Continued from above.. 3. Relationships. This is a big one, and although it can get very complicated, I’ll try to make it as simple as possible. In order to

Continued from above.. 3. Relationships. This is a big one, and although it can get very complicated, I’ll try to make it as simple as possible. In order to make a great piece of content, you need to have talented writers. Those writers depend on casting directors and the actual Director to cast the right talent to make their stories come alive. The producers need to ensure that the best casting directors and most talented writers and directors are attached to the project. The casting directors rely on talent management agencies to sign and nurture the best talent out there, and maintain integrity with how they present their clients. The talent themselves spend thousands and thousands of dollars on creating a better product (their craft, so-to-speak) with acting classes, headshots, travel, etc. (I feel an ecosystem pictograph would work best here, but you’ll just have to visualize this instead.) And even greater than just what we call “above-the-line” costs (Producers, Directors, Writers, Talent), you also have to have the infrastructure available for all the other thousands of jobs each film employs including but not limited to the Director of Photography (camera), his/her crew of camera assistants, the grips and gaffers (lighting and rigging folks), script supervisors, location manager, production managers, drivers, production assistants, accountants, animators, editors, special effects, props, visual effects, stunt men/women, wardrobe, vehicles, omg I could go on forever. Sit through the credits next time and you’ll get a new appreciation for what it takes to make even a shit film. And the thing is.. they are ALL REQUIRED ASSETS. 4. UNIONS. Often striking fear in the hearts of people everywhere, unions are not to be messed with. They are there to protect their members and ensure their labor is treated fairly and compensated appropriately. That’s not to say all production is union production, because it isn’t. In fact, pretty much all independent film and television (and even studio and network productions) to some degree uses non-union labor. But, unions are there to also ensure you have the highest quality of talent available. You have to demonstrate experience to be a part of a union, and then even when you get the job as a union paid employee, you still need to prove that you’re worthy to continue being hired for the next project. The unions are a way to provide checks and balances for the best of the best in their fields. And it works. Making a film is like starting a business from scratch. You want to hire the best and brightest people in the business to be successful. Sometimes those are union people and sometimes those are your friends. But in any case, there needs to be some measure of trust in the quality of work you will receive.