I. It’s a Wrap!

• After you’ve completed all the stages of postproduction, your next step is to wrap the project and tie up all the loose ends. There are dozens of details to clear up, which can include any or all of the following:

  • The wrap party:

    • Your entire team has dedicated considerable time and energy to your project. You can say thank you by throwing them a great wrap party

    • Usually, it’s informal, and only the cast and crew are invited. It can be held at a restaurant, a bar, or on set; you can have it elegantly catered, or just serve beer and pizza

  • Final budget and billings:

    • When all the final bills have come in, you want to review each one for accuracy. Check your bills against your purchase orders. Compare your original estimated budget with what you actually have spent on the project

  • Petty cash and receipts:

    • This area often is underestimated, throwing your budget off target. If you’ve doled out $1,000 of petty cash, you want to have $1,000 worth of matching receipts

  • Complimentary copies:

    • A surprising number of professionals seldom see their finished work or their name in the credits. It shows your respect when you send copies of the final product to the cast and crew

  • A screening party:

    • Unlike a wrap party, this event is more formal and carefully planned, essentially a premiere of your project for the press, clients, top talent, and potential investors, buyers, or distributors

    • Generally, you rent a screening room or theater and distribute a press kit to attendees. The project may be introduced by you or another project representative and then screened. Usually, wine and cheese are served before or after. A screening party can be a great opportunity to mingle with the press and potential buyers

  • Thank-you notes:

    • Send notes or emails to the cast and crew, and the client or investors, as well as editing and audio facilities, locations, and others who helped you in the project

  • Dubs:

    • In addition to making complimentary copies, make additional DVD dubs made of your project to send to clients, or to potential buyers, distributors, or investors. Dubs can be expensive because they require copying, labeling, packing, and shipping. Your editing facility can make dubs for you, or you can burn DVD copies on your computer. Keep a log of who has been sent a dub and the date it was shipped so that you can follow up later

  • Tape or data storage:

    • After the project has wrapped, all the elements need to be stored. Your original footage and masters, the graphics, music elements, dubs, and other material is organized and delivered to a storage area that is safe and dry. Your editing facility may have library space to rent or check into local storage warehouses

  • Update your production book:

    • As you are wrapping the project, go through your production book and update any notes, contact information, contracts, and budgets while they are fresh in your mind

II. Professional Next Steps

Create a Resume:

• There are dozens of resume formats and templates that you can use for your own resume. Whatever style you choose, your resume ultimately reflects you both professionally and personally

• In the television and new media industries, “real-world” experiences are a plus, so include any internships, jobs, and production work you’ve done, no matter how insignificant they seem to you. Mention skills such as fluency in a foreign language, your talents in computer graphics, skateboarding, or working in a summer camp - these are aspects of your uniqueness that make you stand out and can be valuable to a potential employer

• You want your resume to look professional:

  • Use a simple 10- or 12-point font

  • Allow for white space so the information isn’t crowded

  • Print it with a good printer

  • Use quality, noncolored 8½ × 11 paper

  • Be brief

  • Use action verbs for impact

  • Limit any personal information

  • Don’t include your salary history or requirements

  • Mention that you have references available if needed

Build a Demo Reel:

• Each producer’s demo reel is unique because it reflects his or her specific vision and talent

• The demo reel contains short clips and excerpts of one’s best work. They can be edited to a music track with quick cuts, or are clips strung together with special effects and wipes

• Because most people won’t view more than three or four minutes, put in your best work at the beginning and at the end. Be objective about your choices

• A demo reel should open and close with graphics that include your name and contact information. It can be on DVD or on your website

• The purpose of a demo reel is to reflect your:

  • Professional abilities

  • Creativity

  • Technical know-how

Make a Short:

• Usually five to 30 minutes long, a short is easier than a full-length project to conceptualize and produce, to raise funds for, and enlist people’s help for production and postproduction

• Some of the cable and premium channels often air short pieces called interstitials in between their regularly scheduled programs to fill the time gaps. Other channels specialize in shorts

• A good short is an excellent calling card that can be:

  • Put onto YouTube and your website

  • Entered in festivals

  • Shown to potential clients

  • Broadcast on channels that showcase shorts in their programming

Network and Make Contacts:

• Agents and managers can certainly be helpful if you’re already successful, but, if you’re still on your way up the ladder, most producers find work opportunities from the people they know

• You want to meet people at the top of the ladder, or who are on their way up. You can find them:

