MORE MONEY, SAME PROBLEMS: PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE 2010

For the indie producer, spending a weekend among the barons of blockbusters on a studio back lot is something like taking a trip to the zoo: we marvel at the agility of the bobcats, the might of the gorillas, and the fine plumage of the exotic birds. But, just like in the animal kingdom, the true moment of connection between us and another species comes when we realize…they’re not so different from us after all. For most of us low-budget schlubs in attendance at the 2010 Produced By Conference in Los Angeles this past weekend, that moment came early in a Saturday session when producer Larry Gordon—of both Waterworld and Watchmen infamy—sat on stage at the Zanuck Theater explaining that the Kevin Costner epic was such a catastrophic disaster because he really needed $98 million to make the movie and the studio would only give him $70 million (in case you forgot, the actual budget for that film came in at $175 million). Now, before you laugh so hard you snort coffee through your nose (as I did), think about this: shave off three or four zeros, and haven’t we all been in the same predicament?

Over the course of two days and over a dozen panel discussions and breakout sessions, I realized the difference between us and them comes down to this: it’s infinitely more interesting to hear about how independent filmmakers—with far more limited resources and access to brand-name talent—solve problems than studio producers who (let’s face it) usually just end up throwing money around to make them go away. To hear how an indie producer got his or her film made is like watching a seal successfully peel a banana.

Though the 2010 Produced By Conference, held on the 20th Century Fox back lot, was dominated by speakers from the studio system, there was a fair amount of indie representation: among the Ted Turners and Douglas Wicks were Ira Deutchman, Scott Kirsner, Rena Ronson and others. The two camps did, however, seem firmly divided. In fact, the most telling moment of the weekend was when attendees had to choose between a panel called Producing Blockbusters and one called DIY Distribution, both scheduled for the same time slot in adjacent theaters. Since I was in LA and feeling the seductive calling of the fancy cars lined up on the back lot, I opted for Producing Blockbusters (panelists included the aforementioned Larry Gordon, Richard Zanuck and Mark Johnson)—a decision I regretted as soon as Gordon started explaining how it’s so rough these days being a top Hollywood producer: “I’ve had some really bad experiences on the last two or three movies,” he said. “I’ve just about had enough. It’s pretty tough. I don’t like it.” No disrespect for Mr. Gordon, whose accomplishments are not small, but it would be interesting to see him try to make a feature film for what he probably spent on paperclips for the Waterworld production office.

The two best panels of the conference by far were The Simpsons: Still Yellow After All These Years and New Voices, New Stories, New Audiences (also known as the Token Diversity Panel). The former was refreshing because Simpsons founding fathers Al Jean and James L. Brooks reinforced the truth that—despite the shucking and jiving by agents, studio executives and power producers—all it takes is a creative genius to break all the rules. The latter was the one that reaffirmed my belief that independent producing is indeed a far nobler endeavor than studio producing. Panelists Dante Di Lareto (executive producer of Glee), Mara Brock Akil (creator, Girlfriends and The Game), Ali LeRoi (co-creator of Everybody Hates Chris and executive producer of TBS’ Are We There Yet?), Darlene Caamano Loquet (producer of In the Valley of Elah and former assignment editor for Univision) and Lee Daniels (director of last year’s multiple Oscar-nominated film Precious), along with moderator Tracey Edmonds (President and COO of Our Stories Films), each shared their experiences fighting a system that was engineered to work against them, or exclude them altogether. As LeRoi pointed out, the secret to all their success was simply “to be the last one standing.”

At the end of a spirited and informative session, it was a foul-mouthed Lee Daniels who provided the weekend’s most valuable advice for producers of all kinds: “Hollywood perpetuates fear. Well, fuck the fear. You want to know the secret to making movies? Here it is: just figure it out. But you must be fearless.” — Smriti Mundhra