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April 19, 2017 by Jason Brubaker

Warning: Poorly Run Film Production Can Sour Your Career

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Welcome to Filmmaking Stuff! While you're here, make sure to grab a copy of my filmmaker checklist.

Picture this! A new filmmaker begins their very first film production. He’s already living in the corner of someone’s kitchen, trying to scrape together a few bucks to eat while also working towards a career making movies. So when he lands a gig working on set as a production assistant, he’s super excited.

But then things go south. The production manager quits within minutes. The shooting schedule falls apart. Actors arrive, wait for hours and never get their call times. The food at craft services runs out. Tempers flare, and screaming matches begin. The film actually gets made, but in the end everyone hates the experience and all the people involved.

film production

Lessons Learned From Film Production

Why am I telling you this? It’s a true story. It happened to me.

Even though nobody was ever in physical danger (because if there is physical danger on any set, you need to run for the hills) the entire film production was poorly managed. It was a terrible experience. And I truly hated every minute. After we wrapped, I honestly fantasized about a career selling life insurance.

Then months later, I got word that the film was accepted to Sundance. What the heck? Somehow in-spite of ourselves, we made a wonderful film. And bigger picture, I also learned that at some point in your career, you’re going to have a really crappy film shoot. But you can hopefully avoid a lot of nonsense by adhering to a few suggestions:

  • Communicate with everyone you possibly can throughout the filmmaking process. 
  • Plan your production so you know what’s happening, who is involved, and what’s needed.
  • Expect the unexpected because things will ALWAYS go wrong. Have a plan B and a plan C.

If you can keep these simple tips in mind, you may be able to avoid adding a crappy film production to your experience and instead focus on filmmaking projects that fulfill you.

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Filed Under: filmmaking Tagged With: assistant director, filmmaker, gig, gigs in new york, sundance

About Jason Brubaker

Jason Brubaker is a Los Angeles based film distribution executive specializing in direct to consumer distribution strategies. As the founder of Brubaker Unlimited, he currently consults with media companies, rights holders and content creators to develop strategies to source content, maximize distribution, grow audiences, build buzz and create community around each title. [read more]

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About Jason Brubaker

Jason Brubaker is a Los Angeles based film distribution executive specializing in direct to consumer release strategies. As the founder of Brubaker Unlimited, he consults with media companies, rights holders and content creators to develop tactics to grow audiences, build buzz and create community around each title. [read more]

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Filmmaking Stuff is a professional resource for independent filmmakers and provides tips on screenwriting, producing, crowdfunding, directing, movie marketing and film distribution. Click the pic below and download my filmmaker checklist.

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