Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz

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Sid Ganis, former President of the Motion Picture Group at Paramount Pictures, former Vice Chairman of Columbia Pictures, and four-term President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging conversation spanning more than five decades in Hollywood. Ganis traces his path from an office-boy job won through a chance connection, to marketing campaigns for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to greenlighting Ghost and Fatal Attraction, and to acquiring the rights to Forrest Gump during his years running Paramount.
Brooklyn Roots and Greek Jewish Heritage (03:14): Ganis traces his Romaniote Jewish heritage to Ioannina, Greece, and his grandparents' flight to New York's Lower East Side. Ganis recalls his first solo trip to the movies, seeing Gunga Din for 25 cents at a neighborhood theater.
Quitting College and a Lucky Break (08:50): After dropping out of Brooklyn College, Ganis landed his first publicity job thanks to a chance connection from his Uncle Phil.
Joining 20th Century Fox (12:57): Ganis describes his early years in publicity, working for Lee Solters and later joining Fox while Cleopatra was in production.
Working with Joseph L. Mankiewicz (17:44): Ganis remembers collaborating with the director years later and calls him one of Hollywood's greats.
Testing Ghost (28:01): Ganis shares a test-screening story from Ghost that captures how unpredictable audiences can be.
Meeting George Lucas and Joining Lucasfilm (31:34): Ganis recalls being introduced to a young George Lucas by Francis Ford Coppola, then later joining Lucasfilm as Empire Strikes Back went into production.
Marketing Raiders of the Lost Ark and Meeting Nancy (33:40): While promoting Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ganis met his future wife, Nancy Hult, through a PBS fundraiser project that later won him an Emmy.
Columbia Pictures and a Career in Marketing (37:20): Recruited to Columbia by Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Ganis explains why he stayed in marketing rather than move into production.
Four Terms as Academy President (42:26): Ganis reflects on his proudest achievement: spearheading the 17-year effort to build the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Sid Ganis's career is a reminder that cultivating relationships and a willingness to stay close to the audience can carry someone through every era of a changing industry. In his own words, his story is one of gratitude for the people who opened doors for him, and for a business he never stopped loving.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Sid Ganis
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Sid Ganis:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Ganis
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0304398/
Variety: https://variety.com/exec/sid-ganis/
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Jeff Annison and Paul Scanlan, Emmy-winning co-founders of the world's first fan-owned entertainment company, Legion M, join host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about disrupting industries, building communities, and betting on the audience. Annison and Scanlan pioneered mobile television at MobiTV and launched the very first equity crowdfunding campaign in U.S. history. The duo have spent two decades proving that the audience is the most powerful force in entertainment.
Chicago, Boston, and a Love of Film (01:48): Paul Scanlan traces his passion for filmmaking to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and to a family trip to Cape Cod where seeing Jaws at age five both terrified and captivated him. Jeff Annison arrived at storytelling through an unlikely path: a mechanical engineering degree at UCLA and a series of screenwriting classes taken on a lark.
MobiTV: Putting Television on a Flip Phone (07:18): The two founders recount how a mutual friend with a micro-display technology brought them together in 1999 to build what would become MobiTV, the first company to stream live television to mobile phones.
Colossal (25:49): Legion M's first major move was a small P&A investment alongside the distributor Neon on the Anne Hathaway film Colossal. With just 3,500 investors and a million dollars, they organized screenings and community meetups.
Community as Marketing Engine (29:54): Annison and Scanlan explain how Legion M's 60,000-plus investors are an organic grassroots marketing force. As Scanlan puts it, communicating with their community costs nothing but can drive millions in box office.
Saving Coyote vs. Acme (35:25): One of the most discussed projects in recent Hollywood history found new life through Catchup Entertainment. Legion M is partnering on its release, and the trailer has already surpassed 50 million views.
Advice for the New Filmmaker (43:22): Annison urges emerging creators to start with the end in mind, thinking not just about the key scene but about how to communicate a story in a brief window of attention. Scanlan adds a hard truth: the industry is more entrepreneurial than most people expect, and selling to a major studio is rarely the path.
On Being on the Side of the Audience (56:44): Annison reflects on what keeps him grounded amid industry uncertainty and the rise of AI: the belief that no matter what technology produces, only human beings pay to watch movies. Building a company on the side of the audience, he argues, is the most defensible position in entertainment.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Jeff Annison and Paul Scanlan
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Legion M:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_M
Website: https://legionm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legionmofficial/
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Mark Canton, producer of 300, Immortals, Men in Black, Air Force One, and My Best Friend's Wedding, former President of Worldwide Production at Warner Bros., and former Chairman of Columbia Pictures and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about a career defined by passion and instinct. From delivering mail on the Warner Bros. lot as a college student to greenlighting some of Hollywood's most beloved films, Canton reflects on the legends he learned from, the risks he took, and why he still smells the circus every time he walks onto a sound stage.
Queens, New York, and Family (02:40): Canton traces his love of film to a father who survived being shot down over France in WWII, won an Oscar for a short film on Van Gogh, and went on to do publicity for Hitchcock and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and to a mother who was a published poet. The movies, he says, were always destiny.
Learning from the Greats on Papillon (15:30): Working for director Franklin Schaffner in Jamaica and living between the houses of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, Canton learned what it meant to commit to a film.
From the Warner Bros. Mail Room to Running the Studio (31:52): Canton traces his rise from UCLA film student to head of Worldwide Production at Warner Bros., sharing stories about the Vacation franchise, Caddyshack, and Lethal Weapon.
Taking the Helm at Columbia Pictures (41:28): Recruited by Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Canton became Chairman of Columbia Pictures and later oversaw Columbia TriStar. He reflects on the team he assembled and the record-breaking run that followed, including Jerry Maguire, My Best Friend's Wedding, Bad Boys, and Air Force One.
The Art of the Difficult Screening (47:02): Canton recounts two defining test screening moments: a chaotic preview of Scorsese's The Age of Innocence in a New Jersey bowling alley, and a tough audience response to Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional that led to an ultimatum and a reworked film that became a modern classic.
The Cable Guy and No Regrets (49:35): Canton defends paying Jim Carrey $17 million and notes what history confirmed: the film launched Ben Stiller's directing career, introduced Jack Black, Owen Wilson, and Judd Apatow. He also recalls his affectionate standoff with Mike Nichols over the ending of Wolf.
What Keeps Audiences Coming Back (54:09): Canton argues that what fills theaters today is the same thing that made Purple Rain a phenomenon: the feeling of a live, communal, irreplaceable experience.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Mark Canton
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Mark Canton:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Canton
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004799/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markcanton/?hl=en
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Mark Johnson, Academy Award-winning producer of Rain Man and Emmy Award-winning executive producer of Breaking Bad, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about a career defined by creative restlessness and uncommon decency. The interview ranges from his transformative partnership with Barry Levinson, which produced Diner, The Natural, and Good Morning Vietnam, to shepherding beloved films like The Notebook, A Little Princess, Donnie Brasco, and Galaxy Quest to championing an unknown writer named Vince Gilligan, Johnson reflects on what it means to serve a director's vision, why he refuses to make the same movie twice, and how audience testing changed the way he thinks about filmmaking.
Never the Same Movie Twice (02:14): Johnson explains his resistance to repeating himself across genres. From Galaxy Quest to The Notebook to Breaking Bad, he compares his varied tastes to simply deciding what he wants for breakfast.
Meeting Barry Levinson (04:07): Johnson recalls how a chance connection on the Mel Brooks comedy launched one of Hollywood's most fruitful producing partnerships, and what he learned from working alongside a director who always began with character.
The Lesson of Good Morning Vietnam (13:12): Johnson describes how audience testing transformed his understanding of filmmaking, including working with the mercurial and brilliant Robin Williams and the pivotal decision to restore a scene with J.T. Walsh.
Winning the Oscar for Rain Man (18:29): Johnson reflects on the bittersweet experience of winning Best Picture for a film he credits largely to others, Tom Cruise's underappreciated subtlety in the role, and the one name he forgot to thank from the podium.
The Closest Thing to a Perfect Movie (26:08): Johnson singles out Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess as the film he holds most dear as a lesson in collaborative craftsmanship.
Discovering Vince Gilligan (30:06): In 1988, Johnson read a script by an unknown writer at a Virginia Film Festival jury and knew immediately he was in the presence of singular talent. He details how he championed Gilligan for years before Breaking Bad made the world take notice.
The Producer's True Role (38:57): Johnson shares what he hopes listeners take away — that his passion for moviemaking is as alive today as when he started, and that a producer's job is never to claim ownership of a film, but to help a director realize their vision.

