Pantera: The Art of Sculpting Fog

The de Tomaso Pantera. Around $10,000.*

In Italy, men build cars with passion. One of them is Alejandro de Tomaso. And this is his car. Pantera.

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The evolution of the print ad is something that deserves its own dissertation (I am sure there are many) and today too much copy scares away even the most avid reader. Today, any print ad worth its media uses four key components: 

• A headline
• Visual-grabbing design elements
• Snappy copy or even as short as a tagline
• A call to action. 

I miss the days when copy dominated print ads covering up to seventy per cent of the page. You simply can't get away with that now. Looking back through my ancient Sports Illustrated enearthed some treasures, namely an ad for the Pantera.  If I asked a thousand of my readers if you knew what the Pantera was, my guess is that two or three would know what it was. For the other 9,997 of you, take a mental walk with me and let me tell you...

Elvis Presley was car enthusiast known for his love of Cadillacs. After all, he owned nearly a hundred of him during his lifetime. But in the 1970s, the talk among car buffs was a sleek Italian-made sports car called the Pantera (aka Panther in English). Elvis bought one and was never the same. One day when he fancied a spin, the car wouldn't start. After some frustration, he took out a gun and shot it a few times. 

The Presley Pantera is now in a museum...respectful visitors count the wounds.

It might be thought that the incident, enthusiastically reported around the world, would damage sales of the Pantera...nothing was further from the truth. Why? Perhaps the love affair for automobiles was best described by William Faulkner in "Intruder in the Dust":

“The American really loves nothing but his automobile: not his wife his child nor his country nor even his bank-account first (in fact he doesn't really love that bank-account nearly as much as foreigners like to think because he will spend almost any or all of it for almost anything provided it is valueless enough) but his motor-car. Because the automobile has become our national sex symbol. We cannot really enjoy anything unless we can go up an alley for it."

It was felt that even the king of rock and roll had no right to take shots at a car. The Pantera, a car previously confined to the specialist market,quickly gained notoriety. Pantera fans sympathized with Alejandro De Tomaso, its creator, when he explained that his design, like many an Italian prima donna, could be temperamental and should be treated with kindness and patience. The starting problem was a minor matter, he said, to do with overheating, and could be simply remedied. 

As for the Presley Pantera, it is now in a museum. Respectful visitors count the wounds.

If, as Faulkner and other writers claimed, America has had a love affair with the car (now possibly fading, as affairs do), this may explain why the Pantera became an object of special affection along with the country's own classics stretching back to Henry Ford's Model T. De Tomaso's achievement was to get his Italian job into a pantheon largely made up of American models. He had an unusual combination of gifts, that of innovator and salesman.

Immortalized in plastic...a sure sign of a classic....

Yet, I digress...

When Ford president Lee Iacocca wanted a sports car that his dealers could offer to match the Corvette, he turned to the De Tomaso Pantera to do the heavy lifting. Growing up in the the seventies, Iacocca was a bit of a business folk hero. No one knew CEOs and Presidents of big companies back then, but everyone knew him. Even a 10-year-old from Los Angeles. He said once, "You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere."

This statement was never so obvious as him turning to his Lincoln-Mercury ad agency Kenyon & Eckhardt to create the materials that would get his big idea across. By the time the Pantera was ready to find its way into Lincoln-Mercury dealerships the ads were ready and immediately made an impact. The copywriting itself deserves a special spot in the pantheon of copywriting. Each word carries the weight of ten. Consider the following paragraph: 

"Conceived without compromise. A car so carefully built (it is virtually handmade) there will only be 2,500 made the first year. Mid-engined like a racing car. An ultra-high-performance sports coupe that stands a little higher than the average man’s belt buckle, it seats two (and only two) and it’s priced in the neighborhood of $10,000."

And then the ego grabbing hook-line:

"Obviously, Pantera is for the few who demand something extraordinary."

Today, this would be enough copy for two ads, but in the 1970s, they were just getting started:

"The body is the inspired work of Ghia, the renowned coachbuilder. It is Italian craftsmanship at its finest. Monocoque construction fuses the steel skin and frame into an incredibly strong and rigid structure.

"The engine is a 351 CID, 4-barrel V-8 placed just ahead of the rear axle, which gives Pantera some huge advantages over conventional sports cars. Better vision forward. Less power-loss. Better weight distribution. And the tightest, most satisfying handling characteristics you’ve ever experienced."

And if all of this mindblowing car jargon (easily retained and digested as you read) isn't enough, they his you with the cherry on top of the sundae:

"With five forward speeds fully synchronized, independent suspension of all four wheels (die-cast magnesium wheels are optional), rack and pinion steering, power-boosted disc brakes — even an ingenious system to prevent you from inadvertently selecting the wrong gear while shifting, the de Tomaso Pantera has to be one of the most impressive vehicles ever offered here at any price."

Copywriters are, I suppose, beasts of imagination tethered inescapably to reality. They define success by creative brilliance, knowing ultimately it is only properly defined by commercial performance. And amongst all this, they yo-yo in and out of an odd state of immersion – rapt by a brief about chewing gum, or shoes, or Japanese lemonade, all the time knowing that none of it really exists. 

Copywriting, like marketing, is the art of sculpting fog. This is never more apparent than in the Pantera ad above.

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The Flip Side

Of course, the ad agency cut some corners too and resorted to the 1970s Mad Men-style of advertising...sigh:

Seriously: The Best Places to Eat in Poland Right Now

Okay, so where am I?

Move over, Paris. Get a taste for one of the most surprising food destinations on Earth: Poland.

This European nation is located at a geographic intersection that connects the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier and sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean. It often flies under the radar, but its food scene is starting to cause a stir.

Order up the Grey Goose Nest at the Szara Gęś.

