Oscar Moguls: Amy Pascal (Sony Pics) Q&A

Deadline is running an interesting series of interviews with the heads of production at major Hollywood Studios. The focus of the Q&A’s is on the current Oscars race, but I’ve drilled down into each conversation to highlight information relevant to screenwriters.

As I have said before, it’s important for writers to learn as much as possible about studio execs and producers — how their minds operate.

This interview is with Amy Pascal who is the President of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a studio that has had an amazing string of good years under Pascal’s leadership. Their line-up of Oscar nominated movies in 2011:

17 Nominations: 8 The Social Network, 1 Salt, 1 Country Strong, 1 Animal Kingdom, 1 Another Year, 1 Barney’s Version, 1 Inside Job, 1 In A Better World, 1 Incendies, 1 The Illusionist

Interview excerpts:

DEADLINE: At what point in this project did you get into the process?

PASCAL: Actually, the way that it happened was we had made 21 which had been a project at MGM, and Elizabeth Cantillon had brought that over when she came to be an executive here. And through the relationship that we had with Dana Bernetti and Kevin Spacey and Ben Mezrich we got an early look at the proposal for the book Ben wanted to write about the origins of Facebook. Scott Rudin was the one who thought Aaron Sorkin should write the screenplay. We all knew Aaron but it was Scott’s relationship with Aaron so he’s the one who contacted him first for sure. We all felt pretty lucky to get Aaron. And Aaron came in with a fantastic take on the material, but at that point Ben hadn’t finished the book. 

DEADLINE: Did it occur to you that maybe you should wait and let Ben finish the book?

PASCAL: No, because Aaron and the filmmakers had a very good take on the story they wanted to tell. 

 — — 

DEADLINE: So it’s all coming together and obviously a big concern must have been ‘Oh my God, we’re writing about this really rich powerful guy. What the hell is going to happen to us?’

PASCAL: Oh, you mean when we were making the movie? Well, here’s what I think the real challenge was. You have to make the main character likeable. They’re allowed to have like one flaw, but they have to be likeable. And what Mark Zuckerberg did to protect the thing that he was building was to do things that he had to do. I never felt he was unlikeable, but definitely Mark Zuckerberg is not your traditional hero. And I think that’s why Jesse Eisenberg’s performance is so wonderful.

 — — 

DEADLINE: Talk about what it was like working with Aaron.

PASCAL: I have to admit it was very easy working with Aaron, because we had one meeting with him and he said was he was going to do it, and then he delivered his script a couple of months later. And I think Scott Rudin probably worked really hard with him on the script. But by the time I saw the script it was virtually perfect. There was no drama. Michael and I definitely greenlit when we read it. It was that clear to us. And when he gave it David, none of us made any changes pretty much.

Some key takeaway points:

Relationships: Absolutely critical to how Hollywood operates. Scott Rudin has a relationship with Aaron Sorkin, but (if you read the rest of the interview) it also turns out Rudin was a big reason why Pascal became a studio exec in the first place, going to work with Rudin over at Twentieth Century Fox in the mid-80s. Obviously the quality of work is key, but good working relationships makes people in the position to green light a movie even that much more comfortable.

Material: Through some other relationships, the folks at Sony were able to get an early look at Ben Mezrich’s proposed book about the origins of Facebook. Someone once said a producer is a dog with a manuscript in its mouth. If you have a great property, studio executives want to talk with you.

Take: “Aaron came in with a fantastic take on the material… Aaron and the filmmakers had a very good take on the story.” The story the writer envisions and the way they communicate that is critical. You not only have to make the studio executive see your story, they also have to see what you see that makes it a commercially viable project. If they do, then you’ve got a “fantastic take on the material.” 

Likable: “You have to make the main character likeable. They’re allowed to have like one flaw, but they have to be likeable… I never felt he was unlikeable, but definitely Mark Zuckerberg is not your traditional hero.” Okay, two things. First what did I say earlier about sympathetic and likable characters? Now you’ve read it from the head of an entire studio, so it’s not like I’m making up this stuff. Secondly it’s interesting that Pascal never felt Zuckerberg was unlikable, but then goes on to say he is “not your traditional hero.” Honestly, do you think Zuckerberg’s character in The Social Network is likable? My guess: Pascal’s comment is more a reflection about how entrenched the idea of successful movies needing a sympathetic Protagonist than it is about Zuckerberg’s character actually not being unlikeable. Or it could just be an example of the fact that people in Hollywood just don’t think like you.

For more of the Deadline interview with Amy Pascal, go here.

Tomorrow: Brad Grey (Paramount).