The pitfalls of playing it safe or bankrolling buddies, when you produce a feature film, and how to avoid them.

Tried and tested– the keyword to your comfort zone, but so are the words ‘rote’ and ‘copy + paste.’ Here are five tropes a new producer should avoid while producing their first feature film, especially on a tight budget. You may think you know what entails a hit film. You have the money. From the film set’s go-for who brings you your water to the Director of your movie, everyone will all hang on to your every word and order. You are God, and your uttered word is a command carved in stone. Even if you, the producer, are as young as 20 to 25 years having grown up on a list of theatrical films and movie downloads of the past decade, or you are a producer who has built an empire from one or more businesses that have nothing to do with the film industry, and you have grown up on a film base of more than a few decades, know this; It is not you, nor the Director, nor the actors alone; it takes an entire team, made up of several units of people, together, to make a successful film. Even then, an audience can have its moods. So;

1. SUCCESS ISN’T IN FLYING SOLO OR MULTITASKING — Don’t think for a second that you have a successful movie in your hands because you have the money. Watching Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and Satyajit Ray may make you think you’ve got the right idea, and reading a few coffee table books, American Cinematographer magazines, or e-zines and blogs have given you the technical skills and knowledge of camera and lighting, but when you step on the floor of your set on the very first day, the last thing you want to do is freeze, or worse, timidly pass the message on to your unit to– pack up! If you are professional about it and are only ‘producing’ the venture, then good for you. However, if you’ve decided to multitask through your first project, for starters, good luck; secondly, do yourself a huge favor and get yourself a team of professionals or someone who has been on a set and has practical knowledge beyond talking films and quoting quotes. And keep them close.
2. FAVORING NEPOTISM — You’re son or daughter may mean the world to you, but if they do not have the education or at least a couple of years of experience working under someone in the film industry professionally, DO NOT finance a film with them as leads, be it as actors, directors, musicians, or whatever post they fancy taking up, hell, even as producers. Some new Producers may even have friends who the film bug has bitten, have gone solo/multitasked on projects financed together between friends, one of them being the filmmaker/actor themselves, and now, they’ve approached you to finance their next big move; Don’t. Or, at least have the script vetted and the team you are backing guided by an active professional from within the film industry.
3. BANKING ON YOUR LIFE STORY OR A STORY YOU’VE WRITTEN — You’re the inside man. You get it; life was tough. You had to go through some trying shit. And sometimes, you had a good laugh on the sides too. Yes, it makes for a compelling story for you. But is it really movie worthy? Is it? Think hard. And if it does make sense to you as a movie enthusiast, then maybe it’s time you got the guy I’ve been pushing you to root for, the person I’ve been talking wax eloquent for, to come to work with you. Further, let this man get you a screenwriter who is at least a couple of films old to rewrite your story for you; that will then perhaps make slightly more cinematic sense.
4. MASALA MOVIE — So, you’ve decided to produce your first film. It could be on a limited budget or monies worth a colossal blockbuster. Either way, it’s time to pick up the perfect story to rake in the moolah for you. What kind of story will it be? A Masala film with an item song (Indian audiences will understand what I mean here) or a rom-com that comes to life in a B town of India or ape the legendary Yash Chopra and head to a scenic location with snow-covered mountains in the backdrop. Please understand this, and let me borrow a line from my last blog: ‘Aim small, miss small’ and ‘Specific is terrific.’ Do not target the entire cinema-going audience with one theme, story, and locale. Every member of that audience, or any from around the world, will differ in their tastes and preferences. Select a story that feels closer to home, is grounded in one theme and topic, and doesn’t play to the masses but caters to one specific audience. Make that story into a film. It’ll be easy on your pocket, easier to market, and perhaps rake in the rain of money you thought it would ‘easily.’
5. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND I NEED IT ON MY SET RIGHT NOW — I remember, about 12 years ago, I met a producer, a first timer, from a small town who had traveled to Bangalore, and was in the early stages of producing his first film. He had a 19 years old ‘director’ who had successfully shown him the dreams of fame and fortune. He hadn’t locked down a script when I met him but had already paid a ‘freelance’ film editor 25% of the film editing payment in advance; enough money during those days to cover a studio-owning film editor with ten years of editing experience, his entire editors’ cost. So, be it the guy I suggest here you hire or the Director, the cinematographer, and all those that follow, please research with at least two to three sources before you commit, sign agreements, and pay any advances. Get the terms, timelines, and fee structures right. In Mumbai, we use a line to imply spending only on the necessary things, things that will be part of your film when it is projected on the silver screen, and not being frivolous about expenditure- ‘Jo dikhta hai, wahi bikta hai.’ Be frugal and wise.

P.S. Hire an experienced consultant like me, or let me be your Film Director to ease your filmmaking journey and see yourself as a successful movie producer. I am at hkhan.in