The Producer

You know what a movie producer actually does? They are the ones that take on the burden of the entire project. At least that’s the way it use to be. Back in the day the producer made EVERY decision. Far more powerful than the director. That person would be the single minded champion of the movie from start to finish dragging it to completion if need be. Legendary guys like David O. Selznick (by the way, the “O” in his name doesn’t stand for anything. I guess because it sounds more producer to have a middle initial) would be in the editing bay and physically even drag film through the trim bins (when film print was still made). He pushed and pulled “Gone With The Wind” to the finish line, and more than likely took years off his life over it.

Producers were the true visionaries of movies. They found scripts. Bought books to make into movies. They were the heart and drive that brought people together to make movies. Most just loved watching movies, others just like being around stars. Nowadays, a producer could be anyone. Some consider their parents producers. Which is very valid, considering they have faith YOU will make the movie they can see you make. Unfortunately, that type of support tends to be less about the project and more about the person. Blind faith is what we’d all want, but it doesn’t necessarily make a great movie.

Some producers are people like Jerry Bruckheimer. Guy’s name brings money to a project. Time was, Bruckheimer was box office gold. He found a niche in combining a great soundtrack with young directing talent. He still does. But it’s not printing money like he use to. His ability to package deals seems not to be the way they do things as much anymore. Maybe it is, since the agencies became producers. But the true movie lovers are pretty rare now. Can’t blame them as their budgets have skyrocketed.

The traditional sense of the producers was a glamorous position in that you could decide so many things. If you have the money, you have a say. Power in the shadows. In an odd sense, I don’t mind having someone with a track record giving input. Or demanding something be done a certain way. Many directors despise it, especially if they are strong visualist. Most money people don’t understand the complexities of some stories. For instance, Warner Bros. bought The Wachowski’s “Matrix” without having a clue as to what it was about. They just saw storyboards and thought it was cool. I believe Joel Silver saw its potential. Joel was pretty notorious back in the 1990’s. Very few people give him credit as to his contribution to those action movies of that era (in particular one of my favorites “The Last Boy Scout”).

I think the term of “producer” is vague in today’s world. Even in studio terms, it’s very odd to know who the sole producer would be. There’s so many people who wish to take on that title and not really do the leg work to drag the project to the top of the hill. That is actual work. Instead, it seems, the person who puts in the loudest opinion, with freebies (such as letting you use their home as a location…yes, this is silly, but I’ve seen it) is a producer.