So you’re a producer as if that title really means anything. Some of you may work hard and some of you may skim a little off the top of the budgets, but for the most part there are three kinds of producers.
1) The Hot Dog. You have had your successes and have given studios and investors a favorable return on their investment. I think that’s beautiful. Trouble is, I don’t think you would be on Stage 32 looking for your next big win. Since you probably won’t see this because you have brown nosing agents in your back pockets that you rely on, continue on with your quest.
2) The Icy-Hots. There are some producers that have had some hits and misses. The hits may range from big successes to big failures depending on how much input you had on the project and how much the people you trusted had screwed you. If you are participating in Stage 32 pitch sessions, I kind of wonder why? What exactly is your cut from the fees writers pay and how much are you really professionally invested in the people you fleece… I mean talk to. I mean you should have some idea of what projects will fly and which won’t. Do you care about the writer or are you just interested in selling their IP and thusly selling the writer down the creek. Your integrity better be beyond reproach or it’ll likely wind up biting you in the ass down the road.
3) The Last Legs. The 3rd type of producer needs a hit really bad. You have learned your lessons from the past, but those lessons have cost you your reputation and you’re about as big of a risk as there can be. Whatever you do, has to make a profit and the bigger the profit, the better. Now I would hope that you kind of have some idea what type of project will do that, but if you don’t, then trust the creatives with an actual plan and just make sure all the paperwork is filled out and the little SAG people get their meals on time.
In any case, I can work with any of you. I’m not just a writer, but I plan things out. You don’t like the plan then we part ways and you’ve lost nothing except maybe 15 minutes of your time. Otherwise you can keep throwing darts at the balloon wall until you develop pitcher’s elbow.
Tell me what you’re looking for and your target budget and I’ll have it. With the right team and the right ingredients, the finished project will make everyone happy. You know where to find me.
Merry Christmas.
4 people like this
Philip David Lee Judging from your post, I don't think anyone could know what you are looking for. Are you just angry that you haven't found the right producer? Or funding? Or that this cartel-controlled industry has gatekeepers everywhere? What are you seeking? There are real producers here, I am one of them, and I head the Independent Producers Guild as well. I am on S32 to locate and help mentor those very few creators who have the mindset and talent to become effective in this industry. I do find some. Most not, as this is a screenwriter's platform, not a producer's or director's platform.
Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg What are we talking here, Shadow? This shouldn't be a specific platform for anyone. It should be a networking platform, but charging people for a pitch session is like going to a batting cage. You pay for your swings, but in the end, none of the contacts you made, don't amount to much. We've all seen the photos of the stacks of screenplays that are piled up on someone's desk. What's the point? What is the goal of the film industry? It's to entertain people. You can't break it down an easier than that. As a producer, you should know what will work. I don't care about your politics. I don't care if you want to save or change the world. You're not going to. No one has up until now and they won't in the future.
I just want to find a producer that has access to smart investors and know how to package and promote entertainment.projects. With all the flops just this year, how can "the gatekeepers" be so dumb. You had Sydney Sweeny who got into the worldwide spotlight for doing a jeans ad that she didn't even write and you can't use that to get people excited and her $15M budget movie Christie enough to go and see it? The movie only grossed $2.09M worldwide? That is just stupid.
Can I find a producer out there that isn't stupid? Is that too much to ask?
2 people like this
Philip David Lee Well I feel your pain of course. But to you points, to my knowledge S32 is privately owned so they can focus on any sector they want to. They happen to make money offering courses and seminars mostly to writers. Pitch sessions are plainly labeled to be for education and practice - otherwise they could get into trouble. So long as the "producers" involved are actually NOT there to sign you up, then they don't cross the line into pay-to-play. S32 often notes that people have had their project picked up through the process. That's clearly marketing, and I don't see anything wrong with that, considering the clear caveats they also make. To your other points, why should ANY producer come here? I gave my reasons - because I am looking for talented creators who want to take control of their property. That's not your average writer. and no producer needs to network with your average writer. There's literally a million or more of them in this country. Most producers have too many to filter through without inviting more. That''s not S32's fault - I am sure they would love more participation by producers. Same with directors... And working writers or writer-directors, like my partner Diamond Monique Washington don't need the services S32 offers. She gives back to the community through Stage And Screen Innovations, where she's Artistic Director. As far as finding a producer - I note that you label yourself a producer. Why not run with that and produce instead of looking for someone else?
Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg That's coming.