Kodak Awards- Production management and actors contracts,

As I am producer on one of the adverts, I thought it would be a useful exercise to look into how to effectively manage a small scale production, another small thing I thought I should look into is actors contracts and I thought this would be too small to put into a single blog post so I have added this to the end of this one.

Production management:
I did some research into what makes a good producer and as such by extension how to successfully manage a small scale production like this. After doing research from a number of different sources, mostly on the internet, I found recurring themes and ideas and as such compiled this list of 10 things that will help me to be a good producer.

1. Understand the creative process and particularly directing
This is so that I can effectively work with the director and understand their needs when making the film. This is fairly easy for me as my other role on this unit and in previous units has been Director and as such I understand what is required by the director from the producer.

2. Be a creative force on the film and understand the basics of narrative.
This one again isn't too much of an issue to me as I am a script writer also so I to a degree know how narrative works as I use it often. This is a useful thing for a producer as they have final say on what goes into production and as such they have to make sure the script is fit for production.

3. Understand the basics of Character
In all honesty, I'm not sure why this is separate to narrative but places that I looked at had it as a separate factor so I too have added it as a separate factor. I would guess its because a film must have a good narrative but also strong characters to be good so it is important to distinguish the two as theyre both very important.

4. Have a basic understanding of sound and camera.
Put simply, this is because on set should issues arise then I can help out with sorting them or fill in for a role if needs be, also it will help to empathise with the issues that may arise for the crew members who are fulfilling these roles. I believe I have this skill as the previous modules and demos in university have given me an understanding of these roles.

5. Understand marketing and publicity
For this particular module this is not a huge factor to consider as it has basically already been done for me in the sense that we are making an advert for an established award ceremony and therefore I don't have to put any effort into the publicity of this film. However, this is useful on a more broad scale as when making something that requires this, I will need to make it so people will actually see the film, otherwise what's the point in making the film, should I ever require this, I will be sure to research and blog about it.

6. Learn how to find and discover talented actors
This is absolutely crucial when I am very limited to what is available to me considering I have a very small budget. This means that I have to put as much interest from actors out there and have to know which ones will fit the roles best as I cant afford to get the top level of actors I have to try and scout the best from the amateur level of actors.

7. Be strong willed and able to say no.
As the most powerful individual in a films production in terms of having the final say it means that I have to have the strength of will to make the important calls and to make decisions that may not be popular but they must be made for the good of the film. I believe that this is something I do need to work on as I am not the strongest of people in these situations but It is something I am consciously working on.

8. Have a good grasp of time management.
This is a no brainer that a producer needs to be able to manage a schedule and not spend unnecessary amounts of time on set so that everything can be done efficiently and effectively so that the film can be made in an effective amount of time. With regards to my self this is something I am a bit hit and miss at and I need to learn how to realise that somethings do take longer than I would like and this cant be avoided, the trick is to know how long things will take and plan accordingly.

9.  Know how to raise money to fund the film.
Like with the publicity section, this is not a huge issue on this module as the film stock is provided to us and we have a student loan to cover the rest of the things we may need, however in future this will be one of the most important skills a producer can have as it can make or break a production, whether to not there will be funding. Asking for money is not something I have ever done so to a degree, I am thankful that this module does not call for it.

10.Be organised.
Finally another no brainer, this ties into time management somewhat as it is about being on top of production but I think this more regards paperwork and making sure everything is in order to allow the crew to make the film. So this refers to contracts, release forms, call sheets etc. Making sure all of this is prepped is something I believe I will do well at as I am usually very good at making sure things are set up to allow the crew to work.

That concludes my findings on effective production management and thus I now feel more prepared in the role of producer.

I would just like to highlight some of my research into actors contracts and what they should contain:
The basics things it should include are the dates of filming, the payment of wages and/or expenses. The actor's entitlement to a copy of the film upon its completion. The companies right to distribute the film as we see fit and use the footage in any capacity we wish, thus meaning that what we have filmed is our property. They should also include working hours (estimated) and a guarantee that the actors wellbeing will be considered. These are the bare essentials of a contract and any other conditions are subject to individual actors or are more specific to the production. That pretty much wraps up this post, until next time.