Skip to content
AcquiredAcquired

CAA (with Michael Ovitz)

Season 9 ends at the beginning — with the man who changed Hollywood forever and wrote the blueprint for A16Z’s upending of Silicon Valley a generation later, Michael Ovitz and his “Dream Factory”, Creative Artists Agency. From Jurassic Park to Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Goodfellas, Rain Man, ER, and even the Coca-Cola polar bears... almost nothing in 80s and 90s pop culture didn’t have CAA’s stamp on it. Speaking of dreams, this episode was totally one for us, and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it!! *Links:* - Michael’s (truly excellent) book, Who Is Michael Ovitz?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2HS77M/ *More Acquired:* - Get email updates https://www.acquired.fm/email and vote on future episodes! - Join the Slack http://acquired.fm/slack - Check out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store https://www.acquired.fm/store! _Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions._

David RosenthalhostBen Gilberthost
Dec 21, 20211h 57mWatch on YouTube ↗

Episode Details

EPISODE INFO

Released
December 21, 2021
Duration
1h 57m
Channel
Acquired
Watch on YouTube
▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Season 9 ends at the beginning — with the man who changed Hollywood forever and wrote the blueprint for A16Z’s upending of Silicon Valley a generation later, Michael Ovitz and his “Dream Factory”, Creative Artists Agency. From Jurassic Park to Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Goodfellas, Rain Man, ER, and even the Coca-Cola polar bears... almost nothing in 80s and 90s pop culture didn’t have CAA’s stamp on it. Speaking of dreams, this episode was totally one for us, and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it!! *Links:*

• Michael’s (truly excellent) book, Who Is Michael Ovitz?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2HS77M/ *More Acquired:*

_Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions._

SPEAKERS

  • David Rosenthal

    host
  • Ben Gilbert

    host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Acquired, featuring David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert, CAA (with Michael Ovitz) explores michael Ovitz on how CAA reshaped Hollywood’s power structure Michael Ovitz recounts how CAA emerged from a philosophical break with William Morris, then rapidly gained leverage by representing elite talent and selling studios complete “packages” (script, director, stars) rather than individual clients or projects.

RELATED EPISODES

Formula 1: Fast cars, celebrities, and B2B software (Audio)

Formula 1: Fast cars, celebrities, and B2B software (Audio)

The NFL: How small-town teams became America's most valuable sports empire (Audio)

The NFL: How small-town teams became America's most valuable sports empire (Audio)

Coca-Cola: The Complete History & Strategy (Audio)

Coca-Cola: The Complete History & Strategy (Audio)

Trader Joe’s: Hawaiian shirts and counter positioning (Audio)

Trader Joe’s: Hawaiian shirts and counter positioning (Audio)

Google Part III: The AI Company. Google is amazingly well-positioned... will they win in AI? (Audio)

Google Part III: The AI Company. Google is amazingly well-positioned... will they win in AI? (Audio)

10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)

10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)

Get more out of YouTube videos.

High quality summaries for YouTube videos. Accurate transcripts to search & find moments. Powered by ChatGPT & Claude AI.