  • In TV and new media industry organizations

  • On websites and blogs

  • In classes

  • At internships

  • At festivals

• If there are no festivals in your area, start one:

  • Create a festival theme and focus

  • Find a local movie theater or screening facility

  • Get a couple of like-minded people to help you

  • Study models of successful festivals

  • Throw a fundraising event to get you started

Find a Mentor:

• A mentor or advisor is a valuable asset for a beginning producer, someone who has worked hard to achieve success and understands the importance of giving back to people who are on their way up

• Mentors can be found in:

  • The workplace

  • Television

  • New media

  • Film-oriented organizations

  • The classroom

Take on Internships:

• A good internship can give you invaluable learning experience, and great contacts

• Most producers in television started their careers as an intern or production assistants

• Producers and directors start to depend on the intern, and over time, they give him more work and more responsibility. Often a valued intern is offered employment after a few months or when an entry-level job opens up. At the end of the internship, they can ask for a letter of recommendation or a referral to another internship

• As an intern, you’re an asset to the project and you’re giving them your:

  • Energy

  • Education

  • Unique skills

  • Experience

• You want to:

  • Be punctual

  • Keep your word

  • Anticipate what needs to be done before you’re told

Get Experience:

• Most cities and towns have local production companies and TV stations where you can volunteer your services in exchange for a chance to be part of the action and learn in the process

• Often colleges and universities with TV, new media, and film departments have bulletin boards on which students can post notices about their upcoming projects that you might be able to work on for more experience

• You can post your own notice, offering your services

• Buy or rent a prosumer camera and make your own projects

Take a Course:

• Depending on your location, you can find courses, seminars, or programs that can expand your knowledge in the area of production

• The course instructor may be actively involved in the profession that they are teaching, and can hook you up with internships, jobs, and/or networking opportunities. Your classmates, too, could be valuable members of your future production team

Stay Current:

• By subscribing to online newsletters and publications that report on both new media and television, you can familiarize yourself with the latest trends, as well as with financial, legal, technological, and creative directions

Get a Job:

• Producers often started off as interns, production assistants, personal assistants, or secretaries. If you’re starting out in the business, look for an entry-level job in the media industry that can help you build up your producing skills and contacts

• If you’ve got strong office skills, you can often find temporary jobs in entertainment and communications companies

III. Festivals

• The best way to refine and expand your producing skills is by producing - raising funds, producing small-but-meaningful projects, and making sure that people see your work

• You want to promote yourself as an effective producer who can tackle other people’s projects, too

• The number of television and new media festivals, both domestically and internationally, has tripled in the last few years. There are currently about 6,000 festivals worldwide. Festivals are a valuable venue in which to screen your project and get visceral reactions from a real audience. At festivals, you’ll meet other producers and filmmakers, network with potential clients, and maybe sell your project to a broadcaster or distributor who has seen it during a screening

Package Your Project: Press Kits:

• Press kits may vary in content and graphic approach, and a good press kit reflects the unique tone of your project

• You can inquire at specific festivals or go online for additional information, but essentially, a compelling press kit is a primary piece of the festival circuit and includes these elements:

  • Copies of any positive newspaper, online, or magazine reviews or articles

  • Bios on key personnel and the cast and crew

  • If pertinent, background on the genesis of your project

  • Relevant production notes

  • Still, photographs that are high-quality representations of the project’s images

  • A project with a short, sweet, and/or memorable title, easy to market

  • A story synopsis, which is compelling, brief, and hooks the reader

  • Graphics and artwork, such as posters and handouts

  • A DVD of selected scenes, promos, and/or trailer

  • Contact information including your name (or your representative), address, phone, fax, and email

  • A screener of the project itself that might be sent only to specific people

Submissions to Festivals:

• In the United States, a one-hour slot on commercial television is actually just 42 to 48 minutes of programming; internationally, the TV hour varies and may be 50 to 60 minutes long. Because representatives from networks, cable channels, and distribution companies come to festivals to shop for programming, your project has a better chance of appealing to them if it fits comfortably within their programming framework; keep these parameters in mind when you submit material to festivals. Most festivals are also quite clear about programming lengths - the short film category tends to run no longer than 40 minutes

• As the producer, you want to research which festivals are best suited for your specific project

• Although most festivals feature programming that could be bought for television broadcast, there are specific festivals, like Banff, RealScreen Summit, and Independent Film Week that are geared toward the television market. They tend to attract professionals and generally don’t have audience participation

• Research the range of festivals, then target those that feel right for your specific project and its genre

