Producing

Welcome, Michael Fitzer! We’re so lucky to have your experience and energy in the Producing Lounge. Three decades in and still loving it is such an inspiration. I’m always excited to learn from members who’ve seen the industry evolve firsthand and still find ways to grow with it.

If you want to make your own projects and have most of control over what's being made you have to produce. I would say producing is a necessity for any true filmmaking artist. I produce but often don't take credit for it. In that way I can focus better on directing. Having that said, finding a good producer to work with is still very hard. If you compare the work of a producer with most other disciplines its far not that creative and very much alike a management position in regular business. So its about taking a lot of risk, having to deal with non creative work and if your unlucky you work with creatives blaming you for a potential malaise. If you want to be a true producer in film you have to have access to money, money you can spend on production, but also on R&D. There are only few who are in that position, which often makes the business of film very dodgy and a lot of us lonesome dreamers instead of hardworking actual producing members of the community. I advice everybody to watch the movie Bowfinger, which is really funny and contains a lot of truth about the reality a producer faces. Also The Player by Altman might be of your interest and Living in Oblivian. I choose for producing at filmschool and was trained by some of the best producers in the business, including in the VS and UK.

Willem Elzenga, Thank you for sharing your vision, your experience, I really appreciate that and your insights. Producing truly is the backbone of filmmaking, even if it often goes unrecognized. Balancing creativity with leadership is tough, and finding the right collaborator is even harder. The financial hurdles are real, and access to funding can make or break a project.

I love your film recommendations: “Bowfinger” and “The Player” capture the chaos and challenges producers face. I’d love to hear more about your training with top producers in the U.S. and U.K. What was the most valuable lesson you learned?

Most valuable lesson's learned:

1. Everything is possible

2. Don't assume to much

3. Stay true to yourself

4. Make sure you have not got a bad bank

5. It's show business

6. Hollywood is a small town

7. Some producers made over thousands of films

8. People come and go

9. IMDB you can reach by phone in L.A

10. Your either in or out of the loop

Willem Elzenga , these lessons are invaluable; thank you for sharing them! "Everything is possible" is such a powerful mindset to have in this industry, and staying true to yourself is essential when navigating the ups and downs of filmmaking.

The financial side is definitely one of the toughest aspects of producing, and having the wrong banking situation can be a real setback. Relationships are everything, and the industry can feel smaller than it seems from the outside.

I had no idea you could reach IMDb by phone in L.A.—that’s an intriguing tip! I will ad all of them to my list :))

My advice would be for selling a film, setting up meetings, doing research. Robert covered everything pretty well, especially since he’s been to Cannes specifically.

Join my class and get the scoop! Access paired with talent will maximize your success. But I would say as a piece of advice is BE WILLING TO LISTEN , BE WiLLING to PIVOT , BE WILLING TO SURRENDER CONTROL and look at it as a marathon not a sprint.

Ashley Renee Smith so happy to see you on the Croisette! You deserve being there!

I'm so excited to get to finally meet you in person, Alexia Melocchi! =)

There is some great advice on this thread. Be sure to have your schedule mapped out, but you also need to surrender to the Cannes magic. There is a beauty with the creative collaborations that come from the festival unprompted. It’s my favorite thing about being partners with Cannes!

Anna Berdnikova, your observations are truly insightful! Reverse storytelling absolutely thrives in genres like psychological drama, suspense, or thriller; it adds layers of complexity and intrigue. I love how you highlighted Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster as an example of non-linear storytelling tied to character POVs. It’s a masterful way to keep audiences engaged. Your emphasis on a tight, purposeful script resonates deeply. Answering questions progressively while maintaining logical and emotional connections between scenes is crucial for keeping the audience invested. I also admire how you’ve stressed the importance of POV execution and ensuring every scene and dialogue serves the story. This level of precision could elevate any production. As for directors, your suggestion of finding someone who can seamlessly connect scenes and bring out their unique significance is essential. Reverse storytelling definitely requires that cohesive touch to truly captivate the audience. Great points all around! Thank you for taking the time to share with all of us!

Please give me a memento to think about this.

Sandra Isabel Correia Not sure I understand the question? Would this be for filming exigencies? Films are shot out of order almost always. Reverse order? Is this an exercise in mental acrobatics? Just curious.

