At this LABS event we unpacked what the role of the producer on a film involves and heard Emma Grazette’s tips on how to get started working as a producer.
While they don’t always get as much attention as a director, producers are key to making sure a film gets made and gets made well. From finding the right collaborators to budgeting, every film needs a good producer keeping things on track behind the scenes. It’s not all admin though since as a producer, you also can have a big say in deciding the creative path a film goes down.
Production’s not always the easiest area of filmmaking to get into though and that’s why we be got into the details of what the role involves on a day-to-day basis, how to find films and filmmakers to work with, more about how to get started in a career as a producer. We heard from Emma Grazette, who’s produced everything from independent short films to high-end TV shows, who got into all this and more in conversation with Bristol-based producer Oona Chanfi.
About Emma Grazette: Emma Grazette is a creative producer of Caribbean and British heritage. She grew up in Somerset and has travelled extensively, living in Zambia and the Deep South during her previous career as a world food expert and chef.
Having presented a Channel 4 series that shot around the world alongside co-authoring the accompanying book, Emma decided to pursue producing as a career. She has three years of experience working as a producer at an indie producing short-form content, as well as working independently.
The slate of TV and film she’s developing reflects her interest in stories from the African diaspora and black history. She is a BAFTA scholar and an ardent champion for better diversity in the film and TV industry. She has taken part in the BFI producer’s lab, Pro-create and Momentum mentoring programmes, and is a supported artist at The Independent Film Trust.
About Oona Chanfi: Oona is an actor, filmmaker and photographer. She has recently created a series of short films called Roots which explores identity and multiculturalism as a young person of colour in Bristol. Representation is something Oona is extremely passionate about and through her work wants to focus on people sharing their own personal stories and experiences through conversations.
