ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 7 months ago - Louise Galizia

Thanks everyone for taking the time to offer advice - I will keep it all in mind and re-evaluate how to approach the situation. John thanks for the tips... will have a look at the events you mentioned they sound really promising and everything is worth a try! I am looking for a collaborative partnership rather then just wanting to pay someone to do all the dirty work... but it is hard and it mostly comes from friends rather then complete strangers - as most of you have said... will keep trying though! and thanks again

11 years, 7 months ago - Yen Rickeard

As already posted above it depends on what the film is. But unless you have some intriguing and exciting things to do and learn from, what you need is a good friend to work with you and take off some of the hard work finding locations and crew and props and.... If there are exciting new things to do and learn from, why would you give it anyone but yourself? That's the way you learn to do the hard stuff, and learn to recognise what is going to create more difficulty than it is worth. As for the budget - how deep are your pockets? That's about the only place you will find any - until you get recognised and start making longer more saleable work. Some very clever people have made some money from their shorts, but they are few and hard to find..

11 years, 7 months ago - Marlom Tander

The "and budget" would worry me.

If you mean that you hope the producer will find some money, for a short? A herculean task, likely to end in failure.

If you mean that you need someone who can stretch a budget then, well, that's what they do :-)

Do you need your producer to have film specific technical skills? Don't laugh. But it's the difference between "this is what I want to get on screen, make it happen", and "this is what I need to get this on screen - 12 cannon, and a Victorian Platoon, go and find it, ideally for free".

If the latter, then what you need is an energetic person who gets a buzz out of making stuff happen, and knows that details matter, as do deadlines. They might even find it fun :-) As you have already produced a short you could in effect direct the producer and not do it yourself, freeing time for your filmic side.

Good luck

11 years, 7 months ago - Daniel Cormack

For a short film, I would say:

1/ If you are self-funding or raising funding independently then produce it yourself. Get a good production manager or Line Producer for the shoot itself, but put as much in place as you can beforehand, Pick up the phone call equipment hire companies, post-production etc. Go and visit them, be enthusiastic, friendly and do as much research as possible. Being an ingenue actually helps in these situations and you'd surprise how much people are willing to help out if you present yourself well. Make use of resources like Shooting People to ask questions and don't be afraid to contact people you don't know to ask questions.

On the other hand if you are going for a funding scheme run by the BFI etc, then I would try and get a producer on board beforehand. If they believe in they project they will go with you through the application process. Find examples of top quality short films that you admire and find out who produced them. Meet them, tell them why you have approached them specifically, ask questions. I think what Paddy and Dan have said is true in that really the producers can take it or leave it, but equally you want to find someone who you can work well with, so don't just jump into bed with the first person who shows any interest.

11 years, 6 months ago - Louise Galizia

thanks for taking the time to watch the short and for the feedback Dan. I agree... I got some very good feedback from it but it is too abstract and it was quite hard to market for festivals. this time around I am focusing on the narrative - makes it much more interesting to direct and visualise too so I am excited.

appreciate the comments

11 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Yeah, can't let that last comment go. You probably didn't mean it this way, Louise, but still...

First, a good producer is worth their weight in gold. They aren't someone that does "The dirty work."

"I am looking for a collaborative partnership rather then just wanting to pay someone to do all the dirty work": is that code for I won't pay you for doing your job? A good producer is collaborative whether paid or not. A Good producer genuinely cares about the film they choose to produce. I mean they really care.

Don't mean to come down on you personally; there are so many on SP that think a producer just sweats the details and gets deals. It's that, and so much more. But until you've worked with a good one, you won't realize how amazing and important their job is to a quality film. To think of a producer as a non-creative team member is pretty insulting to any potential producer out there.

At this point in your career, Louise, they have to see something in you that's worth nurturing. Not just someone that can free YOU up to create. I seems you're looking for an experienced producer that can sell themselves to you, and not the other way around.

So you want a producer? First, have a kick ass feature script. Explain to them that you are working toward directing it, but you need to hone your skills with a few shorts that YOU WILL FUND on your own. Don't ask them to produce the shorts, but instead offer to buy them dinner in exchange for bending their ear. To learn from their experience. They might decide that you're really serious (depending on the questions you ask). They might offer to help you out as an advisor on these shorts. They might want to read that feature. They might offer up a good editor or costume designer on your first short. They might step in on your second short if the first is really good. In other words, they might decide that you are worth THEIR time.

You have to realize that the relationship between a producer and director is not just professional. It's intensely personal. You nurture that. You wouldn't put a post saying "Looking for a new friend that will take me to the movies. Must buy tickets and popcorn."

