Film production - "There's nothing more difficult to do than produce a movie" - Robert Evans
Remember; no one knows more about your film than you do
A good independent film producer isn't a frustrated film director but somebody who loves film producing so much that they are willing to put blood, sweat, tears and all the money they have into making everyone's dreams come true, including their own. But make no mistake the job of a film producer is the hardest job of all on a film production. If your movie is a success the plaudits go to the actors and director. If, on the other hand your movie fails, well it's always the film producers fault. Yes, when the film sells the film producer can potentially make a lot of money but money isn't why we all do this. If money is all you want, you will fail. The film producers who find success are the producers who put their passion and enthusiasm into every movie to make truly amazing cinematic films. Just because we have small to no budgets isn't an excuse for poor production quality. On the contrary, I believe that film production value comes for free. I've seen so many movies made by guerilla filmmakers that could have been so much better had they simply cared more about every single shot. For the guerilla filmmaker the task of producing a film production is even harder. But on the other hand it's a lot more fulfilling because you have to be more creative. If you can produce a movie as a guerilla filmmaker imagine what you could achieve with a Hollywood budget. If you can learn not to waste money here it'll stand you in good stead for the future. No one tolerates a film producer who allows a film production to run over budget and over schedule. It's simple, if you run over budget and over schedule then you run the risk of whoever is paying for your film to come in and sack you and take over the movie. So why not learn the discipline now. That's what I told myself when I set out to become a film producer and none of my films has run over schedule or budget.
I remember when I was working at the BBC one of my first executive producers gave me this piece of advice - "If you don't like firing people don't become a film producer". I hate firing people but if they're damaging my film production in anyway then they've got to go. To be honest I feel sick every time I've had to do it and on The Greenwich Village Massacre I had to fire a lot of people. Having said that I do look for solutions before coming to such a damaging decision and I make absolute certain that the person who has to be let go knows why. It's discussed properly to see if we can fix any problems but if not then I have to be strong and fire them. I produce all of our films for one reason, I believe in Ben one hundred percent. He writes amazing screenplays and always manages to get excellent performances out of our actors often under very trying circumstances. However, he can be very challenging and sometimes demands the impossible for which he'll get a resounding "NO". That's the job of a film producer. Knowing when to say no and when to get on the phone or internet and track down whatever has been requested. Nothing happens without my knowledge or say so, even though Ben likes to think he's in control of everything, it's really me juggling all the balls. For a film production to run smoothly both film producer and film director have to be the very best of friends for the relationship to work. I've often seen film producer and film director teams arguing like cat and dog and unsurprisingly when you see the film it isn't very good. If the relationship isn't working then like all damaging relationships you have to end it. There's no point continuing to try and produce a movie for a director who you no longer believe in.
Being a guerilla filmmaker is all about doubling up on jobs during film production. As the film producer you are also going to have to be the film's production manager or line producer, which is a daunting task. Film producing is, in the main, common sense. You have to be able to read a screenplay and say, "How are we going to achieve this?". Once Ben and I have discussed the film we're going to make Ben usually gets on with writing the screenplay. During this time, as the film producer, I make some general enquiries to suppliers to check ball park figures and to find out that if what seemed simple when discussed in the living room is actually achievable. For example, we made a short film called, "A Different Kind of Christmas", about three soldiers in World War 2. While Ben began writing the script I needed to check how much the film production was likely to cost. Even though I didn't have a script I knew that I needed three authentic World War 2 uniforms, rifles, ammunition, etc. I also needed to talk to companies about special effects as I knew that Ben was writing fight scenes into the script. As an independent film producer if at the point of developing the script I learn that what we're trying to achieve is impossible for the money and is simply going to look bad on screen I'll inform Ben. We'll change the screenplay accordingly without compromising our core idea, that's what film producing is all about. So instead of the soldiers having a major battle with the German Soldiers. We'll change the script so that we don't see the battle, instead the battle goes on in the distance. The result is still the same but the cost is now achievable. Ben and I will work this way as we develop the script. As he writes I'll read the pages we discuss them and then I'll continue my preliminary investigations. So, by the time we have a completed script, I know where pretty much everything is coming from and the cost. It's important to say, at this point, that generally people you talk to are lovely but film production service companies can respond to me in two ways. They either try and tell me that they know more about my film than I do or they're not interested in helping at all. No one knows your film better than you do. Once I had a props company question whether the vehicle I was collecting the props in was suitable for the props I was hiring even though I'd signed an agreement for any breakages. I'm always polite and honest but to those companies who don't want to help I make them understand two very important facts. Which are these. Every filmmaker has to start somewhere and no one produces a multi-million dollar movie straight away, filmmakers have to work up to it despite what the media would have you think. The other fact is this, if they help us out now when we've got no money to spend, when we do get a bigger budget then they'll get our business. 
As an independent film producer, I use this tactic all the time and it usually works however it MUST be the truth. People can spot a liar from miles away in this business. I'm lucky that Ben gets a lot of press in the UK so I can direct them to the internet to google him. So they can see for themselves that we're in the process of building our career. That is why it is so important to tell people what you're doing when you set out to make a film. Not just friends and family but also local press - as a film producer I can't stress the importance of this enough. Get in touch with your local paper and get them to run a piece on you before you begin your film production. All newspapers publish on the internet and so you can use those links to include in your introductory emails and direct people to them as you're talking to them on the phone.Companies are more likely to help a film production that is seen as newsworthy rather than somebody who isn't or can't be googled. The internet is one of your weapons as a film producer and at every stage of production it can be used to your advantage.
