Producing

Myrtle McGovern amazing! Three filmmakers you've actually produced for is a wonderful set of invitations. You know their work firsthand, which means you know exactly what this community can offer them.

Welcome to Eunice, Marcella, and Carole! And it sounds like you're building a real bridge between producing and screenwriting yourself, which is a good place to be standing. The people you've supported tend to be the ones who show up when you're the one with the pages.

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Charmane Wedderburn wow! Three brand new to the community! Thank you for that, and for being so thorough about it.

Welcome to Suresh, Shyam, and Skinny. And it's always a good sign when someone turns out to already be here. It means you and Chazz are both in the right room.

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Xochi Blymyer A whole commercial acting class is a great room to bring in, and actors who already work together tend to arrive ready to participate.

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Maksym Stoialov thank you for jumping in, and for protecting their privacy while doing it.

Your Pitch Session code is in your inbox. Looking forward to seeing your two in the Lounges!

Another great mission!!! I invited my friend Yiannis Nikolaos Kalogiannis, a photographer and amateur actor as I admire him a lot as an artist. He is innovative, with great passion and joy for what he does .. Also my friend Kalomoira Petrou, a photographer and videographer who takes her first steps in screenwriting and I want to urge her to become more active and benefit from your seminars...

Specifically from my experience as a small, independent filmmaker in New York City, Myranda Peterson , I truly appreciate that I can truly realize all phases and facets of my films (preproduction, production, post, etc.) right here in my home region and not be required to involve Los Angeles (or any other distant location).

Obviously, I can be physically anywhere to write a film, but New York City and its surrounding area (including New Jersey) have an incredibly robust indie film community set within a gargantuan population center. So, it tends to be reasonably easy to find all the passionate cast & crew I could need right here at home. Also, the city's region and the State are pretty diverse in terms of locations, depending on what is being sought, especially for filmmakers who are tenacious.

And after the project has been shot, there's plenty of local support for postproduction. Not to mention the New York State incentives.

Being based in New York happens to be very convenient for filmmakers. (Go figure. New York is a city of convenience for everyone.)

So, the point is, for smaller filmmakers and those in the industry who are earlier in their careers, having a wider range of film production hubs just makes it easier for their films to be made. Both financially and logistically. But big-time companies and filmmakers also benefit, in part because they can choose which hub works best for their given project (whether due to incentives, lower expenses, types of locations, etc.). Not to mention that those who want to be in the industry have a wider range of choices for where and how to live their lives. Not everyone truly likes to live in LA or NYC.

Los Angeles could still be considered the largest hub (or, if you prefer, the biggest center) of the film & TV industry, because so many of the biggest, most established and most influential organizations and people are based there. But, nevertheless, it is also one of many hubs.

I would argue this multihub/decentralized reality grants far more freedom than there used to be for filmmakers to create their projects. And, ultimately, that's really what matters most.

Excellent points, Tony Armer , especially those last couple paragraphs. It's remarkable—and unfortunate—that the US (the feds, that is) has no true national incentive or program for film production. So many other countries have offered some form of support for films for many years, but not the US, despite being of one of the biggest and most influential nations of cinema.

That's right, Eric Schumacher . I agree with everything you said. The major studios (the number of which is gradually dwindling) really did that to themselves

It's fascinating how there now seem to be essentially two kinds of filmmaking that are driven by completely different philosophies and creative values. On one side, the big-studio way. And, on the other, the independent or smaller studio approach.

I agree with many of the comments here! LA is still absolutely the creative eco-center for film and TV. If you're interested in BTL or Line Producing, there are good opportunities to do that in other production hubs.

I think what's really wonderful about the digital world we live in though is that more established creatives can live in other regions once they've found their footing in the business, something that wasn't as easily available in 20th century film and television.

In short, if you're starting out as an above-the-line, capital P Producer, LA (or NYC) is still the best place to be, and then you can grow from there. If you want to work on set, there may be other strong options!

No.

NO ONE PARTS WITH THEIR MONEY EASILY!

Invest in yourself and your IP first. You can't sell a car well if you haven't driven it yourself and don't know it well or who it's for. I learned all this from my first days as a sales agent and distributor. Also know how to assemble and lead the right team.

Producing is one of those amorphous words because there are lots of different types of producers. What are your strengths? What are you bringing to the table? How can you move a project forward - creatively through development, financially through getting investment and distribution, physically through production, or something else?

One thing I wish more new producers heard early: producing is often less about having all the answers and more about knowing which questions to ask and who to ask them.

Welcome to the Producing Team! I think something that I wish I knew earlier in my career was how hard it is to find great material. I spent much of my early career trying to uplift material that was too underdeveloped. While every project you take on will need notes and tweaks, it is not the producer's job to completely overhaul a story.

Something strong has to be on the page to start!

With a 10–15 day shoot, crew chemistry can be just as important as individual experience. There’s very little time for a team to find its rhythm once cameras start rolling. Hope you find the right people for it.

I think the location can also influence the mood and identity of a film. I’d be interested to know which locations you personally feel work best for your projects, especially when music and atmosphere are important to the story.

Script Tora Sandra Isabel Mary Harper Michael Dzurak

I think we agree, the locations should serve the story. Yes!

And while I’ve long believed: “work with great people,” one thing that would scare me is going to the epicenter as a newcomer and potentially dealing with crews that know so much they are set in their ways.

