“What I Really Want to Do Is Produce...”: Top Producers Talk Movies and Money

De Winter, an aspiring film producer, interviewed 21 successful film producers working in England, Hollywood and New York to discover what they do. Her aim is to clarify a job title that defies a one-size-fits-all definition. While some compare the position to being a cheerleader and psychoanalyst, the more practical aspects include developing material, budgeting, financing and distribution. De Winter casts a wide net on moviemaking—from Lawrence Bender working on Quentin Tarantino’s stripped-down Reservoir Dogs to the lavish James Bond franchise overseen by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. James Schamus, who has worked on 10 Ang Lee pictures, likes to be involved in the creative process; others see their talent as convincing people to give them money. De Winter’s definition of a producer is the most poetic: “turning money into light,” but in the end, there is no definitive job description. Despite the diversity of films and producers examined, the information is repetitive, and there are only vague explanations of a producer’s duties on any given project. Although the book might be inspirational to a wannabe producer, the advice of Bob Shaye, producer of the supersuccessful Lord of the Rings trilogy, is best: “If someone wants to be in the movie business, they should just get up and do something.” (Dec.)