Tribeca Film Festival’S Legacy in the Making
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THE TRIBECA Legacy in the Making FILM FESTIVAL By 2002, the world was saturated with film festivals, including some very iconic ones: Cannes, Toronto and Sundance. So, while Tribeca was set to launch in that same year, its founders — Craig Hatkoff, Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro — knew they would need a purpose beyond being another film festival to succeed. Today, in 2015, Tribeca is one of the premier global festivals. Recently, the Legacy Lab had an opportunity to talk to Craig Hatkoff about co-authoring the Tribeca Film Festival’s legacy in the making. Chinatown or the Financial District. Restaurants were going out of business. We did the equivalent of an old-fashioned social media campaign. We organized dinners where a person had to invite 10 more, and they, in turn, had to invite 10 more. We organized it to go to several dozen restaurants in those areas. For the first event, about 800 people showed up. Bill Clinton, Queen Noor and the press showed up. Bob stopped at every restaurant. People realized if we didn’t all do something, these restaurants would go out of busi- ness. That was the germ of the idea. The moment where we said this could work. Shortly after, my wife came home and said, ‘I talked to Bob and we want to do a festival now.’ It was December. Now meant April. It was a crazy idea. But that wasn’t going to stop them. From the outset, the festival wasn’t The first thing we would like to talk world didn’t need another festival. about for profit or not for profit. It about is the origin of the Tribeca After 9/11, things changed. was for a purpose. When we start- Film Festival. ed, there was one clear purpose: As a precursor, we started Dinner How do you get people back to De Niro and my wife Jane looked Downtown. We did events in Oc- normalcy after a terrorist attack? at doing a film festival over the tober/November of 2001 after the Let’s see if we can get 5,000 to years, but there wasn’t a hole in attack on the World Trade Center. 10,000 people back downtown to what festivals were doing. The There was no one in Little Italy, revive the energy. 2015 1 What were the biggest hurdles you to bring their employees back the be good enough. We all started had to overcome? week we were doing the festival. looking at the festival through this Lower Manhattan is their home. lens. What do you do when there In December 2001, there was no They are a great New York iconic are no existing venues? Embrace business plan. I saw the first budget. company. They were purpose-driven constraints and figure it out. It was a million dollars. I thought just like us. that was off by a zero. By January, A favorite example of embracing Bob and Jane asked for my business constraints and dealing with the help. Until then, nobody was looking What were your ongoing goals? lack of venues is what we did with at a serious plan. And lower Manhat- GM. We started a sort of drive-in tan, the festival site, was basically a At the start, we only thought using their vehicles. We showed war zone. I was the outsider—non- about year one. Amex had us think films on a pier for 3,000 to 4,000 film, non-Hollywood, non-celebrity— ahead into year three. Asking us people. The next year, GM wanted there to help drive a business. about our long-term goals back to power the drive-in with hydro- then was a little like asking a child gen. It was not easy to achieve that what they wanted to be when they on the pier five blocks north of the grew up. When people asked about World Trade Center. But, we made our goals, our aspirations, Bob was it work. The final iteration was a “We have always candid and humble about saying we challenge because our drive-in been open to were going to figure it out as we go was scheduled the same night as along. We didn’t know what it was the final episode ofFriends . So, we taking risks to going to be, but whatever it was go- came up with the idea to broadcast discover our real ing to be, it was going to be great. I the final episode at the drive-in. think that’s what helped to build the It was probably one of the most brand elasticity.” Tribeca brand: It was very genuine memorable experiences. We turned and purpose-driven. from a drive-in to a hydrogen tower, to broadcasting the last episode of Friends. We’re always looking to do From a brand standpoint, the idea Other than starting the festival, the next new thing. of raising sponsorship funds in 90 what risks have you taken along days to put on a multimillion-dollar the way? In what ways has the film festival event was ambitious. We almost evolved? failed. We were inside of 24 hours We have always been open to of postponing when two new spon- taking risks to discover our real I think the festival has evolved sors called. One was Nancy Smith, brand elasticity. Early on, we faced to more of a movie festival. If you VP Global Media, Sponsorship and a problem with a lack of venues in look at our numbers, the number Events at Amex. Nancy said: ‘Craig, lower Manhattan. There was one of people that go to films versus you don’t know me, but I run events multiplex. How do you put on a fes- overall attendance, I think 100,000 for American Express. We hear you tival without theaters? I was a fan of people can actually see films, based are doing a festival. We need to be Clayton Christensen’s work. Clay is on the inventory of seats. But, we your partner. We’re going to help the father of Disruptive Innovation have more like a half million visitors you build this.’ On September 11, Theory. At the root of his thinking a year. We have the drive-in. We Amex had to evacuate their head- is the idea that innovation doesn’t have a family event. We have films quarters. They were, now, aiming have to be perfect; it just has to for hardcore fanatics who are on 2015 2 the circuit. I feel we’re more of an many people thought about open-G are trying to be open-minded, even audience festival than an indus- tuning where you tune a guitar like if it’s not going to be perfect. We try festival. And we want to grow a banjo. There is a whole chapter in have so many different stakeholders this into more of a culture festival. Keith’s book on how he discovered and different jobs that we are trying That’s why you see us do things like the sound. So Keith, who has great to do, that it will push itself into a short-film festival with Amazon, stories to share, is now a Tribeca Dis- more of a bazaar structure. I think where the audience judged the ruptive Innovation Award honoree. the coexistence of cathedrals and films. It was open source—by the bazaars, not where they are fighting people for the people. but are collaborating, is where you Switching gears, is Tribeca today start to get change. still an upstart or is it more a part Earlier you mentioned Disruptive of the establishment? Innovation Theory. What role does innovation play? The festival is a mix. Eric Raymond’s The Cathedral and the Bazaar is one We keep adding innovative ideas of the most influential things I’ve read. into the festival like the Tribeca Dis- It’s the story of a traditional computer “We need ruptive Innovation Awards. There is programmer learning how a modern, cathedrals. so much storytelling in innovation, open source, operating system works. and our festival celebrates story- To explain, he introduces a metaphor They are the telling. Whether it is recognizing of cathedrals vs. bazaars. Cathedrals incumbents, and L.A. Noire, a video game, or mak- are hierarchical, command and con- ing six-second shorts on Vine, or trol, lots of sign-offs, long lead times, they do behave featuring traditional independent the product has to be perfect. Bazaars and studio films, everything here are anarchic, chaotic and noisy. No predictably. But, supports that he who has the best one is in charge, and everyone is in the bazaars narrative wins. charge. It’s self-governing. We need cathedrals. They are the incumbents, are taking over. The reason adding the Disruptive and they do behave predictably. But, Innovation Awards was interesting the bazaars are taking over. Tribeca is Tribeca is both to me is that most people in inno- both a cathedral and a huge bazaar. a cathedral and vation think only of technology, and we thought of it as the intersection At Tribeca, the films and the pro- a huge bazaar.” between storytelling, culture and grammers represent a cathedral. technology. We pick very quirky, That said, through initiatives like eclectic, not expected awards that the Disruptive Innovation Awards, demonstrate the story of innova- we are expanding what we mean tion, the storytelling behind innova- by film festival. So, when you ask, tion, and celebrate the winners at ‘What is the job of Cannes?’ the Tell us more about your festival’s the festival.