• Enter at least 10 festivals, more if you can afford the submission fees and the time

• Start with the top-tier festivals, then work your way down to the lesser-known festivals

• Keep a careful log of where you’ve sent your piece

• Details about the festivals can be accessed online, and many accept online submissions

• Regardless of the festivals you enter, your log line, compelling synopsis, good reviews, and the information on the festival’s catalogue page can help jurors consider your project for their festival

• Jurors screen each and every festival submission, usually on DVD; few watch each one from start to finish. If they’re not engaged within the first four or five minutes, they will either fast-forward through it or hit the eject button

Acceptance to a Festival:

• Publicists:

  • If your project has been accepted by a major festival such as Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Tribeca, or Toronto, it’s going to generate a significant buzz. You’re wise to hire an experienced publicist who can help you navigate the media frenzy that comes with the territory, and can keep the buzz going. Publicists charge a fee for their work. You also pay for various publicity materials and expenses

  • If you can’t afford a publicist, you can contact the press office of the festival that has accepted your piece and talk to their publicists about promotional ideas

  • You have a few options for creating your own publicity campaign

A Producer’s Representative:

• Festivals attract buyers and distributors; they attend lots of screenings, chosen primarily on advanced word of mouth. A producer’s “rep” is experienced in convincing these potential buyers to screen your project

• Generally, the producer’s rep works on a percentage basis, which you want to discuss at the beginning of any negotiations

• Festival Premieres:

  • The competition is fierce in the festival world, and most require that your project be deemed a “premiere,” or first-time festival screening

  • Carefully read each festival’s guidelines. Many festivals won’t accept your piece if it has been screened or broadcast somewhere else first, others don’t care

• Attending the Festival:

  • Not many festivals can afford to pay finalists’ expenses to come to the festival, so covering most of the costs is up to the producer

  • Your festival acceptance speaks to your skills as a producer for future projects; if you’re in the lobby after the screening, the audience and interested buyers can meet you while their reactions to your work are still fresh

Networking in the Festival Circuit:

• Go to panels, attend the social mixers and events, and introduce yourself. Be sure to bring plenty of your business cards or handouts, and generously pass them out

• At a festival, you can use creative tricks to grab people’s attention. For example, you can hand out promotional mini-posters, about the size of a postcard, with the name of your piece and the location, date, and time of the screening. Other attention-getters include a DVD of your project or behind-the-scenes extras not included as well as classic items like mugs, T-shirts, key chains, notepads, pens, hats, or other useful or fun items that advertise your project

• You can throw a party with a theme, or host a unique event

• Ask other producers how they have generated interest for their films or video projects

• If your project features a well-known actor, writer, and/or director, consider bringing them to the festival. Their presence on panels or at a question and answer (Q&A) session after the screening can add extra credibility and weight to your work

• Making a Deal:

  • Be mentally prepared to pitch new ideas whenever an opportunity arises

  • Deals for distribution or foreign sales are occasionally negotiated and secured on the spot in the festival lobby, but not always. Unless your project has triumphed at Toronto, Sundance, or another high-profile festival, potential buyers may hold back and won’t make immediate decisions. They know that a project can elicit a great response at the festival, but might not find a broader audience in the real world. You might get a call weeks after the festival from an interested buyer or it may never come; don’t expect instant results

IV. Grants

Guidelines from Funders and Grant-Makers:

• Funders and grant-makers can be an important resource for you as a producer. They have gone to considerable lengths to set up their foundations, define their goals, and make money or services available to the public. Most foundations insist that you stick closely to their required proposal format; their guidelines outline all the requirements, so study them closely

• Each granting foundation establishes very specific goals, with objectives and a set of guidelines that include these elements:

  • General purposes:

    • The history and background of the foundation

    • The primary purposes of establishing the grant

  • Current program interests:

    • The themes, subject matter, and shared assumptions of the projects that the foundation seeks to promote and encourage through its funding

    • Specific eligibility components

  • Grant-making policies:

    • Specific restrictions, limitations, and parameters regarding the conditions for which funds, services, and endowments are awarded

  • Application process:

    • Components required by the foundation, such as a letter of inquiry, a detailed proposal, the grant-seekers qualifications, a project budget and the amount being requested, proof of nonprofit status, and other aspects of future accountability

Preparing and Writing a Grant in Five Steps:

• The grant-writing process can be time-consuming, it requires you to maintain an uncomfortable objectivity to your own work, and it involves copious paperwork. Each grant has its own specific guidelines and objectives that require intensive research

