The Zack Arnold Podcast Mob Scene CEO Tom Grane on What It Takes to Succeed in Trailers & Marketing (Without Sacrificing Work-Life Balance)
"We work to live. We don't live to work."
- Tom Grane
When I first began my career in Hollywood the concept of life outside of work was completely foreign to me. I assumed the only way to reach my goals was to sacrifice my health and sanity for the sake of a great résumé, only to discover those early habits become lifelong habits if you’re not careful. Once this mentality sets in and you set this expectation with others it can be practically impossible to reverse. That is why I am actively trying to change the conversation around our “get it done at all costs” work culture and collaborate with employers and business owners who understand the importance of work-life balance.
Early in my career I was fortunate enough to experience a work culture where well-being was a priority at what was then a small fledgling trailer & marketing agency. Fast-forward fifteen years and today Mob Scene is one of the top movie marketing companies in the business - largely because of the culture that co-founder and CEO Tom Grane created from the very start. This innovative company has been an integral part of the marketing campaigns for projects like Avatar, Stranger Things, Fast 9, Wonder Woman, Joker, Knives Out, and The Trial of the Chicago 7...and that’s just recently. Historically they have provided marketing and original content for more marketing campaigns than I could list if I had the entire episode to do so.
Having a background as a studio executive for 20th Century Fox, Tom admits to having a strong work ethic, and he’s spent his fair share of hours working late and being away from his family. But his motivation when he founded Mob Scene was to create more flexibility with his time and be more available to his family, and he believed in fostering an environment that provides the same flexibility for his team. In our conversation we discuss a variety of topics that can help creatives better understand what it takes to get an opportunity at a company like Mob Scene, that can help producers and business owners better understand the importance of fostering work-life balance with your teams, and that can help all of us better understand how to navigate our constantly changing landscape of content whether we’re working from home, at the office, or adopting a hybrid work environment.
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Here's What You'll Learn:
- How Tom got his start in the entertainment industry.
- What led Tom to working for Fox for 16 years and then taking the leap to opening his own marketing company.
- Tom’s advice to young people just starting out in the business.
- How Tom created the culture of Mob Scene.
- Why they chose the name Mob Scene for the company and meaning behind the logo.
- KEY TAKEAWAY: Family and teamwork are the foundation of what makes Mob Scene successful.
- How Tom encourages trailer editors to do their best work and survive the competitive nature of the business.
- Why Tom knew from day one he wanted to create a division-less company and how it has helped them survive over the years.
- The changes that streaming platforms have made to the marketing industry and how Mob Scene has adapted.
- What's missing from the work from home experience.
- Alternate working options coming out of the COVID pandemic.
- Why it's important to have in-person interactions and what we miss when it's taken away.
- Understanding the criteria that sets people apart when it comes to getting hired.
- How the promotion system works at Mob Scene and why they primarily promote from within.
- The lack of diversity in the trailer world and how he's trying to change it at Mob Scene.
- The most important soft skills necessary for getting hired.
- The importance of identifying the ‘note beneath the note.’
- Why young people just starting out should look for companies that promote work/life balance.
- KEY TAKEAWAY: Your connections can also be your friends.
Useful Resources Mentioned:
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Guest Bio:
Thomas C. Grane is a graduate of the USC School for Cinematic Arts with over 25 years of experience in motion picture and entertainment marketing. Grane previously spent 16 years as a Sr. Vice President of Creative Content and Creative Advertising at 20th Century Fox, where he originated the creative content department and worked on over 200 film campaigns for a wide variety of films, including; MOULIN ROUGE, CAST AWAY, ICE AGE, and HOME ALONE.
In 2006, Grane co-founded Mob Scene Creative + Productions. In ten years, the innovative company has grown to become a “go to” agency for all of Hollywood’s top studios and networks and has been an integral part of the marketing campaigns for projects, like; AVATAR, ARGO, THE DEPARTED, THE HURT LOCKER, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, BIRDMAN, THE GREEN BOOK, THE X-MEN Franchise, The PLANET OF THE APES Franchise, The FAST AND FURIOUS Franchise, and FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Franchise. The company also produces original programing; such as, The FX MOVIE DOWNLOAD and the talk show for SONS OF ANARCHY called ANARCHY AFTERWORD. Grane recently produced and directed the original National Geographic Channel program, TITANIC: 20 Years Later with James Cameron.
Grane is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Producers Guild of America. In addition to having won numerous Clio awards for his marketing work, Grane was also nominated for a primetime Emmy in 2010.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
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