Seldom do I get to worry about the right things to eat in a normal work day. I mean grab and go is the staple of the day. And, when you're on set, the only things left on the craft services table are the dry peanut butter granola bars, Oreo cookies, and apples. So, when I hit the road, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the best things to eat. When I heard about the hidden treasures of the culinary delights found within Poland, I had to get there. What follows are the best places to eat in Poland—from Krakow to Warsaw—and where to go to burn away the calories

KRAKÓW

Szara Gęś
Rynek Główny 17
31-008 Kraków
Phone: +48 12 430 63 11

In the middle of Old Town Krakow is an amazing restaurant and we only recommend it if you want to be spoiled.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that Szara Gęś easily ranks amongst the best cuisine choices in all of Europe. The restaurant has it all: excellent wines and spirits (essential for closing those big deals), exceptional service staff, inviting decor, innovative and well-plated dishes, and incredible desserts. Order up the Grey Goose Nest, which resembles an actual large goose egg in a nest. This gastric invention is an unexpected, over-the-top delight that must be sampled if you get anywhere near Poland. Seriously, it’s worth a special trip.

Delectable salmon at the Restauracja Pod Baranem.

Restauracja Pod Baranem
ul. św. Gertrudy 21
31-049 Kraków
Phone: +48 12 429 40 22

The Michelin Guide 2017 says this about the Restauracja Pod Baranem:

"Traditional family-run restaurant set over five rooms, with rug-covered stone floors, homely furnishings and contemporary artwork by Edward Dwurnik. The large menu offers classic Polish cuisine; sharing dishes must be ordered in advance…"

... and did the meal ever live up to the guide’s recommendation.

The modest façade is seemingly like every Europe eatery on a quiet street. Yet, the minute you enter the restaurant, you’re greeted to a full house with enough energy to power a small town. Once you check your coat, you are certainly ready to try the vast menu.

The salmon (pictured) and duck main dishes are exquisitely prepared and the friendly staff is on point during the entire meal. Add some delicious mulled wine and bespoke vodka martini and you're in business.

The loin of venison is comfort cuisine that leaves a lasting impression.

Pod Nosem Restauracja
Kanonicza 22
31-002 Kraków, Poland
Phone: +48 12 376 00 14

After a long, long stretch of less than impressing experiences while testing new restaurants this spring, all we wanted to eat was a full menu at Pod Nosem Restauracja in Kraków. There no place else we’ve found where fine dining feels so cozy while being so surprising, inspiring, and taste-bud-pleasing. Their approach is definitely fitting the ongoing trend of focusing on local food sources without ever being overly intellectual about it…

…and if you’re in the mood for Polish game with a modern twist, this is the just the place to come. Take a look at the entrée selections offered:

• Baltic Salmon with vegetables and broth
• Rabbit and polenta with beetroot
• Guinea Fowl, steppe boletus, buckwheat and Brussels sprouts
• Loin of Venison with chestnuts and kale

The flavor and texture profiles of their dishes are spot, yet unusual enough to leave a lasting impression. Add in the homemade dumplings and fois with figs and you just want to stop and go to heaven. Wait, you’re already there! Oh, and their rhubarb pavlova with pomegranate dessert is heavenly.

Where to Stay in Kraków

A five-star hotel and spa on a quiet corner of the Wisła, the Niebieski is a fantastic boutique hotel with a harmonious holistic interior arrangement and philosophy of wellbeing that extends from the sumptuous Vanilla Spa and throughout the entire hotel. The spacious rooms feature wide, comfortable beds, unique modern furnishings and soothing colors, while the Vanilla Sky restaurant serves light fusion cuisine with certified organic ingredients, and features great views of Wawel Castle within walking distance of the main attractions.

Niebieski Art Hotel & Spa  
Flisacka 3
30-114 Kraków
Phone: +48 12 297 40 00

Niebieski is a fantastic boutique hotel with wellbeing at its core.

Go out of your way to try the sumptuous Vanilla Spa (above and below).

Don’t Miss While In Kraków

I went there for the food, but stayed because of the steeped historical significance. The main draws of this European city are its Old World architecture and connection to World War II. History enthusiasts will appreciate seeing the planes at the Polish Aviation Museum and revel in walking around Oskar Schindler's Factory, Old Town, and the Jewish Quarter. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum will leave you utterly and emotionally drained, while architecture aficionados will love eyeing the Wawel Cathedral and St. Mary's Basilica.

If you have a few hours in the afternoon, a must see is the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where salt was churned out for centuries. The mine's undisputed climax is St. Kinga's Chapel, a full-blown underground temple made out of salt. A visit to the mine also doubles as a workout—during a typical visit, you'll navigate down 800 steps, 350 of which are part of your initial descent.

WARSAW

ELIXIR by Dom Wódki  
Wierzbowa 9/11
00-094 Warszawa, Poland
Phone: +48 22 828 22 11

Also known as The Vodka House—there are currently over 250 vodkas ready to pour—we sadly skipped the alcohol during the lunchtime visit. This fine dining restaurant, in the heart of Warsaw near the National Opera House and Museums, has pushed the local Polish food scene to a new level. Their kitchen showcases the diverse flavors and textures of Polish cuisine with a unique drive and ambition. Specially prepared by Tomasz Małek, a four-time Flair Bartending world champion, the menu is fully paired with cocktails, wines and liquors.

Since it was lunch, I stuck to soup and salad, which both ate like a meals of their own. The Krupnik soup arrived at the table with the millet and vegetables, free-range chicken meatballs, and dill, looking delicious, yet lonesome in the bowl. The broth was added tableside and it couldn’t have been more delightful. The goat cheese and beetroot salad ranks among the finest meal salad I've ever tasted

One can only wonder how amazing this meal would have been at night with some vodka. Bravo!

Warszawski Sen Restaurant by Mateusz Gessler
ul. Hala Koszyki 63
Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 221 81 76

Really good food gives me the shivers. I also kind of want to clap my hands, when I eat it, and sometimes I even do (like, a silent mental clap, but still, we’re applauding the chef).

Eating at Warszawski Sen, located in the trendy Koszyki Hall, gives me that feeling. Their cauliflower cream soup with truffle oil is very, very high on my list of absolute Warsaw faves. It’s made with the best local truffles and so creamy and delicious that I (almost) lack the words to describe it.

But I also love all the other veggie dishes like the super creamy risotto with mushrooms (as you can see we were on a cream kick in Warsaw!) and the baked yolk, sour cream and roasted spring onion salad.


GDAŃSK (via WARSAW)

I cheated a little bit when it came to visiting Gdańsk. Rather than switching hotels and staying outside of Warsaw, I opted to take the two-and-half hour train ride from Warszawa Centralna (see Where to Stay in Warsaw to understand why) to Gdańsk.

Gdańsk is a hidden treasure and once you step off of the train you immediately why this town in a must see. Start at St. Mary’s Basilica and the 46-foot tall Astronomical Clock that is both a work of art and highly-functioning information source. Its complex dials show the time and date, phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the zodiac signs, and the calendar of saints. Adam and Eve ring the bell on the hour, and at noon the Three Kings, the Apostles, and Death join them in a historic precession.

Visit the Amber Museum to see hundreds of interesting ways the most rare amber on Earth’s is used in everyday life. Without a visit, you might never know that as much as 90% of the world's deposits can be found near Poland, with some of it extremely valuable. Exiting the museum there is a huge street where you can buy an amber treat of your own (I opted for the petite lamps with the fashionable amber shades).

Lunch at Brovarnia in the Hotel Gdańsk
Szafarnia 9, 80-755
Gdańsk, Poland
Phone: +48 58 320 19 70

After a longish walk past the shipping canal, a small respite was in order and I stumbled upon the Brovarnia and just like Gdańsk, it was secret gem that exceeded expectations. The five-course lunch was a mesh of local delights that excited the palate:

Veal Loin Carpaccio with arugula and truffle olive

Young spinach salad with goat cheese, beetroots, pine nuts with lemon-nut vinaigrette

Wild mushroom consommé with truffle dumplings

Beef cheeks confit with roasted vegetables, potato dumplings and red wine sauce

Apple Crumble with Baileys sauce and ice cream

The famous 21 demands of the 1980 shipyard strike (click to enlarge).

After lunch, I immediately proceeded to The European Solidarity Centre for one of the best museum experiences anywhere. In 1980, the American news media caught wind of Solidarity, a Polish labor union led by the charismatic Lech Walesa. Every night, the national news would show this David standing up to the Goliath of communism.

Who would have guessed that this union would be instrumental in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union, and the primary catalyst that would transform Poland from a repressive communist satellite to the EU member democracy it is today?

My visit to the Solidarity museum reminded me of the daily anti-commie rhetoric, which fueled our nuclear fears and dislike (hate) of the Soviet Union. The museum's 'Roads to Freedom' exhibit is centered in the Gdansk shipyards where Walesa rose to lead the shipyard workers. Inside, elaborate dioramas and props recreate the bare cupboards and empty shop shelves with only lard and vinegar of Poland in the ‘80s. Slideshows and crackling film-reels tell the stories of the political uprisings and the nightmare of martial law.

The famous 21 demands of the August 1980 shipyard strike, handwritten on plywood boards and honored by UNESCO's World Heritage List, are also on display along with letters of support from all over the world.

Winne Grono Restaurant
ul. Mikołaja Kopernika 17a
80-280 Gdańsk
Phone: +48 60 221 88 17

Winne Grono: The smoked duck is the best in Europe

Before catching the train back to Warsaw, dinner was slated for the Winne Grono Restaurant and it seemed to take forever to get there. More than once I thought about getting by on the first class train meal that awaited. Boy, am I glad I didn’t skip this restaurant.

If you want to know why the Polish food scene is as good as it is today, come here. The modest restaurant tucked into a residential area was a gastronomic delight. The smoked duck breast with celery salad, walnut, Roquefort cheese, red beets, and apple sorbet is easily the best duck we had in Europe. If you want a vegetarian option, there’s nothing better than the fried goat cheese with pear in red wine, marinated pumpkin, rocket and sunflower pesto.

KOZLÓWKA / LUBLIN / KAZIMIERZ

The search for cuisine continued with easily the most intriguing and emotional day of the trip, starting with a two hour forty-five minute drive to Kozłówka. Here, you will find picturesque Zamoyski Palace, the only remaining authentic Polish aristocratic residence in the region. In a miracle of fate, the palace was not destroyed in World War II. Time has stood still at the palace since Count Konstanty Zamoyski had it rebuilt and redeveloped at the turn of the 19th century. Not only did he order numerous copies of the finest paintings and original works of art, but also equipped the place with modern bathroom, waterworks and sewage system. Opt for the private tour and request Magdalena as your private docent.

Traveling further southeast to Lublin marked another day of remembrance to those we, as a people, let perish through racism, ignorance, and indifference. Majdanek was a concentration and forced labor camp that evolved into a death camp. It was located in a suburb just three miles from Lublin in Poland in the center of the General Government area.

Majdanek opened in September 1941, initially for Soviet prisoners of war, and was liberated by the Soviet Army in July 1944. During this time approximately 360,000 victims died or were murdered, 120,000 of them Jews.

The inmates of comprised people of 54 nationalities from 28 different countries. They included Soviet prisoners of war and Jews from Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Belgium and Greece. In addition, many non-Jews from Belorussia, the Ukraine and across Poland were taken to the camp as political prisoners or slave laborers.

Ego Restaurant at Hotel Alter
ul. Grodzka 30,
20-112 Lublin, Poland
Phone: +48 601 902 800

With Majdanek draining me of all available energy, the Ego was just the remedy to recharge. The brilliance of Chef Karol Zając lights the way through a rediscovery of the long hidden secrets of polish cuisine merged with flavors from the far-reaching corners of the world. Nothing can compare to the beef tartar with anchovy-sephia emulsion and pickled boletuses.

As a matter of fact, the pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter foam is worth the 11-hour flight and three-hour drive alone. The wine was so good that I packed two bottles of wine and brought them back in my suitcase.

After Lublin, I zipped over to Kazimierz Dolny for a night tour. It is one of the highlights of anything in the general vicinity of Warsaw as one of the most beautifully located little Renaissance towns in Poland. Its greatest prosperity dates back hundred of years and has become a popular holiday destination, attracting artists and summer residents. The tour featured visit to their iconic 16th century Parish Church, the ruins of medieval castle and tower, and Old Town filled with studios and local artisans. The highlight of the trip was the torch lit hike in the driving rain through the Jewish cemetery followed by local liqueur tasting—a tour of a lifetime.

Zielona Tawerna  
Nadwiślańska 4,
24-120 Kazimierz Dolny, Poland
Phone: +48 81 881 03 08

I had heard the buzz around Zielona Tawerna and were curious about trying it. Now I cannot stop thinking about going back. It’s simply that good; some of the best Polish flavors you will find in town.

The moment you enter the old house, with a garden, the scent of herb—sage, mint, rosemary, and lavender—engulf your senses. Since it was the forest mushroom season, our hostess recommended the chanterelle soup, fried cabbage, and Ruskie pierogi (dumplings with cottage cheese and potatoes) and it was if your aunt from the old country spent all day cooking in her own kitchen. A wonderful meal before a long trek back to the hotel.


Where to Stay in Warsaw

Located in Warsaw’s beautiful Nowe Miasto (New Town) whose origins date back to the 15th century, the Mamaison Hotel Le Regina is housed in the Mokrowsky Palace. One look at the hotel’s terracotta-colored façade and you know you couldn’t possibly find a better place to stay in Warsaw (and you won’t want to leave either as evidenced by our affinity to take long train rides so at the end of the night we could rest our heads there). Standing on a narrow, quiet street, this 61-roomed hotel boasts luxurious interiors, a year-round pool, a quirky good spa, and the acclaimed La Rotisserie restaurant.

Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw  
Kościelna 12, 00-218
Warsaw, Poland
Phone: +48 22 531 60 00

The Mamaison Hotel Le Regina is housed in the Mokrowsky Palace

A view inside the penthouse (above and below).

Don’t Miss While In Warsaw

Poland's capital city is filled with educational attractions—the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the Warsaw Uprising Museum focus on the country's history, while The Royal Castle in Warsaw and the Copernicus Science Centre feature art or science collections. Music lovers can admire Frédéric Chopin-focused sights along Krakow Suburb Street. No visit to Warsaw is complete without wandering around Old Town where the charm overwhelms you no matter where you look.

Managing Creatives

Okay, so where am I?

I'm still recovering from the red carpet at the Oscars. Every year, for seven straight years, the photographers pit takes a little more from me. This year I may have brought back the flu bug from either the hundred or so camera clickers or the one of the beautiful people who lined the frenzied madness of the 9Oscars Red Carpet. I mean take a look at this:

In this time after awards season, I reflect on the year ahead and the year behind me for a strategic gut check. It's important to self reflect and make sure the you keep rowing your boat in the right direction. Age has its advantages, but complacency it often the plague that diverts you from your goals. I like to circle a huge goal and assess my talents. The last couple of years netted me some great accomplishments: lots of gold and silver statues (read some of the 2016 and 2017 columns for details), some brushes with getting the Media Guy Struggles script made into a pilot (close but no cigar), and a fourth book published (pretty good). This year I'm gunning to complete the framework of a documentary I've been eyeing for a few years. I'm not sure it will be as good as Icarus or Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405, but go big or go home.

I used to know I was great at a few things, namely being able to create great ad campaigns and crafting superior media buys. This still applies today, but after careful reflection, I realized my greatest talent was politics. Not the House of Cards style politics, but the kind it takes to managing creatives and all of the drama that surrounds them. Come to think of it, the process of managing creatives extends to employees that are high performers and high potentials.

In my younger days, I was very totalitarian with a "my way or the highway" approach to managing, but today I like to say: “teams made up of diverse members who are open to taking each others' perspective perform most creatively.” I guess that's when totalitarianism meets socialism. Laugh all you want but look at my staffs for the last twentysomething years and you see one thing: low staff overturn and massive productivity.

Back in the day, I wanted everything done in a few minutes. That didn't work then and it doesn't work today. I think I finally realized that watching an episode of Mad Men where Don Draper defended his creatives to new management calling them out for being lazy:

“You came here because we do this better than you, and part of that is letting our creatives be unproductive until they are.”

So simple, and yet it pretty much says it all when it comes to effective talent management for creative people. Let them be unproductive until they are. A very difficult pill for task-oriented managers to swallow, but an absolutely crucial prescription for the creative potential.

So for those stuck on how to get the most out of your creative team, keeping them happy and motivated, let's drill down a little bit more.

The Creative Workplace

Having a creative workplace is critical to great work. I mean some agencies or departments really go to town with central meeting spaces looking more like a spoiled teenager’s bedroom with big screen televisions, PS4s, pool tables, and Slurpee machines. This where staff emerge from their office to unwind, brainstorm, bounce ideas off each other while bouncing racquet balls off the wall. Does this mean the creatives are a bunch of immature lunkheads who play all day and get very little work done? Maybe. But I say let them be unproductive until they are. The math of it all usually works out and the clients are always more than happy with the results no matter how hard they fight the process.

Employees need a work environment that inspires their creativity. This can sometimes be as simple as positive performance appraisal or by giving them the right personal music to listen to. Daydreams and pie-in-the-sky ideas produce the best inspiration because we are relaxed, calm, out from under the weight of managerial pressures.

The right colors, lighting, furniture, all have tremendous impact on our moods, energy, productivity, and creative ideas are often a reflection of the mood we are in. This is why a lot of musicians prefer to live in darkness, as it helps them tap into their anger and sadness to create some of those head banging or tear jerking songs.

Motivating the Creatives

Creatives are not paid huge salaries, and yet we often work into the evenings and over the weekends to meet important deadlines. But why would anyone do anything if the cash isn’t there? It has been proven again and again that creative people are not motivated by money. For simple tasks, yes. You offer a cash bonus to the employee who can lick the most stamps, and watch as the tongues start to fly! But offer the same incentive to whoever creates the best jingle for your company’s new cereal, and you’ll get some really lousy jingles.

“People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily by the interest, satisfaction, and challenge of the work itself, not by external pressures.” 

The Public Relations Society of America did a survey where they asked, “What matters most to you about your job?” If this were an Olympic event, money would have gone home empty-handed. Challenge and responsibility, flexibility, and a stable work environment took gold, silver and bronze respectfully, leaving money in fourth place. In fact, nine out of the top ten answers were about the work itself, the work environment, and the people they work with.

No one is given a bonus for impressing the pants off their clients with incredible ad campaign ideas. But they all beamed with pride for having worked so hard and would celebrate whenever their creativity was rewarded with a simple “Good job, the client loved it.

Be Like Garbo

Creatives work their best when there is no one hovering over them, micromanaging their every move. They like to feel autonomous, like their own boss, independent and without distraction. This can be very difficult in an open office environment, where anyone can just walk up to you and ask you a question, or where you can hear conversations happening right next to you, or constantly getting bombarded with emails and instant messages. When creatives aren’t working together to brainstorm ideas, they need to be left alone.

Want to crush someone’s creativity? Get them to fill out a progress report before they’ve finished a project. Not only will this interrupt the process, but it will make them feel watched, managed, stifled.

This is not to say that creative people don’t respect deadlines, they very much do so, but they don’t need managers on their shoulders every step of the way. They want to channel their inner Greta Garbo ("I want to be alone.")

Of course not all interaction is negative. Your employees should be encouraged to brainstorm with others as often as possible. Creation can be a lonely journey sometimes, and ideas grow exponentially when more than one brain is working on something.

“Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise” – Dale Carnegie

While creative employees give off the impression of being extremely strong and proud, lone wolves who ‘don’t need nothin’ from nobody’, who can just brush criticism off their shoulders like too much dandruff, are actually the complete opposite. They are like delicate egg shells, and can very easily crack if not handled with care.

Creatives are very sensitive, especially where their work is concerned. And while they don’t need extra money to do a good job, they definitely need a pat on the back for a job well done.

Backstage at the Oscars: 2018

Okay, so where am I? 

I've been a little fidgety because the Oscars seem so late this year. I mean I can't recall the last time the show was as late at March 4th. But today is where my dreams soar while I settle into my spot on the red carpet (which as you all should know is actually a burgundy shade of red) of the Academy Awards®. I mean, I only have three scripts written (two for film and two for television), but I sincerely believe that somehow one of these will become the perfect blend of compelling, emotional, heartfelt, and ultimately Oscar-worthy. Let it be noted that I don't want to be like that dude Terry Bryant who tried to steal Frances McDormand's statuette at the Governor's Ball. I want to earn my own.

I hope more watch the telecast though. This year the show lasted nearly four hours and tumbled 19 percent from 2017 with only 26.5 million viewers. That's easily the least-watched Oscars in history, trailing 2008 by more than 5 million. Yikes!

This still a far better audience than I received from my agent. I've been waiting for his promises to be fulfilled since we talked about traveling to Beirut together in 2006. Alas, I'm going it on my own and every year I feel like I'm being chased by the Revenant bear. I was told once that you have to persevere to success.

Here's to perseverance...

So for the seventh straight year, and without further ado, here's my take on the happenings backstage at the 90th Academy Awards:

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

A. Thank you. Don't give me anymore attention because it will all go to my head. Come on. Ask away. I'm ready. I'm ready.

Q. Please explain your comment at the end, the two words "inclusion rider."

credit: Michael Yada / A.M.P.A.S.

A. Right. I just found out about this last week. There is -- has always been available to all everybody that get -- that does a negotiation on a film, an inclusion rider which means that you can ask for and/or demand at least 50 percent diversity in not only the casting, but also the crew. And so, the fact that we -- that I just learned that after 35 years of being in the film business, it's not -- we're not going back. So the whole idea of women trending, no. No trending. African Americans trending, no. No trending. It changes now, and I think the inclusion rider will have something to do with that. Right? Power in rules.

Q. I want to ask you about a bit of a follow up to that question. The tone of the evening, obviously it's about awards, but there was certainly throughout the evening the idea that this was a different Oscars than in the past because of what has happened since October.

A. No. It actually was it happened way before that. I think that what happened last year, you know, with Moonlight winning the best picture, that's when it changed. And it had to be acknowledged. That had to be acknowledged, and it was acknowledged in the best possible way. Not just by, you know, fixing the mistake, but actually recognizing that that won Best Picture. Moonlight won Best Picture of 2017.

Q. It was about the idea that this evening was sending a message because of the activities that have happened and the revelations and women being brave enough to speak out since October. Did you feel that was handled properly and enough this evening?

A. Well, yeah. You know, it was really interesting because like I said, feeling like I was Chloe Kim doing back to back 1080s in the halfpipe, I was -- I don't do everything. As you know, I don't show up all the time. I only show up when I can and when I want to, but I was there at the Golden Globes and it's almost like there was an arc that started there. It doesn't end here. But I think publicly as a commercial, because that's what we are ‑‑ this is not ‑‑ this is not a novel.. This is a TV show after all, but I think that the message that we're getting to send to the public is that we're going to be one of the small industries that try to make a difference. And I think $21 million in the legal defense fund is a great way to start. And the commission that's being headed by Anita Hill, that's really smart. See, we didn't just -- we didn't just put out commercials about it. We actually started a conversation that will change something.

Q. Okay. Three Billboards has started a movement. Have you seen the billboards all over the world?

A. Oh, are you kidding? Off the screen and on to the street. Really exciting.

Q. Talk about that. I want to hear what your comment is about that.

A. Well, you know, recently my husband and I were in London at the BAFTAs, and we went to the Tate Modern and we saw an exhibition about the Russian Revolution -- Russian Revolution and the propaganda that was used. Now, that revolution did not go so well, so we don't want to think too much about that. But the red and black is a really, really good choice. And Martin McDonagh knew that. He was involved in the choice with the with the set design of the film to use that kind of iconography, and I think that idea that activists are taking that kind of statement and putting it out there billboards still work. They still work. So I think that it's really exciting. It started actually with the Grenfell Tower fires investigation. Then it leapfrogged to the Miami gun control situation. It was outside the UN about the Syrian situation. You know, it's a kind of -- that's the kind of power that an image can have. And that's what we're making. We're making powerful images.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Q. You asked Kazu makeup artist to work with and why do you think he's special? Computer graphic can't replace his work.

A. Do I think the computer graphic can replace his work?

Q. Yeah.

credit: Michael Yada / A.M.P.A.S.

A. I hope not. You know, the ‑‑ the clothes, makeup and clothes are the things that ‑‑ are the closest things to the actor. And they actually touch the actor.  And they are the first people that you meet in the morning and they are really ‑‑ they are vital individuals that you interact with to ‑‑ I've done motion capture and you are in a gray void with no costume, and they then CG it on you later.  So to lose that kind of connection, you know, we really ‑‑ we worked as a team. And plus, it's always easier, I think, to throw something out because something new comes along. You know, just because you can.   mean, he's a consummate artist and it was really my ‑‑ once I had stepped off the ledge, as it were, with Joe Wright, I said to Joe, it's contingent on getting Kazuhiro because, for me, he was really the only person on the planet that could have ‑‑ that could have pulled it off. I mean, I think he delivered.  Yeah.

Q. It's been almost a year since we were in Vegas, and you said if you ‑‑ if they will offer the Oscar, you wouldn't say no.  So what it really means to finally get it?

A. I didn't say no.

Q. What it means, what it means for you an Oscar, to win an Oscar?

A. I think for this role, it's got a sort of special -- it feels like it has a special significance. I can't say what it would be like to win an Oscar in any other year. But winning an Oscar for playing arguably one of the greatest Britons who ever lived. To win it for playing Winston makes it doubly special. Does that make sense? And this film and this company of actors and Joe, working again with Sarah Greenwood and Jacquie Durran and those actors on the set, it was a very -- it's been an unforgettable experience and a highlight of my career.

Q. What is it like for you meeting so many young actors and young filmmakers that have looked up to you in their youth and throughout their career and are getting to share the stage with you tonight?

A. I think we are -- the thing that I -- one of the lessons that I learned from -- from John Hurt, the late John Hurt, God bless him. When I was a younger man, went to the cinema, I looked up at, you know, Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay and Alan Bates and Peter O'Toole, and Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, they were all sort of my heroes. We are links in a chain, you know. I'm thrilled for Chalamet. He's a lovely kid. I mean, he really is. He's a kid. And he's a charmer. Hugely talented. And I said to him tonight, in the words of Armie, You will be back. You know, he's got -- this is probably it for me. He's got years. He's got years yet.

Q. This movie seems to be a lot about facing up to great fears and great obstacles. Do you think people can relate to that in their lives apart from, like, politics and stuff like on a personal level so they connect to it in the movie?

A. We all have -- I think we can all relate to -- I mean, Joe has said that there's part of the movie that is about doubt. But those insecurities and fears, we do things -- we want to do things with the best intentions. I would like to give people the benefit of the doubt and say that they are motivated by a good heart, and, you know, they have the best intentions. You know, but when you are in a position like, I think, Winston is in like he was in 1940, we see in the movie he sends 4,000 men to their death to save 300,000. And when you are in that big chair, making those decisions, though in war, those are the types of things -- those are the types of decisions that you have to make, and then of course I don't know how you then sleep soundly in your bed on the evening of the day when you sent 4,000 innocent men to their death. But you walk -- you walk in those shoes. And I think that we can all    we -- not that extent, but, you know, most people, I think, you know, in the audience, they have got financial worries. They have got children. They are trying to put the kids through college or they have illness or sickness in their family. We've all got -- and certainly, I know that I, you know, there are regrets and things. And you -- you know, that's the worst thing you can do as an artist is you can edit yourself and second guess, but I still sometimes have that little demon on my -- that little voice talking to me like that kid, you know, Mrs. Torrance.

Q. If Winston Churchill were alive today, what advice would you think he would give the leaders of the world?

A. Oh, my heavens. He would probably 

Q. Impeach Trump?

A. He would what?

Q. Impeach Trump?

A. Maybe. My God, he would give him a good talking to, wouldn't he?

Q. What would he say?

A. Well, none of them look at history. He was a big believer that you've learned -- that you've looked at history to move forward. There's an -- actually, there's an interesting thing. There was sort of a survey done, and the children were asked about Winston Churchill, and not just -- I'm not talking about nine or ten year olds, I'm talking about, you know, young, young sort of college people. And a great many of them thought that he was either a soldier in the First World War or he was a dog in a TV commercial in Britain, and there is a TV commercial called Churchill, and it's a bulldog, and he talks. It's an insurance company called Churchill. And we don't -- we don't teach history anymore, do we? They don't know anything about it.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Q. Could you tell us more about the process? How you embodied the character? How you started working on that role?

credit: Michael Baker / A.M.P.A.S.

A. Oh, it's so boring, but if you want to hear it, I can tell you the whole -- you know, it's like a big soufflé or a stew. You throw in some potatoes and some carrots in there and you work with an amazing dialect coach like Liz Himelstein who worked with Gary Oldman and Margot and Terry Knickerbocker, my acting coach. And I did some ride alongs with some cops, Josh McMullin in Southern Missouri. Liz Himelstein taped two cops, actually. There was a guy named Demer [phonetic] in L.A. I did a ride along with him. And I met with this skin graft doctor who introduced me to some burn victims, actually. I mean, but the thing is, that's if you have luxury, the luxury of time, you know, which you don't always have for a part. And then I worked with Martin and but sometimes you get a part and you only have a week or a couple days to prepare. I heard that Jeremy Renner only had four days to prepare to play Jeffrey Dahmer, which is a lot, if you are playing Jeffrey Dahmer, you know. So I had the advantage that I had, like, two or three months. And so I got to indulge in all this research. And so it was a lot of fun. So that's the long answer to your short question.

Q. You said a wonderful thing about the arc of your character being Barney Fife going into Travis Bickle.

A. Yes, yes.

Q. I'd love to ask, in any way, was Barney Fife and the great Don Knotts any inspiration to you as an actor throughout your career?

A. Absolutely. I mean that when I say Barney Fife and, you know, the town of Ebbing is very much like Mayberry, and Woody Harrelson's character is very much like the Andy Griffith character. And, in fact, I could be wrong about this, check your facts, but I think we shot in Sylva, North Carolina and I think Mayberry was shot there, but I could be wrong about that. But, you know, the goofiness of Barney Fife, the kind of hapless thing of Barney Fife, and then his transition into somebody else was just sort of -- Travis Bickle was kind of a -- Barney Fife to Travis Bickle was kind of a generalization, but it's a lot more complicated than that, obviously, but, you know, yeah.

Q. You dedicated your win to Phil Hoffman. 

A. Oh, you caught that, good.

Q. So I'm curious, as a friend and as a colleague, tell me, you know, what he meant to you, how he inspired you.

A. Well, I guess you want to start making me cry, but he's, yeah, he was an old friend of mine, and he directed me in a play at the Public Theater and, yeah, he was very close to me and he was an inspiration to all of my peers. You know, people like Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, you know, you know, everybody. Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin. I mean, whoever was in my age range, Phil Hoffman was the guy. And he was a great director and he believed in doing theater. In fact, he was -- he vowed to do a play a year, which I don't know if he got to do because he was very busy doing movies, but he was a great inspiration and a great theater director. And I don't know if anybody knows, he was a bit of a jock. He was a wrestler, and he played basketball, and he inspired me. And I could go on for an hour about Phil Hoffman. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a good friend and he was a huge, huge inspiration on me. Yeah.

Q. I stopped counting at 21 the awards that you won. So do you count them at all and do you feel that those were like billboards saying, Sam, you're going to win the Oscars now?

A. No, but that sounds like a really cool dream, but no, no.

Q. Can you talk about, specifically, your character and whether you take that criticism on or was that how you dealt with it and your sense of that?

A. Well, yeah. I mean, it's a complicated issue, but, I mean, Kareem Abdul Jabbar wrote an article that was really amazing sort of defending the movie as far as that goes and it was really eloquent. I didn't realize he's like a cultural professor, which I didn't know, in addition to being like a basketball icon, and that was a great article that articulated everything. And I think for me, you know, the whole thing is that, you know, they have a lot of work to do, Mildred and Dixon. It's not like they are like all of a sudden redeemed at the end of the movie. They have, you know, a lot of work to do and maybe some therapy, you know. It's an ongoing thing, you know. So, and it's also it's a movie and it's a dark fairytale of some sorts. And so it's like, it's not necessarily -- in real life we probably would have gone to prison, both of our characters, so, you know. That's -- that's sort of how I see it.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Q. So winning an Oscar by yourself with no one's help, that's an awesome feat. So now that you've won this big honor on your own, how are you going to change on a day-to-day basis?

A. I have to be at a table read for Mom at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. So I am going right back to work, and I will ‑‑ I am so happy that I have a job to go to after something like this.  Because it could go to your head, and then tomorrow to wake up and feel ‑‑ and have nothing to do and have this whole journey be over. Starting in September when we premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and the whole journey we've been through is extraordinary. And it's going to be ‑‑ I'm going to have a big crash down after this.  So I'm happy that I have Mom ‑‑ the people at MOM to lift me up and keep me ‑‑ keep me going and keep me focused. And I'm just happy to have a job to go to tomorrow. But this is extraordinary. Thank you.

credit: Michael Yada / A.M.P.A.S.

Q. Hi.  So where did trophies ‑‑ I mean, you have a ton of Emmys. You've got every award leading up to this one this year. Now you have an Oscar. Was that ever part of your fantasy of what your acting career was going to be like? Or is this like this great side effect?

A. I certainly ‑‑ I kind of didn't dare to dream of things like this, because I didn't want to be disappointed. And I think at a certain point, I had given up thinking this would happen for me because I just wasn't getting the kind of roles in film that would give me attention like this, and that's what my very good friend Steven Rogers did for me. He says he did it ‑‑ wrote this for me to do just that, to show a different side of me and show that I could ‑‑ what I could do, and I will never be able to repay him. It's an extraordinary gift he gave me. It's kind of overwhelming.  I think I'm going to get him a Rolex. I don't know. What do you think? And engrave it on the back. I haven't figured out what, but I've got to get him a good present. That's a start at least.

Q. You've spoken about using your inner critic. But what is your inner voice saying right now?

A. "Bravo.  Good going, girl.  I'm proud of you."

Q. We're asking what makes a great story?

A. Oh, God. What makes a great story?  Fully realized characters, characters with ‑‑ who have big needs, wants, desires that butt up against people who don't want them to have them.  Definitely great characters and great writing.  Great writing is key. That's why I'm ‑‑ when I read a script as an actress that I get excited about like I, Tonya, American Beauty or Juno, things that ‑‑ or West Wing I've gotten to do. That just gets me so ‑‑ it makes me want to come alive, and I feel like I come alive when I do all different roles I've gotten to do.  And it's how I feel the most tethered to the earth, and I feel a communicator when I'm sit‑ ‑‑ telling others' stories. And great storytellers are great writers, and I like telling ‑‑ I like telling stories.

