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I’m told that senior execs in Sony’s marketing / advertising / distribution departments will be rewarded with bigger titles in coming days. It’ll involve “a lot of promotions”. I can confirm, however, that one exec who’s not being upped (but is not being shown the door, either) is Josh Goldstine, the prez of creative advertising who reports directly to Sony Pictures Entertainment vice-chairman Jeff Blake. Goldstine has been at Sony since the Peter Guber era when, according to buzz I’d heard, he was hired in the marketing department fresh out of Harvard in the early 1990s because his father was Sid Ganis’ shrink. But Goldstine became infamous in 2001 when Columbia suspended him and an underling after it was revealed they had created a fictitious film critic to lavish praise on several of the studio’s films. He oversaw some huge campaigns like Spider-Man 1,2,3. He’s now on Hancock. But he wanted a title bump.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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In 2001, he committed fraud, and he is still there. Although he didn’t get a promotion.
Now, if he were caught in the parking garage having extra-marital relations with a subordinate, Sony would have promoted him.
Josh Goldstine is a moron, he takes credit for every good idea but has come up with none..All he does is talk shit about Valerie Van Gelder, who is a genius marketer… Sony has some great marketing execs like Tommy Gargotta…but can’t believe they keep the turds like Josh.
And watch your daughters when Josh drinks…hands of plenty that one..
I remember the bogus critic David Manning, he was the only guy who like The Animal. Back in those innocent salad days I wrote a satirical piece as “David Manning” for an indie film site.
Well, I guess Goldstein was living up to his job title, the stunt may not have been ethical, but it was creative.
Goldstein will need all the marketing expertise he can muster… If Variety’s just published review of Hancock is any indication of the film’s Rotten Tomatoes-ness. Sure, Will packs ‘em on July 4th… But it might be time to invent some new, gushing critics to make sure Hancock doesn’t dump worse than The Hulk during the second week showdown with Hellboy 2 on July 11 or (ack!) The Dark Knight on 7/18.
I thought all studios created fictitious critics to praise their films…
AvidMarket: Every studio has someone like Josh who heads the department. An apparatchik like Josh is needed to carry the water from above. Under the head of marketing is at least one creative guy (like Tommy at Sony or Frank Chiocchi at Uni) who has taste and talent. By your moniker, I assume you are an editor at a trailer house, so, consider this: There is less creativity in trailers today than at any time because of the “committee” way of making decisions. That’s why you consider some like Valerie a “genius marketer” because she came from publicity where you have to be creative. The irony of the term “creative advertising” is not lost on anyone. Virtually every trailer looks the same and that’s because studios replicate trailers from hit movies. Because if they don’t and the movie fails, they will get called on the carpet…. “We had a movie just like the ‘Bourne Identity’ so why didn’t you make a trailer like that movie?”
Every trailer house has the same story. “Man, you should have seen version 1 of the trailer.” And they are right. There are amazing, creative things being done that never see the light of day.
Josh is no better or no worse than the rest of the flotsam (save Tim Palen, the only talented person to head marketing). I would love to see guys like Josh with a blank screen or a blank piece of paper and have to create something themselves.
Val Van Galder is a genius marketer? What total bullshit. The woman needs a flowchart of step off an escalator, but she is a world class kiss ass – remember she came from publicity and not marketing. She is a champ of sponging off of a large section of adequate talent, like Mark Weinstock at Screen Gems (who knows how to sell genre movies because he has a really good spreadsheet to follow, but is screwed if he ever has to be original) and then moving them to other companies so no one is around to actually take credit for their work. The only thing she can really claim as her own is the bomb ‘Running with Scissors’. She was put in that position by Jeff Blake because she is an idiot and therefore no real threat to his domain or power base. Blake is the true genius at Sony and has lined up a bunch of people who will do their jobs and he can control. And to do that, all he has to do is give a bunch of bullshit titles. Blake is Sony, and everyone else is just a idiot jerk with a big title.
Wow, insert… when did Val fire you?
