David Caplan, chairman and CEO of C2 Motion Picture Group, graduated around 2005 from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Business Management Economics. Since then, he has worked on films like “Longlegs,” “The Monkey” and “In The Grey.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BruinLife: Did you know you wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry when you went into college?
David Caplan: No, I did not. What’s funny is when … I was in college, I wanted to be a dentist and I was pre-dental and I went to the Santa Barbara Film Festival. I watched a producers panel with some of the top producers of that year. It was this guy, Graham King… it was Brad Bird — there were like six guys up there, and everybody was kissing King’s ass. [He] was articulate and polished and very cool. After the panel, I looked over at my dad and I said, “I want to be a movie producer.” So senior year, I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I want to be a movie producer.
BL: What made you choose UCSC?
DC: I don’t fucking remember … that was 20 years ago. I don’t know. It’s beautiful up there. It was great. I wanted to go to a UC. I wanted to stay in California.
BL: What was the biggest lesson you learned from either your favorite class or your favorite professor?
DC: The only thing that really sticks out to me is supply and demand. I didn’t learn anything in college. Social skills, yeah, that was from interpersonal relationships with other students. I didn’t have any good relationships with any teachers, really.
BL: You said you started doing internships in your senior year. What was the industry like when you first started out?
DC: It was cutthroat. It was very tough to move up and it was going to be a long and arduous road, but also exciting. It was interesting because I love movies, so it’s interesting just being around the making of various movies. One of my first internships, they just stuck me in a closet, and nd I don’t like to organize stuff. I didn’t learn shit.
BL: You said you love movies, so what’s your favorite movie?
DC: My favorite sci-fi movie is “Back to the Future.” It’s a perfect movie. It’s high concept, it’s original [and] it’s fast paced. The characters are incredible. It’s very well directed. Effects ahead of its time. It’s nostalgic. There’s a certain repeatability … to it story-wise — actors, characters, concept perfect, very well directed. Robert Zemeckis at his finest.
BL: What was your favorite project you worked on?
DC: “Longlegs” by far. The director, Oz Perkins is the best. The producers, love those guys, and it was a massive hit. That opening weekend, I got married. I don’t know if we were number one at the box office but [we were the] number one independent film of the year.
BL: What is a movie you strongly believed in that didn’t perform the way you expected?
DC: “Goodrich.” I think it is a beautiful movie. I think it’s heartwarming. I think it’s very well acted and I think it should have done a lot better and it didn’t perform as well as I thought, but I still stand behind that movie.
BL: What would you say is the most rewarding part of your career?
DC: I love movies, genuinely. It’s probably my favorite thing, although now I’m fully obsessed with golf, like obsessed with golf, but I love movies. I love my wife and my dogs and I love movies and being able to make movies, be around movies, talk about movies, think about movies. Be creative. It’s the best thing in the world. Do something that you love. Monday morning doesn’t feel like going to work [since] I’m hyped and excited to go to work on a Monday.
BL: For any readers at UCLA looking to get into the industry, what advice would you give?
DC: I would say the best thing you can do is go get a job in the mailroom at one of the major talent agencies. You get to learn the industry, to develop a lot of relationships with a lot of different parts of the industry. You get to interface with studio executives and their assistants, streamer executives and their assistants, producers, writers, directors, other agents. Because you have a really vast network, you also get to understand the film industry from the business side and see what you’re into.
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Featured Image Courtesy of David Caplan