Exclusive Interview: Jerry Bruckheimer

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK: Jerry Bruckheimer, who has wowed audiences with blockbuster films, talks about making franchise movies, producing high-quality television in a cost-efficient manner, and explains his involvement in hit TV series.

The film and television producer has likened his craft to the transportation business—he believes in transporting the audience from one place to another and has done so with blockbuster movies like Armageddon and Pirates of the Caribbean.

In television, he has elevated the procedural drama to a new level, infusing the storytelling with oftentimes eye-popping special effects.

WS: In your TV division, what has led to a preference for procedurals? Did that happen by chance or was that by design?
BRUCKHEIMER: I think it was more by chance, to be honest with you, although I gravitate toward that stuff anyway. This project [CSI] came in from Anthony Zuiker, we loved it and we pitched it to the networks, and fortunately for us, CBS bought it.

WS: And it’s been very successful, hasn’t it?
BRUCKHEIMER: It certainly has!

WS: Since the L.A. screenings, I’ve spoken to several buyers from major broadcasters around the world about the pilots they saw of new fall shows, and repeatedly they would refer to your new shows Chase or The Whole Truth, not by their titles, but as “Jerry Bruckheimer shows.” Why is that kind of brand identification important?
BRUCKHEIMER: We’ve had our success with both features and television and I think we give a certain brand to a certain type of entertainment that is known for quality. And that quality consists of good stories that are well told and well produced. I hope that is what [our shows portray]; that is what we try to do.

WS: There has been talk for the last few years about the expense of producing pilots. Some network executives have talked about not doing pilots anymore, instead going straight into production on six or even 13 episodes of a series. What is your view of pilots—are they the best way to develop and present a series?
BRUCKHEIMER: I haven’t seen a better way yet. They’ve done shorter versions of pilots. They’ve done presentations. But I think it depends on the talent. If you have a concept that you really love and a script that you love and a team—producer, showrunner, director—that you have real faith in, sometimes the network will take a leap. But it’s hard because there are a lot of variables that come into making a successful show and you never know. We’ve made pilots that fortunately for us have done quite well. But in the past, I’m sure the networks were disappointed with things so it’s silly for them to make a huge commitment of six or 13 shows, which is a lot of money, based on just being convinced that they have a good script and a good team.

WS: On average, your series cost less per episode than several other series. How do you manage to get that cinematic look on the small screen while containing costs?
BRUCKHEIMER: It’s all about planning and working with your showrunners. Our production people talk regularly. They will read a script and say, for example, Look, if you find this and that we wouldn’t have to move locations. We figure out ways to cut corners without cutting things on the screen. If you put a good team together—our people in the office and our executive producers who actually have to deal with production work with Warner Bros.—they can figure out ways to cut corners.

WS: At what point do you get involved in the development and production of a series, and what is your level of involvement?
BRUCKHEIMER: I’ll be pitched the concepts of the shows and if there is anything written I’ll comment on that and then Jonathan Littman [the president of Jerry Bruckheimer Television] goes out and pitches to the various networks. I’ll get involved in the actual pilot script when it comes in. I’ll give them notes on that. I’ll get involved in picking the director and the actors and cast. I’ll get involved in the editing of the pilot. I’ll read every single script as it comes in and watch every episode and make comments. Am I on the set? No. Do I do the episodic casting? No, but if a new cast member comes in who is a regular I’ll certainly be involved in the decision of that and most major decisions as far as putting together the crew. We have such a bank of wonderful designers and cinematographers that have worked with us in the past, we try to draw on them to put together a show. I’ll be involved in picking the showrunner along with the network. I get involved in the marketing and the advertising of our shows.

WS: Is there a lot of crossover of talent—actors, set designers, special effects—from the film division to the TV division?
BRUCKHEIMER: There is some. We certainly have a lot of people we like in television that eventually we hope will work with us in film. But they get involved in a television series and it’s hard for them to get free. But there definitely is crossover. We used an actor in CSI: Miami and I put him in Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

WS: How are the economics of movie-making changing, and what adjustments have you had to make on the movies you are producing now?
BRUCKHEIMER: Movies always cost too much and you’re always trying to fight what a studio wants to spend on a film and what the script tells you it’s going to cost. So it’s a constant battle. Ever since I got in the business there has been a battle between the creative and the financial and you have to live within certain parameters. The studio will give you what they feel their appetite for a film is and then you try to work within that appetite.

WS: Why have franchise movies become so important for the studios?
BRUCKHEIMER: Nothing is guaranteed, but a franchise movie guarantees a certain amount of revenues as long as your budget is within the parameters of what the studio feels a picture can earn even if it’s a failure. So franchises are very important. They drive everything. When you have a Pirates franchise or an Iron Man franchise or a Spider-Man franchise, they are very important to the health of the studio. They bring in enormous revenues if they are done right.

WS: Some filmmakers are concerned that as people increasingly watch feature films on portable devices, some directors will shoot fewer long shots and panoramic shots because people are watching movies on small screens. How do you feel about people watching movies on small screens?
BRUCKHEIMER: It has to be tailored for whatever the primary use is, so if the primary use is television, you have to tailor it to what television can handle. And if people watch on a small screen they are going to miss some of the sexiness of the filming. But if it’s made specifically for a phone, then that’s a different issue.

WS: Are you somewhat screen agnostic? Do you like to produce for as many screens as possible?
BRUCKHEIMER: I think we all do. We want to reach as large an audience as possible in any way they enjoy watching. We much prefer for them to view it in the format it was designed for, but in other formats, if they fall in love with what we do, it’s exciting to us.

WS: How do you feel about 3D? Will you be producing more?
BRUCKHEIMER: We made one picture in 3D, G-Force, and we are making the fourth Pirates movie in 3D. I believe in it. It gives the audience an added boost because it puts you inside the movie and gives the movie an enormous amount of depth. It’s not made for every film, but for certain films it will certainly add a lot of entertainment.

WS: And how do you see it for television?
BRUCKHEIMER: I think the technology has to get there. Right now it’s not very cost-effective for consumers. Hopefully it will eventually get there. It’s great for sports and big spectacle shows.

WS: Are there films you still have not done that you would like to do?
BRUCKHEIMER: We have 40 projects in development and all those films we’d like to get made. We make one to three films a year, so it’s going to take time.