• After you have researched and targeted the specific grant-makers who might be responsive to your proposal, you’ll follow these basic steps to write and apply for a grant:

1. Describe your project:

• Write a brief mission or vision statement that clarifies the goals of the project

• Assign the project a specific genre, discipline, and/or geographic area

• Clarify the project’s goals and how the funding can promote those goals

• Draw up a grant-writing schedule that includes the planning, proposal writing, submissions, and anticipated start date for the project

2. Find and contact the funders:

• Consider applying to many funders, not limiting the search to just one or two

• Carefully review the objectives and priorities of each funder

• Determine what amounts the funder awards, what funds they have previously issued, and to whom

• Ask the funding organization for their proposal guidelines and application specifics

• Locate a project officer at the granting organization who can answer questions, such as how the proposal review process is conducted, and if there might be any budgetary limitations or requirements that aren’t outlined in the guidelines

3. Review the guidelines for the proposal:

• Look carefully at the guidelines for details that include eligibility qualifications, timetables, deadlines, budget information, and the specifics for formatting the proposal

• If not outlined in the guidelines, inquire about the goals of the funder, the various award levels, and any contact names and addresses for submission. Ask about the notification process and the date of the notice

4. Write the proposal:

• Structure the format for the proposal by following the guidelines provided by each funder; often a deviation can disqualify a proposal. Traditionally it includes:

  • The narrative:

    • This opens the proposal and states what is needed and how it can be approached

    • Provide your goals and objectives, and reasons why the funder should support your proposal

    • Delineate your approach for setting and meeting these goals, an outline of the process, and the personnel needed to accomplish the goal

    • The narrative also provides a schedule of activities, workflow, and projected results, as well as pertinent information about the grant-seeker that assures the funder that you can assume all responsibilities

    • As with any professional project, you want to make sure that the narrative is well-written and reflects the tone of the project as well as your own ability to carry it through

    • Any grammatical mistakes or spelling errors can cast doubt on your professionalism

  • The project budget:

    • A carefully planned budget reflects the goals and sensibilities of the grant-seeker and gives the funder an indication of how well a project might be managed

    • The budget needs to be detailed and consistent with realistic prices and rates

    • It should request a specific amount needed to get the job done

    • Often, funders supply a budget form that you must fill out in order to meet their specifications

  • Supporting materials:

    • A funder often requests a compilation of supporting materials that is then organized into an appendix. This could include sponsoring agencies or institutions, advisory committees, charts and tables, biographies on key personnel, letters of recommendation, any pertinent newspaper articles and positive reviews, endorsements, and validating certification that can lend credibility to the grant-seeker. Most foundations also require proof of your tax-exempt status or that of your umbrella organization

  • Authorized signature:

    • Funders require the signature of the grant-seeker who may be awarded the grant and who is responsible for the funds

5. Follow through:

• Keep a log of the funders that you have contacted, when they were contacted, and their deadlines for your submission of grant applications

• Keep track of their notification dates; know when to expect a letter of either rejection or acceptance from each funder

• If possible, ask for feedback on the proposal and ways in which it could be improved for a follow-up submission if it’s not accepted the first time around

• Ask if they can recommend other funding sources that might be better suited to your project

V. Publicity

Tips for getting the word out about you and your project:

• Define your audience:

  • It’s easier to focus your publicity when you know your audience

  • Every genre of programming has an audience - find them and involve them in your project

• Write a press release:

  • A good press release can make your project newsworthy

  • A press release provides information that is interesting enough to be repurposed for news sources

  • A press release is simple, direct, and brief, a few well-written lines are more effective than a long-winded description

A Sample Press Release:

• You might want to issue a press release about your project, your new production company, or even your latest festival nomination

• A finished press release is folded in thirds so that it can be opened and read more easily

• Whether mailing or emailing a press release, give the recipient time to respond before you follow up

• A brief checklist of the elements included in a press release:

  • Your letterhead:

    • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. This is standard wording, in all caps, that appears in the upper left-hand margin under your letterhead

  • Contact information:

    • Skip two lines

    • List the name(s) and title(s), email, and telephone and fax numbers of the primary contact person

  • Headline:

    • Skip two more lines

    • Use a boldface type

    • Briefly describe your news in a headline language that grabs the reader’s attention

  • Dateline:

    • Gives the release date

    • Often states the city/state from where you’ve issued the release

  • Lead paragraph (introduction):

