“Let's have some new cliches.” ― Samuel Goldwyn

Everybody loves a good story

Everybody wants to escape reality.

Sex does not sell! The promise of sex does.

Make people feel! Terror to laughter. Pull heart strings!

No Budget over $5 million

No A-List Actors – do not hire off an accountant’s spreadsheet.

You can make 5 moives for the price of one A-List actor

Give me a couple of years, and I'll make that actress an overnight success. ― Samuel Goldwyn

No Nepos – acting is not hereditary.

“Spare no expense to save money on this one.” ― Samuel Goldwyn

There are many talented people. A dollar of casting saves hundreds of thousands of production cost.

If an agent insists on meeting in person: the actor is too expensive.

No Quels – Sequels or Prequels. A project stands on it’s own, not on vested viewers.

No Series – Exception: a new episode plays every weekday afternoon and a soap company sponsors it.

No Preaching – this is not Church or propaganda. (Except: projects about church/preacher/propaganda)

“Pictures are entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union.” ― Samuel Goldwyn

No comic books (Graphic/Serial Novels?? Oxymoron) Unless it’s 30 frames per second

No Clock Punchers – If a project is being done just to pay salaries, kill it before the critics do.

Goldwyn’s 262 rule - make ten movies: two will flop, six will break even; two will be successful.

(really a Goldwynism of the 80/20 rule) Once every 50 movies – one will make more than the other 49 combined.

Despite its aloof, holier-than-thou-image, AMPAS (aka “The Academy”) was founded to promote movies in the slow period at the dead of winter. (hence the timing of the Academy Awards).

Write your own.

Review your own.

Distribute your own.

When ever you hear a movie “Lost" 50 million dollars;

Bear in mind somebody got that $50 million.