They are hunted and sought as if they were a rare species. Directors swap out their viewfinders for binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. When spotted, several directors will purse the same one, because they are the driving force behind every production: producers.
The Approach
Every director looks for a producer to work with. It is often a challenging search that leads the director being forced to produce their own films, otherwise they would not happen. But that creates a mountain of work and stress that takes them away from the creative. There is a reason the two roles have always been separate. A director can do both. But they would still need a producing partner. They still need someone that focuses solely on the producing, especially in those final few weeks of pre-production where the director must be focused on the creative.
All of which leads to the search. That hunt for the producer that they can form a long-term working relationship with. Too many directors approach this in a way not conducive to garner results. They can be generic in their email, approach ones outside of their genre, or come across as desperate, or worse still, mention money. Producers do not have a magic wand to produce money. It is their work and skillset on a production that leads to investors being attracted to it, and that can take time.
To approach the right producer a director must do their homework. What kind of projects do they do? Does your project fit their roster? Is their personality in symmetry with your own? Based on their slate, will they have the time you need of them to focus on your project?
When dating you do not ask everyone out. You only show interest in the ones that are a good match for you. The same approach applies to finding the right producer.
Forming a Partnership
Once a director finds the right producer for their project, ‘with’ is the key word that must never be forgotten. You work ‘with’ them, not ‘for’ them. As producers they are in charge of the production. But there are not in charge of you. They want to help you bring your creative vision to the screen. For that to happen successfully you must work together with them, as a team.
Help your producer fully understand your creative vision so they can best help you achieve it. The same way you work with your DP to help them understand your vision, you have to work with your producer in the same context.
As a director you are striving to make the project in your head. Your producer wants the same, but has to deliver it for the budget you have available. So, at times, compromise will be needed. Not because your producer does not support your full creative vision, but because they need your help and understanding to deliver some elements in a different way to ensure they are within your budget.
So, form a creative partnership with your producer and your project will be significantly better for it.
Make it Reciprocal
The director should always be looking for ways they can help their producer, without stepping on their toes. What would help them at the moment? What can I do creatively that would help their conversations with investors more? What would take the pressure off them?
The producer is devoting an enormous amount of hours to help you achieve a dream, the very least you can do, is help them in return.