You have all the time you need Ken Turocy :))

Hi, Jack Binder. It's an exercise in mental acrobatics to expand our creativity. How would you expand as a producer?

Congratulations on signing with Range Media Partners, Miranda and Cold Iron Pictures! Hope it leads to incredible opportunities for you all!

Great share Geoff! Anyone who wants to see more from Miranda, we had her speak on a panel for our partnership with the Cannes Film Festival. You can watch the panel here with other Stage 32 educators Matthew Helderman (CEO, Bondit Media Capital), Kristin Harris (SVP Development and Production, Vertical Entertainment), Shaked Berenson (Producer), and Miranda Bailey (CEO, Cold Iron Pictures) : https://www.stage32.com/blog/producing-film-in-todays-market-opportuniti...

Congratulations, Miranda! Wishing you continued success on this and your other creative projects.

Fancy seeing you here Geoffroy Faugerolas! Glad to have you in the community! I have been producing feature films recently. I had sold 2 shows during the TV golden age - one to Amblin and one to USA and I have now switched over to feature films. I have a microbudget film that has been greenlit for financing and we are shooting come June. This isn't a talent-driven film, but more a genre-driven film which I'm excited about because it's written by a Stage 32 member, Martin Reese, who is one of the hardest working writers I know. Additionally, I am out with a feature film script right now that is a $10-$15 million budget that is an ensemble feature international cast. We've pitched about 20 places and have gotten all but 1 to read. So, mid-budget range is definitely open...an international appeal was definitely a hook for the pitch. Also, the ability to spread the money across multiple talent offers (not just on one key talent offer) was appealing to the pods and prod cos we pitched to.

These are fantastic news! Great to hear the market has been very receptive to the materials. The international market has certainly been dynamic.

Hi Geoff! Glad you're here. We always have several plates spinning. All in the sub-$2M range. Making offers on one, a small amount invested on another, taking meetings on a third, and just starting to nurse a fourth. One horror, one dramedy, and two dramas, both of those inspired by true stories. All fun!

Very good to hear France remains strong in production!

Terrific offering Sam Sokolow - so important to understand the pos production process.

It's truly hard to believe it happened the way it did, Jack Binder. But in another breath, it's happened so many other companies in similar fashion. Some hubris, some terrible decisions on projects and, perhaps even more so, budgets. Of course, these problems still exist today. Look at some recent "failures" and their outrageous budgets.

Didn't realize you worked for MPP. Gotta have stories for days, I'm sure.

Oh yeah, @RB. Of course this was back in the day when CEOs could take out the profits without a board preventing it, leaving the company without proper resources to continue viability. These guys may have been the driving force behind Wall St. oversight and accountability...true renegades...

Absolutely fascinating, Jack Binder. Would love a doc on this subject.

Richard "RB" Botto Good call. It was an interesting time. Wall Street was betting heavily on famous filmmakers, and these guys and their colleagues had serious connections with major banks and lenders. Their backing was impressive. Then they went overboard and financiers wised-up to such extravagance - but they loved it, and still do!

Hopefully, we can have a resurgence of sorts in the indie space, Jack Binder. I believe the allure is still there.

Elmare Hendricks Congratulations on your collaboration, that’s such an exciting opportunity! Working across countries and cultures can create such a rich and meaningful project, especially in the documentary space.

My biggest piece of advice is to focus early on clear communication and setting expectations: timelines, creative vision, roles, and responsibilities. Make sure you’re aligned on the story you’re telling and how it will be presented authentically, especially since you’re representing South African voices and perspectives.

It’s also important to discuss things like distribution goals, rights, and credits up front. Clarity in the beginning will save a lot of stress later.

Stage 32 also has some fantastic education resources that might help guide you through the process: https://www.stage32.com/education/collections/filmmaking

Wishing you all the best!

If they are asking for you to put money up front, then it is a scam Elmare Hendricks

Mark Deuce we met physically, good references as well, thank you so much

Ashley Renee Smith i appreciate your guidance thank you much

Elmare Hendricks my advice would be to find a good entertainment lawyer and make sure all responsibilities, rights and deliverables are clarified and understood by each party, including termination agreements (in case it doesn’t work out) are in the contract.