S3E17: Barbie’s BFF?

The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast

There are cultural icons and then there’s BARBIE. GRETA GERWIG and MARGOT ROBBIE’S movie is a brilliant reconsideration of that icon. But, a storyteller you’ve probably never heard-of helped shape our whole perception of that icon. Before there was Gerwig and Robbie, ANDREW GALLERANI was BARBIE’S BFF.

From 1988 – 2015 (that’s 27 years!), Andrew directed most of the Barbie ads seen around the world. There was a patch in between where he directed for Barbie’s competition – BRATZ among others – but, that’s what motivated MATTEL to bring Andrew back.

As you’ll hear, it takes more effort to stay on the mountain than it ever does to climb the mountain.

A Study In Going For It

Andrew’s story is a study in just going for it.

Take his rock-n-roll career. Andrew’s band (he was their drummer) opened for acts like CHUCK BERRY and THE J. GEILS BAND. Or how his career as a filmmaker began. Andrew “stumbled into” a commercial production house. They hired him and taught him the nuts and bolts of storytelling in an audio-visual medium.

Then it was a matter of chutzpah. Andrew approached movie producer JOSEPH E. LEVINE on a New York City set one day and brashly told Levine he, Andrew wanted to do what Levine did. Levine must have liked something about Andrew – and his cajones – because several months later, he invited Andrew to be a guest on the set of another movie (Levine was producing).

Andrew will tell you about how he took that opportunity and turned it into a career.

But, There’s MORE!

We’ll also talk about a few movies and shorts Andrew’s done that deserve your attention. There’s THE ROLE OF DELLA, KILLING GEORGIA JONES, LOST and GET WRITE. Lost is a compelling short about suicide. It’s a great “conversation starter” kind of piece. Get Write is a ROMANTIC COMEDY starring Jeremy Piven, Sherilyn Fenn, JoBeth Williams and Wallace Shawn.

But, we talk a lot about Barbie – and how you help create a cultural icon. Is Andrew Gallerani BARBIE’S BFF? In a lot of ways, he just may be…