If I Was Starting Out Today As A Producer…

What the hell would I do???!

Remember all the beautiful things that now sit on the shelf.

This is a subject I’ve written about before, both directly and… well, sort of sideways. I offered you Life Hacks, Recommendations on How To Start Your Life In The Creative Industries and Recommended Creative Practices For The Age Of Abundance & Access, as well 10 Steps Towards A Sustainable Life In The Creative Industries . I want you to win, to get to your goals, and then to maintain. This is really about all of us. It is the only way it works. Yeah, so for those that are already knee-deep into it all, I threw in advice on How To Navigate Change In The Producing Realm.

But none of that is exactly about what I’d do specifically as a producer if I was getting started today. I guess it is time to get down to that, right?  I wanted to just write this post about what I might do differently now, but I felt to do that I had to first start with how things have changed since I got started so very long ago, so I gave you that post too. And then when you look at the historic events, you have to consider how they affected things culturally, and our mindset too. So I gave you that post too. The first part was a look at the world in general, and then we dove deep into cinema itself.

Yeah, and then for the lead up I thought you might also want to know a wee bit of a psychological too. What did I think were the real reasons why I became a producer. I gave you that too, and spread it across two parts. If you are missing details, it might show up in that great interview Cole Haddon did with me. It all made think about how much the rules of producing had to change, even over the last year – and thus that led to yet another post.

Things are never as easy as we might hope. I really just wanted to write one simple post. But this is essentially post #12 on the subject. If you want someone to have a clear picture of things, you often have to prime them though. Warm them up.  Set the scene. That took me ten posts (plus one from a friend) to get here! Twelve total. And then there is another one coming. Recommended Tactics. Whew. And yeah, I know there is some overlap between these posts. What can I do? I want to offer you a comprehensive picture. At least I now have it pretty much together for a masterclass on “How To Prepare For A Career As A Creative Producer”; let me know if you want to book this week long seminar in some beautiful far-off location. I have bag and am willing to travel!

What I’d Do As A Cinema Producer If I Was Starting Out Today

This is just a thought experiment. And for the purpose of it, we are assuming that opting out is NOT a possibility. This begs the question of whether knowing how things are currently, would I even consider producing? The wise thing would probably be to flee, fast and furiously.

That said, here we are. If we had to be a film producer, what would be our practice today if we were just starting out? And yeah, this assumes we know we need a professional creative practice, because I certainly did not know that when I was starting out. I just knew I wanted to make movies and had some good ideas. I was willing to work hard and generally folks liked me. I didn’t see how anything could stop me, other than being broke and not knowing anyone. And the world of jerks, of course, but I didn’t even know them yet. I was empowered by all that I did not know.

But what if? What if I knew I needed to know a few things? If I knew I needed a practice, perhaps I’d know some actions to take to make it all work right? What would they be? As much as I am writing about being a Film Producer, I think this generally pertains to any pursuit in the creative industries. It is essentially how I would confront the cold hard realities of obtaining a sustainable and generative life doing something you love.

I am going to have to break this up again into two parts, one being my mindset – which is what this post is – and the other being the more practical tactics. We will save that one for dessert. You think that that may be where you can find gold – and I think you might – but here really is the how. Tactics are just the what. This is both the pole and the net. Damn, it is the boat too. That one still to come? Just another fish, but a tasty one.

So… what would I do if now was where I got to put it all into gear? If this current muck was my starting ground? If the foolish and risk adverse were all convinced the good times were all gone? I’d know that I had all I needed and it was time to get down to business, that’s what. Let me tell you what I would do. It is the beat of my heart.