A new year begins.

I'm back  home.  The arctic temperatures of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have slipped away and been replaced by our table at the Figtree Restaurant on the Venice Beach boardwalk where I join friends every Sunday for breakfast and a 12-mile bike ride. People ask me how I can fit into two such totally diverse cultures, frozen north and balmy Southern California.

It does take a few days going from one to another, they are truly universes of their own and about as far away from each other as is possible. They say the person you are at 7 is the person you are, and I guess I suffer from dual identities; the little kid on the prairie and the writer and producer in L.A. 

But oddly enough, they merge easily as I had already lived the Hollywood life as a 10-year old going to movies in my little village and being carried away by the images of Hollywood life where parents had great houses with sunken living rooms and they drank from decanters of liquor and always had ice ready. And parents who looked like Ward and June Cleaver, Ward even wore suits for dinner.  But that was long ago.


Now, it's 2010 and my new year's resolution.

Make Travel Day.

Where are we now? We have the Canadian producer finalizing his letters of commitment which are essential to convincing U.S. and any other investors that we are real. You would think my credits would be enough to convince the money people but they want to see someone else besides Shirley and I who are ready to put themselves on the line.

It's all about commitment. Who jumps in the pool first. Who leaps from the bridge with a bungee cord around their ankle.

So who is first to commit? It's probably looking like this:

• Shirley and me.

• Two actors, both Academy nominated who have read the screenplay.
  

• Manitoba producer Dane and his partner and company.
  

• One of the major banks in Canada.

• A presale to a broadcaster in Canada.
  

 With actual Letters of Commitment (LOI's), from the above we will have a strong package to present to the U.S. investors for their share, which is around $500,000 Cdn of the $1 million budget. Exchange rates now are not all that attractive to U.S. money which means it'll be a little harder to raise.

My potential U.S. investors and I always use the term "potential" until their checks have been deposited and cleared, are an eclectic mix of experienced executive producers, private investors, an attorney with connections, two distributors who might be persuaded to part with some of their funds.

What about timing?

As many of you know, we started this way back in summer of 2009 and you might wonder if there might be a loss of interest what with a new year beginning.

It doesn't help, but yet, in this constantly contradicting business, it doesn't hurt. Since it's rare for an indie film to get financed quickly, the fact that we've been at it for just about 8 months isn't a liability. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, it can take years to get funding, even with major stars attached.

It all comes down to never giving up. Who can last the longest. Or just plain stubborness.

Which is my strong suit.

And it goes back to the studio exec who once told me that it takes three things to make it in this business; craft, discipline and talent. And the least important is talent. His words, not mine. But I agree.

What happens when the LOI's arrive?

I estimate it will take anywhere from 30 to 60 days to actually get and bank the remaining $500k which means a potential production date in March, still do-able for snow and winter conditions. God bless Canada's winters!

So stick with us as I wait for Dane's LOI's.

Why me?

We've reached the point where those of you who know the business are saying, "ok, this is not very exciting at all, we though producer's lives are filled with parties at the Ivy and movie stars and expense accounts and cocaine".  And those of you who are not in the business are saying the same thing. 

This is the reality of producing a movie, if you've followed me since the beginning, you know what it really is like.  Boring as hell, phone calls unanswered, email forgotten, and cheap lunches at Chili John's or Carney's. Well, Chili John's is worth any lunch at the Ivy. Welcome to the life of a producer. Granted I'm not one of the big guys but you know what?

It's the same thing for him or her. 

You're trying to sell a dream to someone who doesn't want to dream, or to finance a dream. Unless it's a brand or a sequel or something based on toys.

One of my favorite stories is told by Paul Lynch, my director friend. He recounts going onto the set of the remake version of the classic film The Lost Horizon, the one where a lost explorer happens on Shangri-la, the perfect mountain paradise where nobody gets old. Ross Hunter was the producer of the remake in the 60's. He was known for the Doris Day/Rock Hudson romcoms (romantic comedies) and I'm sure I've lost at least half of you who don't know who I'm talking about. 

Regardless, Hunter was producing Lost Horizon.  Lynch had an invitation to come on set at the studio so he did and met the director and some actors.  As he stood around, someone suddenly appeared in front of him, Hunter.  This is something that happens on any film that you might drop into, the director or producer will suddenly appear in front of you.  I had this happen on a Robert Altman film once, a somewhat relaxed set with Cissy Spacek, and having directed, I know the feeling. You know immediately when someone new is on set and you feel obliged to find out who they are.  Altman liked me and I hung around drinking beer all day.

