Businessweek Extra - Jane Rosenthal

a big festival. And of course, like most things in our society, it was closed down. But that's not stopping them. That's not stopping them, Jason. They are doing things online. And what I love about talking to Jane is that they were by creating the Tribeca Film Festival right after nine eleven, they know a lot about bringing a city

back from a crisis. So a really timely conversation. Absolutely, so the show must go on, and that is certainly the case for the Tribeca Film Festival, now in it's nineteenth year, founded after nine eleven to help revive downtown New York. This year, though happening virtually and online because of the Corona the virus here with how they are bringing the festival to fans who are sheltering in place

and also to content creators. Is Jane Rosenthal t Rebeca Enterprises and Rebeca Film Festival co founder and CEO joining us on the phone. Jane, thank you so much for being with us. Um, we hope you are doing well your family. Everybody's staying healthy, safe and sound. Everybody is healthy, um and safe, women and up and and sound. Everybody's going a little cabin crazy at this point, but you know, it's been a wonderful bonding experience. So thank you, and

I hope your families are also doing doing well. It is. It is a crazy, crazy time. Yeah, it's an extraordinary time, to be sure, and we want to talk about everything that's going on with Tribeca and some of the innovations that that you're getting underway. But you know, I did want to ask you if we could, just given this crazy time and given that you are very much as we are, at the epicenter of it, what's it like in New York right now, New York City right now

for you? Well, UM, I am actually out in water No New York on Long Island, Uh, where I've had a home for twenty five years. UM My my oldest daughter is in the city, and you know, worried about her, worried about her daily. Um. You know this city. When when there's no people on the streets in New York City, it's just a very bad site. But uh, it's that resiliency that New Yorkers have and we've seen it with first line workers, the health workers, produced firefighters, ms, delivery workers.

New York is strong. We've gotten through so much in the past. We've gotten through nine eleven. Um. Where a resilient, resilient city. Um, so I look forward to working with everyone and figuring out what that what the normal is now for us. Well, you know, you're like the perfect person to talk to because you know we were talking about and planning for this this interview. You know, you

do understand bringing back a city from crisis. You know, that's what you guys did with the Tribeca Film Festival, and it was so many people were writing off downtown New York. Um. Understandably, New York was damaged, um and hurt on so many different levels after nine eleven. What do you think you know, how do we this is a different type of crisis. Fair to say, Um, how do we come back? What do you what are your expectations for New York where we are such a you know,

social city. You're so used to being, you know, kind of crammed next to one another. And I think at some level we enjoy that. I mean, I think it's why we all are in New York, work there, live there. Um,

what are your expectations for how we come back? I think first and foremost we all have to feel safe again and safe to go out and know, uh, understand what is happening in terms of testing and protocols and uh, you know, are just the way the way we move is going to change the way we get dressed and putting on a mask to go outside all the time. So things are going to change without questions. So what are the new normal procedures and practices that we're going

to have to adapt to? And that's one thing about New Yorkers. We are all adaptable. You know, we will turn it. It will turn into something. Um. But you know, as everyone, you know, as the governor has said, okay, it's going to be a glad you will unpause of uh of our of our society, of our of our culture, and you know, first and foremost is to be safe.

So tell us what the decision making was around the film Festival, because, as you know, as far better than the Carol ur ur I do, we're just fans and consumers of of great movies and and films. You know, it is both an individual but also a social experience going to the movies. And as Carol has rightly said, tryback of Film Festival was so much part of bringing New York back, you know, sort of bringing that zeitgeist

of New York back yet its founding. Tell us about the decision to put select programming online, what went into it, and what it looks like. So for the first what was to go to your previous question, a little bit part of what was what we were able to do after nine eleven, which to gather people, to bring people together in numbers and in in numbers and having audiences together. We were able to say we're still here, We're strong,

we're still here. What has been heartbreaking about trying to figure out where we are right now was the fact that we couldn't gather um and how do we how do we then gather? Technology has over the past twenty years has changed all of our lives, UH, and we looked at what we could do first and foremost to UM to support all of our of our creators that had worked so hard, both UH returning filmmakers and new filmmakers.

