Master Class Archive: Success on Set - The Producer’s Role
About this Master Class
During production, the producer is responsible for protecting and supporting the director’s creative vision, while managing logistics and business operations and troubleshooting issues as they arise. But what exactly does this entail? When each production is unique and brings together a new group of collaborators, how can the producer remain a consistent, effective leader?
In this live three-hour Master Class, we will take a deeper look at the producer’s leadership role in production. Joined by guest fiction producers in the field, we will discuss the best practices for communication with key collaborators (director, cast, crew, financers), and dig into the producer’s creative and practical responsibilities, troubleshooting strategies and ethical considerations to ensure success on-set.
Resources:
Download the list of resources from Sundance Co//ab
All Sundance Co//ab Master Classes are recorded and will be available for all registrants after the live event. Please allow up to 24 hours after the live event for the recording to be posted.
If you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7900 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific needs. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
Master ClassTeam
Kara Durrett
Panelist
Kara Durrett is an independent producer, a 2019 Sundance Producer Lab Fellow, and a 2021 nominee for the Independent Spirit Piaget Producers Award. Recently, Durrett produced Adamma Ebo's HONK FOR JESUS, SAVE YOUR SOUL which is premiering at Sundance 2022, as well as Celine Held & Logan George’s VANISHINGS AT CADDO LAKE Produced alongside M Night Shyamalan, currently in Post Production. Past productions include Floyd Russ’s AYAR, which premiered at SXSW 2021, Celine Held & Logan George’s TOPSIDE, winner of both Best Technical Achievement at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, the Special Jury Award for directing at SXSW 2020, and Alex Fischer & Eleanor Wilson’s SAVE YOURSELVES!, which premiered in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and sold to Bleecker Street. Upcoming projects are David Craig and Brian Crano’s I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU, alongside producer Joel Edgerton; As well as Laurel Parmet's THE STARLING GIRL produced alongside 2AM. Durrett’s short film work has been nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival, and has screened in competition at Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and in the Narrative and Midnight Competitions at SXSW. Her award-winning short film CAROLINE was short-listed for the 2019 Academy Awards.
David Hinojosa
Panelist
David Hinojosa is Founding Partner and Head of Production at 2AM. David spent over a decade at Christine Vachon’s iconic award-winning production company Killer Films. While at Killer, he developed such titles as Wash Westmoreland & Richard Glatzer's Academy Award winning STILL ALICE and Todd Haynes' CAROL which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and received six Academy Award nominations. Most recently, Hinojosa produced Josephine Decker’s SHIRLEY, Janicza Bravo's ZOLA, Mona Fastvold's THE WORLD TO COME, Brady Corbet's VOX LUX and Paul Schrader’s FIRST REFORMED. Hinojosa has upcoming work from Todd Solondz, Billy Porter, Rebecca Miller and Jennifer Kent. He is Co-Vice Chair of the Producers Guild of America East, Chair of the Independent Producer's Task Force and lectures at New York University's prestigious graduate film program. In 2019, Hinojosa was invited to join the Producers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Prior to Killer, he worked at The Weinstein Company on the marketing campaigns of films including Tom Hooper's THE KING'S SPEECH and Derek Cianfrance's BLUE VALENTINE.
Alexandra Byer
Moderator
Alexandra Byer is a Brooklyn-based producer and co-founder of the production company RATHAUS. She recently produced Tim Sutton’s fifth feature FUNNY FACE (Berlinale 2020) and Cedric Cheung-Lau’s debut film THE MOUNTAINS ARE A DREAM THAT CALL TO ME (Sundance 2020). Byer was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards for Tom Quinn’s COLEWELL (Gravitas Ventures). She also produced Diana Peralta’s DE LO MIO (HBO), Matt Porterfield’s SOLLERS POINT (Oscilloscope Laboratories), and Tim Sutton’s DARK NIGHT (Sundance Film Festival 2016; Arbelos Films). Byer also participated in the 2016 Cannes Producer’s Workshop as well as the 2015 Berlinale Talents Lab.