Producing and Chaos Theory

Then we come to the epiphany of the weekend. Finally, I get it.. I get it .. I get it!!!

One of the most common questions I've gotten about filmmaking from wondering friends and relatives is about the about the common roles that you might find on and off set.

They would lean in, already skeptical about the magical fairytale land I must be participating in, and curiously ask... "Sooo I've always been curious... what does a cinematographer actually do.. OR what does a director do... and most often and most curiously to me.... what does a producer do?"

That was the most tricky for me. A cinematographer is the author of light, the camera technician and the achiever of the film's look on screen. Cut and dry. The director is the answerer of all questions. The guru of the direction of all aspects of the film... production design, look and tone, pacing... in collaboration with other departments and most specifically a collaborator and author of the actor's performances. Cut and dry..

But a producer? What did they actually do? Producers aren't as obviously celebrated. Their craft is a more subtle one. In school, I was taught that they were the business end of the creative process. In fact, my impression is that they were really weren't allowed to be creative at all, but did all the grunt work... and paper work .. and brought the money.

But when the the Oscar for the best picture is handed out, who does it go to? The producers.
That was when I realize that, if the motion picture academy gave the the producer the Oscar for the best picture, they must be responsible for everything you see on screen. And a feature film is made of a million parts.

1. Producers are responsible for EVERYTHING that happens behind the screen.

When you are watching "The Dark Knight" and the semi truck crashes and flips over in the middle of the road... the producer has authored that image. He and his team have:

a. gotten the permits to shoot on the street..
b. negotiated with the city and police to shut down the street..
c. procured the semi truck or set of semi trucks that will be demolished..
d. hired the team of stunt workers and coordinators to make the stunt happen..
e. hired the on set medical team to make sure if some one gets hurt they can have care..
f. rented the camera package in the collaboration with the Director of Photography to the camera department's budget..
g. hired the crew to rig the lights..
h. hired the director who will capture the event within the scope of the film's world..
i. gotten the trailers and trucks that the key actors, vanity personnel, props department, and wardrobe department are held in..
j. hired the catering team that will deliver food, timed to union sanctioned breaks and lunches..
h. worked with casting directors to cast extras and made sure they have signed appropriate releases for their image in the film..
.......................
and on and on and on...




there is a lot more behind the image you end up seeing on the screen..

2. Producers are the author and owner of the creative property.

The way that I see this is that the producer "owns"... for lack of a better word.. a series of intellectual properties that they manage.

In my opinion, these include:

1. The brains, skills and ideas of the director.
2. The brains, skills and ideas of the director of photography.
3. The brains, skills and ideas of the production designer.
4. The brains, skills and ideas of the composer.
5. The brains, skills and ideas of the screenwriter.
6. The image and skills and creativity of the talent.
7. The story and screenplay itself.

All of these come together for the final intellectual property... which they are credited with and can win the Oscar for: the film.

The producer owns these things, because they are the decider. They OWN the decision of matching the correct script to a director who's creative ideas will enrich.. in the correct way, in a natural and honest way.. its story. They OWN the decision of parring that director with a director of photography that will compliment the story and the director's storytelling POV. They see the characters of the film with a strong and intuitive vision of who they are and have an opinion about the actors that will best portray that vision.. in collaboration with their hired director and casting director. They not only support the characters in the script and story with the correct talent and direction but also support the the film's financial and market value with all these decisions.

And in turn, they OWN the final quality of the film... its honesty... its strength of storytelling..
AND they have to OWN those decisions reflected in a shallow, dull and lame film as well..
They are the ultimate (in collaboration with others) author of the film.

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This is what my definition consisted of.. and then I had an epiphany over the weekend.

Producers are at least responsible for another thing and.. (probably many more.)

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3. They filter chaos.

They create an environment in which the other members of the decision making team can be free to decide. They control chaos.

We always think life is about freedom of choice. To have all the options means you have the best chance at picking the best one.

But I have been thinking.. it is hardest to make a decision when there are too many.

When you have every option..there suddenly are as many good possibilities as bad ..and now the probability of picking a bad option seems more likely as well. Giving someone too many options is the same as overwhelming them.. limiting their creativity. But when you have a filter..

a carefully and intentionally created filter.. which may include seeing the project more objectively than the individual players and using a degree of healthy manipulation to steer the project towards where a smart producer knows it needs to end up for everyone to be successful.

As a producer you free those around you to be more creative then they ever have. You empower the people around you to be triumphant because you know exactly. where. they. should. be. And you place them there.

You are the destroyer of chaos.