Fantastic Producers and Where to Find Them
When a short film wins rave reviews, it is usually the director and creative departments who take all the plaudits, while the role most often overlooked and underappreciated is that of the Producer.
Written & interviewed by Mark Brennan
While also playing a part in creative discussions, short film producers take on all the logistical, administrative, and organisational work behind the production; budgeting, locations, contracts, catering, invoicing, and more - usually the first one on set and the last one off it. They are also vital for most funding scheme applications. Ultimately, the job of the producer is to make sure the director, cast and crew have everything they need to do theirs.
Yet despite this essential and often unglamorous graft from start to finish, few short film producers are financially compensated for their time or even enjoy their fair share of the kudos when the film is well-received, so it's no wonder they’re in short supply.
Evermore the unicorns of the short film world, Alexandra Blue - Festival Formula client and the producer behind short films Endo-O and Cinderella Games - shares with us her thoughts on why producers are so hard to find.
“Short films are incredibly hard, you can't survive off them. In fact, you're usually losing money, essentially paying to produce because you can't earn other money whilst you do them as they're so time consuming. So, usually by the time you've heard about a short film producer, they're not doing short films anymore because they want to do features. Also, not that many people want to be producers in the first place because they all want to be directors, or they realise producing is hard. That's why it's hard to find them.”
As a result, there are many filmmakers who take on the role themselves out of necessity rather than desire (unlikely to produce for anyone else), while young/new filmmakers similarly lack interest in the role. It’s a point echoed by Last Breath and Swimming With Men producer Stewart Le Maréchal of MetFilm Production, which is a sister company of MetFilm School.
“So many students want to be directors and I think that’s in part because they don’t yet fully, or sometimes even partially, understand the myriad of other jobs within the film industry which are just as rewarding and enriching. It’s understandable as when I started, I didn’t really have a sense of what other roles were or how they were defined outside of directing as I had no connections to the industry.”
If this all sounds bleak, it’s just to show how important to short films producers really are, so when you find a good one, hold on to them and look to progress together. It’s why many producer-director collaborations last for entire careers. So, if you’re a filmmaker looking for a producer, where do you look? Stewart continues:
“You start by doing the work (at whatever level of crew or production that is) and through that process you gradually meet people, at whatever level they are. Go to festivals and screenings and mingle in the bar afterwards and discuss the films and find like-minded people. For me it was a pretty gradual process and you need to be patient.”
Alexandra agrees on the importance of meeting people:
“Go to events and networking sessions. Apply for schemes. Follow people on social media. Seek out recommendations. Look at film school graduates. Who's producing the short films you're seeing in short film festivals? Who's producing the shorts which are getting funded? Look at people working in development or in the production department interested in becoming producers. They're all good places to start.
It’s also worth considering people you may already know who have never produced but may be a natural fit for it. Nasreen Cullen produced her first short film Blackout with the support of BFI Network and Film London.
“I found the idea of producing my first film quite daunting to begin with, but quickly realised I was able to take my project management, planning and communications skills learned in my operations management role and overlay them onto pitching for funding, scheduling, and hiring crew, amongst other things - like sparring with councils for reduced filming fees!
“Overall, it was a positive experience which set me up to produce two more shorts, each time learning more. On the flipside, I’ve also taken some of what I have learned producing back into my operations role, so it’s been a win-win.”
And working with Nasreen was definitely a win for director (and good friend) Serena Chloe Gardner:
“Working with Nas on our short film Blackout was a no-brainer for me as I already knew how brilliant she was in her day job. She could literally organise the Oscars if she wanted to, all while scaling a mountain for charity at the same time - she's incredible. There are people out there that might be ideal at working on your project too, you just haven't realised yet.
When you do find a potential producer who you’d like to connect and collaborate with, Alexandra Blue has some final advice to consider before making your approach.
“Be respectful and appreciate their value. I used to get a lot of emails saying, ‘I've got this short film, the script is finished, I've already got the cast and the cinematographer, I just need someone to raise the money’ or ‘I just need someone to do the organisation’. That is not reflective of the role of the producer and takes a lot of fun out of the job because we like to be involved in those creative decisions as well. You should be seeking someone who's going to be a key collaborator and creative partner as well as someone who helps make things happen.”
Filmmakers should look to share a vision, not just a workload. Find someone to engage with from the very start and together you will get that film made.
Delicious Green Producing