But Lynch was surprised to see the legendary Hollywood producer introduce himself. Lynch introduced himself, they exchanged "pleasantries" and Hunter learned Lynch was from Canada and said wonderful things about the country and then snapped his fingers and said "camera!" And immediately, a photographer appeared from out of nowhere and took 2 photos of Lynch and Hunter. Then Hunter was gone. Two weeks later Lynch received an 8x10 of him and Hunter with a signed autograph. 

So what's the  big deal? Those were the big producers, bigger than life. Everything was an event, it was magic, it was Hollywood. 

Those days are gone. Now it's just business. About as exciting as watching two bankers having lunch. There's no more romaticism, no excitement. Why? Because corporations have taken over the industry. Beancounters. The biggest excitement I get is taking Shirley to lunch.  Everything else happens from my little home office with phone calls and email. Mostly email. And besides the fact that I am making no money, rather spending it, there's one thing that travels through my mind every day.

Most odds are against me.

A large portion of the Writer's Guild are against me. My own people.  Of 8000 members I have around 28 who drop by now and then to read. 

Why? 

Maybe they don't like me. But 95% don't even know me. 

The one thing I know is that many writers just hate it when someone else gets a job. Hell, I even hate it. And now I'm even trying to PRODUCE a movie. That's usually left for fast-talking carpet salesmen, not writers. After all we are pure and honorable. And everyone knows producers are conmen and thieves. We are an odd lot, miscreants no doubt, dreamers and hopefuls. I only have a handful of friends who are writers, and we are very supportive of each other. And I'm sure that's the case for many others.

But producing is not a stretch for writers. If you watch series TV like the CSI franchise and the NCIS franchise and Law and Order, and sitcoms like Two and a half Men, you will notice anywhere from 5 to 15 credits for producers at the beginning of the shows. These are not producers in the larger sense, they are writers.

Why writers?

Because in TV, writers learned early that in episodic, you need a new episode every week. And while a movie script can take years to develop to filming, TV episodes gotta be there every week. So in the 70's, writers figured out to ask for producer credit. It's not like what I'm doing, trying to find money for one movie, in fact most writer-producers know very little about producing. They just write and rewrite the episodes.  

There's usually one or two real producers but all the rest of those 10 or so producer credits are basically gifts to writers. And  it comes with having a say in most matters.

But movies are different, and I will be the producer as well as the writer, but will be joined by other producers mainly due to the fact that it's not my money that I'll be using, and other producers or agents who bring in money will be getting producer credit. Or Executive Producer, or maybe co-producer. 

But the only real producers who do budgets, hire crew and actors and work constantly on the film, will be myself and most likely the Manitoba producer who is the gateway to the tax credit and a sizeable part of the financing.

So as the week-end begins, I am only too glad to see a boring week go by and I focus on next week and the emails I know are lurking, waiting to send me good things.


At least the weather is nice.

Oh Canada?

Well, it's a big day. You might remember that screenwriter who became a development executive for a pay channel in Canada (see Distributors post). We'll call her Rachel.  And her company is the Eh Movie Channel, eh? I had given her a copy of TD to read.  Well, she called back. 

She liked it. 

She really liked it.

And she wanted to talk to me about it.  She was considering putting it into a development deal with Eh and provide us with a little bit of money for a rewrite and maybe some casting.  I was silent for what seemed forever and finally managed to say, as calm as I could, "well, that sounds nice".  And there's more. 

But first a primer on how it works in Canada.

Shirley and I had discussed the possibility of Canada as I knew the system there quite well, having been involved in the complex funding process that Canadian filmmakers have coped with, and in the last 15 years, many American films have taken advantage of with incredible tax credits. 

The Canadian system is based on this premise: there is no private money available to make movies. 

They had a 100% tax shelter for 10 years, but greedy accountants and lawyers caused it to end. Now it's a web of funding agencies, some private, some federal and some provincial.
Because that's the only way Canadians could ever get money to make their movies. 

The Feds offer a government investment of 50% and one hell of a paper chase. A large portion of funding comes from private broadcasters, networks and distributors and this is mostly because the Feds force them to take some of their profits from the American shows and movies they run (and make money with) and put it back into the fragile Canadian film industry. To the tune of  $80 million.

I like to call it guilt money, it's used for for script development, film development and equity financing. Many Canadian filmmakers have to patch a variety of different fund agencies together, each with different criteria. Slow and frustrating, but they eventually get to make their movie.

And we're not even talking tax credits yet.

But you have to be Canadian.  So now you're saying, "sure Jim, you might get some of that $$ but what about us. That's an unfair advantage.  Well, not really.  There is another way, and it concerns the notoriously generous Canadian tax credits that many states envy and dislike.

