Billy Gerber CEO Profile
Billy Gerber, CEO
Gerber Pictures
By Eric Damassa
This month we bring you a behind the scenes look at one of Hollywood's most successful producers/studio executives. Billy Gerber, former President of Warner Bros. and current chairman of Gerber Pictures, shares his tips for success in the fast paced film industry.
ED: Managing the creation of a feature-length film is a huge undertaking; how do you effectively manage the attention of the various people involved, e.g. investors, studios, actors, agents, and crew?
BG: Dealing with different types of creatives and business executives always requires different approaches. Some, it's how to make the film better and some, it's how to make the film cheaper.
ED: Do the cast and crew tend to operate in an attention deficit environment? Do you have any recommendations for people to be successful in this environment?
BG: A film set is like a military operation. There is not a lot of room to improvise because every scene requires very specific actions from all involved.
ED: Are movie directors good at operating in an attention deficit workplace?
BG: The good ones are.
ED: How do you get an audience to pay attention to your film when they are watching it, is there a formula, or a timeline for how long action scenes, love scenes should last before you loose their attention?
BG: Some people do believe in formulas and pattern. For me, it is more instinctive.
ED: The battle for revenue (ticket sales) amongst film firms is incredibly competitive, what tactics do you employ to get people’s attention and keep it?
BG: You have to know your audience and make sure you sell them what they want.
ED: Was the “Dukes of Hazard” an attention deficit set? How did you keep people on task?
BG: You must keep people happy, warm, well fed and pulling in the same direction.
ED: Describe some of your current projects and your role with these projects. You are working on a college movie, is there a different “attention formula” for different demographics?
BG: Yes, the formula for a college movie is fun! I am also working on a film of the Budd Schulberg classic "What Makes Sammy Run", the screen adaptation of Michael Connelly's "Void Moon", The Jesse Owens' story and a heist/comedy called "The Fix Up".
Billy Gerber's Biography
Educated at the University of California, Santa Cruz, BILL GERBER first started his entertainment career in the music business, promoting concerts in Los Angeles. In 1979 he joined Elliot Robert’s Lookout Management where he oversaw the careers of Devo, The Cars, Heaven 17, and ABC. In 1984, Gerber began his producing career with projects at Warner Brothers and Paramount and in 1985 formed Gerber/Rodkin, a management production company that represented Judd Nelson, Robert Downey Jr., Billy Zane, Sara Jessica Parker, and Dan Hartman.
In 1986, Gerber left his firm to join Warner Bros. as Vice President of Theatrical Production. He remained there for twelve years and was successively promoted to President of Worldwide Theatrical Production in 1996. While at Warner Bros., Gerber supervised the films: L.A. Confidential, Unforgiven, Twister, Selena, Reversal of Fortune, A Little Princess, Goodfellas, Heat, JFK, Disclosure, Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, You’ve Got Mail, Analyze This, and developed Perfect Storm and Space Cowboys.
In May of 1998, Gerber ventured out to form his own production company, Gerber Pictures, which is tied to a first look deal at Warner Bros. As a Producer, Gerber has made the films American Outlaws, starring Colin Farrell; the basketball comedy Juwanna Mann; What A Girl Wants, starring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth; The In-Laws, starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks; the Adam Brody & Jennifer Morrison skateboarding comedy Grind; and the feature The Dukes of Hazzard with Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, & Jessica Simpson. Currently Bill is producing the Broken Lizard comedy Beerfest. Gerber also served as Executive Producer on the Warner Bros./ Franchise Pictures Get Carter; TNT’s Emmy Nominated and Golden Globe winner James Dean, An Invented Life; the Warner Bros./Village Roadshow film Queen of the Damned; and the Warner Bros. film A Very Long Engagement.
Bill resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three daughters. He serves on the Board of Trustees at the Center for Early Education and is a Board Chair of the Environment Media Association. Bill is also an Ironman competition finisher.
