Screenwriting : Working directly with producers by William Farlinger

It seems like a good thing as another option for getting produced. And I think it is, if the producer is an established production company. But if it's an individual who also writes, then they are looking only for things much better than they can produce. That means top quality material only, which is what managers, literary agents and production companies should be all looking for too. Signing with an individual producer sounds like it would be handing them most of the credit and financial reward. I can see optioning a script to a director as a good move. An individual producer however, even if they have personal connections and promised projects, is still a middle-man that would be best to avoid. They will just be using your hard work to get a project going that is not their own and all concerned might rather not have in control of the project. Am I off-base about this?