David Poland, I had the painful task of working with Val Galder years ago when she was at Searchlight and I was at Big Fox, and then had a year of horror stories as my partner made a movie at Sony. At Fox, she fed jobs to her director/EPK producer husband – I do not know if they are still married – that never got done but were paid for. We watched her lose her nerve whenever she did have a hit and ask some of the dumbest questions ever in marketing meetings, which is why she stopped asking questions and started raiding her staff. The Full Monty was a hit, but it was an accident and not something that she created. It should have done much better because she lost her nerve, didn’t expand marketing reach or screens. Also, on her way out of Searchlight when her contract wasn’t renewed wasn’t she wrapped up in her own fake review scandal. No wonder she fits in so well at Sony.
I have every faith in Sony because of Jeff Blake. The man is a great executive and a good man, even though tough. The people he put under him there are incapable of ever challenging him or his position. Usually that doesn’t mean good things for a company, but as long a Blake is there, I believe in them.
I love that Josh’s public execution will linger, not an out right firing of sorts, but a lingering no mans land….people will be nice to him but while they are smiling at him and nodding their heads during creative meetings what they really will be thinking is “this guy has no talent and no say so lets just not listen to him” then again…not much different that what they normally think of him..
Josh totally created the Manning debacle, and blamed it on his subordinate. Blake allowed him to continue on there, which is so not his style. Josh kissed Jeff’s ass for years. Guess it works.
Goldstine is a pompous ass. Causes more headaches then he is worth to the studio. But, Blake does not like change, and keeps the staus quo. How could you possibly have a head of marketing, that does nothave creative report to it? Insanity!
as a guy who worked for Josh..I can tell you straight up the guys an insecure little ass. he gets a million dollars a year for stirring up a lot of unnecessary shit around the studio..
sony should do itself a favor.. and dump the prick
Josh WAS promoted after the Manning debacle! He was given the ridiculous title President of Creative Advtg AFTER. He made it through the reign of Geoff Ammer because it was in Josh’s contract not that he report to the head of marketing, but to Jeff Blake, by name (all those who doubt the value of a good negotiating lawyer take note). He’s a wunderkind who grew up, so he’s no longer a whiz.
been reading these comments and cant help but wonder how jealous you all must be to spend your time with lies and negative comments about josh goldstine. Sony wouldnt be half the company it is if it weren’t for him. I have worked with him and know that he is brilliant, creative and a man of integrity. Excuse me all you disgusting jealous negaitive writers..but how many of you have gone to Harvard? and how many of you have run the most successful marketing campaigns. I’d say instead of writing all this negative BS..check your karma.
Insert… first, it is my repeated experience that every person, smart or idiotic, in this business has a group of people who feel strongly about them in ways that don’t always seem to fit. I can’t argue Van Galder of Searchlight with you because I had no real knowledge of her at the time.
Is it possible that your scornful opinion, apparently based on your experience of more than a decade ago, is no longer valid?
Could it be that Val – or anyone… or everyone – got better at their job?
Do you know how close Van Galder really is to Jeff Blake and how hard he has worked to keep her in the fold beyond her current contract?
Do you know how hard a number of studios, major and dependent, tried to recruit her while she remained loyal to Blake?
She would be the first to tell you that she is often a square peg in a round hole in the studio system. But she has a fundamental understanding of what the audience for a movie is and has been a leader in finding ways to turn that corner, first at Screen Gems and now at Sony.
I think Jeff Blake is The Shit also… but with due respect to Geoff Ammer, Jeff Blake didn’t get these results with his last marketing chief, who had mostly the same team to work with. And that doesn’t even speak to the extended period of time that Blake was out ill, where there was not the valuable oversight he normally offers.
Again, I won’t deny your complaints about Van Galder of the 90s. I didn’t know her or how she worked. I don’t know how Lindsay ran his division as compared to how Peter Rice runs his. I do know that there are other relationships from that period that were tenuous and which have become much stronger over the years.
Anyway… VVG is a person I respect and like. And her record of success at Sony has kept many others employed after a few rough years. Opening Spider-Man 3 or Hancock or even DaVinci Code isn’t that hard. Opening a re-shot Pink Panther and RV and The Benchwarmers to $20m is skill. The big openings for Resident Evil and The Exorcism of Emily Rose and You Got Served were skill. No one is more of a public fan of Marc Weinstock than she is and no one has been more supportive about pushing him forward.
