Bankers and others with money !

What is it with bankers and finance people ?

They decided their own jobs are boring or something and want to move into films because they think it a glamorous industry. Because they have a lot of money WE let them in and give into all their demands no matter how daft.

However they don't just want to invest, they want to produce. Not executive produce which would be a sensible route, and a great many people from the City have done this successful over the years, but there are those who actually want to produce from the getgo - finding screenplays, selecting directors,  directly casting the actors etc.

Why ?

What on earth is is about what they do shuffling money from A to B and earning millions gambling with other peoples money or buying pork bellies for pigs that will not be born for five years that makes them think they are qualified to do a job it has taken so many of us decades to learn how to do.

I met one recently at a social gathering. He was slagging of the British film industry. Turned out he had produced and invested a large amount of his money in not just a film, but a drama. Yes a drama.

He had apparently taken advice from distributors and sales agents before production who warned him of how difficult it was to sell a drama. He of course knew better so did not listen.

I know the film in question. It has won a couple of awards and played well in the festival circuit but sales have not been forth coming....and will not be. It is a really hard sell. It is like selling marmite corn flakes.

He of course blamed people like me for not supporting him.

Now he tells other finance people to avoid the film industry. Thus we get the blame for his lack of knowledge and experience. He put off two very important people I was there to meet, about a film I am working on. They now think we, not him, are all a bunch of dilettantes who are irresponsible with other peoples money.

If I started trading shares, something I know absolutely nothing about, and then lost my money, it would be my fault.

All filmmakers need money and we all welcome any and all financiers, we could not make films without them.  I once had money from the Prudential Insurance for a film with Michael Gough, Rosemary Harris and Kenneth Branagh. I went to them to ask about casting and they replied "Why are you asking us. We know nothing about such things you are the filmmakers and we are backing you, so you decide". These days, sadly it is somewhat different.

The most successful finance worker to cross over into films in my opinion was Jake Eberts a Canadian who had a huge impact on the world film stage.  He flourished because he started working on other peoples productions first. He backed tried and tested filmmakers. Then after executive producing many films, films that had sold for more than they cost to produce, and only then when he knew and understood the whole process, did he move into producing. When he died it was reported that films he was involved with had received 66 Oscar nominations.

A man, greatly missed, who learnt to walk before he ran.

© David Nicholas Wilkinson. 2016. All Rights Reserved.