Advisor Studio: Natalie Qasabian on Producing SEARCHING

In Advisor Studio sessions, Sundance Collab Advisors share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing and producing for TV and film.

Natalie Qasabian produced SEARCHING, one of the most successful independent films of 2018. In this intimate conversation, Qasabian takes you behind the scenes of her role on the film, from how the project originated to its marketing and distribution plan. We'll uncover the challenges and lessons learned, discuss her collaboration with the director and writers, and get her advice for emerging producers on how to kick-start their own careers. 

Artist's Chosen Interviews:

• Dear Producer
• Screen Queens

Artist's Chosen Resources:

• Shooting to Kill (Book) by Christine Vachon: I read this when I first started producing about 4 years ago and I always remember her quote - I’m paraphrasing - about how indie films are like childbirth. They’re incredibly painful in the moment, but you soon forget and then jump in and do another. Very true!
• Scriptnotes (Podcast) by John August & Craig Mazin: I love hearing fellow creatives who are at the top of their game chat about script related topics. It's fun but also enlightening and they tend to always inspire me.
• The Lounge Chill Playlist (iTunes): If I'm not feeling productive or creative, this playlist has yet to fail me. It gets my juices going and into a productive creative vibe.
• Save the Cat (Book and also website): I visit the book or website (Tools < Beatsheet tab) often when developing projects, especially ones that lean more genre than not, mostly to brush up on structure. Sometimes this book gets a bad rep, but it was instrumental for us when developing SEARCHING.
• Cactus Tacos: sometimes you just need a good taco and some good people watching in Hollywood.