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Mark Johnson
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Mark Johnson:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Johnson_(producer)
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0425741/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-johnson-3bbb7a9
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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Ann Sarnoff, the first woman to serve as Chair and CEO of a major Hollywood studio and named one of Forbes' World's Most Powerful Women, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about her path from a working-class upbringing in Massachusetts to the top of the entertainment industry. From her early days at Nickelodeon pioneering audience research, to guiding Warner Bros. through one of the most turbulent periods in Hollywood history, to her current role on the boards of major entertainment companies, Sarnoff shares insights on leadership, the power of knowing your audience, and what theaters must do to survive.
From Wilbraham to Warner Bros. (03:11): Sarnoff discusses her roots in a blue-collar, Polish-Catholic family in Massachusetts, where she played three varsity sports, instilling competitive instincts and teamwork skills that would define her leadership style.
Georgetown, Harvard, and the Road to Media (04:06): With no family connections to the industry and student loans to repay, Sarnoff built her foundation in strategy consulting before finally making her move into media.
Nickelodeon and MTV (22:23): As head of strategy and research at Nickelodeon, Sarnoff championed deep audience research, running 200 focus groups a year. That rigor produced breakout hits like Rugrats and Blue's Clues.
Audience as North Star (21:21): Sarnoff explains how cable television changed the broadcast model by starting with the customer, building channels around specific passions rather than the broadest possible reach. That philosophy of programming for real audiences became the throughline of her entire career.
Breaking the Barrier at Warner Bros. (28:03): Ann shares her experience of becoming the first female CEO of Warner Bros. in 2019 and occupying Jack Warner's office, her picture joining a wall of men dating back to 1923. Sarnoff reflects on the women who came before her, and guiding the iconic studio through a pandemic, a streaming revolution, and a corporate merger.
What Comes Next (36:00): Sarnoff breaks down how the combination of streaming, COVID-era demand, and supply-side surplus led to a wave of content the industry is only now working through. She's cautiously optimistic that a leaner, more creatively diverse slate is emerging on the other side.
Theaters as Third Spaces (47:04): Drawing on her board role at Regal Cineworld, Sarnoff argues that the future of theatrical exhibition lies in becoming a communal “third space, and that the only real limit is imagination.”

Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: Ann Sarnoff
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)
For more information about Ann Sarnoff:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Sarnoff
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2115707/
Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/ann-sarnoff/
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
- Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
- Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
- How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/
- Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360
- LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz
- Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com