Producing

I presume one has to pay for the privilege.

Always. It is 299$ for one hour. And, yes, the ad says he took 2 from stage 32 to work with. Many people do not have the 299$. And what happens after the hour?

Does he offer help with rewrites? Then that would have to be an additional fee, I am guessing.

On another part of this platform, we can see advice that one should never pay a producer to read stuff. Curiouser and curiouser said Alice. Actually - its below.

Look for a project which promotes Saudi on the world stage.

And what kind of project you envision to promote Saudi on the worlds stage? I would love if you can share with us David Taylor :))

I lived and worked there for three years on multiple big developments at the same time. Similarly in Qatar and Iraq. There are a few comments I would not make on a public platform. What I will say is that Saudi would be pleased for a movie about how it seeks to keep the peace in the Middle East or uses its influence positively in other areas or ways. Saudi keeps a lid on a few 'foreign' areas thus protecting others, but 'the west' generally never gets to hear about it. It actually never crossed my mind to write one - until I saw what you wrote. I'll talk to my brother - he lived there too. Doing a drama which is domestic is an issue because the place is very different to the rest of the world and gets misunderstood - but in areas is enormously impressive Like building thousands of large villas at a time and giving them away to families. Saudis are also happy when for example, Turkish drama or stories are promoted as they see that place as 'familiar' and as a desirable lifestyle.

Thanks for reminding and warning the community, Abram Christian. If anyone sees a fake account, scam account, or suspicious account on Stage 32, email support@stage32.com with the person’s name and their Stage 32 profile link. And if someone sends you a scam message (like a producer asking for a producer's fee to make your script), send a screenshot of their message to Support with their name and profile link. Thanks.

Abram Christian, that’s a powerful reminder of what honesty truly means. Thank you for bringing it forward. I had a similar experience last year with a well-known producer. Despite the pressure, I chose to stand my ground and honor my worth, rather than accept what was being offered in exchange for my fee.

Thanks for sharing your experience and the insight, Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg. Do you suggest indie producers start with local products? I'm guessing it's easier than trying to get bigger products and name brand products for their films, shows, etc.

I don’t have yet Maurice Vaughan, but I am eager to learn about it!

At what stage did you pursue and integrate product placement and does it affect moving the project along quicker?

Joel Cousins Depends. The product placement landscape has changed over the years. Today, many "agencies" simply market to possible companies through email - which is a very very slow burn and so far I have never seen it work. Because securing product placement is an ACTIVE SALES function and email is not sales, it is general marketing. You would begin the process of identifying brands and products in preproduction - it's pointless before that because you have no place to put a product. Sponsors are buying something "now" not in the future - their budgets work that way. Often you might get a product in literally a day or so before a scene. Exceptions are on series which are in production or prep - I worked on Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, Restaurant Express and others, and they get literal tons of branded products in at the start of a season. To your second question - if it affects your project timeline, something is wrong. Product placement might defray some costs or add some value (or not) but if you are depending on it for production, you're not in a good place.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg both your points make sense. I appreciate the clarification and felt uneasy about entertaining this prematurely in my project's process. Thanks for thoughts.

Debbie, Appreciate the questions. Yes, Section 181 and state law incentives are fully compatible. You can check out some of my articles at www.filmtvlaw.com where I have covered Section 181 before and how it relates to state incentives. Thanks again! - Brandon Blake

Thank you in advance, Brandon! Good luck there!

In the DR we did these when establishing the Film Commission (Tax Tariffs for companies to use tax money in exchange for funding films) and it went very well but it made people have two sets of budgets one for the DR Film Council to approve and review and a much lower production budget to actually make the films. So, keep an eye out for that ;) companies always want more money back after taxes!

Love to see you back in the community, Brandon Blake! You've been missed.

Ashley, Thanks for checking in! - Brandon Blake

Thanks for sharing the video, Pat Alexander.

Warner Bros. did a phenomenal job with its movies this year!

Michael De Luca talked about being big on sharing the One Battle After Another script with the team and everyone who has a stake in the movie's success getting a chance to weigh In. That happens in the indie world too, but it happens on a bigger scale on a major studio film. I think that’s one reason some movies that started off great don’t end up that well, but on the flip side, having a lot of different inputs can make a movie better.

Having done shooting schedules before we had this kind of software, I know how vitally important it is. That's great there's an easier way to make it happen these days, but always do try to have it all held in your own mind, too. Makes you a better AD, UPM, Line Producer, and more on any project. Good luck!

Thank you everyone for these incredible insights! We are in for a treat :)

Excited for tomorrow!

Make sure to put all of your questions below for Michael! We just spoke, he's very excited to be hosting today :-)

You can still sign up here: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/introduction-to-movie-magic-s...

That's funny that you say that because I use that movie as a reference all the time about what I don't like about a 'Hollywood' ending. Way to easy for my particular tastes. Mine are probably weirder than most so I would not say follow my lead necessarily. An example of an ending I LOVE is Frailty. Talk about a hell of an ending.

I agree, the ending may be somewhat simple, but, first of all, it’s completely clear to the audience. Secondly, it creates a kind of “phew” feeling: everything seems really bad, the hero is dying, it looks like a tragic ending, and the audience feels some distress because, even though it’s not entirely positive, you still empathize with him. And then—surprise!—it was just a dream, and the hero now has a second chance to do everything the right way. I think it creates a small sense of suspense, and that’s how I see it.

By the way, in the film The Game starring Michael Douglas, there’s a similar situation. Throughout the movie, we see the main character’s life getting worse and worse, worse and worse. And then, at the end, it turns out it was all just a setup orchestrated by his brother. It’s a very similar kind of situation.

To be honest, you know, for me the dumbest ending is in the third xXx movie with Vin Diesel, when he jumps out of a plane without a parachute, somehow flies through the air to a crate, grabs it, opens the parachute, and at the same moment the crate is already landing—and he just sits on it. I mean, seriously… in real life, he would have been completely flattened falling from that height. And then he just talks to another “X.” Honestly, that’s for me the dumbest ending I’ve ever seen. Really.

Yeah - I see all of that for sure. It definitely reflects the idea that art is so personal and we all receive it differently than the other person consuming it. IT is what makes the creative industry so compelling and a never ending supply of interesting and fresh takes on basically the same stories that have ever been told.

Congratulations on all the success with The Dark Horse of Suffragettes, Swati Chugh and everyone who worked on it!

Great interview. One thing that stood out is when you said you knew what kind of films the festival selected. It’s great to check to see what kind of films a festival selects before submitting. It’s like when I pitch scripts. I don’t pitch an Action script to a producer who’s looking for a Rom-Com, Drama, etc.

Thank you Maurice for your support ! Agree with your views. It's always good to do your research before submitting any project either to producers or festivals. Increases the chances of your project being selected :)

You're welcome, Swati Chugh. You're right. I'm looking forward to seeing The Dark Horse of Suffragettes!

You can watch the documentary on the channel itself. The link is there at the end of the video.

Congratulations on getting approval, Candice Delevante!