Film Professionals Offered the Key to Getting to the People who Make the Decisions on Which Films Get Made and Which Don’t

By Jhovanna Pumarol

The four-part workshop “Know the People, Know the Industry,” being offered by Ben Harris and Barbara Boyle, is giving students an insight into how things are really done in the American film industry.

The workshop was characterized by the interaction between who spoke and who listened. Silence was a question mark rather than a sign of boredom because there was always something to say or do. It was obvious that those who attended this workshop were there to learn.

Ben Harris began the second session by asking people to come up with the answer to this question: “What would you like to make a film about?” Everyone had a different answer. There was a lot of laughing and joking for a few minutes. The point of this exercise was to recognize that each and every person in the class has different interests and different tastes and that there is an audience out there for each one of them.

Among the questions and answers exchanged, a sensitive topic for filmmakers was broached: Why is it that some film projects never see the light of day? The answer was devastating: not all films sell and the ones that do are those guaranteed to produce large commercial benefits.

A silence fell over the room for a few moments until finally, someone in the audience ventured a question: “Then, how are we to know what the studios and producers are interested in?”

At this point, the key element of the workshop was out in the open. Ben Harris moved closer to his computer and opened the Holy Grail of film information consisting of four web pages with unlimited film news and information: Internet Movie Database, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Studio System.

But before exploring these pages, it was necessary to explain some of the steps in developing a film project and what is essential to understand its value. Among these steps is the famous “Information is power” aphorism. Ben explained in the following way: “The studios do not accept movies without prior reference from a producer so it is necessary to find a producer willing to take on your project.”

This statement provoked a series of questions, among the most poignant was: “How can I find a producer willing to accept my proposal?” “Look for one,” Ben responded with total innocence as the crowd listened in amazement, then burst out laughing in surprise.

This is how Ben explained the very important function of these publications and the access to information they provide: “They help the filmmaker find producers, directors and actors interested in projects like yours.”

To conclude the session, they did a short exercise to see if the audience understood the importance of searching for information, which allowed for the application of knowledge.

Once the exercise was finished, the panelists took a few minutes to clear up doubts and to get to know the participants, their interests and goals. The session ended at 6:00 pm but the conversations continued for another hour because there is always something to talk about in the film industry.

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