Julio receives me right in the hall of the headquarters of Filmax. That gesture said a lot of himself: it was not his secretary who took me to his office, it was he himself who came to meet me at the entrance hall.
Is this the attitude that all entrepreneur should have towards proffessionality?
Once in his office, if somebody does not realize that he is the CEO of one of the most important production companies of the world and definitely the most important of Spain maybe he can think of start going away from there... 4 rows and 4 columns set altogether create a huge movie screen which covers just a little portion of his office. Tens of pictures with famous actors such as Pierce Brosnan, Jack Nicholson or George Clooney cover most of the space in his walls, and at the back of the office, a glass shelf contains all the "Goyas" and oscars his company has win since its beginnings.
Mr. Fernandez, if Filmax was in bankrupcy, how did you dare to buy it? Did you see anything special in that company?
I'm gonna tell you a story... When I was 16 years old, I realized that my authenthic passion were public relations. However, as I lived in a rural area, what we can call contacts I did not have too many... Somehow, doors started to open and I managed to found a discotheque at 20 years old. Afterwards, I sold the disco and I found a little company of cosmetics. This is the point of the story when contacts started to appear, but I realized than that was not the area in which I wanted to work, so I became a estate agent. It was then in that area when, I realized (again) that my truly passion were new technologies. However, it was practically impossible, because the world of the cinema was very closed and it was difficult to enter in. What I needed is to see, to listen, to know, to learn from others... So, as I didn't want to found a company, I acquired Filmax for 1,000 pesetas, fulfilling my life's dream.
And wasn't it very scary and daring to buy a ruined company?
Actually, yes. But in this life you have to take risks. Otherwise, if you do not assume risks and do not have initiative you will have no choices to do what you want. But well, one day I handled the idea of making a cinema in your own house, without needing to go to the cinema itself. And I realized that it could be a business that could multiply itself. Thanks to the video, I thought, by just one simple copy, being able to generate thousands of them it would be marvellous!
Big ideas are the fundamentals of great companies... How did you manage to build Filmax from zero?
I managed to contact the Treasury Chamber' secretary of London, who was able to sell me some projectors at a very low price... Then, everything started.
That's great. Definitely, having contacts is indispensable. And well, I imagine that now, with all the piracy this area is losing a lot of money... Do you have any marketing strategy against it?
That's a good question. Against piracy there are few chances of winning. What we are developing is an strategy of multiple entertainment, which consists in recreating the movie in a hole building so that viewers experiment the same feeling of terror of the movie. For example, we are setting this in Rec 3. As well, there is now the rise of three-dimensional films, which can only be seen in cinemas. We try to double the impact and effect of movies on spectators, in order that they wish to experience new feelings and sensations to entertain themselves. On the whole, we are in the entertaining area.
Do you think communication is the key to success?
Definitely YES. You can't take it on its own, there are several tips that lead to success. However, communication is the most important one. It is communication what enables people to get a job, through interviews; what shares emotions with customers; what makes a company grow, thanks to promotion (which is communication). Generally speaking, I would say that if I am where I am, it is thanks to communication, because it includes empathy, which is the key to get contacts, and contacts are the key to build a strong and powerful company.
I am not going to study Audiovisual Communication, but which advise would you recommend those who wish to study that career?
To be the best ones. Not very good, or acceptable. They have to be the best of their course, and year, and if possible, the faculty. Nowadays, this sector is in a very deep crisis, and we do not usually take on people, just if they shine respect the others. They do not have to be contented with anything, they have to desire to be the bests... just by doing that they will reach what they want.
The interview lasted 1,30 hours, but I condensed in here the most important questions, in order to simplify the content of it, otherwise, we could have been hours reading it. However, I am going to give some anecdotes:
First of all, he showed a great empathy on the interview. In order to make me feel confortable, he asked for coffee and water so that I was free to decide on what to choose.
Finally, he gave me as a present one Goya, which I kept in my house during one month. (It was the Goya they won with Donkey Xote, to the best animation film).
It was nice to maintain a conversation with him. Very nice person.
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