Be Ware of the “Wanna B” Producer

Be Ware of the “Wanna B” Producer

We’ve met with a few producers, below are the top
reasons why they have passed on Love 10 t0 1:

• Our micro budget
• This is our first project
• It’s an ethnic cast
• Our actors are unknown
• It’s digital

These are valid reasons, I won’t begrudge someone not
funding us if they have their reasons and let us know
what their reasons are.

I have a problem with the “Wanna B” Producer. This is
someone who constantly brags about how much money they
have and how they can’t wait for a good project to
come their way so they can fund it. This is the trick
that the “producer” uses to get filmmakers to like
them. In reality, this “producer” only wants to hang
out with directors, writers and actors so they can
feel validated in some way. This person will set up
camp, usually at Starbucks, and talk about their
“potential projects” loud enough for all to hear.

This person will waste the time of anyone they meet.
They brag about this connection or that project
he/she’s about to fund, and that’s what gets the
novice writer, director, actor hooked into spending
time with this person. Depending how nice or desperate
said writer, director, actor is, they can waste a lot
of time trying to appeal to the “Wanna B”. After one
horrendous experience with a “Wanna B” myself, I say
to all BEWARE & RUN!

My friend Karina said that any producer worthy of your
time will at least pay for your first meal and in her
experience they always pay. Come to think of it,
producers we’ve met have paid for our meal or drinks,
except of course the “Wanna B”.

Other signs that should make you run and not look back:

• “producer” wears a baseball cap that says PRODUCER bought at a tourist shop
• “producer” has not read your script and tells you so only after you’ve spent weeks with them
• “producer” wants a personal budget equal to your post budget


Lucy