"To make a blockbuster movie, you need to focus on these five key points!"
Dunn took a moment to sip some water while switching slides, then continued, "First, no budget stress. The blockbuster strategy is all about putting all your eggs in one basket—going all in, pooling your resources, and having a solid budget to back it up."
"Second, polish the script to perfection. I won't dive too deep into this—it varies by project. Script evaluation depends on the producer's skill, and opinions differ. There's no one-size-fits-all answer."
"Third, invest in added value. This is a big topic, but I'll keep it simple. Check out the slide—I've broken it down into three parts: star value, director value, and film value. Star value and director value are easy to grasp—big stars and big directors draw fans. But what's film value?"
He paused, stepping away from the PPT for a moment. "Take Jurassic Park—it's based on a novel, so adapting it into a movie naturally builds anticipation. That's added film value. Or Spider-Man, adapted from a comic-book hero. Or The Unsinkable, based on a true story. These mega-hits share a common trait—they all have massive film value! Same goes for The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, which hit theaters last winter."
Dunn didn't spell it all out.
What he called "film value" would, fifteen years later, be known as IP!
Hot novels, popular games, trending toys, old movies, classic TV shows, true stories, historical events—these are all ripe for blockbuster adaptations. They've got that IP magic.
Even though he didn't elaborate, the execs in the front row nodded thoughtfully, like they'd caught on to something.
Dunn smirked inwardly, thinking, "I've already snagged all the hottest IPs of the future. You're figuring it out now? Too late!"
But his face stayed composed, even stern. "The fourth point is huge, and I want every producer, director, and student dreaming of breaking into this industry to pay close attention. Point four: highlight effects!"
"Highlight effects, as the name suggests, are standout special-effects shots—and they're absolutely critical! In Hollywood, I've had tons of colleagues ask me: why do some movies with over $100 million budgets and tons of effects still flop? Here's the answer: their effects are flat, uninspired, and lack punch—no highlights!"
He didn't name names, but plenty of filmmakers in the audience blushed.
It's a mistake almost everyone's made at some point.
Dunn was being generous with this insight.
"Jurassic Park is a legendary effects movie, right? But it only has 500 effects shots. Why does it stick with you? Because Director Spielberg obsessed over the dinosaurs—those effects were the film's biggest selling point, its main draw. He wouldn't let them be anything less than perfect. He'd rather cut the number of shots than sacrifice quality."
"Take Titanic, too—that ship-splitting scene? You all remember it. Some folks suggested cutting corners on it, but I said no way. That five-second shot cost $5 million! And it paid off—it's hands-down the most jaw-dropping moment in the film."
"Or Spider-Man—there's that fight between Spidey and the Green Goblin in Times Square. Someone suggested filming on location, but you can't blow stuff up there—it'd look weak. So I rented an abandoned airfield, rebuilt Times Square, and combined real explosions with CGI. That's how we got that epic showdown."
"Highlight effects are the shots that linger in your mind, the ones that make you want to buy another ticket. Big-budget movies are like the ocean, and highlight effects are the crashing waves! People might get used to the sea, but they'll always be drawn to the tides and tsunamis."
This was the real meat of it.
Dunn was laying out the nitty-gritty of crafting effects-driven blockbusters—the kind of insight the top filmmakers and studio execs in the room were dying to hear.
Sure enough, faces lit up with realization, brows twitching with excitement.
This was an era when effects-heavy blockbusters were just taking off. Everyone was still figuring it out, and here was Dunn, handing them the playbook—a gift to Hollywood.
His eyes flicked toward Alan Horn, the Warner Bros. president, with subtle intent.
This fourth point? In another timeline, it was Alan Horn who'd coined it. He'd been the ultimate executor of the blockbuster strategy!
Especially after jumping to Disney, Horn turned into a blockbuster fanatic. Disney ditched small- and mid-budget films entirely, churning out just 13 movies a year—all massive commercial juggernauts!
Under that vision, Horn led Disney to dominate half the global box office.
And, funny enough, Alan Horn's eyes were locked on Dunn, gleaming with something close to reverence.
