What should I look for in a producer?

F

FilmBoy77

Veteran
i got a message from someone today who saw my casting and she said that she was a producer and had been doing it for 3 years and was interested in my project based on the brief description i had in my ad.

i havent called her back yet, but i wanted to know if any of you have had any experience working with a producer and how they may or may not benefit your project?
 
if they have that, but it's very minimal are there any red flags i should listen out for when talking to her?

also i'm under the impression the producer's main job is to secure financing for the project. is that all?
 
You've got to tell us what she called you for. Having trouble reading your mind.

A producer does EVERYTHING. Without them, there is no film. I'll elaborate when you tell me what she called you for. Now go call her back! You can't afford to blow these people off!
 
lol, i'm not going to blow her off. all she said in her message was that she was interested in my project based on the initial concept i had listed and wanted to know if i had any producers attached or if i needed any help. she also said she had a few actors looking for work if i needed that as well. i hadn't called her back because not sure on what to ask her. she called about four hours ago.

i planned on financing my own feature but i'm willing to open the doors to anybody that i can benefit from. i'm just a little skeptical because a friend of mine recently bumped into a "producer" that turned out to just be somebody calling themselves that title and wasted his time once she got his script. he freaked out because 2 months later she was on the news for stealing money from a little girl's beauty pagent! that was wild, lol.

i intend on calling this producer woman to feel her out though.
 
A producer's job isn't just to get money. It's to get EVERYTHING needed to make the movie -- people, locations, props, wardrobe, vehicles, equipment, supplies, food, the whole shebang.

See what she can do for you, and what she wants in return. Check out her reel, resume and references. Especially see how much power/control she expects to have over your project. He (or she) who brings the ball to the game gets to make the rules.

Good luck!
 
Right. The producer's job is really the boss of it all, which is why when the Oscars for best picture are awarded, it's the producer who gets called up to receive it.

The director is still the creative boss, and gets to make the final call on artistic choices (generally with lots of input from the producer, who is usually foremost in that role among the crew). In many (if not most) cases it's the producer who hired the director in the first place.

A film production team as a baseball team analogy might look like:

Movie Studio: Baseball Team Owner
Producer: General Manager
Director: Manager
DP, other crew: Bench Coach, Pitching Coach, etc.
Actors: Players

and so on

The point being that (at least in theory) the Producer heads the entire project, including all hiring and firing, subservient only to the front office/money people. In most cases it's the producer who made all the studio/money deals happen too.
 
Last edited:
Not necessarily. But he has to be willing to give her control over the project. They could co-produce, splitting the profits. But they'd have to have some way to resolve disagreements that end in a stalemate.

Now it may be that she's offering to be Executive Producer -- in essence, she would be offering to bankroll the production. If that's the case, then they could sign an agreement that makes her essentially a silent partner, and he retains control over all aspects of the production. If he is relatively inexperienced, chances are she's not going to risk her money without some recourse if he starts making bad decisions.

This is all just speculation. He needs to ask the woman exactly what she's offering, then weigh his options.
 
Of course this is too late to make any difference, but ...

Of course this is too late to make any difference, but ...

I think there are some other considerations which may give a filmmaker pause.

It's very unusual for a producer to call a filmmaker asking if they need any help, especially if the filmmaker hasn't indicated that he's looking for funding in some way.

Sometimes someone who has been involved with a movie as an asst. to a producer or been an associate producer decides that they might want to try becoming the main producer on an indie project that sounds right for them.

This producer might not have money but expertise, in which case they're just fishing, looking for something to attach themselves to.

Also they may want to direct. Sometimes directors pose as potential producers only to take over a project. :violent5:

And here is the point, if you already have the project funded, why give yourself the headache?

Just hire a good production manager and make the movie as a producer-director.

Good luck shooting :kali:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top