L.:Unkown was a script that I developed while still at Marty Katz Prods. It just so happened that the company I went to after leaving Katz repped the writer. I continued to develop the project. Marty was given an option to remain involved but he opted out, so we set up the script with independent producers Rick Lashbrook and Darby Parker. I remained onboard as exec producer.
IC: Sounds like an incredible twist of fate. How was the film put together?
F.L.: Shannon Makhanian put together an amazing cast with a tiny little budget. The script was complicated and I’m not sure we ever fully worked out all the problems. But it was still a fun project to work on.
IC: Which do you like more, management, or producing?
F.L.: Here you go again, asking me to pick a favorite. I like them both for different reasons. But managing a client is very similar to producing a project—it’s just that the project never ends.
IC: What did you originally want to do in Hollywood?
F.L.: Early on, I thought I wanted to be a publicist. Now I want to do everything.
IC: What are your future goals?
F.L.: As long as my career is varied and interesting, I’ll be happy. When I wrote my first book, I was working as a development exec. I’ve just completed my fifth book and I own my own talent management firm (Management 101), I’ve produced two feature films, I just produced my first television pilot for Nickelodeon, and I have a development deal with that network. And those are just the highlights.
