ABSTRACT

Producer Michael London, whose credits include Trumbo, Milk and Sideways, discusses the producer’s essential tasks such as identifying and securing underlying rights to a literary property (such as screenplay, book, article, video game) and protecting and guiding the project through securing financing, production and distribution. The producer stays longer with a project than anyone else. Highlights include working with writers during the development stage; packaging the project with screenplay and talent such as director and major stars to then seek and secure financing; dealing with potential buyers (studio or independent financiers); achieving the green light to proceed to production; the completion bond; preproduction; principal photography; staying on schedule; postproduction, especially editing, music, final cut; recruited screenings; previews, market research testing audience reaction; distribution deals; American Film Market; Sundance Film Festival; advice on how to become a producer.