Please do when you can. I only recall a throwaway line from a commentary. Some elaboration would be interesting.
Okay, so it's basically all about:
Who you know
Not having an ego/but having enough confidence to make people have confidence in you
Experience
Being ready to compromise
Not living in a praise bubble
Critiquing yourself
Most of which Doug doesn't have/do. (Knowing Mara Wilson and Don Bluth could open some doors, but the fact that Don Bluth resorted to a kickstarter to fund his most recent adaptation shows that he's been out of the business for years).
Now, as for the whole studio control myth, it's kind of true and kind of false. If you're going to be a screenwriter, and only a screenwriter (I'm talking films only, tv you have way more control), once you sell your script, you're going to have no control over it unless the director wants you involved. The studios can make changes, completely alter the storyline, hire a ghost writer, make changes to the characters, and change the tone/message. Sometimes this can be a good thing, but other times it can ruin what could of been a good movie.
But if you're going to make a movie as a writer and director, you'd have to work your way up, and prove you're competent before a studio puts their trust and you and gives you that kind of power. And, even if the project is your project, the producers/studio execs can make changes and tell you how to do things a certain way. They do this because they want the movie to make money, and also be a good film. But sometimes they might have the wrong idea, or be so out of touch with the audience.
If Doug showed someone at Warner Bros "Kickassia" and said "let me make a movie" he'd get a "thank you, we'll let you know" and when he was gone they'd trash it. I wouldn't be surprised if Doug attempted to do that and that's why he's so bitter about Hollywood and about studios.
