The golden age of filmmaking in Hollywood set up an image of a producer being the person who calls the shots and says what goes and what doesn't – outsiders often or not have this image of a white, male, most likely middle-aged big shot, totally comfortable with demanding what he wants, and getting it too. He is assertive, which is a kind way to say mean or bossy (when talking about men anyway), and everyone drops to their knees, scampering all over the studio to please him and meet his requests.
In the modern world we still have these important producers, but the image of them has changed slightly, along with the way producers operate, and importantly what has also changed is how the people working below the producer respond to their demands.
Our generation is accepting of producers of any gender, religion, race and colour, but we are also aware of the power imbalance that comes ingrained in the hierarchy of the film industry. This was demonstrated by the much needed Me Too movement, and what followed for industries outside entertainment with the Time's Up movement. Both proved that you can't be simultaneously worshipped and an insensitive asshole that abuses the power that comes from your role.
Adapting to your industry role
This has me thinking if I, myself, am a kind person overall. For the most part I like to think that my intentions are honest when it comes to approaching another person or dealing with them in whatever manner I need to.
I'm not a people person per se, instead, I’m introverted with some extroverted tendencies. When I need to be on I can be, and I can mingle and show genuine interest in others and retain the details they tell me about their lives or their projects. Being the producer and wearing many hats as an indie filmmaker where I have to step up and lead most of the time, I have learnt to do what suits my needs and my project needs, though this isn’t always easy.
Like any industry, within the indie film world, you adapt and you shape yourself around what the industry requires for you to get ahead. In the role of producer, you are expected to be ruthless to get what you want or what you envision the project to be. To get the message across you will take no prisoners to get there. If the production can afford it you will make the decision to drop lazy performers from the crew, you will tell the director if the actor is not what you envisioned for the part or not bankable enough during the casting process, you will ask for changes to be made to the script or the story and you will be mindful of how the budget is being spent.
Sarah Jayne on set as the director and producer of Nexus Production Group’s 2021 feature film Machination, with director/producer Ivan on camera and Robert Mercieca on sound.
This is why producers visit film sets, even low budget short film sets and this is why producers also have the reputation for being mean and unapproachable. With that persona comes power.
There are kind producers and extremely kind producers
In my experience of becoming a producer, a title which was bestowed to me due to the way I choose to make films – micro-budget and completely independent – I have often found myself in a position I am not always comfortable with. You sometimes have to put away your empathy to make the best business decisions instead of personal choices. Then you also hope that those meeting your demands see that you are not your title, but simply just doing your job.
Over the years I have found myself placed in really awkward situations while producing my films. It’s stressful enough trying to find finance while being mindful of what the overall vision of the project is, so imagine when (unprofessional) actor friends expect you to instantly cast them for the lead role in your new project even if they are not the right fit. It’s beyond annoying and emotionally draining, as you are required to walk the fine line of being honest and not hurting feelings when you explain why you cannot cast them.
This is where you have to be kind but also be firm – a kind person who is easily manipulated would feel guilty about the fact that they never considered their friend and feel obliged to cast this person. They may feel somewhat pressured, thus giving in and then changing the project to suit this friend. This is not good film industry practice. A producer must put the project first (aside from the health and safety of the cast and crew) and do what is best for the film.
This is not just with the cast; the crew too can see you making choices that could show you in a negative light if not handled properly. When you have two tenacious crew members you have previously employed putting their hands up for the same position, you have to reject one for the other. This is difficult when you personally like working with both.
We work with small crews to keep our budgets low, so we have to be picky about who is working with us. We look at what we need on set and match the person who best suits the role. This choice could simply be more experience in operating key department equipment or even being better suited at outdoor shoots as we need something completed that requires physical strength and endurance. Still, it is never easy to hand out rejection to a friend.
Speaking the truth
A film shoot I am producing and setting up this week has me casting a boy in the role of a character who abuses his sister. Of course, it is not the actor doing it, it's the made-up character. We don't see these acts play out on the screen, but it's in the character’s background and it's subtly hinted at in the film through the siblings' interactions as adults.
The role of the young boy was cast last week and his mother didn't ask anything about the role when putting her son forward. After casting him then I felt uneasy as I gave her no context about the role he would be playing. All weekend I tossed this around in my head, I thought about how I would tell her in an email and I worried that she would not want to be associated with the film. Of course, I had two concerns – that they would pull out of the shoot and that she would be upset with me for deceiving her and that she may even argue when she sees the film. The latter would hinder the film’s release.
When I emailed her about costumes after the weekend I explained the film and the context, including the sexual abuse the character inflicts and a wave of relief washed over me when reading her positive response. She was fine with the context of the film.
Had the mother voiced concerns I would’ve had to tighten my producer hat and speak to her perhaps about the role and explain why the scene was important for the film and that her son was not physically inflicting any harm on anyone – the character is. It’s borderline manipulation in a way as you are urging a person to see a different point of view, for the sake of the project’s survival and future marketing on release.
The mother’s email gave me hope that maybe I am just overthinking it. But had I not put it in writing and made our story clear to her, it would have made me feel like I was deceiving her. On the shoot day, it would have also made my job as a director more difficult as I would be dancing around how to direct the boy, who is playing a character who is a manipulative bully and I would have stressed myself out further.
It took me a while to draft that email too, I asked my partner for his opinion before I sent it. You see, being kind also takes time and mental power – it's emotionally exhausting.
How I Find the Middle Ground
The middle ground is simply a place you get to through experience. It’s discovered by keeping in mind that the project comes first and through letting people hear the truth, in a direct but sympathetic way, so that no one involved walks away feeling belittled and unseen. The old Hollywood standard built the foundations for the role of a producer and elements of it still work today. However, it’s up to the current generation of producers, no matter the size of the film or crew they are overseeing, to approach the powerful position with a good dose of human kindness and empathy.