By Lisa Montalto and Michael McKown
You’re going to be a producer for the first time! Congratulations! Welcome to Headachesville. You’ve got the screenwriter and their script, you’ve found a director, it looks like you’ve got the money lined up (congratulations again), and a studio to actually make the film. Only the studio boss later said, “Eh, we’ll pass.”
Next step? If the studio won’t come to you, then you need to find another studio, or a production company. Let’s focus on that. After a word from our sponsor.
Who are we? I’m Michael McKown and I run Ghostwriters Central, a premier provider of ghostwriting services for clients worldwide since 2002. We’re located in Southern California, and we write screenplays, books, speeches, and lots more. Co-author Lisa Montalto is an excellent screenwriter under contract to my company. OK, let’s get back to the article….
Finding a qualified film production company is one of the most essential steps in producing your movie. The production company is responsible for the look and feel of your film and not even the best screenplay can overcome a bad production.
A production company is tasked with the creation of everything from films to television shows and music videos, video shorts, commercials, video games, corporate videos, and theater. They take the project from development to the final product. This includes rewrites to the script, casting talent, finding locations, filming the scenes, and post-production.
Essentially, you're putting your baby into their hands and that’s a lot of trust. When seeking a quality film production company, it’s important to understand its function and how it works. A reputable company is broken down into three parts; above-the-line, below-the-line, and the post-production team.
The typical above-the-line team consists of the creative staff, which includes the executive producer, producer, director, casting director, and screenwriter. Some roles begin work pre-production like the executive producer who secures the funding while the producer manages the budget and handles the logistics of the overall production. The casting director auditions the actors and of course, the screenwriter is ground zero. Without a script, there is no production. Once the film goes into production, the director kicks in and leads the creative vision, directing the entire set.
In our hypothetical case, you’re the producer or exec producer, you’ve already got the director lined up, the funding seems to be in hand, and the screenwriter has provided the script, so you’re that much ahead of the game.
The below-the-line team is the technical team. Again, some of the staff begin work in pre-production such as the location manager and the art director, while the director of photography, production manager, camera operator, gaffer, and sound mixer/boom operator go to work when the film goes into production.
The post-production team comes into play once the film is in the can. The editor assembles the footage to create the final cut, the visual effects artist adds the visual effects, and the sound designer manipulates the sound elements.
All this has to come together seamlessly to produce the best film. This is why it’s so important to find the best production team. Here are five tips to find the highest-quality production company.
Track Record
Check out their portfolio of similar projects in the same genre as yours. Look at the quality of their films, the visuals, and how well it did at the box office. How long have they been in business?
Quality
Check out the quality of their equipment and crew. Research their crew members by checking their IMDB credentials which will show which films they’ve worked on previously. IMDB is the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), and is the most official record and cannot be faked. Also, check the quality of their lighting and the camera equipment by asking what they use and by doing your research.
Budgeting
Make sure the production company has worked on projects in the same budget range as your film. If the production company has only worked on low-budget films, they may not be a fit if your film is in the million dollar or more range. Conversely, if the production company has only worked on budgets of $10 million or higher and your film is a lot smaller, this might not be the company for you.
Delivery
Did they deliver on time? Did they go over budget? This is very important because communication is key, and you want a production company who is dependable and who keeps you informed every step of the way.
Read Reviews
Check out past reviews and read from worst to best to get a good idea of how this particular company works with its clients. Great places to check are social media platforms.
The best places to find the best production companies are at film festivals, industry networking parties, and online directories. You can reach production companies face to face at film festivals and also get a bird’s eye view of their productions. Networking is another great place to find your production company. The more people you talk to the more likely you are to find that needle in a haystack. Online directories can give you a listing of production companies, sometimes with ratings and reviews.
All of the above combined will yield you a short list of the best production companies for your project. To pick the winner will take some one-on-one time, preferably face time, with them to ensure you’ll work well together because producing a film is the ultimate collaboration.
We wish you all the success in the world with your film.