    • The first one or two sentences of your opening paragraph are crucial. They keep the reader interested or not

    • Use clear language, action verbs, and few adjectives. Present highlights

  • Supporting text (body):

    • Ideally, try to fit all the information into one paragraph

    • Focus on the areas of what, who, where, when, and why

  • Boilerplate:

    • Additional information on the person, company, or organization issuing the release

  • Recap:

    • You can restate your news in the lower left-hand corner of the last page

    • You might include the date a program is airing, the festival screening, a release date for your DVD, or the location of your new production company

  • End of release:

    • Three number symbols (# # #) follow the last paragraph of the release itself, centered, and indicate that the press release has ended

  • Media contact information:

    • The name

    • Address

    • Email address

    • Phone number

    • Any other pertinent information for the media relations representative or other contact person

Press Release Formatting:

• Paper:

  • Use 8 ½ × 11 high-quality

  • White or cream

  • Printed on only one side

• Typeface:

  • Use 12-point Times New Roman or Courier, in upper- and lowercase font, except in the IMMEDIATE RELEASE line (always written in all uppercase letters)

• Margins:

  • All sides of each page have 1½-inch margins

• Headlines:

  • Use a bold typeface to draw attention

• Continuation:

  • Finish the paragraph on one page, rather than carrying it over to the next page

  • When the word “more” is placed between two dashes (–more–) and centered at the bottom of the page, it lets the reader know that another page follows

  • Try to keep it to one page

Some Other Thoughts on Generating Buzz:

• Contact your local newspapers:

  • Most local newspapers, magazines, online sites, and business publications gravitate toward a good story that is compelling to their readers. Research these publications and look for a newsworthy aspect about your project that could be of interest. Find out, by calling first or through your research, just who’s the right person to receive your letter of inquiry that briefly outlines your idea

  • Your project may have a human-interest story behind it:

    • How you originated the idea

    • The use of local talent

    • Interesting locations

    • Unraveling an unsolved mystery

• Get someone important attached:

  • If your project has garnered praise in a newspaper review or won a festival award, you might consider taking it to a well-known actor, producer, or director who would be willing to sign on as an executive producer. This lends it extra credibility for publicity and investors

• Ignore your own hype:

  • Keep an objective frame of mind as you do your job, and maintain your own emotional anchor

• Know when to move on:

  • You may have to face the candid truth that a reasonable amount of time has passed, but your project still hasn’t sold, or the deal you were offered wasn’t nearly what you had hoped for. Chalk it up to experience, and give yourself validation for having learned so much

VI. Starting Your Own Production Company

The Realistic Components of Being Your Own Boss:

• Do you have the right personality?:

  • Examine your own personality traits, and ask yourself if you’ve honestly got the motivation and energy to be self-employed. Can you devote way more than 40 hours a week, and possibly a six- or seven-day work week?

  • Consider taking on a partner whose strengths and character work well with yours, or who is adept in areas you’re not, like administration or pitching or budgeting. Sometimes a partner can come in with funds and specific abilities, but if there isn’t a positive chemistry between the two of you, it’s not worth the trade-of

• Can you support the business for a period of time?:

  • A start-up company needs money to cover initial costs such as office space and furniture, phones, computers, high-speed Internet, faxes, utility bills and deposits, and printing stationery and business cards. If you’re hiring other people, they need to be paid while you look for clients and jobs. You have your own personal rent and expenses to cover, too. Explore these realities by creating a spreadsheet that lists your realistic income potential and weigh them against your planned expenses.

  • Come into a business with enough money to cover your expenses for at least six months to a year

• What investors could you bring into the business?:

  • You may not have a large cache of personal funds with which to start your business, so look for friends, family, colleagues, and private investors who might invest in your business

  • You can consult with an attorney and/or accountant to prepare an investment offering that details your cash flow projections and notes, how the funds will be used, tax consequences, and a projection of returns on the investment. This document also includes information about the producer’s team, the manager of the project, and other details. You can grow your business from these investments without giving up ownership and personal control

  • If you have a good credit rating, business integrity and expertise, and have compiled a strong business plan, you may qualify for funds from a lending institution. In order to receive these funds, you may be asked to offer up security, like a home, a boat, or land

• What do you bring to the business?:

  • Take an objective look at yourself: have you got the skills, personality, experience, and endurance to run a business? And, to be a creative producer at the same time?

• Who is your competition?

