But he now sees provoking conversation around the state of the industry as an unofficial obligation.
He also raises an eyebrow over the DGAs decision to lock a deal with the studios.
I dont understand why the DGA settled so quickly, he said.
Ted Hope.Alberto Ortega/Europa Press via Getty Images.
Hope also discusses his tenure at Amazon, a time that he said was fruitful yet combative.
He left the company in 2020, returning to his work as an indie producer.
DEADLINE: Congrats on a very popular keynote.
What was your time at Amazon really like?
TED HOPE:Well, good is relative.
So I like a combative environment.
And Amazon was a combative environment, particularly in the beginning.
But it did make me angry, too.
But that atmosphere sparks things in me.
I also got to work with people Ive wanted to work with.
I madeChi-Raqwith Spike andPattersonwith Jarmusch.
That is exactly what I wanted to do.
Its different as an Executive compared to a producer.
In those two days, we cleared the song and gave him an extra $200,000 to do it.
And to me, its one of my favorite bits in the movie.
We made about 60 films when I was there.
And they never forced me to deviate from my mission of authored cinema.
Did I like having my budget diminish?
Did I like having to constantly fight about why my strategy for cinema made sense?
Did I like losing some of those battles?
DEADLINE: Since your departure, Amazon Studios has come under some fire.
Jennifer Salke has faced some criticism for her decisions.
What do you think about the studios position now youve left?
HOPE:Its a challenging situation because of their success.
Global streamers had the right tactic for their business goal: audience acquisition.
Context, curation, exhibition, audience engagement, and audience development are all aspects of cinema.
Cinema, in streaming, gets reduced to another product.
I believe the answer is to look at streaming as a utility.
Steamers shouldnt be allowed to manufacture their own content.
They should acquire from third-party suppliers.
In a few years, the percentage naturally rose to around 70%.
If we looked at streaming similarly, we would see a further blossoming of what was there.
DEADLINE: The strikes…
I assume everything is on hold for you right now?
HOPE:Yeah, everything is on hold, and its depressing.
Its hard to game whats the right thing to do.
And thats generally wages, quality of life, work, and opportunity.
To me, questions of data transparency, data ownership, and generative AI are everything.
And that comes from authorship and authenticity of experience, which a machine will never understand.
So how do we protect that in a pressure cooker environment?
I know they got good wages and won some good things, but these other issues are really important.
I hate to see them sacrificed.
The last ten years have been incredibly undermining for the indie ecosystem, particularly the private equity sector.
What do you think about what you and your peers have left behind?
HOPE:The biggest difference between when I started and right now is the huge cost of living increase.
I was able to get paid and learn along the way.
Producers are the most generative part of the industry.
Im biased, but Ive been involved intimately with over 130 movies.
Youre not going to have a director or screenwriter who could say the same.
I police my movies from birth to forever because theres no death.
