Getting My Feet Wet
BY CYNDI GREENING, PHOENIX, USA - If I weren't a producer, I think I'd be running some sort of crazy sideshow. Being a producer gives one experience in balancing dozens of competing interests while soliciting the creativity, passion and commitment of each team member. It teaches you how to stretch yourself to reach every conceivable entity that wants to support the project.
As a producer, you're working to satisfy the needs of the creatives (director, actors) and the crew. You have to satisfy the investors and financial people. You've got to figure out how to reach out to the media and provide what they want. In our case, there are the needs of the Zambians (private and government officials) and the needs of the college.
Is it any wonder that sometimes, we producers just have to let off a little steam? Saturday evening, at the PoolParty for Zambia, I was dared to jump into the pool ... how could I resist? I jumped into that with the same passion that I jumped into this Zambian feature film project. Sometimes, you just got to get in and get your feet wet. It can be scary and refreshing ....