  • As clever and energetic as you may be, there are other companies out there competing for the same clients. You want to be genuinely confident that you can maintain an advantage over other businesses by delivering better services, reasonable rates, and star treatment

• Can you create a demand for your services?

  • Promoting your business is a huge part of success, so get the word out about your new company. This requires:

    • Advertising

    • Press releases

    • Making a lot of cold sales calls

    • Talking to all your friends and business acquaintances

    • Thinking of clever approaches to connect with potential clients

An Independent Production Company Checklist:

• A dependable and reputable entertainment attorney

• An accounting service or a good accounting spreadsheet program for doing your own payroll, taxes, and production expenses

• An insurance policy that covers liability and other production-related coverage

• A company name:

  • Sometimes it’s used just for a specific project, or it covers all the work you do

• A legal structuring of your company, such as:

  • General partnership

  • Incorporation

  • Sole-proprietorship

  • Limited liability company (LLC)

• An office location ideally includes:

  • Parking

  • Proximity to a roadway or public transportation

  • Adequate utilities

  • A welcoming neighborhood

• A company web site that’s:

  • Easy to navigate

  • Competitive in design

  • Reflects your company’s attitude and product

  • Is consistently updated

Keep It All Legal:

• Business license:

  • Most towns and cities, counties, states/provinces, and/or countries require a license to operate a business within their boundaries

• Business organization:

  • Options include:

    • General partnership

    • Limited partnership

    • Sole proprietorship

    • Limited liability company (LLC)

    • Incorporation

• Certificate of Occupancy (C of O):

  • Some U.S. city or county zoning departments require this document if you plan on moving your business into a new or used building

• Business name:

  • When an American company’s name is different than the name of the owner, this fictitious name needs to be registered with the county. It doesn’t apply to a corporation doing business under its corporate name

• Taxes:

  • In the United States, the owner pays state and federal (and sometimes city) income taxes and Social Security insurance, known as FICA. If you’re self-employed, you pay your own FICA. Businesses are required by the state to pay unemployment insurance in some cases, as well as state and federal income taxes and in some cases, city income taxes on their company’s earnings.

  • If a business employs three or more people, it must provide workers’ compensantion insurance to cover accidents incurred on the job

• Business insurance:

  • Insurance coverage might include protection against:

    • Fire

    • Flood

    • Earthquake

    • Hurricane

    • The theft or damage of property, equipment, and automobile, or interruption of business

• Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN):

  • A one-of-a-kind number in the United States that the IRS assigns to a business by which it is identified and accessed, somewhat like a social security number for a business

Dealing with Clients:

• Keep Your Clients Happy:

  • You want to make yourself valuable to them

  • Create a plan that can make your clients feel valued. Take a genuine interest in their goals and ideas, be collaborative, and earn (and keep) their trust

  • Thank them for their business by treating them well

• Negotiate:

  • If you’ve got a client who can provide you with steady business, consider bringing your rates down and negotiating a long-term deal

• Ask Questions:

  • Often a client has great ideas and directives, but they aren’t clearly stated. Don’t hold back: ask for clarification. Take notes and then write a memo to the client after the meeting, detailing what you think was said

• Keep a Paper Trail:

  • Save all your emails, as well as interoffice memos, deal memos, contracts, and agreements

  • In each meeting and for every phone call, take notes and date them

  • In your daily calendar, keep track of times and dates of meetings, and who attended

• Simplicity Is the Key:

  • It could benefit you to subcontract your work rather than hire full-time employees, and to hire employees and crew on an as-needed basis

  • Technology has made it feasible for a producer to run a successful business by just using cellular technology and a laptop, and to work from a home office until your projects and budgets allow for expansion. For a larger project, or if you’re consistently getting work and need the space, consider working out of a turnkey office space that you can rent on a monthly basis

  • On each project, hire a team of the most experienced freelancers you can find

Summary

• Each chapter offered ideas and details pertinent to the producer - each is part of the process called “producing”

Review Questions:

1. Name three key aspects of wrapping a project. Why are they important?

2. Create your own resume. Ask two people to critique it for you

3. What steps could you take to promote your project? To promote yourself as a producer?

4. What are the benefits of entering a project in a festival? What are the drawbacks?

5. Discuss the components of an effective press kit

6. Research the foundations that award funds and services. Pick one and write a brief report on the organization’s requirements

7. What three areas of publicizing your project are you most comfortable doing? Why?

8. Write a sample press release announcing an imaginary news item you want to promote

9. List the pros and cons of starting your own production company

10. Outline your own professional next steps