By Sofia Trigo ‘20

Sitting around Michael Grindon’s ‘76 Pacific Palisades patio, it was hard not to admire the greco-roman columns, perfectly groomed lawn, and impeccable pool. As KLI Journalists, Robert Cain ‘21 and I had the opportunity to attend the Kravis Fellows event hosted by entertainment legend, Michael Grindon, and his longtime friend in the industry, Gerry Sanoff ‘76. 

Grindon and Sanoff, although both attendees of Claremont Mckenna College, officially met amid work at Sony Pictures. For 15 years, Michael Grindon worked as President of Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) and has worked for prominent entertainment companies such as HBO and Columbia Pictures. He currently works for Legendary Television as President of Worldwide Distribution. Gerry Sanoff works as a freelance writing consultant and has enjoyed contracts with Sony, CBS, and NBC. Prior to entering the international arena, Gerry spent 12 years writing and producing TV shows in the United States such as Matlock and Police Academy. The two provided an in depth fittingly funny analysis of the entertainment industry and its constantly changing dynamic. 

Indeed, hearing both Grindon and Sanoff describe their respective experiences managing and writing, captured two distinct paths in entertainment: Business/Management and Creative/Content Development. 

Grindon began the talk with a question: Are we experiencing the Golden Age of TV or its messy, confusing future? From there, he talked about technological progress – most notably streaming services – and how the traditional TV production model has changed enormously over time. Indeed, he revealed – to a very surprised group – that the largest television viewing platform is YouTube, which receives over 1 billion viewing hours a day! 

Sanoff provided another lens in which to consider the entertainment industry. Talking to the group, he emphasized the importance of cultural awareness. As a longtime entertainment writer, Sanoff currently adapts and remakes American TV shows for a particular foreign audience. He shared various funny encounters that chronicled his range of experience around the world. Sanoff also explained that the business is a tough one: “If you get beaten down, then you must get back up. In the entertainment industry, you must be able to take profound criticism because you will be rejected 80% of the time.”

Both Grindon and Sanoff emphasized leadership development and interpersonal connections as foundational to succeeding in the entertainment industry. Grindon explained that, “There are many challenges for a good leader.  The greatest challenge in any particular situation depends on the type of leadership required.  Leading men in combat will be very different from leading a group in a corporate environment.   Key items to remember: define the goals for your team, make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to do and how to do it, be generous with sharing information and praise, and do the right thing whenever possible.” 

Sanoff also shared similar sentiments and reiterated the role respect plays in effective leadership. He described often feeling alienated and never fully embraced by his international colleagues. Over time, however, he realized that by actively putting in effort to learn about different cultural traditions, norms, and values he could forge lasting bonds with his co-workers, regardless of their background.  

After both speakers concluded their discussions, I was left with a sense of excitement and community. It was incredible to watch CMC alumni come together to discuss their career paths and future goals. Grindon and Sanoff were so open to questions and offered current KLI students advice on their professional pursuits. 

Robert, my co-journalist explained that, “Coming from CMC as a Media Studies major, I know my field is very underrepresented; but, the opportunity to see and interact with a CMC alumni who is thriving in the media-entertainment industry gives me much hope for the future.”

As someone broadly interested in writing and the entertainment industry, this was an incredibly eye-opening and informative experience. I learned about the varying kinds of work in the industry and was pushed to think critically about what it is I truly want to do with my life. Michael Grindon and Gerry Sanoff epitomized the CMC values of working hard and pursuing one’s passion, and helped provide me with a tangible idea of what future in the entertainment industry might look like.