11 years, 7 months ago - John David Clay

You can go to some fo the london screenwriter's events. How to fund a film / + the the london screenwriter's breakfast club + the festival 26 - 28th October at regent's University. lot of them are writer producers producer / directors. Chris Jones who organises mos of it is a amazing personality and extremely approachabe. - I empathise with your porblem I'm still looking for producers myself for several features ideas.

Hope this is useful

John

11 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Producers get zero glamour and little in the way of creative release, so tend not to jump at every opportunity unless they can get some kind of benefit. That benefit may be friendship, money, future work, a good meal, chance to do something exciting, etc., but otherwise it is a tough, thankless, rewardless job. Maybe be clear about what the exchange/reward is. Even £500 for someone to oversee production will set you apart from 'Producer wanted to raise £50,000 paid minimum wage' ads and show you're serious. Most PM's and producers I know hate wasting their time, and people are less keen to waste time they're paying for than someone else's time!

It's also a nebulous term, and many people think a producer for their short film will go and get money from the money tree to make it. Be clear about what it is you expect the role to include. For instance if your short is yet another council flat talkfest with healthy-looking 'junkies' with guns, apart from booking lunch, what do you actually want producing? If however you're shooting in the middle of the Thames with a chopper shot and a bit of fun, you need a lot of production input and it might actually be interesting to get involved in.

Can you name 10 famous directors? Now 10 famous producers? There's no glamour in it ;-)

Don't know if that's helpful?

11 years, 7 months ago - Louise Galizia

Dan, you are right - I did not mean it that way at all. I have huge respect for all producers, and I have been lucky enough to work for some amazing ones who put their heart and soul into what they do, not just logistically but also creatively. And its my experience that the director-producer relationship is an intensely personal one. I fully understand that its a crucial part of film-making and that's why I posted on this site - to get advice from fellow film makers on how to approach the situation, how best to network and how best to pitch to potential producers. Thanks for your input.

11 years, 7 months ago - Louise Galizia

Thanks Jo appreciate the advice :)

11 years, 7 months ago - Enrico Tessarin

100 % agree with Dan. I have produced feature films as well several award-winning shorts. Stopped doing shorts about 5 years ago as I focussed on features and it's interesting to see that not much has changed :)

At no-budget short film level yes, the producer is only that guy that goes out and gets stuff for free. But that says more about you than about the producer. You, the director, are at entry level. But then when you eventually move up, and do budgeted shorts (and admittedly 75% of film-makers never once manage this) than the producer is the guy that with the director helps mould the project from the script to the sale to broadcasters (yes it is possible if your film is good enough).
The producer works ont he project with the director not only when it is shot. But way BEFORE, see in script development (as Dan said: is your script simply good enough?) casting (how many shorts with no name cast win awards and go to meaningful film festivals? very few) DURING the shoot, and most importantly AFTER.

After the shoot is the part that I'm amazed how many people underestimate. What is the point of making a short if no one sees it? How are you planning to get your short to 20 film festivals around the world? How is this going to help you make a feature? How is it going to help you work on tV or advertising. What are the best options? All of this probably needs to be thought out in advance. Normally when you are in prep and implemented when the film is finished. If you don't work with someone who has done it before, you will think that this will never happen to you and the best you can do is put it on youtube and get 1000 hits...

Needless to say in the last 5 years I haven't produced shorts, I have worked with directors that have moved on and worked on features. There are quite a few directors who haven't and several never will. It might be a coincidence but quite a lot of these directors worked without a producer.

Food for thought Louise. Hope it helps. Dan if you need a producer / co-producer, give me a shout.

Enrico@ pinchmedia
www.pinch-media.com

Hope this helps.

11 years, 7 months ago - jo lewis

Hi Louise, it seems to me that networking at film festivals can be a really great way to meet potential producers - London short film festival is coming up - and there are loads of other really great UK film festivals out there like Leeds, Cambridge, Raindance -. Sites like festival focus list them and also withoutabox. also Film London list events/networking and funding opportunities. Good Luck!

11 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Hi Louise, I watched your short. While I didn't understand it, I think you have a good eye for camera placement and potential. If you want to work professionally, you need to do narrative stuff though. And don't assume an audience knows what you know about your story.

Thanks Enrico! Unlike Louise, I don't respect all producers; I've worked under some truly bad ones. But you don't seem to be part of that club at all. (You know the type; producer in name only to impress they ladies). The best producer I've ever worked with would call me up at all hours: "You know that scene where... you should do this and that." And it was always something that I should have thought of, which pisses me off to no end. ;) WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!? And the shoot always ran so smoothly. Love a good producer.