As an independent film producer it's important to own your own video production equipment; camera, sound, lighting and editing equipment so that no one can hold you to ransom if your film runs over a little. Shoot on the format you can comfortably afford, if that's HDV great. I know film producers who try and push their productions to shoot on the latest large format digital cameras like the RED. Why? It doesn't make any sense. If you're a well funded independent producer then yes go ahead but as a guerrilla filmmaker this sort of film producing can be fatal. I know two productions right now who are stuck due to the fact that they've run out of money because they chose to shoot using the RED camera system. Ben and I have used the RED camera system when shooting commercials. It's great if still a bit cumbersome due to the fact that you need so many hard drives to store data on. Why on earth any guerilla filmmaker would try and shoot on this format astounds me. Some of the best films I've seen recently from guerilla filmmakers have been shot using nothing more than an HD consumer camcorder picked up from a local retailer. Ben and I have just bought a new Sony prosumer camcorder which we're going to use to shoot our next film on. The only reason filmmakers attempt to shoot on larger format is because they're trying to look more successful and bigger than they really are. It's a form of showing off and bragging. But now we've finished our film to a very high standard and their film is still stuck in a computer somewhere gathering dust because they can't afford to post-produce the film. Usually these filmmakers also rent really expensive dollies, cranes and catering companies which just eats through money - no pun intended. Tell your crew and actors to bring a pack lunch. I know I hear everyone gasp. But it's only in the film industry where it's expected that you'll feed everyone. Packed lunches are great and if you tell everyone up front they'll all agree and it's not a big deal. The show-offs, usually spoilt rich kids, want to look like a big film crew instead of concentrating on making a good film. Run your own race. Don't be made to feel inferior simply because you're not shooting on the latest camera system at least your film will be finished and tell a compelling story. During pre production for The Greenwich Village Massacre Ben and I knew we couldn't afford a production designer so we rolled up our sleeves and did it ourselves. We built our own sets, learnt how to hang wall paper and turn an empty space in a warehouse into a studio with an amazing set.
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Some things to think about as a guerilla filmmaker - film producer1) Develop a good story. Work with the writer and director to achieve the core idea. Keep it simple. 2) As a film producer learn to politely say "NO". Don't be afraid to fire crew members or actors. No one person should be able to hold you or your film production to ransom. 3) Set up a limited company to handle the film production. Keep on top of the accounts - personally I always plan our shoots to avoid doing our VAT return during production. If you hand in a late return you'll be fined. 4) Keep the crew to a minimum. Generally there should just be as few people as possible involved in your film production. Guerilla filmmakers should get used to the idea of doubling and tripling up on production roles and responsibilities. Below is an example of one of our typical productions; a) Film producer / production manager b) Director / cinematographer / editor / sound designer c) Sound recordist d) Make-up and hair / assistant e) Production designer / art director / assistant f) One assistant / runner g) One or two actors each day (Make sure that everyone involved can drive and has a car) 5) Be prepared to do everything yourself. 6) Spend money only if it'll show on the screen with the exception of paying your actors and crew. If you're not paying them their usual fee then you must at the very least pay expenses. People will work for free but you can't expect it to cost them anything. And you MUST honour any promise you make such as giving them a copy of the finished film. 7) Make everyone understand that if they have any questions that they should speak to you about them and not the director. Be a buffer so that your director can concentrate. 8) Pace yourself, in the early days as an independent producer, I nearly ended up in hospital. Look after yourself; eat well and sleep well. 9) Work sensible hours, guerilla filmmakers seem to think that they'll save time shooting into the early hours every day. All that happens is that your film suffers! Ben and I work a normal working day starting at around 10am until 6pm. If we have a night shoot scheduled we make sure we only have half a day the day before. 10) Don't waste your money. This means don't have a glitzy 'premiere style' screening once the film production has wrapped where everyone can pat each other on the back in some over priced screening room. It's a waste of time and money. If you've got the money for screenings then you've got money to spend on improving your film.
I hope you find the following articles about film production helpful please don't hesitate to contact me or a member of the team if you have any questions. There's no such thing as a stupid question when you're producing a movie. How to Have An Award Winning Short Film
Making Videos - A Quick Guide to Actually Making Money by Bill Davis
Q & A with the Director of the Award Winning Short Film "Damm Your Eyes"
An interview with Oscar Winning Filmmaker Paul Haggis
How To Make Your Own Dolly and Track
Filming Sharks - An Interview With Filmmakers Ron & Valerie Taylor
"There's Never Enough Money!" by Producer Davina Belling
The Guerilla Feature Film: The Dinosaur's Narrative Challenge - "Yol"
Camera Lens Filters; Here's How
Q & A with Cinematographer Mark Hamilton
The UK Film Industry by Beth Porter
Acting - A Starring Role by Sally Farmiloe
A Producer's Journey by Jackie Weatherill
Gaffer and Spark Terry Maskell
Film Makeup Artist Vimala Clark
Film & Television Acting - Paul Butterworth
Your Film Production Story
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