So we have online our Tribeca Immersions three six weeks. UH. You can go on if you have an OTOS headset, you can UM watch those programs available and that's available to public. We've done a number of things that are available to industry and press, UH, such as our Extra net or our UM jurors have gathered together on on Zoom and UH will announce those awards shortly for the you know, so that we have jury prizes. UM. Still we have our new online work. Again that was for industry.

So it was much of the Tribeca X Awards, which is the best in brand content from filmmaker collaborators, UH collaborators just with UH with brands, and that's also available online. UM. It was different. When you say how you know, how you know, it's just it's just different. We're still we've done a lot of things that are available to our audience because we're very much an audience festival and basting people together. We've done an initiative where every day we

offer a short film the day to keep anxiety away. Uh, just something to pop into your in box beside the news. Can I just say I love that. I get that every day. And one of the things that Jason and I have increasingly been talking to UM actually just talked with the founder of Tom's yesterday about because he has created something about, you know, helping people to stay healthy on their own. And I think the mental health, um, you know, wellness component of this virus of people being

at home, especially folks. You know, we've heard from a lot of our colleagues who are single living in a small apartment in New York and it's it's difficult. UM. But that that idea of you know, keeping anxiety a way, I think that has been a really smart move on your guys part, and I think really really helpful to everybody. Well, thank thank you, thank you for that. We hope will continue to uh do those shorts as well as be able to announce some other initiatives that will um bring

people together in a socially distanced and safe way. Uh. It's um, it's look, it's challenging it's just it's challenging. But and it's also I mean, when you think about the movies and you think about being together, it's also about what happens when you laugh together or cry together

and that communal experience. Um. We know that the d g A and the other guilds are working to look at all angles of our business so that we can continue to make films and um and bring films back to back into the world and and do that in a in a safe way. Um. But look, I think that technology as much as gathering together and being in an audience. There's nothing like that being in a dark theater. But it's pretty amazing that we can go around the world and we can watch all kinds of films online

and um, you know they can. You know, before COBC it was they were so existing and now a c will have you know, a new way to approach that. But we are lucky that we can get all kinds of content online to make us, to make us laugh and to bring us together, and to have social forums to be able to share things together. And you know, it's I also think it's going to be a very creative period for people in an innovative period. Um. So in in a way I look forward to that. I

get excited about what that can be. But doesn't mean that daily life is going to be completely upbended as it has been. Um really just um yeah at times. Right, Well, let's talk about that a little bit. I mean both from the creator's perspective but also the consumer's perspective. I mean we are, uh. I think it's safe to say fortunate that we already were in this time where our consumption patterns are changing. And Carol has heard me say this a million times, like I am the biggest fan

in the world of going to the movies. I'll go by myself, I'll go with friends, I'll go with family, I'll drag somebody along with me. Uh to you know, a revival of a movie or a new movie, whatever it is. But we do also, to your point, and have this amazing ability through all the streaming services to

see things that we might not ever have seen. I think it's fair to say that a movie like Parasite, probably without streaming and without sort of the accessibility and the Internet, would not have maybe landed the way that it did, especially in the United States. What does that sort of consumption pattern mean for movies going forward, even outside of the virus sort of how we're able to get all these different movies. Uh, you know that point.

It's actually very exciting because it's we are global cinema. It is you know, world cinema. UM, we get to now see store or something like parasite would not have reason without the knowledge of h without it was actually seen that we've in theaters first and it's now online for people to to see. UM. But as you know, it's UM, there's no longer there's no longer quote far in film. It's just global, you know, the World Cinema International.

