How to Produce a Feature Film - Diamond Diver Goes Back to School

The jury is still out as to whether I intend to part produce this film or whether I remain in the shadows and act as Executive Producer. Either way I thought I'd better learn the ropes so I enrolled on to a 10 week study programme at City University London, the course is aptly titled 'How to Produce a Feature Film' and began last Tuesday evening.

The programme is focused on the role of Producer and how one moves the project through the critical milestones of development, pre-production, principal photography and post production. I arrived at City Uni with all the enthusiasm of a 3 year old child feeding bread to herd of fowl (geese, ducks swans etc)!

Week 1 - The Development Phase and the Script

The first module looked at the various aspects of the development stage and it became clear very quickly that the script was an essential commodity of any producer. Now it's not that I didn't know this already but I guess I thought it was more of a formality, and I say this because I believe we have one heck of a Treatment and Step Outline.

So lesson number 1# SCRIPT IS KING

Finding the right scriptwriter can throw up a whole range of dilemmas for the Producer;

• Do you approach an accomplished scriptwriter?
• Do you try and catch one on their way up?
• Do you go with a rookie?

There are obvious pro's and con's to each dilemma but I suspect that our decision will be based partly on the availability of funds but also on our confidence in the scriptwriter. It seems to me a bit like trying to find a ghostwriter who can get inside the head of the storyteller and relive the experiences of his/her subject through their eyes and ears. So to what extent does one trust the scriptwriter to mesh their interpretation of the experience into the story? Another dilemma!

Other topics we covered last week were script writer's agreements, writer's agents, chain of title - all of which were fascinating and all had the potential to be incredibly complex.

But for me a couple of key things stood out and they were things that I drew a lot of comfort and confidence from. The first thing related to the different types of Producers that are often involved in a project, and how each one plays to their individual strengths. Some Producers have an eye for and ability to work with the talent, others have an eye for and an ability to identify, develop and see potential in a script and others are more entrepreneurial and help shape up the deal. I fit without doubt into the last hole, it's what makes me tick.

Finally the 5 Key Questions a Producer should Ponder when evaluating an idea or script;

1. Is the idea any good?- this is more about the producer's intuitive feel for the idea as well as their knowledge of what makes an idea good.
2. Is there an audience for it? - who will come and see this? If it's a film about a Yorkshireman and his whippet then you might potentially alienate an important chunk of your audience. (nothing against Yorkshiremen or whippets i might add)
3. Is the budget right? - what, $300million to shoot 'One Man and His Whippet' in Barnsley? Get my point.
4. Can I raise the money for this? - where is the producer likely to get the funds together to make this film.
5. Is this idea a film or television? When you imagine this film, can you see it on the big screen?

Was it worth worthwhile, travelling across London to sit through 3 hours of evening lectures? Module 2 tomorrow - I cant wait!