Starting out as a producer?

J

JRy

Hey guys! Long time, no see!

I've been thinking lately on how I'm going to go about getting my foot in the door in the film industry, and the more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards starting out as a producer.

I am looking at it like this (and please correct me if I'm wrong); I could option the rights to some outstanding source material from a well-known & well-respected author; go through the process of finding a director, principle actors, preparing a budget and then getting funding from private investors or a studio.

Being a producer, I would essentially be getting the best hands-on knowledge I could get next to being the director, right? I'd be there for every day of shooting, essentially protecting my investment, making sure things go smoothly.

I'm thinking if I went this route, I could produce 10 movies -- and if I have a successful track record, I could jump over to directing & producing my own material because it would be easier for me to get funding and have control if I have proven success as a producer, right?


What should I look into as far as jumping into the world of producing? Should I start out as a producer assistant and learn the ropes? Should I try to be an agent/producer? I just need to know how to actually get started.

And if anyone can recommend any reading material on getting started as a producer, I would love you for ever and ever. :)


Edit: When I say I'd be starting out as a producer, I am not saying that's the only thing I'd be doing. I'll still be writing, directing shorts and maybe music videos as much as I possibly can.
 
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I am a noob, but one book that perhaps others with more experience can comment on that I have read and reread and reread that seems to perhaps be good for a producer is "From Reel to Deal"
http://www.amazon.com/Reel-Deal-Eve...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205705140&sr=8-1
The author also offers crash course seminars, if you have the money that is another option. I know some his students have been e.g. Quentin Tarantino, etc.
Good luck!
 

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The best way to get started as a producer is PA work. As a PA you will (usually) be working directly under under producers, UPMs, and PMs, etc. If you work for one production company regularly you can climb the ladder.
 
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That sounds like one hell of a plan!

If you can option source material from a well known and well
respected author, attach a screenwriter, a director and principle
actors and raise the funding then you are, indeed, a producer.

And if you did ten of these and just three of them made money - or
one was a huge hit - you could jump over to directing.

Starting out as an assistant to a producer is a great way to jump
into the world of producing. Working for an agent couldn’t hurt.
Getting a job in the office of a prodCo could be very valuable
for a few months. You could also start smaller; finding a great
indie script from an up and coming writer and produce a small
movie.

Christine Vachon's is an excellent book. Goodells “Independent
Feature Film Production” has really helped me. “Film & Video
Budgets” by Wiese and Simon is another one I couldn’t live
without.
 
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Joe999 said:
I am a noob, but one book that perhaps others with more experience can comment on that I have read and reread and reread that seems to perhaps be good for a producer is "From Reel to Deal"
http://www.amazon.com/Reel-Deal-Eve...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205705140&sr=8-1
The author also offers crash course seminars, if you have the money that is another option. I know some his students have been e.g. Quentin Tarantino, etc.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Just bought the book off of Amazon! Thanks, Joe!

indietalk said:
The best way to get started as a producer is PA work. As a PA you will (usually) be working directly under under producers, UPMs, and PMs, etc. If you work for one production company regularly you can climb the ladder.
Click to expand...
Awesome, thank you. :)

directorik said:
That sounds like one hell of a plan!

If you can option source material from a well known and well
respected author, attach a screenwriter, a director and principle
actors and raise the funding then you are, indeed, a producer.

And if you did ten of these and just three of them made money - or
one was a huge hit - you could jump over to directing.

Starting out as an assistant to a producer is a great way to jump
into the world of producing. Working for an agent couldn’t hurt.
Getting a job in the office of a prodCo could be very valuable
for a few months. You could also start smaller; finding a great
indie script from an up and coming writer and produce a small
movie.

Christine Vachon's is an excellent book. Goodells “Independent
Feature Film Production” has really helped me. “Film & Video
Budgets” by Wiese and Simon is another one I couldn’t live
without.
Click to expand...
I'm glad someone in the industry agrees with me that it's a good plan! Makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere. I'm going to buy both of the books you recommended.


Thank you to all of you, seriously. I love this place so much. The most beneficial film advice on the net, hands down.
 
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One other question I just thought about, can anyone give me a ballpark monthly income for someone just starting out in those positions (being a producer assistant / working at a prod co)?