So… perhaps we agree to disagree. But really, every time I hear someone who is skilled or kind or successful called unskilled, evil, or a failure, my head spins. And then I realize that we all carry our baggage.
As for Josh, I think it is a shame that Nikki felt the need to kick him. Whatever kind of guy people feel he is or isn’t, old gossip should have an expiration date on some level. But the announcement is coming and he was, I think, Nikki’s way of “being there first.” It’s not “title inflation.” It’s not about Josh. But the story is coming, likely in the wake of a strong Hancock start. (And for the record, will all the bad blood between Nikki and I, I think it is very fair minded of her to allow my comments to appear on the blog.)
Josh–
Using “where is your karma” as a nom de plume is an interesting choice. I would have though “I know Sid!” would have been better.
Why go to the movies when you can read these nasty nasty items in Deadline Hollywood and the flesh eater comments. The experience is better than any film I’ve seen this year, last year and the year before. “Flow chart to step off…” Excellent.
It takes a sad little coward to rip a guy publicly, but anonymously.
Here’s a fun game, let’s see if we can figure out who AVIDmarket is!
Let’s see, “AVID” suggests pompous trailer editor…what trailer companies does Sony work with that are still on Avid instead of Final Cut? Are there any besides the Ant Farm? Hmm, pompous editor at the Ant Farm who maybe lost one too many Sony trailers to Create or Giaronomo? Am I getting close, AVIDmarket?
Some people might think that I would be an unusual advocate for Josh. All the more reason for me to write.
There are a handful of people who truly know what it is like to work with Josh at Sony, and I happen to be one of them. I worked alongside Josh at Sony for 7 years and he was my boss for another 2. During those years we have had both a good working relationship and a difficult working relationship. I haven’t had much contact with Josh since I left Sony, but I have read the comments above and simply cannot let such vitriol go unanswered.
1. Josh’s creativity:
Is Josh the guy wearing a beret and painting in his garret? No, that’s not Josh. Josh arrives at his creative solutions using his left brain – logic. Since his record for opening movies is stellar, the manner in which he arrived at his creative solution is irrelevant. The proof is in the movie openings.
2. Josh’s character:
The Josh I know is a kind and sensitive person. He is a decent guy. For those of you who didn’t see that on a day to day basis, let me lend some perspective. Josh was responsible for 20+ movies at a time. The stress and pressure brought to bear on creative execs by the studio execs and filmmakers is unfathomable. Sony has many good attributes as a work place. But it is unlike any place I have worked before or since in terms of pressure. And as I have worked at another studio as well, I do have a comparison. If Josh wasn’t the nicest guy in the world to you then maybe the above explains a little of it.
For you ad agency people who were angry at yet another 7 p.m. phone call requesting spots in the morning, yes, I do sympathize. Was some of this pressure self imposed by Josh? Undoubtedly. But for the most part the overall environment at Sony demanded such actions.
3. David Manning:
Yes, Josh did a bad thing. And yes, he has paid for it in human terms more than most of you will ever comprehend. Enough already with this.
Josh has spent nearly 20 years of his life dedicated to Sony. I, for one, wish him well in his future endeavors. Hopefully the first thing he does is take a vacation with his family far far away from Los Angeles.
Unlike most of you, I am quite willing to sign my name.
Dana Precious
It’s true, Josh is very demanding, sometimes to an unreasonable and even counterproductive degree. He sometimes enjoys being intimidating a bit too much, and the David Manning thing was dumb.
But lets get real. Anyone who wields power is going to step on people’s toes. Anybody who makes creative judgements at his level is going to disappoint people working for him. And as for David Manning, who among us hasn’t pushed that envelope in our zeal to get results? He just had more power, so his mistakes really count.
Josh’s intelligence is undeniable. Every creative exec in town has his or her quirks and limitations. Squeezing the vendor is part of the job. Let’s not forget that’s part of why we’re so well paid. Check out the real world some time.
