STRATEGY INNOVATION

“It is better to risk boldness than triviality.”

—Peter Thiel

Strategy, N. : the art of devising or employing plans or stratgems towards a goal

innovation, N. : a new idea, method, or device

Project VISION

Diligently Desired End-State

“Execution without vision is chaos.” So wrote Peter F. Drucker, the founder of modern management. With this adage in the forefront of our minds — and understanding that the greatest challenge to developing and producing stories of honorable plots in the world’s most competitive, yet stifling and conformist, industry is the perilous passage between the Scylla of the entertainment establishment and the Charybdis of the cultural left — our difficult and daunting project provides a rare opportunity to accost convention to do something very special, very unique.

Clear-eyed from Day One, we first set upon the biblical injunction to “build one’s house on solid ground,” which quickly became manifest through a decision-making framework combining the classical virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and courage with the theological ones of faith, hope, and charity. The result: an innovation — formalizing a high-level enterprise-wide strategy to balance prudence (i.e., right reason in action) and providence (i.e., divine direction) in all strategic decisions, primarily: the creation of new value realized in accordance with our Faith and ideals, harmonized with our conscience, and anchored to our OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) operational framework. 

This innovation — borne of first principles, not fashionable prejudices — emanated from our Phase One initiatives such that the resulting strength of our foundational architecture (i.e., the Manalive vision, mission, strategy, and project development slate) soon became compelling enough to attract to our venture a diversified guild of exceptional creative and commercial minds. Now comprising our advisory board, strategic partnerships, and production team, these professionals will make our vision of Death Comes for the War Poets as a potent experience a reality — most especially for those with a spiritual eye capable of perceiving existence with awe, who find their bearings on the old Roman road of tradition (as Santayana called it). 

Project MISSION

To Reject the Unjust Tyranny of Chance

Spurning the stifling orthodoxy of commercial storytelling, the raison d’être of our inaugural production is to persuade — creatively and commercially — through a bold demonstration of capability, bringing to life with sufficient mastery and commercial appeal what is, essentially, a proof of concept of a new genre, a new art form; and in so doing create and, in due course, dominate a niche audience worldwide through unique productions that combine various exciting elements in entirely new ways.

Additionally, the success of this project will position Manalive Media Group as the tip of the spear that catalyzes a storytelling renaissance on the other side of this “Tide in the Affairs of Men”, to adopt Shakespeare’s affecting phrase. Simply, an M&E paradigm shift is imminent. An artistic renaissance is forthcoming — and we shall lead it.

To this end, the deep redemptive structure of Death Comes for the War Poets, one intricate, spiritually gorgeous, and life altering, made incarnate as a Live Cinema event, will not only appeal to the inner desire of our audiences, as well as illuminate the golden thread that binds us to God, creation, and each other, but also — critically — provide a “beta test” for a repeatable, scalable, and dynamic business model that ensures we consistently meet the Manalive standard for creative and commercial excellence, all the while remaining agile, innovative, and profitable. 

Project eXECUTION

An Art Form that Complements the Signature of Man

Vision without execution is hallucination, so said Thomas Edison. But his poignant axiom begs the question: how to determine the optimal approach to the execution of what is, essentially, a triple-hybrid, artistically noble high-wire act? For us, it begins with an irrevocable Manalive enterprise first principle: imago Dei — that we are all made in God’s image, and, thus, we are all — each and every one of us — creators. 

As such, that every stakeholder be treated with dignity and respect forms the ethos of our enterprise, expressed through the Manalive mission, vision, strategy, creative muse, and project development slate. To-date, this approach has drawn in the most gifted creative and commerical minds — and will continue to do so, for, simply, excellence attracts excellence. And that through hard work, unwavering commitment, confidence in our abilities, and consistently applying learnings to strategy, executed day-to-day with good will, good humor, common sense, and courage, as well as a humble yet critical engagement with culture, all who interact with us will come to appreciate our countercultural spirit and know we are dead serious about our venture and determined to see it through, come what may.

Lastly, from the success of our five-year, three-phase enterprise foundation build (undertaken during a calamitous chapter in human affairs), to our development of Death Comes for the War Poets as a true storytelling innovation, we are confident that our prudence and providence strategy will continue to mysteriously illuminate our path, ensuring we execute this project through the economy and ingenuity necessitated by a reduced cast and a relatively short allotment of time, and in a powerful and commercially viable way — fashioned to those artistic insights needed to recognize transcendental truth in an unconventional setting.

—Jacques Martin Barzun