Would I more-than-likely have to start out working for free and work towards getting paid? Just trying to figure out how much money I'll need to have saved up. I'm thinking I'll have $15,000 - $20,000 saved up and I'm going to try to get a roommate to cut down on living expenses.
 
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Here in Los Angeles most assistants get paid very, very little.
They often are on salary that ends up being less than minimum
wage because of the hours demanded of assistants. $400-$500
per week for 60 plus hours.

A lot of them are interns so you're correct - you'll have to start
in an unpaid position and work your way up.
 
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Thanks, Rik! I am fine with making less than minimum wage once I do start getting paid. I'll do whatever I have to do to make it.

Even $400-$500 a week would be enough to cover rent and expenses with a roommate. So I'd be good.
 
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I would highly recommend reading books like "the Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers" and "the Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution". As a producer you assume all sorts of liabilities and you have to answer to investors and hopefully show them a profit. "Filmmakers and Financing" is another book that might be helpful.
 
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Blade_Jones said:
I would highly recommend reading books like "the Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers" and "the Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution". As a producer you assume all sorts of liabilities and you have to answer to investors and hopefully show them a profit. "Filmmakers and Financing" is another book that might be helpful.
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Thanks, Blade! I've got both of these on order as well. :)

All of you guys rock!
 
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One more question, if you guys don't mind. What's a realistic turnaround time for going from unpaid to paid? 6 months, 1 years, 2 years... ? I am going to be working my ass off, never turning down a day to work and always following the on time mantra:
If you're early, you're on time.
If you're on time, you're late.
If you're late, you're fired.
Click to expand...
 
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A realistic turnaround depends on what you're like to work with, not just how hard you work. You could fall into the right production company on the first bounce or it could take a year but I guarantee if you work on 10 pictures in that year you will have a zillion connections, and if you work, perform well while working, and are fun to be around, you will get a lot of work. After awhile your resume will speak for itself.

People want to believe there is some magic bullet. There is none. Just work hard, meet people, communicate well, and don't show up your boss. In this day, when complacency and expectation of what one believes they "deserve", some good ol fashioned elbow grease with a smile is welcomed.
 
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indietalk said:
The best way to get started as a producer is PA work. As a PA you will (usually) be working directly under under producers, UPMs, and PMs, etc. If you work for one production company regularly you can climb the ladder.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this one, I know quite a few people who have been PA'ing for 5 years or more, granted they smoke pot all day and don't want to be anything more, or at least aren't willing to put in the effort. I would really just do it yourself, put the same amount of "elbow grease" into getting good material, putting together a good package and then raising some funds and making a good product and you will reap more benefits than working for someone else.

My partner and I worked at various production companies from PA to production coordinator, we optioned a couple scripts multiple times and nothing came of any of it. So we said F**k it, lets just do it ourselves. We ended up with a good product that now has distribution in North America (DVD) and we got an advance of more than 60% of our budget as well as a foreign sales rep who has made two Pay TV sales so far this year.

So my advice is just to put the work in your own project and make it happen by any means necessary.

PS. If you want to check out the project I am talking about - www.thelodgemovie.com
 
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I don’t understand what you disagree with. A PA who smokes pot all
day and doesn’t want to do anything more isn’t going to work
their way up to producer. Doesn’t mean starting as a PA isn’t a
great way to becoming a producer.

You and your partner started as PA’s. I bet you learned a lot
before you said “fuck it” and started producing.

So what do you disagree with? It seems from your own experience
starting as a PA is a great way to get started.
 
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I'm with Rik on this one. I believe people who want to produce movies, produce movies. An intern with a major prodco has three major advantages over the people who only ever indie:

1) They get stuck writing coverage on all the incoming spec scripts... which trains them in what pro producers are looking for in a script... and, what they're not

2) They get to see what professional working practices look like and what the job of a producer entails

3) They develop industry contacts, because they get dragged to all the major festivals.

No indie goes through that process... and yet, they are the key elements in the development of a producer.

However, with that said... I've never interned for a prodco a day in my life. So, it's not impossible; it's just damn hard, expensive and time consuming to do that growth in isolation.
 
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