What Can We Learn From the Movies?
From the Voices on Project Management Blog
by Cameron McGaughy,
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Voices on Project Management offers insights, tips, advice and personal stories from project managers in different regions and industries. The goal is to get you thinking, and spark a discussion. So, if you read something that you agree with--or even disagree with--leave a comment.
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By Ramiro Rodrigues
I'm 50 years old, which means I was born the same year PMI was founded. The last half century has seen a lot of interesting projects across industries, but today I’m going to focus on one area in particular: cinema.
I’ll start with a question: What swept the Oscars in 1969? You may know it was Oliver!—a British musical based on the work of Charles Dickens. In addition to best picture, the movie also won the awards for best director, musical score, art direction and sound.
The magic of cinema progressed in parallel to the 20th century at large, and I’ve long admired its ability to create fantasies and magnetize audiences. These same capacities evolved as technology and investments provided more technical resources for the enchantment of the audience.
The delivery of a movie has always impressed me, as it has all the ingredients of a project. There is conception, planning, execution, control and conclusion—all with the added complexity of dealing with human emotions even more so than in other business segments.
Today's major productions involve hundreds of professionals, suppliers and deliveries, so they require a well-structured project management model. And if the delivery of a movie provides all these difficulties, imagine what it takes to deliver a saga of 23 films? Well, this was the case for the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why should we consider this a grand project? Starting with the first movie, Iron Man, in 2008, you can find several “Easter eggs” referencing the other Avengers. And in the post-credits scene (a practice that started there), Nick Fury appears to talk about the Avengers initiative. Thus begins an intricate sequence of characters and films over 12 years, which translated into the largest franchise and box office phenomena of all time.
If it was not enough complexity to produce a single film of this nature, imagine the magnitude of a long-term project that would involve scores of producers, suppliers and actors. And this was accomplished while delivering a structured and coherent plot that lived up to the expectations of a global audience.
This gives us clues into why more and more cultural producers are looking to specialize in the best practices of project management. These principles have much to contribute to ensure organization and control, without interfering with the magic and emotions that art provides. After all, the show must go on!
I’d love to hear from you. Do you see movies as projects? Share why or why not below.
Posted
by
Ramiro Rodrigues
on: October 26, 2019 10:51 AM |
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Comments (7)
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Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Ramiro
Interesting reflection of his
Thankful for sharing
Of course, a movie is a project.
Where do you end up in your opinion?
When is it completed?
In the delivery to a distributor?
In the market launch
Or when it is withdrawn from the market as it no longer has viewers (in movie theaters and TV channels (where you include youtube)
Marcie Long
Strategic Development Manager| Members First Credit Union
Midland, Mi, United States
Thanks for making this connection! The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at intense portfolio of projects.
A movie is most definitely a project and it was great that the October 2019 issue of PM Network acknowledged the significant impact which Star Wars: A New Hope had as one of the 50 most influential projects.
Very interesting thanks for sharing
Abel Camelo
Project Manager | Business Consultant| Angular Consulting
Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Thank you for sharing your thoughts
Yuriy Simonoff
Senior Project Manager| N/A
Buffalo Grove, Il, United States
Movie is not a project, it is a PROGRAM. And it is an amazing web of inter-dependencies and multiple teams working for the same goal.
Talk about 'managing in matrix environment' :)
Thank you Ramiro Rodrigues from sharing your thoughts on that topics that I am interested in too. I recommend reading the book of PhD James R. Persse ,an expert in software engineering and process improvement : Hollywood Secrets of Project Management Success (Best Practices (Microsoft)) In this book he shares what he’s learned from film-industry project managers to deliver software projects on time and on budget. It includes practical insights and effective techniques that can be applied right away for estimation and planning; controlling costs, schedules, and changes; coordinating multiple teams; tracking progress; reporting status; managing logistics; management reviews; etc.
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