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Aspiring Producers?

posted 14 years ago by j_2006_linc
2 replies | jump to latest

Are there any aspiring producers out there who feel similar to the following:

To me, it seems more and more (if that's even possible) that the business is being co-opted and run by and large by bankers, Wall St. traders and people who are in love with money much, much more than they are with film (or TV, new media etc.) or telling a good story. It's all now about brand recognition, appealing to as wide of an audience as possible and rounding off any edges on projects so that the least amount of people possible are offended by anything some may deem the least bit controversial or "edgy."

As an aspiring producer besides actor and screenwriter myself, I personally am on the complete opposite spectrum of a mindset as I believe first and foremost story or the quality of any given project should be the number one priority and anything else will have to follow afterwards. I also get very frustrated and depressed by how screenwriters are usually treated within the industry by studios and their execs/suits and it seems so often that what was originally a very unique or daring script will get gutted and mutated into something far less and needless to say something that it originally was never intended to be!

If I could ever co-found a production company or mini-studio of sorts I just would want to operate in the complete opposite of ways as I believe there is a way that valuing quality and artistic/creative integrity over the almighty dollar or certain audience demographics would in the end be able to attract enough of an audience to make the financial risk(s) involved worthwhile.

Just as importantly I would treat any writer(s) on any given project or want them to be as involved with the actual production and overall development of their scripts as much as they would want to be. This may not be the best phrase or term to use but if the director(s) say is the captain than the writer(s) would be the co-captains or whatever perhaps is right below the captain as I again feel they deserve much more weight or say in how a project is treated or handled.

I could go on but this is not the proper outlet for that, so if anyone who comes across this is an aspiring or even broken-in younger producer who feels the least bit similar to how I feel then I would love to be able to hear from you! I am looking for potential allies and future partners in trying to make the kind of cinema, TV or new media that the big six and others don't seem to want to bring to audiences.

Thank you in advance for any interest in this!

[–] SherlockVonEinstein 14 years ago

well, decades ago, studios were ran by former producers and directors. now, they are pretty much ran by glorified accountants with fancy titles.

the old studio heads made movies that they loved, and were able to take a risk now and then, because the budgets weren't inflated by the demands of stars. it used to be that the stars worked for the studios, now the studios work for the stars. no one should be entitled to 5, 10, or 20 million dollars to show up on set for a few weeks to recite lines someone else wrote and then hop on a plane. sure, i get it: a lot of films make big money and the actors feel that they deserve a large cut of it, since the average film-goers are showing up to see them; however, if they were able to settle for a few hundred thousand dollars for a few weeks work, then there would be less of a need for big numbers to maximize some kind of return to the investors... and what profit was made then could be used to finance more ambitious, less commercial projects along with the more mainstream audience-pleasers.

along with that, the almighty demographic god would be dethrone. the key is to convince those who've been living in 30 million dollar homes that a 5 million dollar home is still a mansion.

[–] WisconsinParkour 14 years ago

I am all for that sort of thing myself. It goes the same way with the music business, except there aren't as many stock brokers, but in place "music brokers" or people who record and release a band or artist's material with nothing in mind but that ungodly, 'all-mighty' dollar. My buddy is trying (and struggling) to start his own recording studio.

Personally, as a brand new writer, I would jump at the opportunity to help you out with something such as an online based "movie studio", or as the case would have to be (via the internet) a name sake that carries more than one brand of film.

My idea would be, essentially, a website or message board, a lot of online head hunting (attract trolls, marks etc.; Frequent net users), a lot of time and patience, and then after all of that, a little bit of luck.
It's the low budget way to launch some movies and host to the possibility to even be stumbled upon by the right person/people.
I haven't found it yet, but that might just be possible without even spending money aside from whatever money is spent on the movies.
Currently I basically have no financial situation. I make min wage for 6 hours a week...no way is anything in my price range right now.
I just felt like it was an idea worth pitching though.
Let me know.
-Rob K