Stephanie Allain, president of the Producers Guild of America, speaks during the “Tackling the Challenges Facing Independent Producers” conference session at SXSW 2024 in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Cameron Johnson/SZNS MAG)
SXSW continues its second day, offering a mix of educational conferences and screenings for attendees.
Stephanie Allain and Nigel Sinclair held the “Tackling the Challenges Facing Independent Producers” conference session, speaking to visitors from around the country. Allain, the president of the Producers Guild of America, spoke about building a supportive team as a producer. Working with like-minded individuals is what separates good films from great ones, and passion is impossible to fake in the film industry, Allain said.
“You want to bring in people who aren’t looking for a job, you’re looking for people who are looking for an experience,” Allain said.
Projects of personal interest require an immense amount of patience, especially when multiple projects are on a producer’s mind.
“If you’re an indie producer, and you’re here because you care about the subject, you’re ready for a lot of pain,” Sinclair, a Scottish film producer, said.
Both Sinclair and Allain have been industry professionals for nearly 40 years, and have witnessed the ups and downs of their industry, including the introduction of VHS tapes, HBO, streaming services and now, AI. However, AI is incapable of mimicking the offerings of a producer. Sinclair described producers as generalists, as opposed to the specific talents of an actor or director, but said that everyone needs to believe in their work.
“If you make an excellent film for $20 or $20 million, there will be someone who wants to watch it,” Sinclair said.
For more news from SXSW 2024, keep reading SZNSMAG.com.
SZNS MAG 