Film Producing: Core Elements (On Demand)
About this On Demand Course
This is an On Demand course. On Demand courses allow you to watch pre-recorded lectures at your own pace, with curated resources and other materials to support your work. You can begin taking this course at any time.
In order to serve more of the Sundance Collab community, we developed this On Demand course from existing self-paced course content. By doing so, we are able to offer Film Producing: Core Elements (On Demand) at a price that allows more people to benefit from the course content.
This course does not offer feedback on your work. If you would like feedback from a Sundance Advisor and to network with other filmmakers, consider taking Film Producing: Core Elements (Self-paced).
Do you have a short or feature film you plan to produce? In this On Demand course, you will learn the fundamental concepts of creative producing for independent fiction films - from development to financing to budgeting and more with an accomplished producer as your guide. Throughout the course, you will learn how to create pitch materials to communicate your project’s vision to funders and key collaborators.
What you’ll get from the course:
- An understanding of your role in creative development and how to identify your core producing philosophy.
- How to assemble a strong team and key crew.
- An understanding of the process of optioning material as well as collaborating with screenwriters.
- Knowledge of industry-standard deal terms and the fundamentals of deal negotiation.
- An overview of financing available to independent filmmakers and how to develop your financing strategy.
- How to break down a scene and schedule your days on set.
- An understanding of the key steps of the marketing and distribution process.
- How to consider festival and distribution options for your project.
This course is ideal for:
- Aspiring film directors at any experience level
- Screenwriters wanting to direct their own work
- Content creators ready to level up their storytelling
- Film students seeking practical, industry-tested techniques
View the Outline tab for more details on the course.
On Demand CourseAccessibility
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Outline
Topics covered include:
- Introduction & course overview
- The role of the producer
- Understanding producer credits
- Developing a producing philosophy
Topics covered include:
- Development: the foundation for producing
- Creative development pt. 1: Conceptualization, rights, and legal counsel
- Creative development pt. 2: The producer-screenwriter relationship
- Pitching
- The pitch deck
Topics covered include:
- Assembling your financing team
- Financing options
- Understanding tax incentives
- Preparing your budget assumptions
- Finding comparable films
- The film market
- Setting up a Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Crafting deals
Topics covered include:
- What is pre-production?
- Assembling a producing team
- Scheduling
- Budgeting basics
- Collaborating with your director
- Hiring key crew
- Contracts and negotiating deals
- Working with a casting director
- Scheduling rehearsals and table reads
- Clearances and E&O insurance
Topics covered include:
- Production overview
- Working with a script and actors
- Supporting your team and the project's vision
- Staying on time and budget
- Overcoming challenges and making decisions quickly
- Troubleshooting relationships for optimal collaboration
- Sustainability and inclusivity on set
Topics covered include:
- The producer's role in post-production
- Creating a post-production schedule
- Budgeting for post-production
- Approaching ADR sessions and sound mixes
- Working with a composer and licensing music
- Preparing your deliverables for festivals and distribution
Topics covered include:
- Creating a festival strategy
- Finding a publicist and sales agent
- Preparing your press kit
- Controlling the narrative of your project
Topics covered include:
- The producer's role in distribution
- Revenue streams and waterfalls
- Developing a distribution strategy
- Dealing with reviews and pivoting
- Building your career as a producer
Instructor
Simon TaufiQue
Simon Sohel TaufiQue is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning British-Indian producer and film composer based in NYC.
A dedicated alumnus of the Sundance Film Festival, his films include the Dramatic Directing Award-winner Ricky (2025) and the 2026 Nominee Run Amok. His recent slate includes the studio film The Alchemy of Being Okay, directed by Sundance fellow Sarah Mohk. TaufiQue's festival accolades also include the Berlinale Forum Prize-winner She’s Lost Control and the Tribeca Untold Stories grand prize-winner, Land of Gold.
As a producer and composer, his credits span auteur-driven work, including the Emmy-nominated documentary The Interpreters, to studio projects such as Imperium (starring Daniel Radcliffe and Toni Collette) for Lionsgate/Universal, Amazon Originals (The New Yorker Presents), and HBO MAX (Weight of Gold). He has collaborated with acclaimed directors including M. Night Shyamalan, Cary Fukunaga, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Mary Harron and 2022 Oscar-nominee Jessica Kingdon.
Simon is a fellow of the ASCAP/Columbia Film Composing Lab and the Gotham Episodic Producing Lab. He currently teaches producing at NYU and leads the Core Producing course for the Sundance Institute’s Collab program. An Oscar-qualifying festival juror and BAFTA diversity committee member, he is a member of the Producers Guild, the Television Academy, and serves on the board of the Composer Diversity Coalition. TaufiQue is represented by IAG and records for the Warner-Chappell label. His work has been profiled by NPR, Medium and NBC News.
FAQ
Sundance Collab’s On Demand courses provide flexibility to learn on your own time, whenever you’re ready. On Demand courses do not provide you with feedback on your work, but they do provide suggested activities and curated resources.
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for all of the On Demand courses and the certificate will include the name associated with your Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Collab account under “Courses.”
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs.