The New Hollywood: A Producer’s Approach to Positive Production Through Enhanced Relationships

Since its inception, Hollywood has enjoyed the benefits of privilege and prestige based in part because of scarcity of resources (i.e., financing, information, labor, equipment). Today’s technology has leveled the filmmaking landscape, and the incoming generation of filmmakers are less tolerant of the traditional devaluing behaviors in Hollywood. If the resources are no longer coveted and the typical behaviors not accepted, can Hollywood remain the filmmaking leader? This paper suggests that it can by evolving its behaviors to nurture people and relationships instead of exploit and deplete them. By utilizing tools such as positive psychology’s well-being model PERMA and positive organizational scholarship’s high-quality connections, the industry can inspire artists by shifting away from traditional devaluing behaviors and create a culture of support. Hollywood can leverage its position as the world’s foremost creative collective to influence new standards of relationships in production that prioritize genuine kindness, trust, and respectful engagement, or as this filmmaker calls it positive production.