Tonight, the Jewish Cultural Collective Cinema Committee presents Steven Krone, president and Chief Operating Officer of Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment. He will give Madison students the lowdown on Hollywood, revealing some of the hidden aspects even the savviest Tinsel Town enthusiasts don't know.
Krone recently gave insight regarding his experiences thus far and confirmed how lucky he has been in an exclusive interview with The Badger Herald via-Blackberry (very Hollywood-esque). Working on the non-creative side of the industry, Krone deals with marketing, distribution, business, legal and financial affairs on a daily basis. He enthusiastically notes that what he does allows him to "be involved in so many aspects of the process" and demands "enormous collaboration between a lot of people," but those are some of the highlights of his profession.
Like many professionals who work in the industry, Krone has always had a passion for film. He admits to having "a general notion that [he] wanted to be in the film business since [his] early teens." Not immediately diving into the industry, Krone started at the University of Chicago, transferred to USC Film School as a sophomore and then returned to the University of Chicago for law school. Upon graduation, Krone was presented with the opportunity to work for Chief Judge Abner J. Mikva, of the US Court of Appeals and admits he was "pretty spoiled off the bat" and "very lucky." He used his experiences to join the well-known Beverly Hills law firm, Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown. Today he takes knowledge acquired from these experiences as he leads Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment that has co-produced and co-financed mega hit films like The Matrix trilogy, Ocean's Eleven, Training Day, Mystic River and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
All of the hard work has given Krone unforgettable memories that are embedded with him forever. He recalls the premier of The Matrix Revolutions in Tokyo as the apogee of his career. The experience of "walking six feet behind Keanu Reeves on the red carpet while a gigantic Tokyo crowd [was] surging behind a line of police interlocked arms" remains one of the best parts of his career.
The extraordinary rewards of his profession have come with an abundance of hard work. Since the classical Hollywood era, the business has always been about collaboration between multitudes of people, who Krone say include "very smart and very influential people — who often have differing priorities, deferring agendas and differing opinions." This element of Krone's job retains some of the studio system's practices of working with so many people on so many levels.
Krone's intended agenda for the evening will be to touch on subjects that include the whole process of development, distribution, production, finance and the future of the entertainment business. As the industry continues to evolve, Krone will also present how new challenges such as video-on-demand are changing the "consumption" of Hollywood's product.
The ever pertinent and common question of "how does one get a foot in the door and make connections?" is frequently on the minds of Hollywood hopefuls. With an optimistic and encouraging answer, Krone explained that having a "mentor take you under their wing is much more important than how prestigious a job [might be]." Having the experience to learn and be guided by someone who has already had experience is invaluable and more helpful than a well-known name. Besides a mentor, having people open doors for you, however you meet them, whether through a job, internship, friend or family member can also be an essential tool. When asked if he had anyone open doors for him, Krone humbly replied, "of course people have opened doors for me," but he also explained that that is how the business operates, especially because of it's collaborative nature.
Steve Krone is sure to provide even more tips, wisdom and information at his presentation tonight. All Badgers interested in joining the excitement of Hollywood should not miss this event.