Gerber Pictures
By Eric Damassa
This month we bring you a behind the scenes look at one of Hollywood's most successful producers/studio executives. Billy Gerber, former President of Warner Bros. and current chairman of Gerber Pictures, shares his tips for success in the fast paced film industry.
ED: Managing the creation of a feature-length film is a huge undertaking; how do you effectively manage the attention of the various people involved, e.g. investors, studios, actors, agents, and crew?
BG: Dealing with different types of creatives and business executives always requires different approaches. Some, it's how to make the film better and some, it's how to make the film cheaper.
ED: Do the cast and crew tend to operate in an attention deficit environment? Do you have any recommendations for people to be successful in this environment?
BG: A film set is like a military operation. There is not a lot of room to improvise because every scene requires very specific actions from all involved.
ED: Are movie directors good at operating in an attention deficit workplace?
BG: The good ones are.
ED: How do you get an audience to pay attention to your film when they are watching it, is there a formula, or a timeline for how long action scenes, love scenes should last before you loose their attention?
BG: Some people do believe in formulas and pattern. For me, it is more instinctive.
ED: The battle for revenue (ticket sales) amongst film firms is incredibly competitive, what tactics do you employ to get people’s attention and keep it?
BG: You have to know your audience and make sure you sell them what they want.
ED: Was the “Dukes of Hazard” an attention deficit set? How did you keep people on task?
BG: You must keep people happy, warm, well fed and pulling in the same direction.
ED: Describe some of your current projects and your role with these projects. You are working on a college movie, is there a different “attention formula” for different demographics?
BG: Yes, the formula for a college movie is fun! I am also working on a film of the Budd Schulberg classic "What Makes Sammy Run", the screen adaptation of Michael Connelly's "Void Moon", The Jesse Owens' story and a heist/comedy called "The Fix Up".
Billy Gerber's Biography
Educated at the University of California, Santa Cruz, BILL GERBER first started his entertainment career in the music business, promoting concerts in Los Angeles. In 1979 he joined Elliot Robert’s Lookout Management where he oversaw the careers of Devo, The Cars, Heaven 17, and ABC. In 1984, Gerber began his producing career with projects at Warner Brothers and Paramount and in 1985 formed Gerber/Rodkin, a management production company that represented Judd Nelson, Robert Downey Jr., Billy Zane, Sara Jessica Parker, and Dan Hartman.
In 1986, Gerber left his firm to join Warner Bros. as Vice President of Theatrical Production. He remained there for twelve years and was successively promoted to President of Worldwide Theatrical Production in 1996. While at Warner Bros., Gerber supervised the films: L.A. Confidential, Unforgiven, Twister, Selena, Reversal of Fortune, A Little Princess, Goodfellas, Heat, JFK, Disclosure, Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, You’ve Got Mail, Analyze This, and developed Perfect Storm and Space Cowboys.
In May of 1998, Gerber ventured out to form his own production company, Gerber Pictures, which is tied to a first look deal at Warner Bros. As a Producer, Gerber has made the films American Outlaws, starring Colin Farrell; the basketball comedy Juwanna Mann; What A Girl Wants, starring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth; The In-Laws, starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks; the Adam Brody & Jennifer Morrison skateboarding comedy Grind; and the feature The Dukes of Hazzard with Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, & Jessica Simpson. Currently Bill is producing the Broken Lizard comedy Beerfest. Gerber also served as Executive Producer on the Warner Bros./ Franchise Pictures Get Carter; TNT’s Emmy Nominated and Golden Globe winner James Dean, An Invented Life; the Warner Bros./Village Roadshow film Queen of the Damned; and the Warner Bros. film A Very Long Engagement.
Bill resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three daughters. He serves on the Board of Trustees at the Center for Early Education and is a Board Chair of the Environment Media Association. Bill is also an Ironman competition finisher.
posted by Mitch Thrower at 10:44 AM
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