JRE 1370 · October 24, 2019

Brian Grazer

businessfilmpsychologyphilosophytechnology

Who is Brian Grazer?

Brian Grazer is a film and television producer and screenwriter. He co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986, with Ron Howard. His new book "Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection" is now available: https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Contact-Power-Personal-Connection/dp/1501147722

Topics and Timestamps

01Brian Grazer discusses his new book 'Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection' and why genuine human interaction is becoming increasingly rare
02Grazer explains how he built Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard and the importance of curiosity in creative partnerships
03The producer reveals his philosophy on conducting 'curiosity conversations' with influential people across different industries
04Grazer talks about how technology and social media are changing human connection and what we're losing in the process
05Discussion about the film and TV industry, what makes successful projects, and the role of human relationships in business
06Grazer shares insights on mentorship, learning from failures, and how to stay creative and relevant in entertainment
▶Brian explains the concept of 'curiosity conversations' and how it shaped his career0:05:30
▶Discussion about how technology is changing human connection and face to face interaction0:15:45
▶Grazer talks about his partnership with Ron Howard and why they work so well together0:28:20
▶The producer reveals his philosophy on what makes successful creative projects0:42:15
▶Grazer discusses his new book 'Face to Face' and why human connection matters now more than ever0:58:00

The Show

Brian Grazer sits down with Joe to talk about his career as one of Hollywood's most successful producers and his new book on human connection. The guy co-founded Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard back in 1986, and they've produced some absolutely massive films and shows together. What's interesting is that Grazer comes at the whole producer thing from a place of genuine curiosity about people, which is kind of the whole thesis of his book.

The conversation centers around what Grazer calls 'curiosity conversations,' this practice he developed of sitting down with people from completely different fields and just asking them questions. It's not networking in the traditional sense, it's more about genuine intellectual curiosity and trying to understand how different people approach problems and life. Grazer talks about how this approach has shaped his career and how it's become even more important now when everyone's just glued to screens.

One of the core themes is how technology has fundamentally changed the way we interact with each other. Grazer isn't some Luddite about it, but he's genuinely concerned about what we're losing when face to face interaction gets replaced by texts, emails, and social media. He believes that real human connection, looking someone in the eye, having actual conversations, these things are becoming scarce and valuable in ways people don't fully appreciate.

Grazer also gets into the nuts and bolts of what made him and Ron Howard such a good team, and how that kind of creative partnership requires mutual respect and genuine interest in each other's perspectives. He talks about how curiosity is more important than expertise in a lot of ways, because if you're genuinely curious you're always learning and evolving as a creative person.

The whole conversation has this underlying theme that the best creative work comes from real human connection and understanding. It's not just about making movies or TV shows, it's about understanding what moves people, what stories matter, why humans connect with certain narratives. That understanding comes from actually talking to people, listening to them, being present with them.