I’ve been insulted by him, I’ve been abused by him. I’ve also had success with him. His judgement is solid. In all the time I’ve worked with him he’s never NOT MADE SENSE (which is more than I can say for a lot of studio execs). He’s loyal to his people. He’s dedicated to a fault, and his results cannot be beat. He is at heart a good man. I know he’s left bad blood in his wake, but what I’m reading here is way over the top. It sounds like a lot of you don’t understand what Josh’s job demands of him (or used to).
Change is good, I’m glad there’s a shake up at Sony. I think it’ll be good for all, including Josh. I think the people here with such bitterness toward him should look at themselves a bit more closely and ask it its his limitations they are so mad at, or their own.
Unsigned because I’m probably working with some of you schmucks right now.
So glad to see the balanced perspective being brought forth. Kudos to the site. Josh is liked and not liked, as are most people in a power position. Yeah, he is pompous, and narcissitic. How long is the list of all those in Hollywood who are?
One thing does irk me through the Manning embarassment is that everyone knows he did it, yet he has never manned up and taken the responsibility. Says a good deal about the person, doesn’t it?
(Loved how when Ammer began his tenure there, at a Sony marketing dept retreat he called his bowling team – Dave Manning – classic!!!)
Interesting.
I would have called Ammer’s choice of bowling team name classless — not classic. Certainly not the gesture of a president of marktng who is supposed to be a leader and uniter of a team.
I agree with my former collegue and friend, Dana Precious…and I am willing to sign my name as well.
I’ve worked at three studios, including Sony, and am currently a consultant to three more. Being a studio exec is no walk in the park. It can bring out the worst and the best in a person, and I have certainly made my share of mistakes.
How about a little human kindness, folks. When a guy is down, why kick him? Offer a helping hand and a friendly ear. Some day, it could be you on the receiving end of a mean spirited blog. Life is funny that way.
ra
Best of luck Josh. I applaud your extraordinary accomplishments.
Neil Dick
When I was at Sony, Josh would occasionally call and ask me for a favor. The call would invariably begin with a personal insult NOT delivered in a humorous manner, and then he’d tell me he needed the favor yesterday. I once pulled an all-nighter gathering together information he HAD to have the next morning. I e-mailed the completed memo to him at about 8:30 AM. When I didn’t hear back, I called his assistant that afternoon to make sure he’d gotten it. She confirmed he had. Yet I never heard one single word back from him. Not even a simple “thanks,” which would have taken all of five seconds to type and hit “Send.” I don’t care how much “stress and pressure” you’re under–it doesn’t give you the right to forego simple human decency.
Not all, but many of you willing to sign your name are being intellectually dishonest. You’re willing to sign your name to do what we all try to to to those who can hire us: indirectly or directly try to curry favor with them. Or, to curry favor with others in the business who read this column (“see what a stand-up person I am”). Think I am lying? Think about what happens at movie premieres as you circle these marketing chiefs or the creative execs trying to get a moment to tell them what a great campaign they did. And don’t forget the hoops you had to jump through to get tickets to the premiere just for that precious “face” time.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Sure, some of the comments are over the top but the the essence of this guy has been captured and you all know it. Don’t fret for Josh. He will get a great job if he leaves Sony.
And as I said before: guys like Josh are needed to make these departments run. As Dana said, he’s not the beret wearing guy. There’s nothing wrong with being the political person (that’s not a pejorative, btw) because that skill is needed it make through the land mines at a big studio. Does he have the creative chops of Tim Palen, Tonny G, Frank Chicochi, and I loathe to say it–Tony Sela (and that’s another ball of wax!)? No. But who cares because a studio needs a mix of political guys and creative guys to make the department run.
All that said, if you don’t have the creative chops, you should have the interpersonal skills. Look no further than the man who got him started in this business, Sid Ganis. Not a creative type but a more decent, genuinely nice person has not worked in this business.
And I am not signing by name, because I do want to still want to work in this business but I cannot tell the truth if I did. Even though I would love to suck up to Sid Ganis, so he can help me get in the Academy. Maybe Sid can decipher who I am and thus this missive turns out to be a win-win scenario for me……