Run by the creative team behind the phenomenally successful Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass and The London Screenwriters' Festival; The Producers Masterclass is a two day workshop that shows you how to become an effective and successful film Producer.
Producing is often viewed as a ‘dark art’ or something that is hard to learn. Nonsense – it’s a skillset like any other in the industry and we can show you how it works.
So why should YOU Produce? Simple, it’s the best way to be sure your work gets made and distributed, be you an writer, director, actor…
But while producing your own small projects is a useful part in the journey to success, there are some things you don’t want to learn the hard way! Trust us, we have been there and got the T shirt!
To succeed in producing you need to:
TAKE CONTROL - Your career won’t just happen – you need to be informed, prepared and guided. Making no-budget films will NOT automatically lead to bigger budgeted work. 99% of producers start by blagging resources for short films, and this serves as a great introduction to the role. But this will only get you so far and very quickly you’ll find you’re stuck in a repetitive cycle of short films and no-budget productions. If you want to move in your career you need to find new sources of knowledge.
PREPARE YOURSELF - Don’t wait until you’re sued or screwed before learning about contracts. The legal paperwork of any production is vital and serves to protect you, your project and the people around you. And yet so few producers take the time to learn these basics. Lawyers are seen as an expensive luxury meaning many producers don’t worry too much about ensuring their contracts and agreements are secure. Until you’re sued or screwed, that is! Plus, without these basics, you can never sell your film.
GET PAID - Being a producer and being paid to be a producer are two different things. We make no apologies for it, we WANT TO GET PAID! Making a living in the industry is tough but perfectly possible. Being a full-time producer is similar to being an entrepreneur and so you need to build your own network of clients to provide yourself with paid work. From the outside it’s hard to figure out just how most producers find work and make money.
Don’t just get your work made, Producers get movies SEEN and DISTRIBUTED. One of the greatest skills a producer can have is the ability to pitch - to financiers, investors, cast, crew, agents, distributors, distributors, audiences… everyone you meet! You need to be able to create momentum for what is after all just typed pages of text, and get people excited about an event that hasn’t happened yet, to love a piece of art who’s quality is unknown. We’ll show you how.
Build your network and become an infleuncer. It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. An old cliché perhaps, but true. How do you network with powerful people who can get your movie made? How do you infiltrate the circles where cash flows freely? Who are the gatekeepers and how do you get past them? Assistants, agents, managers, lawyers… We show you how.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
* How to produce your next project and take it up a notch;
* What a producer actually does and what makes a producer truly great;
* How to think like a producer in all situations;
* How to start your production company;
* How to protect yourself, your business and your ideas;
* How to make a successful and sustainable living solely from producing;
* How contracts work and the key points in the important contracts;
* How the feature film business works;
* How to produce other production types such as music videos and advertising;
* How to find and build projects that are attractive to investors and audiences;
* How to secure funding, including dealing with investors;
* How to access and manage resources rarely used on low-budget productions such as stunts, visual effects and big name actors;
* How to lead people;
* How to find and mange talent and creatives;
Includes Invaluable Producing Resources
Every participant on the workshop gets a pack to keep which includes vital producing resources including:
Sample contracts from key agreements;
Investors’ agreements and related paperwork;
Budget breakdowns for feature films (no, low, medium and high budgets), music videos, adverts and online series;
Paperwork from recent Hollywood productions, including cost reports, budget breakdowns and sales projections;
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW:
Day 1 Producing Your Feature Film / Essential Producing
What Producers Need in a Script – Spec scripts, hiring a writer, securing adaptation rights.
The Business of Film – How the film business works, setting up your company, legal requirements, accounting.
Investment – Finding private investment, building a business plan, crowd-sourcing.
How Producers Read (and Alter) Budgets – What a film should cost, where to spend it, sample budget explanation.
Free Money and Tax Credits – Funding schemes, producers tax credit, local tax incentives, the new EIS scheme.
Contracts and Not Getting Sued – Cast, crew, writer, directors, producer, investors, music and more.
Adding Value with Top Crew – Hiring & firing crew, fees & payment, working with highly experienced crew.
Producing a Cast That Matters – Attracting a top cast, dealing with agents, handling actors.
Getting Your Film Noticed – Getting coverage for your film, posters, press materials, photography.
Avoiding Music Disasters – Using commercial music, hiring a composer, music rights & soundtracks.
Deliverables – What you’ll need to deliver including full ‘Chain of Title’
Distribution – Sales agents, distributors, film markets, collection agents.
Day 1 wraps with an evening of power networking.
Connect now
As part of the masterclass, you will be invited to join our online social media site, so that you can network and collaborate with all the other film makers who are attending the event.
We have found this to be a powerful way for delegates to network BEFORE the event so that you can take full advantage of the possibilities thrown up by the masterclass. The network is free to all delegates of the Producers Masterclass.
If your business, aspirations and film projects are not taken to a whole new level during the workshop, I will give you a full refund on the spot. This is the only chance this year to get this world class film training in London for just £135.
Remember, as an organization, we are in the trenches right beside you. We have made films, we are making films and we connect with hundreds of experienced film makers through our books, live TV show and bigger events.
Chris Jones
Film Maker and Author
www.chrisjonesblog.com
mail@livingspirit.com
