Nothing drew me to the film business. I was propelled by the fear and anxiety of Vietnam. I had been drafted into the Marines. My brother was already serving in Vietnam. I bought, if you will, a stay of execution – both literally and figuratively – and went on to graduate school of business from the law school that I was attending. Peter Guber Read Quote
My mom used to tell me stories at night, read books to me – and I read ’em over and over and over again. And you know what I learned from that? I went back and looked at everything – Why do I like reading the same stories over and over and over again? What, was I some kind of nincompoop? No – the narrative gave me connection with my mom. Peter Guber Read Quote
Language is a more recent technology. Your body language, your eyes, your energy will come through to your audience before you even start speaking. Peter Guber Read Quote
Without social cohesion, the human race wouldn’t be here: We’re not formidable enough to survive without the tactics, rules and strategies that allow people to work together. Peter Guber Read Quote
Think about all the great leaders. Think about Obama. Think about Clinton. Think about Nelson Mandela. Think about all the people that we know who are very successful in business, in politics and religion. What are they? They tell purposeful stories. They move people to action by aiming at the heart. Peter Guber Read Quote
I’ve worked with Jack Warner and Jimmy Stewart – and Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Johnny Depp twice. I’ve had dinners with Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. Peter Guber Read Quote
The reality is that every movie is a new business. Nobody says, ‘Hey, let’s go down to the Pantages Theater, I hear a Warner Brothers picture is playing there.’ Or, ‘Let’s go to this theater, I hear the film came in on budget.’ It’d be ridiculous. Peter Guber Read Quote
The magic happens when you take facts and figures, features and benefits, decks and PowerPoints – relatively soulless information – and embed them in the telling of a purposeful story. Your ‘tell’ renders an experience to your audience, making the information inside the story memorable, resonant and actionable. Peter Guber Read Quote
A gun can be dangerous. But a gun can protect you, you can hunt for food with it – you know, the tool itself is a tool. The intention of the party using the tool is a part of the process, right? You know: the knife cuts the steak, stabs the person, saves somebody from danger, cuts somebody out of a car. Peter Guber Read Quote
