The phrase “first in, last out” is an expression that best describes the role of the producer, who is the backbone of every project. From inception to completion, producers do the heavy-lifting of supervising and guiding the many moving parts of a project, like sourcing and optioning a good script, hiring a director with the right vision, advising on casting, script rewrites, fee negotiations, budgets, crewing up, raising money, and legal matters to name a few. In this post Producers Estelle Lee and Shan Shan Tam talk about their roles. They each brought different and complimentary styles to the project and it has been a real honor to work with them.
I have known Shan Shan Tam for over a decade. She’s an awesome human being and a friend. Shan Shan is one of the hardest workers I know, and her get shit done approach to things is a breath of fresh air and totally in line with my world view.
I met Estelle in the fall of 2017 and we hit it off right away. I’m happy to call her a friend. She comes from the acting world but also has a background in law. Once she signed on as producer, we put in the heavy lifting together through minefields and pitfalls, and developed a wonderful chemistry, which is a crucial component of any team.
What is your role as a producer on OHW?
SST: Make sure everyone has what they need before cameras turn on, when cameras are on, and after cameras are off. That can be [anything] from making sure we have enough funds for our equipment, to making sure we have enough food for our team.
EL: Communicating with … the writer/director … on his vision for the film and to oversee the processes and gather various components of filmmaking to execute that vision to the best of my ability.
How did you get into the role?
SST: I wanted to work in a medium where I could brainwash people and entertain them while creating great content. When I came to OHW, I’d been a television producer for several years, and have known Seyi even longer. So when he said he needed a producer for his film, how could I say no?
Seyi: Thanks for saying yes.
EL: After producing a short comedy sketch for the first time, I wanted to work on a bigger project to learn more in depth about producing. Luckily, I was introduced to Seyi who was looking for a producer for his film One Hit Wonder.
What are some of the difficult aspects of the job?
SST: Fundraising! That shit’s hard! You always have people telling you they’ll contribute or they’ll come through, but man, keeping track of people’s word and commitments is tough. A lot of it is logistics and seeing the problems as a challenge. knowing what needs to happen for us not to be in that situation. You have to always be thinking creatively and asking yourself what could quickly solve an issue. Just figure it out.
EL: Trying to make the best film we could within our budget. Reducing costs was something to always think about but I also learned it’s important to know what is worth splurging on and what isn’t and sometimes those decisions can be tough to make. As a small budget film, another difficult part was having to work on the multiple aspects of making a film ourselves. It was challenging at times, because you were always doing something new everyday which can be exciting but also overwhelming, especially when you’re in a time crunch. One day we’d be location scouting, another day in an audition room for casting and then another day applying for permits and driving to a BJ’s in New Jersey to get food and snacks for cast and crew! Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful that I got to experience and learn about all that goes into filmmaking and now have an insane amount of respect for everyone involved in the process that makes the magic happen.
Any other tricky aspects of making OHW ?
EL: I don’t know if tricky is the word, but we definitely put a lot of time and thought into casting OHW which has an ensemble cast of 8 actors. We wanted to cast actors who together created the rich imaginary world inside Adam’s head as well as embody the larger than life quality that fictional characters have. We originally planned for two full days of casting but ended up scheduling another day devoted to casting the role of Karen. With the help of Brette, our amazing casting director, I’m happy to say we were able to work with fantastic actors.
What part of the job is the most fun?
SST: Not sleeping at night… and crashing at noon for a few hours… [laughter]
EL: Of course, the most fun is when I’m on set and seeing movie magic happen knowing that all that hard work paid off!
What inspired you down the path of producer?
SST: I love seeing a project go from just words on [the] page to something beautiful you can see and hear and touch. It’s magical. But as the producer, you’re the magician making it happen.
EL: I come from an acting background, but I didn’t want to sit around and wait for the phone to ring. Also, the amazing advances in technology make it easier to write, produce and film your story on a shoestring budget than ever before. This is what actors hear all the time. But I know acting upon that knowledge is another story. Being the cautious and overthinking person that I am, it helped for me to start out small with a comedy sketch scene, that gave me enough confidence and curiosity to move on to a bigger project. There’s something so rewarding and empowering about bringing a project that you believe in to fruition.
What have you learned from your experience on OHW?
SST: It takes a village. Organization and logistics are key to doing anything successful. Every dollar contributed, every vendor, every extra set of hands. It all helped and it all mattered to making this production a successful endeavor.
EL: I could fill a whole page with what I learned working on OHW but I’ll narrow it down to two. The first thing would be communication, communication, communication. Filmmaking is a collaborative process, so if you’re not communicating well with your fellow producers/writer/director and cast and crew the ship will sail into the mountains (as we say in Korean). I learned there’s no such thing as a stupid question, clear understanding is what leads to a clear and well executed vision. Also, communicating with integrity, honesty and kindness goes a long, long way.
Another thing would be paying attention to detail. When things get chaotic, they’re easy to overlook, but every detail counts. By paying attention to detail it actually saves you time and money in the long run. Especially when it comes to contracts and paperwork, make sure you’ve thoroughly read the instructions so you can get it right the first time. I learned this the hard way when I realized I needed four original signed copies of contracts from each actor, not just four copies of contracts and had to chase them down to get additional signed contracts!
What advice would you have for anyone wanting to start out in producing?
SST: Keep hustling! And don’t take anything personally. If something gets you down or gets in the way, push past those mental obstacles and keep going.
EL: This is going to sound super cliche, but just jump in and start doing it. Or if you’re feeling unsure, instead of setting a big goal that freaks you out and sets you up for failure try producing something very small and see how that experience is for you. It can be as small as filming a one or two page scene with friends or maybe even a three or five second scene. However small the project, you will be forced to think from a producer’s mindset as they all entail location, crew, equipment, casting, budget etc.
Also, making sure that you have a more experienced producing partner to work with can ease your anxieties and help you grow a lot more than trying to figure everything out on your own. I really have Seyi and Shan Shan to thank for this as they showed me the ropes and guided me with incredible patience and wisdom.
What’s next for you?
SST: I’m currently working on food and travel shows for PBS. So what’s next is traveling and discovering new foods to eat!
EL: Along with auditioning, I’m working on getting my web series produced as well as delve more into screenwriting.