So I produced the movie The Irishman UM and UH that film was theatrically distributed uh in over twelve hundred theaters and then um it went on Netflix. Now those two could quote, those two could um could live together. There was. They are two different experiences to be in the theater uh and to watch something online, but they're not mutually exclusive. UH. And you know each brings you

a different type of a different type of experience. You see different things, uh when you're in a movie theater and with an audience versus when you're in your living room and only with your your family as we have all been for the past. Jane, what are the things about counting? Well, listen, that's actually been part of I mean joke, not joke. You know, it's like what day is My husband even last night he's like, uh, we is it Saturday? Like it's just crazy, like our concept

of time. Um, we've all kind of lost what day were. And one thing I wanted to ask you is what's the future of content? I mean, so many productions are completely shut down? You know, what does that happen? You know? Or what happens then when you have six or twelve months, if not more, of nothing being taped, is there enough stuff out there that's in a holding pattern or will we see an impact of that? I think you'll see some impact of that, without question. It's been how long ago,

It really depends how long agoes on. There are a number of movies ready to ready to start shooting, and I'm know there uh, you know certainly on series. Uh, there are a number of shows, but we have to do it's an industry. Um. Make sure that our crews are our crews are safe, uh and um, and how we do things, whether it's going on a location scout,

everybody jumping into a van together, or craft services. I mean, you just think of the daily You just think of the you know, the things that you do to prep a movie. You're all in a tight spot together. Uh, so you know, how do we social distance? How do we change? Uh? How do two actors who are doing, um, you know, a love scene? Do you did that change? Um? You start to think of you start to think of of of theater. Are you going to change the way

something is actually directed and choreographed? Can you touch you know what does that? Does that look like? The suddenly the way um somebody costumes design? Are we what kind of masks are we wearing? In gloves? I mean you start to you start to go into the you know the details of it and you know what does that all? What does that all look like? But yes, there will

be content out there. I think uh was also a place for audiences to rediscover things to um and there are facing so many movies that haven't gotten you know, attention that can now um, you know, now be seen. So you started in the beginning. You mentioned earlier how like all of us were getting a little cabin crazy. So I'm curious. I owned up and I said, I binged on Tiger King. I'm just curious what you're watching at home? Um, what you're doing, um, as you are

sheltering at home. Been working a lot and keeping um, keeping my teams active. I think I personally feel that the more I work than I will the more the more I work than I'll keep my sanity. When I stopped working and have scientists think I kind of lose it a bit. Um. But I've watched Unorthodox, which I thought was terrific. I what how you're king with my daughter? And you know, I'm a total um news junkie, So that is um. So I guess, I guess I'm into heaven.

But then it gives me anxiety. So yeah, I find myself having to read like a you know, a Mura Commie novel or something before I go to bed, to at least take me to an entirely different place. I can't. I can't read the news right before I go to sleep. I think, and I think I'm not all that well Jane. The other things. The other thing that I've actually rediscovered

again is I've been reading leads the groups. So it's really interesting to suddenly go back and especially as you know New Yorker of Long Island, or to go back and look at the eighteen uh you know, eighteen fifties, uh, with Walt Whitman and what he what he was doing from Brooklyn to Long Island, and um, that kind of isolation has been, Um, it's been actually lovely. And that was Jane Rosenthal, film television producer, co founder of the

Tribeca Film Festival. And as you said at the top, Carol really important player in all of this, especially given the history the heritage of the film festival coming out after nine eleven. Initially, this is a city we know it, we live here that needs some healing right now. What's also great about her, Jason, is that man, she understands the entertainment world producing content and with everything that's going on streaming. I feel like it was so timely to

talk with her on so many different levels. So glad we were able to catch up with her. You've been listening to Bloomberg Business Week Extra, and be sure to tune into Bloomberg Business Week Radio Live Monday through Friday at two pm Wall Street Time on Bloomberg Radio. I'm Jason Kelly and I'm Carol Masser. This is Bloomberg.