What I Really Want to Do Is Produce: Top Producers Talk Movies and Money - Softcover

De Winter, Helen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571217443 ISBN 13: 9780571217441

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2008

Synopsis

  What does a movie producer actually do for a living? Does producing amount to anything more than writing checks and smoking cigars? Helen de Winter, herself an intrepid young producer, explores the ins and outs of a job that requires the combined skills of a wheeler-dealer, a diplomat, a stern but doting parent, and a clinical psychiatrist.
 Along the way, she gets help from the producers of everything from The Lord of the Rings and Bridget Jones's Diary to The Constant Gardener and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, who give their answers to questions such as:
* How do you smell a hit?
* How do you raise sufficient sums of other peoples' money to get a film made?
* How do you handle feuds, fights, or even fatalities on set?
* And what can you do to drag the general public off the street and into cinemas to appreciate the fruits of your labor?

The results make enlightening reading, whether your interest lies in movies or money, or whether indeed what you really want to do is produce . . . Helen de Winter has worked in production and post-production on independent and studio feature films, and freelanced as a script editor for UK and US producers. She produced her first acclaimed short film for FilmFour and BBC Films and has since produced several others.

What does a movie producer actually do for a living? Helen de Winter, herself an intrepid young producer, explores the ins and outs of a job that requires the combined skills of a wheeler-dealer, a diplomat, a stern but doting parent, and a clinical psychiatrist. Along the way, she gets help from several well-known producers of several well-known films—from The Lord of the Rings to Bridget Jones’s Diary to The Constant Gardener—who give their answers to questions such as: How do you smell a hit? How do you handle feuds, fights, or even fatalities on set?

"De Winter, an aspiring film producer, interviewed 21 successful film producers working in England, Hollywood and New York to discover what they do. Her aim is to clarify a job title that defies a one-size-fits-all definition. While some compare the position to being a cheerleader and psychoanalyst, the more practical aspects include developing material, budgeting, financing and distribution. De Winter casts a wide net on moviemaking—from Lawrence Bender working on Quentin Tarantino's stripped-down Reservoir Dogs to the lavish James Bond franchise overseen by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. James Schamus, who has worked on 10 Ang Lee pictures, likes to be involved in the creative process; others see their talent as convincing people to give them money. De Winter's definition of a producer is the most poetic: turning money into light . . . the advice of Bob Shaye, producer of the supersuccessful Lord of the Rings trilogy, is best: If someone wants to be in the movie business, they should just get up and do something."—Publishers Weekly

About this title

About the Author

Helen de Winter has worked in production and post-production on independent and studio feature films, and freelanced as a script editor for UK and US producers. She produced her first acclaimed short film for FilmFour and BBC Films and has since produced four others.

From Publishers Weekly

De Winter, an aspiring film producer, interviewed 21 successful film producers working in England, Hollywood and New York to discover what they do. Her aim is to clarify a job title that defies a one-size-fits-all definition. While some compare the position to being a cheerleader and psychoanalyst, the more practical aspects include developing material, budgeting, financing and distribution. De Winter casts a wide net on moviemaking—from Lawrence Bender working on Quentin Tarantino's stripped-down Reservoir Dogs to the lavish James Bond franchise overseen by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. James Schamus, who has worked on 10 Ang Lee pictures, likes to be involved in the creative process; others see their talent as convincing people to give them money. De Winter's definition of a producer is the most poetic: turning money into light, but in the end, there is no definitive job description. Despite the diversity of films and producers examined, the information is repetitive, and there are only vague explanations of a producer's duties on any given project. Although the book might be inspirational to a wannabe producer, the advice of Bob Shaye, producer of the supersuccessful Lord of the Rings trilogy, is best: If someone wants to be in the movie business, they should just get up and do something. (Dec.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0571217443
• ISBN 13: 9780571217441
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400