20 Questions Film » Producing

WATCH: Finding Your Movie’s ‘White Whale’ Investor

Mads Black — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 19:57:55 +0000

The rich uncle, the dentist from your hometown, the used car salesman from Detroit – all mentioned by producer Buz Wallick as examples of possible ‘White Whale’ investors for your film.

But it’s not enough to know where the money is. You have to know – and show – how to recoup the investment.

Buz Wallick has produced several low-to-medium budget movies in Los Angeles and knows a thing or two about reading the current VOD sales stats and turning them into sales pitches. Find more videos with Buz here or on our YouTube channel.

WATCH: Things To Know If You Want To Become A Film Producer

Mads Black — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 23:48:03 +0000

There is no straight path to your dream career in film, but there are certainly certain things to keep in mind. Here Buz Wallick, a freelance film producer, shares some advice for anyone who wish to pursue a career as a film producer.

Buz Wallick is an independent producer in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in Northern California, he cultivated a love and fascination with cinema. Buz has the unique background of being self taught and working on the crew of over 100 projects, including Cinematographer of the award winning documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy . In 2012 Buz began to produce and with his extensive knowledge of film production Buz does what he loves to do; tell stories through the art of cinema.

We have many more interviews in the archives and new ones are constantly being posted, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and/or our newsletter to keep yourself up-to-date.

WATCH: Quick Primer On Tax Incentives For Filmmakers

Mads Black — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 22:13:26 +0000

Tax incentives is often what keeps the lights on during production. At the very least they play an important part in securing shooting locations within your budget. So if you can’t live without ‘em, you better embrace ‘em. Here’s a quick primer from producer Heika Burnison.

There is much more to learn about tax incentives than we could possibly begin to present here, so let this instead be a word of encouragement that it’s not an impossible process to go through and that there are lots of people and resources that can help you navigate the world of numbers and codes and deadlines.

One such resource is, as mentioned in the video above, Entertainment Partners. Go explore.

WATCH: What To Know If You Want To Monetize Your Film

Mads Black — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:08:01 +0000

Producer Buz Wallick has some choice words of advice for any producers or filmmakers who would like to eventually monetize their hard work.

And let’s be honest: As much fun as it is to make movies, it’s all the more gratifying if you recoup your expenses in the process. Here’s one thing you need to know before you get started…

WATCH: The Script Is Your Foundation

Mads Black — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 00:02:34 +0000

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s pretty important to have a script before you can start production on your film. But let’s take a step back and truly appreciate how everything that follows will be connected to your script.

When you produce a film there are many things to consider, arguably most importantly things like budget, schedule and safety. Sure, you should have a good story too, but let’s trust that the writer and director has that one covered. As a producer you want to make sure that your director’s vision can be realized within the budget you have available, without adding extra shooting days or compromising the safety of cast and crew. But you can only identify these possible hazards (financial or physical) if the script is locked.

Heika Burnison is the owner of White Light Audio and a producer on million $ indie films. More videos with Heika – and many other exciting filmmakers – here on the site or on our YouTube channel.

WATCH: Favorite Software and Gadgets for Sound Design

Mads Black — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:39:10 +0000

The options are plentiful when it comes to choosing your gizmos and gadgets as a filmmaker, so how do you find what works for you and perhaps even helps set you apart from the competition?

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Heika Burnison – an extraordinarily talented woman wearing many proverbial hats – about her sound design company White Light Audio and some of her favorite tools in the field and in the studio. In videos soon to come, we’ll also be talking about exciting stuff like how to run a small company that people want to work with, how to capture audio for 360° virtual reality films, and even her role as producer on million-dollar projects, how to find tax incentives and much more.

Since film is a visual medium, let’s skip the written bio for once and let you instead have a look and a listen for more on Heika and White Light Audio:

WATCH: The Art Of Learning As You Go (or Just Get It Done)

Mads Black — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 21:33:34 +0000

You probably know the feeling. You have the great ideas, you want to do your vision justice on film, and so you’re careful about doing everything exactly right. But what if you’re faced with a problem you don’t necessarily know the solution to? Your attention to detail – your perfectionism – holds you back.

Well, Rachel Noll is here to tell you that learning by doing is an art form, and one of the most important lessons you can force yourself to learn if you want to produce your own film. Sure, you want everything to be done right, but if you’re working on a low-to-no budget, chances are that you’re often better off simply getting things done, than worrying about getting things done right. Because if you won’t settle for anything less than perfection, you’ll be stopping production before you even get started.

Rachel is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter and actress living in Los Angeles. Her feature film, Don’t Pass Me By, is available worldwide, and her short film, Paramnesia, just won BEST SHORT at the LA Thriller Fest and is available as part of the acclaimed collection Fun Size Horror on all the major streaming platforms. She’s currently in development on several independent features and scripts, so keep a watchful eye.

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WATCH: Different Types Of Producers And Their Roles In The Film Industry

Mads Black — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 18:17:08 +0000

Ever noticed the long list of producers on your call sheet or in the credits of just about any film – blockbuster or indie alike? Producer, Executive Producer, Line Producer… Surely, these producers can’t all be doing the same thing, so what exactly are their respective roles and why do you need them? A few words on the subject from (producer) Buz Wallick:

We have many more interviews in the archives and new ones are constantly being posted, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and/or our newsletter to keep yourself up-to-date.

WATCH: Producing Low Budget Action Projects

Mads Black — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 22:09:23 +0000

As a producer on set, you never know what issues you have to deal with on a moments notice. In this video interview, producer Buz Wallick, talks about his experiences producing a low budget action project, including calming down law enforcement who thought blanks being fired were actual gunfire, and the importance of being able to trust your crew.

We have many more interviews in the archives and new ones are constantly being posted, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and/or our newsletter to keep yourself up-to-date.

WATCH: What Made You Choose To Be A Producer?

Mads Black — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 01:00:25 +0000

How do we end up where we do? As with most things in life, your career path can be quite enigmatic and seemingly random. Luckily, humans are (all things considered) adaptable and the creative souls amongst us have a tendency to find their way onto a path that’s a fine mix of passion and prowess. All this to say that sometimes you don’t necessarily choose to be this or that, you rather happen to find out what you’re really good at – and being good at something is always a pleasant, sustaining feeling.

In this video interview with producer Buz Wallick, we talk about how he came to be a producer and what that entails.

We have many more interviews in the archives and new ones are constantly being posted, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel and/or our newsletter to keep yourself up-to-date.