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SO YOU WANT TO BE A PRODUCER?
The bloggers at Spin and Stir have been writing about the Bob Yari vs. the Producers Guild of America lawsuit and in this post offer perhaps a more nuanced account of the reality of the producing business today than the PGA’s more idealistic definition. The end of the post has a hilarious producer breakdown comparing a good independent film (Capote, 12 producers) and a bad studio film (Pink Panther, 3 producers), countering all those Variety reviews that love to count off producer credits as if a lot of producers is a bad thing.
Here’s from the end of the piece:
THAT IS WHY WE NEED all of our negotiating tactics at our disposal – if someone wants to give us money or GREENLIGHT the film – BY giving us an ACTOR, ACTRESS, or MAJOR STUDIO DIRECTOR – and they want a Producer credit in return – why can’t we give it to them? WE are co-dependent on them as they are on us (just like a studio producer is on the studio AND we don’t want just studio movies, gross). One things that really bothers me is how CHEAP the richest producers are. For instance, there are many PGA PRODUCERS who have REALLY ESPENSIVE DEALS at STUDIOS and then they won’t even BET on or PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTHS ARE and develop a project. It is too risky. PLEASE. And then they just do movies that the STUDIOS GIVE THEM – THAT ARE SEEN AS SURE THINGS OR NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERS AND THEN THEY HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES THEY WANT AND let me tell you, that is a sweet life. You have to give Bob Yari credit – he is not one of those and never will be. And there should be a LEGAL PLACE FOR THE RENEGADE producers – the producers who take chances, risks, put their own money in something, walk their talk, fight for a film out of passion and not politics…