Thoughts?

I know exactly what you mean, Jack Vincent. I think I’d feel that too walking into a very established crew for the first time.

For me, though, self-confidence is a big part of the secret. I’ve had to step into unfamiliar rooms and industries before, build businesses, work internationally, and learn fast while still trusting my own instincts. That experience taught me that confidence and humility can absolutely coexist.

If you trust your vision, but you’re also open enough to listen and learn from people who know more than you in their area, everything becomes easier.

I’m never afraid of experience. I’m more cautious of rigidity. The best crews, for me, are the ones who bring all that knowledge and still stay open, generous, curious, and connected to the story we’re trying to tell.

Sandra Isabel - the Yin Yang of experience vs rigidity.

#timeless

Yeap #WORD :))

Thank you Krenda Alice.

Terri Morgan, thank you for sharing this so openly. I can understand why those experiences would be discouraging, especially when the conversation becomes about status, names, or awards before anyone has even properly engaged with the work itself.

What really stood out to me in what you wrote is that you’ve learned not to let someone else’s limited view define what you’re capable of. I relate to that deeply. Sometimes the most powerful response to “you can’t” is simply to keep building, keep learning, keep finding the right people, and let the work speak over time.

And I agree with you on something else too: part of navigating this industry is learning who is worth your energy. Not every room is our room, and not every person deserves access to our confidence.

You’ve already done a lot, and I’m sure there is much more ahead.

Thank you, Mary Harper . I completely agree; representation matters not only in what we see on screen but also in who gets to lead, produce, and shape the stories behind it.

And I love that you mention diverse creative voices, because collaboration across disciplines can bring something really special to a project. Thank you for adding your perspective to the conversation.

Women often bring enormous empathy and emotional intelligence into the room. We read people. We understand nuances. We can sense what isn't being said. And when you combine that with experience, authority and the ability to make decisions, it can be incredibly powerful.

It can also threaten certain egos.

I've encountered resistance in my career, but I've learned something else along the way: you don't always have to confront power head-on to exercise power.

Diplomacy has been one of my greatest tools.

I listen. I read the room. I understand what someone needs, where the resistance is coming from and how to move the conversation forward without needing to prove that I'm the smartest or most powerful person in it.

My sweet Alexia Melocchi, this is so true <3. I’m reading you and I see so much of myself in the way I’ve moved through filmmaking, business, and relationships.

Diplomacy, listening, reading people, understanding what isn’t being said, and knowing when to speak and when to hold back have always been some of my strongest tools too.

For me, real power has never been about being the loudest person in the room. It’s about understanding the room, staying grounded in who you are, and still finding a way to move things forward.

Thank you for putting this into words so beautifully.

From the studio side of the desk, the issue I run into far more than anything else is a complete lack of obvious commercial viability.

Contrary to popular belief, the spec market isn't a pure talent contest—it's a business. Executives and producers are constantly hunting for high-concept hooks in proven commercial genres, built around clear-cut leading roles that top-tier talent actually wants to play. If a package isn't easy to assemble, the script doesn't move.

How do you gauge what’s actually marketable? Look directly at what the major streamers and studios are spending their marketing budgets promoting right now. That is the mandate. That is what they need more of.

To maximize your chances, write what the buyer is actively trying to buy. It might not always align with your personal passion project, but when it comes to breaking in, the market always wins that battle of wills.

From the distribution side, I often see projects where the story is clear, but the audience and what makes the film stand out are not. That can make a strong script much harder to sell.

The truth: Too many AI driven decks without the vision of the creators behind it. Also trying very hard to sell a project/script with an "I know it all" attitude and not wanting to listen, adapt, or collaborate.

Michael Schulman Appreciate you laying this out so clearly from the studio side.

You’re right the business reality is hard to ignore. High-concept hooks, proven genres, and roles that talent actually wants to play are what get packages assembled and projects greenlit. Looking at what the major streamers and studios are actively promoting is a useful reality check.

That said, I’m curious how you see the balance playing out in practice. Do you find that the strongest commercial scripts still need a sharp character engine underneath the high-concept surface, or is the hook itself usually enough to carry the day if the packaging potential is clear?

I’m always trying to understand where the line sits between writing something the market is actively looking for and still delivering the kind of character depth that makes a project feel distinctive once it’s in the room.

Would love to hear your take.

As a TV producer, I see too many pilot scripts where the show obviously hasn't been developed. At the end I don't know what the show is about or what I could expect to see in future episodes. I also see a lot of pilots without correct pilot structure, lacking logical construction driven by character decisions, and having only one story thread. The most attractive projects are ones where the writer has a very clear overall vision, a command of the craft, and the willingness to collaborate.

Thanks, I received the code.

Thank you, Ashley, for the response. It is truly appreciated. I am on to Week Two. I am getting excited, as this feels something like 'Clue,' or a Scavenger Hunt (but more in the vein of helping others find their people!) Happy Wednesday Creatives!

Yes, that works well. It sounds natural and thoughtful, and it keeps your songwriter perspective without sounding like you’re trying to sell yourself.

This is such a great remin

der of how powerful community can be. As a singer-songwriter, I’m really glad to be part of a space where creatives from different backgrounds can connect, support each other, and create together. Excited to see what this September brings!

Yes, Community!! Nothing better.