Ben0

how do you become a movie producer?
it is my passion in life to become one but i dont really no where to start so if you have advice or personal experiances maybe you can help me?

e.g what school would it be best to attend, what magazines to buy to see whats happening in the movie world (but also keeping in mind that i am from london, england so it is going to be extra hard to make it big one day but that is NOT going to stop me trying!)
so PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

thank you!!!!!

MrGoat00

To be a producer you need money. A Producer is usually the person that puts the money into a project or oversees how the money is being spent.... I think I'm right and if I'm wrong someone will correct me in about ten seconds... =)

After you get money, it's time to find a project you want to do. The easiest way is to find a talented writer and a script and take it from there.

sherm42

You don't necessarily start with money. Sometimes, you start with a script or you buy the rights to a book. Then you try to get it financed.

RocShemp

That's right. The guy with the money is the Executive Producer.

BigDan

UCLA has a producers program. Actually, they have several different levels of producers programs, including a single summer term one. I believe they're all post-graudate programs, though. It's good to have significant general business knowledge, as well.

You can actually find the property first and then find the money. The first rule of producing is to never use your own money, so finding the property first is essential.

There's actually a guy here locally in Dallas who decided to become a producer a couple of years back and has achieved some level of success now. When he started, he found a project He wanted to do (picked through research to be an easy sell), hired an entertainment attorney to put together an investment package (which cost $6,000, including writing the offering documents and setting up the Limited Liability Company, but not writing the business plan itself). He then knocked on doors of rich people (doctors, lawyers, etc.) in town until he'd sold all the shares.

He then attached some actors (well, Rachel Hunter, anyway), hired a director and got the movie made. After that, he made the rounds of the distributors until he got a deal (with Lion's Gate, if I recall correctly). And now you can rent the movie in video stores... though I wouldn't recommend it because it sucked.

Once you have a few indies under your belt, it will be easier to get in to the studios and potentially sell them on your next project. It's a road frought with peril, though, since many, many movies never make their money back for investors (and many don't get distribution at all). The guy in Dallas has produced a second movie that was filmed last year. It played at SXSW, but it has yet to get U.S. distribution (despite having some "name" actors, including Jason Lee, Crispin Glover and my down-the-street neighbor Burton Gilliam).

Carcaridon

If you're in the LA area, Dov S-S Simens has a great 2 day class that will get you started. Some of the greats took the class. I took it about 6 months ago and found it very enlightening. A lot to cover in 2 days, but he powers through it.

www.webfilmschool.com

Good luck.

Jackskeleton

Did you delete the thread and start it all over again? I know I'm not dreaming when I replied to this same thread topic last night.

It doesn't sound like you fully understand what it takes to be a producer. You have to have some experience in knowning all the aspects of making a film since you are going to be doing it from the ground up.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A PRODUCER by Lawrence Turman is a good book.


This thread sort of shows how the name Producer has been saturated and tossed around to much with many non-producers getting credit space. Why? They ask for it when negotations are going on for their big name actor. Instead of risking losing a big name, they gave into giving that agent some producer credit since it doesn't cost them much (that is till they ask for their producers fee). I'm glad the Producers guild is finally coming down on that sort of thing.

SINGLE104

And also, an element to maintain, to become a first rate producer, is to gain a certain amount of clout in the movie industry.

Drexl

Or, you could become an accountant, and then tell a producer that under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money on a flop than he could with a hit.

BigPete

Change your last name to De Laurentiis.

Fincher Fan

Don't worry about it, I've already made you an associate producer. Now go get me coffee.

Carcaridon

Wouldn't that be a production assistant?

PopcornTreeCt

Producing sounds like the toughest job in the business. My friend did some assistant producing last year and she complained that there was too much "drama" to deal with.

Fincher Fan

He wanted a raise.