Producers United Fight for Sustainability

Happy Friday, Dear Listener!Our producing community is facing a crisis. Regular listeners of the show are well aware of this fact because I talk about it incessantly. I'm posted my chat on social media, but sharing it again here as this message is one that warrants repetition.The challenges that make the producing career path unsustainable are now undeniable...and they were only exacerbated by a global pandemic, two back-to-back strikes, a market contraction, and the technological advancements and disruption of AI.Deadline recently covered the mission of Producers United, a grassroots collective of 86 career producers who are committed to fight for issues that impact sustainability for the next generation.These make up about 90% of Hollywood's biggest independent, studio, and streamer producers who are at the top of their game. So, I invited members Joy Gorman Wettels (13 REASONS WHY) back on the show and Heather Rae (FANCY DANCE) to help us understand how they intend to help all producers, not just "career producers."They are fighting for many worthy issues, but the two main ones are:1) Payment for services rendered while they are being rendered2) Healthcare contributions during prep, production and post periodsAt the end of the day, it really comes down to education. It's imperative to educate the industry on what a producer does and how our jobs are inherently different from the important contributions of our multi-hyphenate partners.Actors, writers, directors, financiers-- these individuals bring so much value to the process. We can't get to a greenlight without them. However, unlike career producers, their revenue stream is not solely tied to projects.Everyone needs to care because the wellbeing of our entire industry depends on producers not only surviving, but thriving. We want to be able to continue to support artists and be a part of the magic that is storytelling.Thanks for listening, for being a part of my journey, and for doing this life thing with me!

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PRODUCERS CORNER

Sharon Mann was the first female DGA UPM. Cristen Carr Strubbe was the second ever to be honored. She is part of group of physical production execs I belong to. She shared this fabulous poster highlighting the female recipients of the DGA Award.While this can be an alarming reminder of how long it's taken for women to even be included, it's also good to see that we are indeed making progress!

I was lucky enough to watch Erica Tremblay's beautiful film last summer at Tribeca and have been eagerly waiting to see when it would come out. Mark your calendars as it'll be streaming on Apple June 28th Fancy Dance is about how the bond between an Indigenous girl and her aunt proves stronger than ever when their loved one goes missing.Lily Gladstone is a beyond captivating and Isabel Deroy-Olson is a star on the rise!

Ingrid Skulstad Williams Scholarship for Women

"When you meet people, show real appreciation, then genuine curiosity.” -Martha Becke