The Producer’s Playbook: How to Make Films and Make Money

Led by experienced producer Harriet Rees, this practical programme combines hands-on workshops, real-world case studies and open discussion with an exclusive studio visit, offering rare insight into how professional productions operate in practice. 

Whether you want to produce independent films, work in television or better understand the business behind the screen, this course gives you a clear, practical foundation. 

Structure and Delivery 

• Practical workshops and masterclasses 

• Case studies drawn from current industry practice 

• Group exercises and peer feedback 

• Guest industry perspectives 

• Studio visit 

• Tools and frameworks you can apply immediately to your own projects 

Outcomes 

By the end of the course, you will: 

• Think and act with a producer’s mindset 

• Understand how to take projects from concept to market readiness 

• Have a clear roadmap for budgeting, financing and packaging 

• Pitch with greater confidence and clarity 

• Build connections with peers and industry professionals 

• Receive a London Film School certificate of completion 

Over five days, you will: 

• Understand the producer’s role across development, pre-production, production, post and distribution 

• Learn how to develop creative ideas into viable, financeable projects 

• Build production budgets and schedules that balance ambition with realism 

• Explore financing models including soft money, tax incentives, equity and co-productions 

• Create compelling pitches and sales materials for investors, festivals and broadcasters 

• Understand rights, contracts and legal essentials every producer must know 

• Develop leadership, risk management and problem-solving skills for real-world productions 

This course is ideal for: 

• Aspiring and emerging producers 

• Directors and writers seeking strong producing literacy 

• Filmmakers who want to understand how films are financed and delivered 

• Creative professionals looking to strengthen their commercial skillset 

No prior producing experience is required. Curiosity, commitment and a willingness to engage with practical challenges are all you need. 

Monday 

• Welcome from Harriet Reese & Introduce yourselves
• So You Want To Be A Film Producer?
  • What exactly does a film producer do?
  • Producing is the toughest, most important job in the filmmaking process –
  • how do you build the skills, experience and resilience to succeed?
  • Analysis of the UK film industry; challenges and opportunities
  • Case study of Chalet Girl
  • How the film landscape has changed – streamers v theatrical distribution
  • Participant discussion
• Script Development
  • Project development is the fundamental part of a producer’s role:
  • How to source projects, develop ideas / books / scripts into screenplays which will attract talent and money
  • Establishing your own taste and project criteria; awareness of audience
  • From logline to screenplay – the key rules of script development
• The pitch! 
  • How to sell your project / develop a killer logline
  • Developing and managing talent agent and writer relationships
  • Networking in the industry – where and how to build key relationships

Tuesday 

• Packaging Your Project, with Daisy Allsop, sales agent at West End Films and producer
  • Attaching a director
  • Attaching cast / using a casting director
  • Sales Agents – their role, key players in the sector
• Creating a pitch deck
• The Legal Basics, with Christos Michaels, partner, Lee & Thompson
  • A leading industry lawyer covers essential legal considerations:
    Writer’s Agreement; Option Agreement; Director’s Agreement
  • Discussion of acceptable fee parameters and industry norms
  • Typical pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Q&A – what have we learned today, and how to apply that to your own projects

Wednesday 

• Show Me The Money! With financier and Oscar nominated producer Ivan Mactaggart, Cambridge Pictures
  • An overview of the different types of film funding including:
  • Public funding, UK tax credits, equity investment, gap financing, discounting, pre-sales, EIS, sales agents, distributors and finance companies, SVOD providers
  • Co-production
  • Post-production / music deals
  • Crowd funding, donation and sponsorship, grants
• Finance – Part 2 with producer Heather Greenwood, Keal Productions, previously Fulwell 73
  • You’ve got the money (on paper) – how do you pull it all together and achieve financial closing?
  • Finance plans – analysis of various models / case studies
  • Recoupment schedule
  • Closing your finance – essential agreements / legals / COT / completion bonds
  • Pitfalls to avoid
• Q&A with financier Darragh Matthews, IPR VC, previously Ingenious Media
  • What does it really take to make a financier part with their cash?

Thursday 

• The Journey to Production
  • Script Breakdown / Budget and Schedule
  • Basic rules for a budget breakdown, budget assumptions and production requirements.  The basics of scheduling
  • Budgets – £50k or £50 mil – what dictates budget level, analysis of factors and budgets of recent British films
• Pre-production, production and post-production, with Line Producer and Postproduction Supervisor Verity Wisloki
  • Prep: Crewing up – essential considerations from green light to first day of principal photography, including who does what in the production team, picking the very best crew for your project, location sourcing
  • Production: Legal considerations, closing finance. How to prepare for first day.  Setting the tone on set, maintaining responsibility whilst ensuring your director, crew and cast are delivering.  Creatively solving problems, dealing with scheduling difficulties.  How to keep an overview of cash flow.  Key players in the production team and how to work successfully together
  • Post-production: Choosing the right editor.  Overview of the different stages of technical postproduction from initial assembly to grading. Who are the key members of your team now?  Working with a post-production supervisor. How to hold on to your vision of the film
• Meet the producer – with Andrea Cornwell, Lobo Films (via Zoom)

Friday 

• Music Licensing, ADR, Delivery, with Music Supervisor Georgia Mae Bromley, Think Sync Music
  • The importance of choosing the right music supervisor and/or composer, ensuring a decent budget for music rights.  Licensing considerations. ADR.  Delivering your film
• Distribution and Marketing with James Brown, Picturehouse UK and Independent Producer (via zoom)
  • What film are distributors buying in the current market?
  • Is an MG achievable for independent film?
  • How do you package a film so it has the best chance of achieving theatrical distribution?
  • Analysis of distribution plans, including options for theatrical, terrestrial or cable television, SVOD, online streaming, digital downloads, mobile apps, new technology models
  • Marketing and Audience demographic – how to maximise awareness of the film in your key audience sectors
  • Key marketing takeaways / success stories
  • Films Festivals – how to use the international markets to launch your film
  • Box office success – how and when do films actually make a profit?  How much of that filters back to the producer?
• Participant presentation How this course has developed your understanding of film producing, and how you plan to apply this to your own life.  Project presentation

*This is last year’s schedule. This year’s course will retain roughly the same format but is subject to some change, particularly in the guest speakers invited.