Tax credits can reach as high as 65% in some cases, and this is usually in labor costs. You spend $1 million on local labor and you get almost $650,000 back.  Nice.  Of course you might be spending millions on other costs but still, that's a nice check to get back.  And this works for anyone in Canada or from anywhere in the world.  You don't have to be Canadian, but you have to incorporate your production company in whichever province you choose to film in.  Some places like Alberta offer around 25% on all money spent there while others offer tax credits on labor. 

But it's not as restrictive as you might think.  You still have a say and it's still your movie although the copyright remains in Canada.  And that's really not an issue as it doesn't matter where the copyright sits.  Brokeback Mountain was done with friends of mine in Alberta who provided the tax/incentive money. They got Executive Producer credits, show up once and then for the wrap party.  Capote was also done this way, as are a lot of US movies. 

So where does Travel Day fit?

Somewhere between the two methods above.  Ironically TD was intended to be filmed in Alberta among the Rockies, and then we considered LA and Big Bear or maybe around Lone Pine in the Sierras.  It's set in open prairie and mountain foothills.  And since I'm Canadian I qualify for Cancom funding.  This is an extra 15% or so but some Canadian content rules fall into place.  There are 10 positions in which Americans or other foreign people can only to to 4 positions, all creative including writer, actor, director, producer,DP, editor, Production designer and a few others.  So out of that you need to have at least 6 points going to Canadians.

Rachel had one more suggestion.  More?

She offered to call local producers and suggest they look at our project.  Why?  Because they could come in with the labor tax credits and some equity and provide the crew and administration costs.  It would mean that we would have to follow certain content restrictions but it could work quite easily.   And having Rachel call them would obviously mean more than if I did.  After all, they get money from hers and other Canadian pay channels. But they had to like the project.  

And that's where we sit today.

I really never expected this to happen, I didn't dare dream that it could happen. Three months after we started this project, we had, in theory, and I stress "in theory", most of the budget. With the 50% from the original US exec producer and an equal amount from a Canadian producer we could make Travel Day.  But right now it's still a work in progress.  There is paperwork to do,  and I haven't heard from the LA funder even after I emailed him.

We're not home yet.

Is it easier?  Yes.  

Do we have a better chance at actually getting this movie made?

Yes. 

But until I'm on the set watching Shirley do her first shot with a film crew and film in the camera, I'm not going to believe it.

For now, maybe a little bottle of champagne.  Or a Molson.

Blog 10: The Producer Pt 2

A few more short notes on producing.  As mentioned I am producer on Travel Day. While not common for a writer to produce, it has been done many times, especially in Television. If you look at movies pre-1980, most of them had one producer. An interesting phenomenon began to happen in the late 1980's up to now. 

First, when a big actor came on a movie, he/she often brought her agent or manager or dog handler and insisted on giving them an "Executive Producer" credit. Up to then, it was usually a studio or network executive who got the credit and it was more or less to keep an eye on the money. They rarely showed up on the set as they were busy on other productions.  

Then another event took place that changed credits once again, in a very different way. 

It was mostly due to less money being available to producers as studios began to cut their risks on smaller movies and focused more on big blockbusters. So many independent producers found they had to get "partners", primarily lawyers and money-raisers. Say your budget was $10 million, and you had only $5 million, well then you would have to find that other $5 million and you did this by looking for one or more hustlers or lawyers who could cough up that much. 

And these hustlers and lawyers  began to ask for credits -- title credits -- the names at the beginning of the movie. They brought in the money you needed, they want their names up on the big screen just like you.  

What happened after also changed movie credits. 

Since most or none of these "producers" knew much about making movies, they had to hire someone who did. This fell to the Production Manager, someone usually hired to run the day-to-day operation for the producer on a crew level. But then the PM as they are called, decided to ask for his/her credit.  And thus born was the "Line Producer". And they also get title credit. 

And since the other producers who weren't really producers opted for "Executive Producer", so that title once given to one studio exec was now handed out to anyone who could bring in a substantial amount of money to the movie cost or who the big star wanted to be one, like his workout coach (believe me this happened). Now it's not uncommon to see several Exec producers on a movie. In fact there were 20 producers, executive producers and co-producers on The Wicker Man, a remake of a movie that had one producer. 

And the original movie made more money.

I have allowed for one Executive Producer who would get a credit and facetime with the actors, the obligatory crew photo, maybe a car that's not being used and a whole muffin.  All this and a commission if they bring a portion of the budget. 

Like half.

(Coming Monday: The Director)