How many of you, no matter at what level you may find yourself at, have run into the "That's Impossible" individual? Every film idea has a path to being profitable.as long as the team is built of positive people and they are open to adapt and adopt. Stubborn people that won't budge an inch are not people you want to work with.
What kills an independent film? The answer is everything and/or could be one thing. There are many elements of film and everyone of them must be treated with respect. Making a film is a team effort but you also can't have too many cooks. Where do you draw the line?
So what is role of a producer? A producer does a lot of things. As a screenwriter hoping your work hits him/her in the right way, the producer takes over the show and tries to find a path to get your story made. How much power a producer has is entirely up to you but of what you originally wrote, if 20% of your work survives, consider yourself lucky.
I want my producer, to do as little as possible. Find funding and help me stay on top of the mountains of paperwork that comes with making a movie. That's it. I've got everything else covered whether it's in actual contact with talent or scheduling which might need a few tweaks but you won't be starting from scratch. So if there's a producer out there that wants an easy gig on a $1.5M budget Action/Thriller, contact me.
For those of you seeking another route, any producer worth his weight, just from knowing the genre and brief 5 sentence synopsis of your film, should be able to tell you the maximum budget you should shoot for, what kind of talent you'll need and an estimate of gross revenue returns. Those figures might change after reading the script, but that's to be expected. If he/she can't see a path to profitability, you don't need or want them in your life. In the end, it's all about pleasing the investors with a positive RIO.
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I run into the "That's Impossible" individual a lot, Philip David Lee. I try to ignore them and let my work do the talking.
"I want my producer, to do as little as possible. Find funding and help me stay on top of the mountains of paperwork that comes with making a movie. That's it. I've got everything else covered whether it's in actual contact with talent or scheduling which might need a few tweaks but you won't be starting from scratch." That sounds like you'd be doing producer duties too, so I'm thinking you'll get a producer credit.
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Absolutely, Phillip! Surrounding yourself with positive people is essential, especially when you’re on a journey of connecting to the infinite potential of the universe. It's like casting the perfect supporting roles in the movie of your life. Positive people don’t just cheer you on; they help you see possibilities beyond your wildest imagination, reinforcing that anything is possible with the right mindset.
When you’re surrounded by folks who genuinely want the best for you, it’s like they amplify your energy, making it easier to connect with that boundless creative force which I like to call, “the genie within.”
This energy field we create with the people around us is like a co-creative dance, making the path to our dreams feel less like a struggle and more like a celebration.
Let’s keep aligning with those who uplift, inspire, and push us toward that next level of greatness because that’s where the magic truly happens!
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Thank you, Richard. In an industry rife with secrets protecting the scandalous and blacklisting the bravest, it is refreshing to see there are others that believe in connecting to the true artisans of filmmaking in both the creative and business sense.
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Maurice Vaughan I just like to be able to answer questions Maurice so I do a shooting schedule so I know how many days I need a talent on set and I try to crop each individual cast member accordingly to cut down of travel time. I like to have a budget formed as to equipment and personnel needed on the set. If an Exterior shoot should get rained out, I can quickly change to an interior shoot so a day isn't wasted. I have contacted the agents or the talent directly in regards to my project and they have all given me a thumbs up once funding is secured. I am open to change but they have to make a logical and natural addition to the existing screenplay, but if they can prove their point and without "because that's the way I want it!" I'm adaptable. If a procedure is easier than the way I've been doing it, then I'm adoptable. A stream cannot flow freely with blockages. A film production must also be free of conflict as all will flow as nature intended. I don't need a title for doing what I love. Director and screenwriter is enough for me.
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Business and Creative brains are needed in filmmaking as well as anything else! It is how innovation happens and how to get it to the people! How do people do films without a budget and schedule, day out of days planned? It would be a waste of time, money, and talent. As a line producer, the earlier I am brought in on a project, the easier it is to make things adaptable as well, within reason of what is in the script. Thoughts on producers, there are different types of producers too, and each serves specific purposes and the more people understand the different types, the better the flow of the project overall.
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Stephanie Moore That's all well and good, Stephanie and to be honest if I ever get to the point where a producer wants to hire me, fine. They can do all of the heavy lifting, but I can't bring in a Line Producer until I secure a budget so I have to do everything up to that point. I think Line Producers are great. I'm not the kind of creative that will write a helicopter battle on a $1.5M production because I know the limitations in film. I have no problems with regular producers if it's their project. If it's my project, I want a producer that will work with me. Producers will never say to me that what's in my story can't be done. If it can't be done, it wouldn't be part of the project in the first place.