I spend the bulk of my day in meetings. I'll do introductory meetings with clients, or I'll meet clients we are already collaborating with. Then I'll have another internal meeting to communicate what the client wants and discuss what's required to accomplish the task.
Our meetings are part of a spirited process. There is a constant debate that goes on about the look and feel of a project, the voice, the big idea. My role is to be the biggest critic and cynic, and to measure every project in terms of expectation, practicality, and deliverability. I can be the biggest pain in the ass, but I try to remain as open as possible and listen to everyone before I make any decisions.
I speak with my partner Frank three times a day. We try to stay on the same page. He has been in L.A. since the beginning of the company. Frank oversees the Los Angeles office, which is the primary production center for commercials, but he's also involved in everything else.
Every day, I spend about an hour working on Iconoclasts, a show that pairs two iconic people for a conversation. I'm one of the executive producers, so I do daily internal meetings, weekly conference calls, and monthly meet-ups. I have to coordinate with the Sundance Channel, which airs the show, and Grey Goose, which sponsors it, and our team, which produces the show. In one week, we may be shooting in New York, L.A., Australia, and Africa. My job is overseeing that. I also collaborate with everyone on the celebrity pairings. We've put together Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou, Sean Penn and Jon Krakauer. Finding the right match is like solving a puzzle -- not only because you're trying to come up with an interesting combination but also just coordinating everyone's schedules.
Once shows are in production, I look at dailies -- the footage that's been shot -- at the office. I don't really like going to sets. I don't like being the "guy in the suit." Especially for a show like Iconoclasts, which has an intimacy to it, it's bad if too many people show up.
I rarely go out to lunch. I think it's a waste of time. One of my assistants usually orders something in. I'll eat at my desk between meetings. If I'm busy and miss lunch, I can always find a stale bagel and some peanut butter and jelly in our kitchen.
I often take breaks in the afternoon to walk around the office, which is pretty big -- about 40,000 square feet spread out over two floors. That makes my assistants a little crazy, because they might have to come find me for a call or meeting if I have wandered upstairs to our postproduction facility to see how the sound editing is going on a project. Or I may be checking in with our digital team to see how a website design is coming along. Part of the sheer joy of working here is, we have so many talented people, and I get to see their work in progress and add my two cents about how it should evolve.
I used to travel all the time, but now it's more like twice a month. My wife's going to say, "What are you talking about? You were just in three cities last week!" I do try to hit several cities in one trip. I usually travel to see directors, visit our offices abroad, or meet with clients. I'll also do a bimonthly 24-hour trip to L.A. I don't like being away. In fact, I don't ever adjust for jet lag. My iPhone automatically changes to the new time zone, but I don't. I stay on New York time.
It's easy for me to stay connected. We have a site where we can upload and review projects online. I can also download clips to my phone. I just reviewed a trailer for Summit on the Summit, an MTV documentary we produced that was sponsored by Procter & Gamble, on my iPhone while I was on a flight to L.A.
I rarely go on vacation. I used to go away every year between Christmas and New Year's, but now I'd rather stay home in Bedford. I do go to the TED conference every year. I've been going since the late '80s. That's sort of my vacation. It's a remarkable opportunity to be exposed to radical thinking. In fact, those conferences inspired me to reinvent my company. They celebrate the idea of cross-pollination that I try to emulate in my work.
I go out to dinner four or five times a week with clients, talent, and sometimes friends. Inevitably, there are several events and functions I am invited to as well. I go to about three a week, and it's starting to become weekends, too. Last month, it was watching one of our producer's documentaries screened at the Museum of Modern Art. How could I not go to that? My kids are all grown up now, but when they were younger, I used to be far more protective of my weekends.
After dinner or an event in the city, I usually head back to the office in the evening. I use that quiet time to respond to e-mails I didn't get to during the day. Or to check in on people who are on deadline -- I like to support them, eyeball the work, and provide a little objectivity. Often I use that time to review the longer shows we're working on. It takes a full hour and a half to watch an hour-and-a-half film, which is impossible to do during the day. We have a screening room at the office. I spend a lot of late nights reviewing projects and taking notes for the editors, producers, and director. I like to weigh in on everything we produce.
I usually leave the office between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m., and then it's an hour's drive home. That's my time to decompress. That's when I call my wife and my kids. Or I will check in with my brother or friends, see how everyone is doing. And I'll switch on the news and think about what happened that day. And get excited about tomorrow.
