Brief Summary
The speaker reflects on their career, expressing gratitude to key figures like Sherry Lansing, Paula Wagner, and numerous industry legends who shaped their path in filmmaking. They emphasize the importance of continuous learning, collaboration, and contributing to the film industry's growth. The speaker also shares their passion for cinematic storytelling, their commitment to entertaining audiences, and the philosophy of Ubuntu, highlighting the interconnectedness of humanity.
- Expresses gratitude to Sherry Lansing, Paula Wagner, and other industry figures.
- Emphasizes continuous learning and collaboration in filmmaking.
- Shares a commitment to entertaining audiences and contributing to the film industry.
- Introduces the philosophy of Ubuntu, highlighting interconnectedness.
The speaker begins by expressing deep gratitude to Sherry Lansing for her significant impact on their career and life. They acknowledge Lansing as an exceptional person and highlight her groundbreaking achievement as the first woman to head a major studio, 20th Century Fox, in the 1980s. The speaker recalls meeting Lansing at 18 during the filming of "Taps," a Fox film, describing it as a pivotal moment.
The speaker shares their childhood dreams of making movies, traveling the world, and seeking adventure. They recount creating characters and writing stories to entertain family and friends, and using money earned from early jobs to attend movies. Their experience on the set of "Taps" in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, was surreal, working alongside talents like Stanley Jaffe, Harold Becker, Timothy Hutton, and Sean Penn.
The speaker describes the unique learning environment provided on the set of "Taps," including weeks of rehearsal, military training, and extensive research opportunities. They were able to observe and learn from brilliant actors and explore every aspect of film production, from cinematography with Owen Roizman to wardrobe, makeup, special effects, and stunts. This immersive experience allowed them to understand the craftsmanship and effort required to make a film.
The speaker expresses being overwhelmed by the vastness of knowledge needed in filmmaking, solidifying their commitment to mastering the art form. After "Taps," Sean Penn invited them to Los Angeles, where they met Paula Wagner, who became their agent and later their producing partner. The speaker thanks Wagner for her friendship and partnership, also acknowledging Rick Nicita, Kevin Huvane, Maha tequil, Joe Lubin, Matt Galser, and Bert Fields for their support.
The speaker discusses their early dreams and goals, including interviewing filmmakers, writers, and producers to understand their perspectives on storytelling. They hoped to create opportunities for other filmmakers if their movies were successful. The speaker is grateful to industry legends who shared their knowledge and trade secrets, enabling them to develop their own ideas about storytelling.
The speaker expresses gratitude to Jerry Bruckheimer for opening doors and welcoming them into the industry. They acknowledge their long-standing relationship with Steven Spielberg, highlighting their collaborative film projects. The speaker recalls meeting Brian De Palma at Spielberg's dinner table, leading to De Palma directing the first "Mission Impossible" film they produced. They also thank various studios for teaching them about distribution and enabling their adventurous life of traveling the world and working in different cultures.
The speaker thanks the PGA, Donald, Stephanie, and Ryan for the award and acknowledges their collaborator, Christopher McCrory. They express gratitude to the audiences for allowing them to entertain, promising to continue striving to accomplish that goal. The speaker congratulates everyone in the room for their creative work and emphasizes the importance of creating one's own luck.
The speaker shares their recent filming experience in South Africa and introduces the philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes humanity based on the plural rather than the singular. Ubuntu means "I am because we are," highlighting the interconnectedness of all people. The speaker concludes by thanking everyone, stating, "I am because you are."
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Transcript
Full transcript of “34th Annual Producers Guild Awards : Tom Cruise Speech”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] wow it's wild seeing your whole life in front of you I want to thank you Sherry I mean you are you are an exceptional person you're an exceptional person and you've had a tremendous impact in my career and my life and I love you dearly I love you thank you [Applause] in our 1980s Sherry became the first woman to ever had a major Studios 20th
0:46 Century Fox [Applause] amazing and I was I was 18 when I was cast in Taps a fox film when I first met her it was a seminal moment now my whole life I uh I want to make movies I wanted to travel the world I wanted Adventure as a kid I'd create characters you know I wrote stories to entertain my family and friends and I always had jobs since I was a little kid about seven eight years old and I would I would use that money to go to the movies you know I'd always I watch movies on TV I'd you know watch old movies on TV but I would always go to the movies whenever I could and uh when I didn't have the money I figured out a way to
1:33 sneak in or get someone else to take me you know so anyway there I was I was 18 years old and Valley Forge Pennsylvania and I wasn't watching a movie I was on a set making one and I have to say it was it was quite surreal tabs was produced by Stanley Jaffe who just won the Oscar for Kramer versus Kramer it was directed by Harold Becker of The Onion Field it starred Timothy Hutton who had just won the Oscar for ordinary people and another brilliant young actor making his film debut Sean Penn so these were yeah there's undeniable talents and Stanley and Harold did an amazing thing and I didn't know enough about
2:18 film at that time to know how unusual it was I mean they set up weeks of rehearsal before filming you know and there there's a writer there and I had military training and rifle core training and they pointed Us in the direction of research and this opened the door for me to investigate every aspect of Film Production so I was I was able to watch these wonderful these these brilliant actors work and develop their characters and I was given the freedom to develop mine and the freedom to explore every aspect of production and I had Stanley Jaffe and Harold Becker and an A-Plus crew imparting Decades of wisdom you know there's uh such as legendary cinematographer Owen roizen Owen roisman discussing lenses with me you know film
