Q & A - Rebecca O'Brien

by SWS on 07-Jul-09 10:34

 
We gave you the chance to put your questions to award-winning producer Rebecca O'Brien - her responses are below:

1) How do you find a good producer – one who is good at raising money as well as getting the film made on time and on budget.

Good producers evolve - no producer knows all the stuff they need to know when they set out. A good producer will understand this and will know how to find out how to deal with what they don't know. Every new job presents new challenges, which is half the fun of being a producer. You need to find someone who will face these challenges head on. 

There are two main elements to producing: raising the money and spending it.  I’ve grown into doing both but started off on the line-producing side.  Whilst I was still not completely confident of being able to raise the money myself I sought the help of an Executive Producer. Over the years I’ve developed my own relationships with our financiers which has meant I no longer need someone to fulfill that role. The Executive Producers I’ve worked with I’ve found according to the project – in a way finding the right one is just like finding a financier and if you do find someone who is happy to run with your project and try and sell it in the outside world you’re almost there. My German co-producer was so good at this and was able to bring so many different European contacts to our projects that I worked with him for many years. Raising the money is something that comes with experience and building connections within the industry. 

There is no rich seam of Executive Producers to mine I’m afraid, it’s just a question of cultivating the key people in the production company/ies that are prepared to support your work and the best supporter will be best placed to raise finance. If the ideas and projects are strong enough then the money will come soon enough.  Personally I’ve found that the best results are achieved when you build on what has already worked well – if it works once then why not do it again?  That’s what I’m currently doing; we’re just about to go into production again with two French companies who contacted us with the ideas behind making Looking for Eric. We enjoyed working with them so much we decided to work together again; it didn’t matter that the new project was very different, it’s just about the team working well together.

On the line-producing side, often the right producer for you is someone you already know: someone who shows real organisational ability, cheeriness, stamina, loyalty, tenacity - but more importantly they need to be someone who understands the director and writer's vision. Friendship is important too - you've got to like the people you work with and enjoy spending time with them. Getting a film made on time and to budget is not only the producer's job. The whole team has to understand the level of the production and co-operate to make the film within its means. It's a collaborative effort. 

2) What was your route to becoming a producer and what tips would you give those starting out today to get ahead in a film industry career?
 
First and foremost I always loved going to the movies and as soon as I discovered that I could be involved I tried to find any way in. I didn't have an ambition to be a producer, I became one because it was the job in film that best suited my abilities: Jack of all trades, master of none! I worked my way up the production ladder: production assistant, location manager, production manager, doing budgets and schedules, did a few short courses.  I have a degree in Geography which gave me some useful practical skills.  Film making is a very practical process and I think it's really helpful to understand these processes.  When you know and understand the physical processes it's much easier to solve problems. It's important too to get in touch with your own taste - learn to articulate what you like and why you like it. Your role as producer is to be the first audience at every stage. Your input is most useful if you can take this role seriously.
 
3) What do you think is the key to a good producer/director partnership and what has made your relationship with Ken loach so enduring and fruitful?
 
Friendship and trust and an understanding of each other's role in the creative and production processes.
 
4) What kind of involvement in the creative process, from first draft to final cut, do feature film producers in the UK have and how does this compare to in the US?
 
I find this a difficult question to respond to as there are as many ways to produce as there are producers. I don't really know how US producers work as I only really know British producers. I think one needs to be as involved in the creative process as necessary - be able to spot weaknesses and strengths and find the best ways to solve the problems and nurture the things that work. In my case, I'm involved right from the very first idea - whether or not it's worth pursuing as a concept for a film - to way beyond the final cut (where I just hope to be able to contribute honesty about what works and what doesn't).  The busiest times for me are the build-up to pre-production when the financing is finalised and the cast, crew and locations are chosen and then later the build-up to the first release, which involves getting the ideas and concepts that the producer, director and writer have been working on across to an audience in the best possible way.  I think it's very important that the creators of a film keep a handle on getting it out into the world in what ever way that should be.
 
5) What tips would you give UK screenwriters writing first time micro budget features to make their screenplays attractive to producers?
 
Tricky one this. Don't be over-ambitious in terms of the concept - the film needs to be inherently doable when you have a low budget. The film can still be ambitious but it's about how you express that simply. Dialogue is very important - it needs to be economical and true.
 
6) Are writer/directors taken seriously in the UK or is it important to earn your stripes as one or the other first?
 
Making films is teamwork and I think it's very difficult to take on both these roles at once. Part of the pleasure of working on films is bouncing ideas off one another and developing the work together. One shouldn't get jealous of one's role - a good director will work with the writer to find an effective dramatic balance and a good writer will respect that input and help the director by suggesting ideas beyond the script that will help justify and effect the script. There are a few great writer/directors in the UK but I often think they could be even better if they found collaborators they were really able to trust and who would help them expand their vision. 
 
7) From Bean to Looking for Eric, what in your opinion makes a good film? And why would you produce it?
 
Good script: original concept, good story, believable dialogue, interesting ideas.  Why would I produce it? Good script and director that I want to work with.

8) What has been the most successful film for you? Not in terms of financially, but what you got out of it?
 
Films are like children - it's difficult to have a favourite when you've spent so much time and effort nurturing them.  Each film I've done has provided its own lessons and rewards - some more than others.  Land and Freedom was particularly special - it was very tough to make at every level. It was the first co-production, the first in a different country and the first period drama I'd done. We were pretty far away from the busy world and it really felt we were fighting a battle in the Spanish Civil War - it was a powerful experience for us all and I still find the film very passionate. Looking for Eric was possibly the most fun, Sweet Sixteen the most emotional, The Wind that Shakes the Barley the most difficult and also the most satisfying in terms of achievement. I have something to say for each one - but they've all been special and I feel very privileged to have been able to be part of them.

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Many thanks to Rebecca for giving her time to answer these questions.

More 'Ask the Experts' opportunities coming soon - visit the Masterclasses homepage to find out more.

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