Dunn swallowed his glee, steadied himself, and pressed on. "Finally, point five: movie marketing. Marketing's a blast. Getting a film's buzz out to every corner of society takes a fixed cost—whether the movie's budget is $10 million or $100 million."
"It's obvious, right? If marketing's a level playing field, why not pour more of it into the big productions? Today's Hollywood blockbusters—what's the marketing budget? $50 million? $70 million? That's peanuts! To create a true blockbuster, to make waves, marketing is non-negotiable."
"Blockbuster marketing needs to go big—spare no expense to ensure huge returns. Hire the best teams, make the loudest noise. In today's film landscape, if you want that blockbuster effect, your marketing budget can't dip below $120 million!"
$120 million for marketing?
The front-row bigwigs sucked in a collective breath.
Dunn was talking big—crazy big!
In this era, a $120 million production budget was already unheard of. Another $120 million for marketing? That's highway robbery!
If it tanked, heads would roll!
Dunn Films was Dunn's private gig—he could gamble freely. But these execs? One reckless move that size, and they'd be out of a job.
---
Dunn's lecture was slated for two hours.
He spent 80 minutes breaking down the blockbuster theory—its validity and real-world applications—leaving the rest for Q&A with students and filmmakers.
With a chance this rare, no one wanted to miss out. The auditorium buzzed with energy.
The first question came from a female student. "Mr. Walker, hi! It's an honor to ask you something. I… I listened to your talk and get how the blockbuster strategy builds a brand, but it also puts the company at huge risk. How do you avoid that?"
Dunn stood front and center, commanding the room with a grin. "You said it builds a brand—nice! That shows you've grasped the heart of the blockbuster strategy. To pull off a hit, you need a killer idea, then go all-in on planning and distribution. Luck helps, too."
"Honestly, gauging a project's potential is like a high-stakes bet—will it justify the massive investment and turn into a blockbuster with big returns? Plenty of investors take the leap, but some execs miss out, paralyzed by the risks of a huge gamble."
"Here's the bigger picture: the movie market isn't just North America anymore—it's global! Every country's got its own culture and barriers. To win over the world, big-budget, high-stakes commercial blockbusters are the best way to break through. It's not just about studio profits—it's about boosting Hollywood's brand as a whole!"
The applause was deafening, especially from the front row. They loved that take.
Hollywood's brand value was everyone's win.
"Mr. Walker, hi! I'm Emma Jones, a professor at the Film and TV Academy…"
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Clearly, Professor Jones was a student favorite.
Dunn nodded respectfully. "Hi, Professor Jones."
Jones held a notebook, clearly having taken detailed notes. She spoke slowly, "Mr. Walker, in your blockbuster theory, you said something that stuck with me: focus limited resources, spare no expense to push a film to the top and create a sensation, drawing audiences in, instead of dabbling in the lukewarm long-tail market."
"That was brilliantly put—I'm in awe. But I'm fuzzy on two terms. They don't seem like standard business or film jargon. 'Long-tail market'—what does that mean? Is it a new concept you're introducing?"
Dunn winced internally.
Leave it to a professor to nitpick. This was tricky.
The "long-tail market" tied to the long-tail theory—a term that wouldn't pop up in business journals until 2004 or hit books until 2006.
Unpacking it could get messy.
"The long-tail market… it's kind of the flip side of the blockbuster theory—the long-tail theory. It's about ditching blockbusters for the tail end of the bell curve, chasing steadier, more even profits."
"Personally, I'm not a fan. Dropping blockbusters means giving up the juiciest markets, the best talent, and marketing muscle. In the future of movies and business, markets, talent, and marketing are all king."
"I'm planning a book to flesh out the blockbuster theory for students, professors, and industry folks to dig into. I'll touch on the long-tail stuff there, too. So I won't ramble on about it now—next question!"
Dunn dodged gracefully, then spotted a familiar face in the second row raising a hand.
The second row was for Hollywood insiders. This guy wore black-rimmed glasses, looking polished yet boyishly bookish.
"Hi, Director Walker! I'm Jeffrey Abrams, a Hollywood filmmaker…"