3:03 speed light you know why he was using this why was using that and there was wardrobe hair makeup special effects set dressing there is a stunt Department I had no idea that stunts was even a department so and I was uh I was able to watch my first rushes I was able to go to Every department and learn what each department did with each job entailed and I was able to explore everything from the beginning to the end of a Film Production and I have to say I was I was absolutely Amazed by the craftsmanship and also the tremendous efforts that it took to make a film and I was also I was I was overwhelmed I
3:50 was overwhelmed by what I didn't know I mean here's this moment something that I had dreamed of my life's passion it was cinematic storytelling and the door was opening and I didn't want I didn't want it to close I was just something that I was absolutely certain that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I thought I will never ever take this for granted I thought how do I become competent at this how am I going to figure out all of these tools of this art form tell the stories tell tell the stories that I want to tell affect an audience so when Taps completed Sean invited me out to LA and they're gracious enough to you know his family I stayed at his family's house for a bit and I went out and I was interviewing
4:36 agents and that's where I met Paula Wagner and she represented me for many years and later became my producing partner and I want to thank Paula Wagner I love you I love you Paula for your friendship and for your partnership you know I was later represented you handed me off to your husband Rick necita kept it in the family I want to thank you and I also want to thank Kevin Durant who's here now Evan I've known you for over 30 years we've been together Maha tequil Joe Lubin you know thank you Matt gelser and of course the legendary late great Bert fields and um I'm grateful to you and all of CAA
5:22 because when I when I hired Paula so I had these dreams I had these goals very goal oriented you know I had filmmakers and writers and producers and just people within our industry that I I wanted to talk to I wanted to interview and I I think maybe after I interviewed him they felt more like it was an interrogation but I but I wanted to understand what storytelling was to them and and you facilitated this brilliantly feeding my passion encouraging it and I always thought that uh you know if I could make movies you know if I could be confident at this and if the movies made their money back and then some everyone get their Christmas bonuses and
6:08 I'd be able to go out and I could make some more movies and possibly you know I'd create the opportunities for other filmmakers to do the same so I am I'm I'm indebted to a great number of Industry Legends who had the patience to hear and answer the thousands upon thousands of questions for no reason other than their love of The Craft that is Cinema they unselfishly shared these lessons and their hard-earned Trade Secrets all of the accumulated knowledge learned by them over their illustrious careers and all of them with the different personal Viewpoint of Cinema the essence of film and the intangible meaning of art itself and they enabled me to come up with my own ideas and concepts of what I felt
6:56 worked and what storytelling was to me at Jerry brookheimer you are [Applause] you are an extraordinary producer and you and Don you open the door for me and you welcomed me in and I am very grateful forever thank you my dear friend I know Steven Spielberg you know that I've known him since I was a kid and I'd spent many hours in his home at his table talking about movies it was a pleasure to work with him on set and I'm I'm very proud of the films that we are able to make together and it was actually at his dinner table that I met
7:41 Brian De Palma and I went home and I stayed up that night all night into the next day and I was reviewing all the De Palma's films and I called Paula and I called Sherry remember that the next day and uh later we offered him Mission Impossible and he was the first director of the first film that we ever produced and I want to thank the studios all of them each one of you for teaching me what it is that you do and distribution the same and everyone you've all you've all enabled me The Adventurous life that I wanted and I've been able to travel the world and work and watch films in so many countries to share in their cultures and realize how much
8:27 how much we all have in common and to admire our differences and now here I am and here we are all these years later and my dear friend is presenting me with this lovely award you know so thank you PGA thank you thank you Donald thank you Stephanie Ryan for creating this moment for me and thank you Amanda Lundberg thank you thank you love you and I absolutely must acknowledge my dear friend and collaborator for the past 16 years Christopher McCrory an exceptional exceptional artist [Applause] and I want to thank all the audiences
9:14 for whom I serve first and foremost for allowing me to entertain you and I promise I'll always do everything everything I can to accomplish that goal I want to say congratulations to everyone in this room and not just for winning or being nominated but for creating I like to see people do well I've been around a while I know what it takes to do what you do and I know that things don't just happen it's not just luck that you uh you know you have to create that luck you have to will it into existence and I want you to know that I am always rooting for you I'm rooting for all of you the better you do in life and in your work the better every Studio does the better every film does the better we all do
9:59 the better it is for everyone so I look forward to seeing what you create in the future and I will continue to do all that I can to contribute and help this industry and this art form that I love and I just got back from filming in South Africa that's a absolutely stunning country and there is a beautiful philosophy it's Ubuntu that originated there and it is the idea that humanity is based on the plural not the singular and Buddha means essentially I am because we are and so I thank I thank all of you I am because you are thank you
