‘Wonder Women: Producers’ panel offers powerful insights
Written by Ashley Wehrs, Graphic by Nicole Wehrs
The Wonder Women panel series has returned to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. “Wonder Women: Producers” began Oct. 27, kicking off the first of four Wonder Women panels. The panel included numerous producers: Alison Owen of “The Hustle”, “How to Build a Girl” and “Harlots,” Julie Christeas of “Black Bear,” Coco Francini of Dirty Films Production Co. and “Mrs. America,” Julia Nottingham of “Be Water,” Jayme Lemons of “The Way I See It” and Libby Geist, vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films and Original content.
Owen, Christeas, Francini, Nottingham, Lemons and Geist explained what being a producer really means, how being a woman has naturally shaped their content and their biggest challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The definition of producer is extremely fluid. Every company and type of producer might require something different. “I sort of sheepishly and humbly say [it means] everything,” Christeas said. “We take a project all the way through sale delivery and out to an audience.”
Many producers live in a world where a project lives on their slate for years. “You really have to love it, because it can take you five years before you’re making it,” said Francini. In many circumstances, there is no guarantee the project will be made anyways. “You have to keep going, and new buyers come up.”
Since producers spend so much time on their projects, the process of choosing one worthy of their slate has to be concise. “I ask do I love it, and would I go to see this in the cinema?” Owen said. “The second one is, can I find the money to make it? If I can answer yes to both those questions, I will take it onto my slate.”
Francini, who works in a partnership of different genders, noticed over half of her slate was filled with female filmmakers. “It’s not intentional, it’s the power of inclusion. When you let more people into the room, you get more perspective, and they start inviting other people,” Francini said.
Since COVID-19, the status of the film industry has shifted. The panelists concluded that development hasn’t slowed down, and if anything is increasing, but production has taken the hardest hit. “Ultimately the two things that are tricky are insurance and money,” Owen said. The cost of testing and its equipment requires money that is difficult for both large and small productions.
Beyond cost, you can’t buy comfortability. “I think people are afraid to do big-big things right now,” Lemons said. “I would be afraid to do something with a massive amount of people.”
Producers are constantly adapting to new obstacles and information. The latest is certainly the evolving global pandemic. Despite these concerns, there is no better group for the situation. “Our job is figuring stuff out,” Francini said.
