Wednesday, August 3, 2016

12 Fake Producer phrases to watch out for

Be wary out there.

Since I've moved to the City of Angels, I've met my share of time wasters. These are people that say "Yes, I'm a Producer" and haven't really worked for the title.

Here's the thing: Being a Producer can mean ANYTHING.


It can mean you found investors. It can mean you know an actor and talked them into coming onto the show. It can be (like me) having an idea, building a team, finding financing, writing or getting a script made,  creating a business plan, and then following this production to the end of a lifecycle...generally 3.25 years.

How do I know all this anyway, I'm some egotistical 34 year old kid? I'll tell you how I know. I've made mistakes in doing things. That's how I've learned. I'm hoping to pass some of this on to you so you will learn from me by proxy.

What I hear all around town is a lot more of 'faking it until we make it' than actual step-by-step production making. When you hear of anybody saying these phrases, you might take a step back and make a note to see if they are full of shit or not.


  1. "...I've been making deals all over the place and I want to cut you in for 50%..."
  2. "...I'm on set all day long... (why they can't respond to your text or email)
  3. "...I'm not a good financing producer. I'm better being on set..."
  4. "...I know Arri the CEO..."
  5. "...since I've made it to the top of the game I've learned a lot..."
  6. "...if this happens, it'll make me richer than I've ever dreamed of..."
  7. "...I've got a distribution deal already setup for any movie I want because they owe me..."
  8. "...I'm not greedy at all..."
  9. "...This is how we did it on my last picture..."
  10. "...I'm also an actor..." (does not count if it's Tom Cruise)
  11. "...all my financing people are out of state..."
  12. "...that's not how Name Studio Producer does it..."
Your best bet is to stay away from people that think they know EVERYTHING and NOTHING. All it takes for anyone to be successful is work ethic, reading, and a little bit of luck on their side.



Be careful. And be wary. Do your due diligence. I've developed a personal list of people in this town not to work with. Because this is the public web, I won't release it openly unless I find I need to. For a list of whom I’ve met with and who not to do business with, PM me and I'll guide you. Most of all, and once again: Do your due diligence. 

Ask for references, make sure they are who they say they are. Take down identification copies, make notes of all your meetings and what was said. Protect yourself first, because that's what is most important for your movie to be made.