THE HOLLYWOOD THAT WAS
Nano Banana 2: Curt Doty
Earlier this week I posted a popular post on LinkedIn claiming it was over for Hollywood after the Paramount deal closed. Well, it is with some sentiment that I get teary-eyed when thinking about how much has changed. I grew up in Glendale, very close to Hollywood and my father was a Doctor to the (a few) Stars. What this meant was a laundry list of celebrity brushes and Kevin Bacon connections. Our maid was also Glen Campbells maid. We bought our Winnebago from William Shatner, The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman, the original, were both my dad’s patients and I got to visit them on set. I went to a Hollywood premiere at the age of 10, Madron, with Richard Boone and Leslie Caron, and as I entered my teens, we always went to Hollywood or Westwood to see movies, as a family or on dates. I eventually grew into the business through my television branding career, often directing shoots on the backlots of Universal, Paramount, Culver City, Sunset-Gower and Warner Bros. When I entered my film career, I worked at Universal. Sure it was Home Entertainment, but hey, I was marketing movies. That took me all over the world managing campaigns. I left Uni and went to the agency side and then worked with ALL the studios. I definitely learned the business from cradle to grave and managed to stay creative through it.
So, it is with respect of my past and the fandom for what once was, that I believe there is a new chapter unfolding before our eyes. And, if you can be an optimist for one minute, you will see there is opportunity in not only the rebuilding of the Hollywood system, but realizing that there is a flat out rejection of the Hollywood system. Who is rejecting it? The indie film community, the burgeoning AI Film community and all the displaced workers in Hollywood, above and below the line, whose jobs have evaporated.
Hollywood is no longer the center. Technology has democratized the process and you can lament or you can begin the difficult labor of adaptation. This world of entertainment will look different and it will create new leaders and new storytellers. Will you be one of them?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Curt Doty is a former studio executive and award-winning creative director with deep leadership experience across the entertainment and branding industries. Ten years in Television. Ten Years in Movies.
As the founder of CurtDoty.co, a creative consultancy, Curt has led integrated marketing, multi-channel storytelling, branding, identity, and user experience initiatives for a diverse roster of clients.
Over the past 15 years, Curt has leaned into innovation—leading R&D projects at Apple, Toshiba, and Microsoft, and pioneering interactive content.
Today, Curt’s work also explores the intersection of AI and entertainment. A sought-after fractional leader (CCO, CMO), speaker, and AI educator, he focuses on demystifying AI for creatives and executives alike.
Curt is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Mobile Growth Association, Mobile World Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, PRSA, EntrepeneursRx, Digital Hollywood, SHRM, Streaming Media NYC, and Davos Worldwide. Download his speaker presskit here.
Through public speaking, keynotes and podcasts, Curt is continuing his role as a visionary voice in the future of creativity. He is now a board member of The Human AI Innovation Commons, Encoding Equity Into AI-Generated Prosperity. A framework for ensuring the innovations arising from Human – AI collaborations benefit humanity broadly, not just corporate shareholders.
