Producing

Hi Rafaella Biscayn I'm a UK agent at Imagine Talent repping writers and directors, with a focus on bold and exciting emerging talent. I was nominated Best Agency for New Talent, New Voice Awards 2024. I also founded and host the Writers’ Group for Women in Film & Television UK to support and nurture female writing talent - the group has been running for over 15 years. If you're interested in chatting about talent/projects then it would be great to connect - I'm always looking to meet fab producers! I'll be in Cannes so it would be lovely to say hello. Thanks so much, Christina

I'm going to receive my accreditation, I can't wait!!

Hi, all. I would love to connect at Cannes. I'm a Producer/Director/Writer from South Africa.

See you in Cannes.

Kia Ora. I'll be there. Happy to connect.

I completely agree with you, Karlyle.

That kind of mutual respect is what turns a working relationship into a true collaboration. When both sides feel heard, the story usually becomes stronger because it’s being shaped from multiple perspectives, not just one.

I think the best producer–writer partnerships are the ones where feedback flows both ways, without ego — just a shared focus on making the story the best it can be.

Certainly precise data and quote Sachin Yadav !

".....alignment at the story level is what determines whether anything actually holds together long-term"!.

After packaging and promotion, it's what carries long-term!

Social media and environs helps build meaningful network collectively, Of course more members, friends and followers is better accordingly! Therefore, with the mentioned current evolved statistics including AI packages, you can also additionally view and post self-made videos, movie excerpts, including from other various posts as conversational references, with fellow enthusiast from around the world, without the expenses of actual physical gathering, for diverse topics, of course including subject alignment.

Connections as recalled is therefore the objective!

Appreciate that, Eon — glad that line resonated with you.

I agree that reach and connections have become more accessible than ever, especially with evolving tools and platforms. But I still feel that if the story itself isn’t aligned at a core level, even strong packaging and visibility can only carry it so far.

For me, the interesting space is where both meet — using these tools to amplify something that’s already structurally and emotionally solid. That’s where it feels like things start to sustain, not just launch.”

Precisely Sachin Yadav! Again putting things simply! Don’t just take the easy pathway, particularly when it appears to be the greedy pathway, being bad for public relations, both on and off sets. After packaging which includes trailers, Ads and more, whether now by social media and otherwise, in known principals a good even great film should complement packaging, trailers etc. The history of filmmaking has proven the before stated!

I certainly then, with relative energy, wish and believe all the positives comes out of these discussions!

Thank you, Eon. I agree — strong packaging and promotion may attract attention initially, but the film itself still has to deliver emotionally and creatively for audiences to stay connected.

I think long-term impact usually comes when the storytelling, production, and presentation are all aligned rather than relying on marketing alone.

So excited for tomorrow!

It's going to be a wonderful class with Eben!

Any questions about the questionnaire, Zoom links, etc.. email edu@stage32.com at anytime

See everyone soon :)

Hi! I don't see the zoom links

Lindsay Thompson For me: 1. An identifiable market. 2. A strongly within-genre story with an original twist. 3. Can be shot within budget and schedule.

Hi Lindsay Thompson, first off, huge respect for stepping into narrative writing with a DP’s eye. That’s a real advantage, not a limitation. You already think in images, rhythm, and emotional continuity, which is half the battle in screenwriting.

From a producer’s perspective, a script becomes worth serious attention when three things are clear on the page:

the emotional spine, the clean engine of the premise, and the confidence of the writer’s intention. A loose draft is totally normal at this stage, but the version you hand to a producer needs to feel like the story knows exactly what it is, even if it still needs work.

Deepening arcs, sharpening relationships, and strengthening the premise are exactly the right instincts. Producers respond to clarity: what the film is about, why it matters, and why it needs to be made now.

As for staying involved once a director comes on, writer‑DPs usually navigate that by being very upfront about their creative stake early. If the script is strong and you’re the one who built the visual language from the start, most directors will want you in the room. They don’t want to lose the person who already sees the film in images. It becomes a collaboration, not a turf war.

And honestly, North Carolina is a great fit: 25% rebate, landscape, and a production ecosystem that’s growing fast. A $3–5M range is realistic for a character‑driven feature with scope.

You’re approaching this the right way: build the script to a level where a producer can see the film clearly, and the rest will fall into place around that vision. I hope my vision helps you on your asking :)

Sandra CorreiaThank you for this -- it is exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping to find when I posted. The framing around emotional spine, premise engine, and writer's intention is something I am going to carry with me as I continue developing the draft. That is a clean and useful way to think about what a producer is actually looking for on the page.

The point about staying involved as a writer-DP is reassuring, too. I had not thought about it quite that way -- that the visual language being built into the script from the start is actually an asset in that conversation rather than a complication. That reframes things for me.

Appreciate you taking the time to respond so thoroughly. This is exactly why I love this community.

Adding to what all have mentioned: as camera ready as possible.

Hi, Lindsay Thompson, I’m really glad it helped. Those three pillars keep the draft focused, and your DP eye is absolutely an asset, not a complication. You’re building the visual language from the start; most directors love that. Happy it reframed things for you.

Fascinating framework — and while I'm not a Christian myself and make no claim to theological expertise, I do have some relevant experience I'd like to share. I produced the faith-based picture Captive, starring David Oyelowo and Kate Mara, released by Paramount, and made with the endorsement of Rick Warren, as it was a true story deeply tied to A Purpose Driven Life.

Working alongside deeply devout Christian partners — including Oyelowo himself — what struck me was how much genuine debate existed within the Christian community, including among our own team, about what faith-based audiences actually want and deserve. The consensus we arrived at, from the Christians in the room, not from me: the audience deserves more than what my Christian co-producer on the picture referred to pejoratively as a 'sermon on film.'

Our film dealt with dark subject matter — drug abuse, violence, redemption under extreme circumstances. Some distributors were uncomfortable with it precisely because it didn't fit the safer, more on-the-nose template that had defined the market. What we discovered was that the Christian faith-based audience was being deeply underestimated. The film found a passionate following through word of mouth on home video that told us clearly: there is real hunger for higher quality, more nuanced and thought-provoking material within this community.

And if the goal extends beyond serving the already faithful, if there is any hope of reaching the uninitiated or the skeptical, that bar needs to be raised even further, I think. I say this respectfully but plainly: from a literary and cinematic standpoint, the vast majority of Christian faith-based content currently on the market is strikingly unsophisticated. That is not a ceiling imposed by the subject matter. It is a missed opportunity. The themes at the heart of Christianity, redemption, sacrifice, grace, moral struggle, are among the most dramatically rich available to any storyteller. They deserve better than what they're mostly getting.

Thank you so much for taking out your valuable time and for sharing the insights, Katrina.

You have indeed touched the most challenging issue atleast to me, the 'sermon on film.' Also, thank you so much for helping me understand the practical expectations.

Thank you so much again, Katrina.

"clarity comes when ego steps back and the story comes first" should have been the first line, because it's key! Well said!!

Rutger Oosterhoff, no doubt!

Charmane Wedderburn, I love how you put this. Shifting roles really does change the clarity, and reading the work as if it isn’t ours is such a powerful reset. And yes, trusted collaborators make all the difference. Ego out, story first.

Giving yourself some distance from your own work is a great step. It puts you in a better place to re-evaluate your work and take on notes.

Great advice, Ewan Dunbar . Sometimes I do that and results are incredible when I return to my script or treatment or pitch deck. Thanks for sharing.