NEW PRODUCERS/DESPERATELY NEEDED

What’s the key to a successful film? The script? The director? The actors? Wrong! The producer.

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Interestingly, a lot of film fans give no thought to this quasi mystical entity and, if asked, don’t actually much understand what producers do.

But think of it this way.

Writers can NOT get a movie made. Directors can NOT get movies made. Actors can NOT get a movie made.

They all need a producer.

That was true for all the people involved in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, two of Britain’s best known, recent successes and for all other films.

They need a guy – or girl – who can raise the money! He / she – that money – is what makes movies happen.

You might think that the producer needs the writer / actors / director just as much as they need him or her but be realistic.

The producer has the dosh and can buy whatever or whoever is needed. If not this or that writer / actor / director, then some others.

Sad but true. So the bottom line is that the film world needs the best producers it can get and producing such people is tricky, an alchemy-like process blending artistic discretion to financial nous.

In Britain, one of the strongest forces in this battle is the New Producers Alliance (NPA), which is not so very “new” now (it has been around for more than a decade) but is very, very skilled at schooling new names to make better and better British films.

The NPA is about to start a new round of courses covering every aspect of the film production business..

If you think you have it in you to make a great British film, this might be the place to start. But move fast. Classes start in February.

Details are below.

Filed January 24, 2008.

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NPA SPRING TRAINING 2008

1. NPA Co-Production Training | Weekend Course | 10:00 - 18:00 Pre-Berlin - 2nd & 3rd Feb Pre-Cannes - 26th & Sunday 27th April

2. NPA Pitching Skills for Film-makers | Evening Session | 18:30 - 21:30 Pre-Berlin - 5th February Pre-Cannes - 30 April

3. NPA Budget & Schedule for Feature Film | Weekend Course | 10:00 - 16:00 16th & 17th February

4. NPA Five Week Intensive Producer Training | 1 day p/w over 5 weeks | 10:00 - 17:00 Feb 21st, 28th, March 6th, 13th, 20th

5. NPA How to Set Up and Run a Production Company | Weekend Course | 10:00 - 16:00 23rd & 24th February

6. NPA Producing A Short Film | Weekend Course | 10:00 - 16:00 8th & 9th March

7. NPA 1st Draft: Feature Film | 1 weekend per month over 6 months | 10:00 - 17:00 March 8th & 9th 2008

8. NPA 1st Draft: TV Drama | 1 Saturday per month over 6 months | 10:00 - 17:00 Running from March - Dates TBC

9. NPA Genre Days | A Series | 10:00 - 18:00 4th April - Horror 2nd May - Sci Fi (in partnership with the Sci-Fi Film Festival www.sci-fi-london.com) 13th June - Comedy

For full details please see below or go to www.npa.org

COMING SOON

NPA 5 Day Production/Line Producer Training Producing a Feature Length Documentary | Weekend Course

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A SKILLSET BURSARY FOR THESE COURSES - PLEASE GO TO WWW.SKILLSET.ORG/FILM/FUNDING