Producers panel 2014: Santa Barbara

Reviewed by Cornelia Eriksson at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

“It takes time to take in a movie. You need to see if it is with you when you wake up” – Dede Gardner, Producer of 12 Years a Slave.

Behind a long table, covered with a black tablecloth sits seven producers. Albert Berger (Nebraska), Robbie Brenner (Dallas Buyers Club), Dana Brunetti (Captain Phillips), Dede Gardner (12 Years a Slave), Joey McFarland (producer, Wolf of Wall Street) Charles Roven (American Hustle), Gaby Tana (Philomena) and Ron Yerxa (Nebraska). They are sitting there in their glasses and suits while people start point and taking pictures of them.

Each producer present themselves and the discussion begins. During the discussion you realize how experienced these people really are. They talk about million dollar cars like toys and academy award nominated actors like game pieces.

“You never say no to a director, especially not to Martin Scorsese. For Wolf of Wall Street I was struggling with finding this special white Lamborghine that Marty wanted for his movie. There were only seven of these in the whole world and what can I say, now there is six..” says Joey McFarland (Wolf of Wall Street)

One by one they closely describes how they together with the director are doing everything in their power to get films made in the best possible quality.

“One time we wanted to cut off the hair of a woman in our film. She seemed quite nervous about it so David O. Russell whispered calmly: “It will grow back, don’t worry about it” says Charles Roven (American Hustle)

They also talked about the importance of good stories and they all agree that you should never make a movie just to make a movie. I remembered how Ron Yerxa talked about how you should serve the audience an experience or a memory. He explained how little it has to do with technique and ends with “I mean, we couldn’t afford color.”

It seems to me like you have to put your soul into the movie you are making. Even if you only got one job in big budget films like Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Nebraska, Philomena, Dallas Buyers Club, Captain Phillips,12 Years a Slave you are gonna have to answer questions about the film the rest of your life.

“You have to have a emotional connection with the movie. One way or the other” – Charles Roven