Interview with Brent Morris Advice from a Producer

Hey everyone, so yesterday I had the great opportunity to talk to Brent Morris, an independent producer, who is the owner and founder of IndieProduction, LLC.  He is credited with helping produce over 50 different films both Major Motion Pictures and Independent Films.  Some of the films that he is credited for are Spare Parts starring George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis, Beer for My Horses starring Toby Keith, Monster starring Academy Award Winning Actress Charlize Theron, Smoke Signals which won the Audience Award and the Filmmaker's Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, The Devil's Rejects directed by horror master Rob Zombie, and Disney Channel's Lemonade Mouth.
Now located out of New Mexico, Brent Morris focuses mainly on line producing and helping filmmakers with tax benefits for filming in New Mexico.  Brent also had directed and produced through IndieProduction, LLC multiple documentaries.  While these things are keeping him busy he still is able to spend time with his wife and two sons.
I deeply enjoyed my conversation with Brent Morris and I hope that all of you will enjoy what he had to say about the film industry and its challenges.

Q. How did you get into the entertainment industry?

A. I had studied theater at UCLA and realized I wasn't going to be a very good actor after all, so I got into an internship at a production company where I read scripts and assisted the producers and kind of learned the ropes of that office and was hired right out of college.

Q. What was it like starting your , own company?  

A. IndieProduction is really just me, I don't have a company with a bunch of employees or anything like that.  I essentially just started it to loan myself out and not have to be an employee on all of the films for tax reasons.  However, I have used it to produce some small projects on my own like documentaries, shorts, and stuff like that.  I've also used it as a signatory company to the trade union. It has been helpful, but I don't consider myself an employer of a large company; I'm essentially a freelancer.

Q. How do you decide what movies you want to produce?

A. I work for hire.  I'm hired to line-produce movies and people come to me because they mostly want to make movies in New Mexico with the tax credit, and because of my experience with budgets, crews, and locations here, that's kind of how I make my living.  Then occasionally, I make a documentary or some smaller project more for the love of it than anything else, but I'm not really in the game of producing and selling to distributors, through the whole nuts and bolts, of raising money. That's not really my game.

Q. Is there a difference between producing independent films vs. major film productions? What is the difference?
A. There's no money in it really, producing small films unless you hit the jackpot.  There are so many pitfalls of trying to break even and selling movies these days that its really difficult and not for the feint of heart.  It requires full-time skills in that arena.  I had aspirations for that at one time, but I essentially gave that up when I started line-producing because I have a family to raise and a pretty steady gig that essentially pays the bills.  However, all power to those that can do that and raise the money, I just wan't cut out for it.

Q. What advice would you give to young filmmakers that want to get into the business?

A. I would say you have to really love it, because there is no guarantee of financial reward.  There are a lot of easier ways to make a living then entering into the world of independent production, but it is a very interesting job and your always doing different things, and in different cycles on a project.  I guess have perseverance, knowing that you really want to do this, and if you have any doubts about that get out early, because once your start on the path your pretty much there.  You can't translate your skills here to other jobs, they don't understand your resume.  So once your in the industry, you are sort of in for life, unless you can create your own exit plan.

Well everyone I hope you enjoyed the interview.  Thanks again for reading and if you have any questions, comments or ideas, just let me know!!!!