Q. Can you talk us through a little bit of what it was like working with Margot Robbie and director Craig Gillespie?

A. Craig Gillespie?  Yeah. I met them both ‑‑ well, I met Margot the day before I started shooting, and I really ‑‑ I only had eight days to shoot this role with them because I was doing Mom, and I was rehearsing for Six Degrees of Separation, the Broadway play I did last spring.  I've never been more busy as I was last year, so when this came together, I had no time to do it, and all of the producers made it happen, the producers of Mom and Six Degrees and Margot and Tom and Bryan, Bryan Unkeless and Tom Ackerley of LuckyChap.  They made it happen for me, and they're extraordinary.

Margot has ‑‑ she's kind of a phenomenon. Because I have no head for business whatsoever. All I know how to do was be emote [sic] and do my act. But she's got this great head for business and a beautiful heart and an artist's soul and a heart. And she's remarkable, and I cannot wait to see what she's going to accomplish in her career. She's, you know, 20‑nothing, and she's done this unbelievable performance in I, Tonya, and she's going to do extraordinary things. They're both ‑‑ and Craig's just ‑‑ he killed this movie. He just killed it.  And I mean killed in a good way. He just nailed it. He knew how to ‑‑ he knew how to get just ‑‑ was a running freight train. We had no time to shoot it, and he had the best sense of humor and best attitude, and knew how to grab things on the fly. And he's just ‑‑ remarkable man. They're both ‑‑ I've never even been to Australia, but I've got to go now.  Because, I ‑‑ yeah.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH:
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Best Picture and Directing

Q. At the Golden Globes I asked you about how you balance the light and darkness and you said, "I met somebody."

A. Yes.

credit: Michael Baker / A.M.P.A.S.

Q. And you created a meme that's gone all around the world and affected millions of people. So the question is how do we keep that ‑‑ how do we help you keep that going? How do we stop the scapegoating of Mexico and really reaffirm your unique and magnificent culture?

A. I think every time we can demonstrate in any forum, be it sports, science, art, culture, anywhere, what we have to bring to the world discourse, to the world conversation, is extremely important, and it's extremely important when we do it to remember where we're from, because it's honoring your roots, honoring your country. Now I'm going ‑‑ my next stop is I'm going to see my mom and my dad this week.  I'm going back home with these two ‑‑ with these two babies.

Q. Congratulations. You spoke fondly about Fox Searchlight on stage, and I wonder if you know anything about the studio's future? Have you talked to anybody at Disney about it? Have they reached out to you? What can you say about that?

A. As they say here, it's above my pay rate. Way above my pay rate. But what I know is I'm continuing conversations with them about future projects, you know, and you form bonds with a studio, but you form bonds with individuals, with people that support you. And whatever that I ask for, it goes or stays, you continue creating.

Q. How is this a victory for Hollywood North and the production going on in Canada?  So much of this was done in Toronto.

A. What I will say when we started this, Miles [J. Miles Dale] and I, we talked very, very seriously about creating this movie with heads of departments from Canada. We wanted to ‑‑ you know, I've been there working for more than half a decade continuously, and I wanted to ‑‑ we wanted to show the talent and showcase the talent of the HODs in Canada and make it something where you don't go and use a rebate and escape. You know, you go to use the talent, you go to have the artistry, you go to have the complicit creation with everybody there.

Q. Before the movie was released, you said that you didn't dare to dream about the Oscar, but if you had the chance you wouldn't dare to write a speech and prepare that.  So my question is: Did you do it? Did you write it? Did you think about doing it? And what did you have left to say?

A. The only time I wrote a speech was on the beginning, and I pulled out the paper and I couldn't read it and, you know, I was sweating into my eyes, and I started just speaking from the heart. So, what I wanted to do ‑‑ what I did here is the same.  I thought, you know, I'm going to get there, and if I have a little piece of paper and I count down, it's horrible because you see the numbers.  So just talk about what you're feeling at that moment.

Q. I'm wondering why it is ‑‑ why did you choose Baltimore?

A. You know, I fell in love ‑‑ when I was a kid I fell in love with one of the primal trilogies in cinema for me, Barry Levinson's Baltimore trilogy, you know, and I loved the setting. And I know we screwed up with the accent.  I'm very, very, very aware with that, but what I wanted was to capture that flavor.  You know, it's such an interesting mixture, the Catholic, the industrial, how near is to the ocean, all those things, and for me it was mythical.  Levinson invented so many things in those films, and particularly important for The Shape of Water was the Tin Men and the Cadillacs in Tin Men and how they represent America, and that isn't there.  You know, I think that those three films, Avalon, Diner and Tin Men are fabulous landmarks of American cinema. And then the John Waters, man.

NOTES ON THE SCORECARD:

Past Media Guy Oscars Backstage Columns: 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012

The Big Four -- Oscar-winners Sam Rockwell, Frances McDormand, Allison Janney and Gary Oldman pose backstage with their Oscar for Achievement in acting:

credit: Michael Yada / A.M.P.A.S.

Emma Stone checking out her phone, or lines, or her massive bank account:

The rare double: Kobe Bryant (with director Glen Keane) now has an Academy Award and an NBA MVP for Dear Basketball as Best Animated Short Film:

credit: Matt Sayles / A.M.P.A.S.

Jordan Peele and Nicole Kidman share a winners' chat backstage:

There was extra attention on the Envelopes this year:

Helen Mirren -- in her fourth dress -- falls in love with Uncle Oscar all over again:

Finally, my favorites from the red carpet:

The installation..

JLaw, I can't quit you...

Daniel Kaluuya staying Get Out character the entire time...

As I did in 2017, I sneaked across the red carpet to the Oscars' step and repeat… What a rush… I feel like I robbed a bank, again!:

Allison Williams being interviews with cue cards behind her...

Jordan Peele's smile...

Emma Stone's Laugh...

Armie Hammer going out of his way to prove he was acting in Call Me By Your Name during the entire red carpet experience...

Margot Robbie's Greetings...

The happiest couple I saw -- Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb...

With these captures from a special night, I hope to see you for my eighth straight year with an update from my new agent -- because my new agent went silent for the last 25 months. Poor me!