Working with Producers

 

"An associate producer is the only guy who will associate with a producer."


Let's say that you've sold or optioned your screenplay. You will now get notes from the producer or Development exec. You will also be entering a world that can create great things or break you down or worse, be replaced completly.

Generally the process of work-for-hire would include the pitch, the story or treatment followed by the first draft and if needed (and it usually is) the rewrite and finally the polish.

Welcome to the development process.

Assuming that it has been optioned the next step is to meet the producer for a formal meeting. The meeting is where you hopefully begin to work with the producer and/or the development/creative exec. What you hope for is that person or persons will offer some good notes and not too many.

Remember this; good notes should inspire you and indicate a better way to say something in your story. It's always best to have one exec (male or female) from the studio or network as with two it begins to be a little competitive  as each one of the studio's people will want to show they know more than the other one does.

Or they'll both gang up on you.

Regardless it's to your advanage because odd numbers make for more conflict. All this means that at least one person out of three will almost always be on your side. This is my own assumption, gleamed from playing blackjack. The next thing would be a half dozen clarifications and some character developments.

Here's some tips for "the meeting."

Also this can apply if you're simply meeting a producer (or ex) because they have read your screenplay and want to meet you. That's the one smart thing that I've learned about Hollywood power people. Many executives and exec's are just as insecure in their job as you are about your work, possibly even more.

Their turnover is only slightly less than the next lower person. Everybody is insecure in this business. And as I said earlier, they want to keep you in their email in case your next screenplay sells to a studio. Everybody is insecure.

Since they've read the script they will have notes and in my experiences, they can be a page or two or they can start on Page 1 and go through the entire hundred or so pages. And those notes aren't going to be nice. Your bank account will tell you if you want to stay in that meeting.

Make sure what you understand what they're saying.

Say this twice to yourself right now. This is the most important thing you have to do. Listen carefully and if you don't understand something, it will come back to haunt you. Ask them to repeat it; they like that because it means you're listening but also you need to make sure you know what they said.

Why?

Because, later you're going to have to deal with that one special note they gave you and you didn't write it down and the next day and they just might test you on it. Sometimes producers give notes that they totally forget, but unfortunately for writers, you don't always know which one. And the one you think is the least important can turn out to be their baby. 

Once again, make sure you understand every thing they say even if you have to get them say it twice or three times.