“Hi Stage 32 fam. I’m Charmane Wedderburn
I’m in pre-production for my first short film as writer/director. A producer from my Verein is asking me to pay the majority of the budget plus give him an upfront fee, while still splitting ownership 50/50.
Is this normal in short film production?
If the writer/director is carrying most of the financial and creative weight, how should ownership and fees fairly be divided?
Any advice or examples of fair agreements would really help me stand strong in these negotiations.
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Charmane Nothing is ever the same. It's all a deal.If you don't like the deal that's on the table right now, walk away and look for a better deal, or renegotiate. Right now, this person is betting on (1) you being desperate to take the next step (first rule of business: never want something too much), (2) going along with your lack of general knowledge. But yes, doing research is the key for almost anything!!... ... Wait, wait, wait, "upfront fee," it's probably our notorious scammer here on Stage32. Give the info to Stage 32 and let them check!!!
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Who wrote it, owns it. Unless that person is willing to give up, or split, ownership then no one else owns it. If someone buys him/her out, then the ownership is transferred. This producer, he's a line item in the budget to be paid, and don't pay anyone upfront (or that's usually the last time you'll see them!!).
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If you wrote it, then you own the script. If you move into production and you pay for production, then you own the finished film. What are they providing as your producer exactly? Short films do not work like other films because all too often they are created as a "Director Calling Card", so the producer won't likely get money back through distribution, so they can't lead the project the way they normally would. SO, be prepared to HIRE a producer instead of PARTNER with a producer. And when you HIRE, make the job description/responsible tasks super specific.
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“Thank you, Rutger, that’s very helpful advice. I completely agree — I don’t want to rush into something that doesn’t feel balanced. The upfront fee especially gave me pause, so I’m taking time to review carefully and get outside perspectives. I’d rather walk away than lock myself into a bad deal. I’ll also take your advice and flag this to Stage32 so they can double-check. Thanks again for reminding me to stay in control of my own project.”
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“Thank you, Lindbergh . That’s exactly the clarity I needed. I wrote the screenplay, so the ownership stays with me unless I make the choice to share or sell it. And yes — I hear you loud and clear about upfront fees. I’ll make sure my producer role is treated as part of the budget, not as an owner of my story. Appreciate the wisdom!”
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Writers should not pay producers. It's abnormal.
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Scam alert.
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was telling me. I appreciate the clarity. As the writer and director, I shouldn’t be paying a producer upfront, especially in a short. This helps me stand firmer in negotiations.”
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Muddy. If it's your short and you are financing it, then you can hire a (physical) producer to help during the production or production services and pay them for their work but they would not be entitled to any ownership. They would be a key hire like any other head of departments. If the producer is a creative producer and is packaging, helping raise the rest of the money etc, they could be paid off the budget + get a few points from the producers' pool but they'd need to pull their weight
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“Thanks, Geoffroy — makes sense. In my case, since I’m carrying the financing and creative, it feels more like a hire situation than ownership. That’s where my instinct was leaning too.”
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“Kay, thank you — that’s crystal clear. You’re right: for a short, it makes much more sense to hire a producer for specific deliverables than to hand over ownership. That helps me stand my ground.”
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“Big thanks to everyone who weighed in — this really cleared the fog. Here’s where I stand: I wrote it, I’m financing it, so I own it. Period. Any producer on this project will be brought on as a hire with a clear job description and deliverables, not as a 50/50 partner. That’s the only fair split. Appreciate the wisdom — I’m walking into these talks with both clarity and confidence now.”
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Hi Charmane he they are having a lend of you do it your self been there done that years ago