Shootout

By Christopher K. Saroki Daily bruin contributor
[email protected]

The mapmaker, illuminati and alchemist stare each other down,
each with a vision for the final product. Negotiations have failed.
Looks like there’s going to be a shootout.

“Shoot Out,” a UCLA class taught by Peter Guber and
Peter Bart, describes the moviemaking process, from the exciting
spark of the idea to the final showing on late night cable
television. Guber and Bart use terms such as “mapmaker”
(writer) and “alchemist” (director) to illustrate the
roles of the players who combat and collaborate to make a
movie.

“Our intention is not to tell you how to make movies. We
can’t put in what God left out,” Guber said in
class.

The course looks more like a talk show than a class. Guber and
Bart both stand behind podiums emblazoned with “Shoot
Out” movie-like posters.

Guest speakers sit in directors chairs, flanked on each side by
the hosts. On both sides of the room, digital cameras capture the
show for the corresponding online course.

The guest list includes star power worthy of late-night talk
shows, with big names like John Singleton (director of “Boyz
N the Hood” and “Shaft”), Brett Ratner (director
of “Rush Hour 2″ and “The Family Man”),
Matthew Perry (“Friends” and “The Whole Nine
Yards”), and many more.

“This class unlocks the mystery behind the process of
filmmaking. You get to see who all the players are, the power
struggles, the failures and the successes,” said A. J. Lewis,
a graduate student in the School of Theater, Film and
Television.

The success of the class inspired a book with the same name,
which debuted earlier this month. The book, written by Bart and
Guber, illustrates how decisions are made in Hollywood and passes
on the wisdom of 60 years of combined experience in the industry.
The pages are colored with interesting anecdotes, including a
meeting with Fidel Castro, a standoff with Marlon Brando, the
struggle to produce “Harold and Maude” and a showdown
with Sean Connery.

For instance, one chapter is dedicated to Hollywood’s
Golden Rule: “He who has the gold, makes the rules.”
The chapter goes on to illustrate the point with examples,
including a shootout with Hal Ashby, the director of “Harold
and Maude.” Ashby was having issues with drug use on set and
Bart told him that if he kept getting stoned, that Ashby
wouldn’t be able to stay on the movie. From that point on,
Ashby had no more problems.

According to Guber, there is a secret to winning these
conflicts.

“The trick is not to fire the gun ““ not to even
draw, but never have anybody doubt your willingness to,”
Guber said in class.

Guber, the former CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, founded
and currently heads Mandalay Entertainment. Bart, former CEO of
Lorimar Films, is the editor in chief of “Variety” and
“Daily Variety.” Guber and Bart are veterans of the
film industry, with many experiences to share.

Longtime friends, Guber and Bart could not have more distinct
personalities. Guber speaks forcefully with his rough New York
accent, while Bart explains with a calm, delicate and measured
tone. The banter between the two only adds to the experience.

“You have Peter Guber who is inspirational and talkative
and you have Peter Bart who is very deliberate and very wise but
almost ““ believe it or not ““ tends to be a tad more
cynical than Peter Guber. They make a great balance,” said
Marc May a third-year graduate student in the School of Theater,
Film and Television.

For May, this is his second time taking the course, and his
fourth class with Guber.

“It’s never the same thing twice,” May said.
“They ask the hard questions and try to get honest
answers.”

Lewis and May agree that the most exciting guests were Brett
Ratner and John Singleton. Ratner spoke passionately about his
attempt to enter New York University after approaching the dean
personally with a desperate plea for acceptance. He got in.

John Singleton spoke about his childhood in South Central and
its influence on his movies. He also described the struggles he
faced while making “Shaft.”

“They were very inspiring, because they both came from
very different backgrounds but at the same time they epitomized the
drive and the hunger that it takes to make it in the
industry,” Lewis said.

For those who missed the class, there is something almost as
good. “Shoot Out” has burgeoned into digital media with
a Web site and an online version of the course available free of
charge. The presentation is concise and well organized, with
lessons paralleling the nine chapters of the book.

The class does not give any formal rules of engagement for those
involved in moviemaking, although it does give guidelines.

“I like to say there are no rules in this business. But
beware, you break them at your peril,” Guber said in
class.

Furthermore, the class cannot give any proven formula for a good
movie.

“The process, I believe, is essentially one of
alchemy,” Bart said.

But the class can detail the mysterious workings of the film
industry, explaining how and why decisions are made.

“I would be very pleased if, as a result of taking the
course, that those attending it emerged with a sharper
understanding of the industry and a better overview of it, through
listening not only to us, but to the guests,” Bart said.

CLASS: The online class can be found at www.shootoutonline.com,
and the book by Peter Bart and Peter Guber, “Shoot Out:
Surviving Fame and Misfortune in Hollywood,” can be found in
stores now.