02. One foot in front of another — The Film Producer Credit
Soon after I started calling myself a producer people began taking me seriously as one. That is what was supposed to happen, yet it came to me completely unexpectedly. Not sure what else I was thinking would happen, as it seems like the most obvious consequence. What surprised me was how easy it was. There isn’t anything stopping anyone from calling themselves something after all. Doubt about such claims only comes if your profession needs a substantial amount of accreditation like a physician, a lawyer, or a tradesperson.
I came to learn that, more often than not, people will believe what you tell them about yourself. With the nature of this role (and how mysterious it seems to lots of people), people take your word for it. I became a producer, calling myself one even though I didn’t fully believe it at the time.
Once I started to be seen as (or at least someone who wanted to be) a producer, I began expressing my interest to different companies that that was what I wanted to do. Soon, I actually started to believe it myself.
You see, it is hard for you to believe something about yourself, it is far easier to believe what others say about you. That’s why some of the best publicity comes in the form of word-of-mouth. One thing is hearing that a certain movie is good from the people responsible for said movie, but when someone you trust tells you a movie is good, well that’s a completely different story. So, when someone I admire, the Executive Producer at a local production company, told me they’d be willing to give me a project to produce, I was awestruck.
It was the proof I needed for myself. I could actually call myself a producer and believe it.
I remember the restaurant I was at and who I was with when I got the text. It was a Mexican restaurant across the street from the university I was attending. Some friends, my new girlfriend at the time, and I were eating lunch between classes. I was having tortilla soup, my favourite.
I checked my phone during the meal and as soon as I finished reading it, I made a face to my girlfriend. She knew something had happened, something good. I passed her my phone, she read the text and her expression was now the same as mine. Awestruck. She knew it was a huge deal to me, but we kept it between us and finished the meal with smiles on our faces.
That night I had a beer with the Executive Producer of the project. We talked about my role and some of the expectations of the project. After I said what felt like a million thank yous, I went home and fell asleep grinning.
The next day I would begin work on the project … and I would also go to class.
Anxiety started to set in as I also realized I had never produced something outside the safety net of school. I started thinking: What did I just get myself into? Am I able to do this? If I screw this up, will I be able to recover? Do I have time to finish my school assignments?!
This all took place in February 2020 and I was in my last semester of the film program at my university. Over the last four years I was working on sets as a PA or an assistant location coordinator (sometimes on a volunteer basis of course), unknowingly building a solid base of knowledge of how sets work. I’ve mentioned that I paid attention to how each department works and runs, but once I stopped being a PA I realized just how invaluable all those days had become. Now that I became a producer, I put all of that to the test.
The EP put me in touch with the director, the cinematographer, the band, and cc’d me in emails with the label. These were all people I’d known of because I was fans of them and followed them all on social media.My only window into the film industry at the time. Afterwards, I was given the budget and the treatment. It was time for my first project with no safety net.
I had never seen a treatment of a project that hadn’t been made. The ones I had studied on my own time were always after the fact. The most fascinating parts of them were how the treatments differed from the final vision. Now, it was up to me to be part of those discrepancies.
The budget was healthy, and it was also the most money I had seen in my entire life. I was to be paid a whooping $1,000 flat for the job. I was over the moon.
Later I learned that that was a low rate for the weeks of work I put in. But of course, that didn’t matter to me. I would’ve paid for the opportunity! (Editor’s note: don’t pay to work. The math doesn’t add up.)
I consider myself extremely lucky for the opportunity the EP gave me, and as more time passes the more grateful I am to them for that first opportunity. I don’t know what they saw in me, especially with how green I was (I was still in school! I had essays due!), but I am extremely humbled by their trust in me.
As for the work I did, I would say I didn’t do that bad of a job. I facilitated what the director and cinematographer envisioned well. I adapted well to the changes demanded by the director and label. With the guidance of the EP and the key crew, I secured gear, locations, crew, and kept the budget in check.The team was content with how it all went and it was a solid 10-hour day. Not only that, but we came in under budget!
In hindsight, I could’ve added more people to the set and made everyone’s lives easier by sharing the workload (the EP called two last minute PAs to set to help out). The schedule could’ve been tighter, and I didn’t have the foresight for that. I also could have collaborated more with the key crew in shaping the vision of the project instead of just getting them what they needed, but that takes experience. You live and learn.
It would still be a while before I got my own voice into projects. I was just so happy to be in the room where it happened.
My work suffered in school. My grad film took a hit, and I asked for extensions for some of my essays I believe. My professor and I even talked about my lack of prioritization in life (“Do you want to work straight away, or do you want to create films in this safe space we call school?”) I was ready to refocus my sights into my grad film after wrapping and delivering the music video. But then I got the biggest compliment on my work that I could’ve gotten that would further delay my schoolwork: I got asked to do another music video.
One foot after the other, soon enough I was walking.
You can check out my work at — producedbyluisguerra.com
Check out part one here!
