WHAT PRODUCING WILL TO WIN TAUGHT ME

So... I wrapped production on my latest feature Will to Win a couple months ago and have finally had a chance to settle back into my routine. You see, I'd been away from my home in LA for a couple months, overseeing principal photography in both Vancouver and Oklahoma. And while the film was definitely a challenge, it was also highly rewarding. Now that we're in post, I've had a chance to reflect a little bit on everything to date. And I can admit I learned a few things on this film, including several about myself. Here's my top five:

- I'm good at what I do. Things might not go perfect. They never do. Making movies is HARD. And there have been times in the past where I've felt a bit like a gunslinger who had lost his edge. But on this film, I reaffirmed that confidence in my ability to lead a team of well over a hundred people -- and for the first time across two countries -- because, well, that's what 26 years of practice prepared me for.

- Speaking of shooting across two countries -- I would never do this again if I didn't have to. It's a pain in the ass. Especially the immigration stuff. Getting Americans to Canada is fairly easy, but getting Canadians to America is quite a different story. I would have certainly started casting and immigration paperwork earlier had I known then what I know now. I would also use casting directors who aren't afraid to do all casting across both countries.

- It's good to push yourself. My client, Russ, who hired me to run the ship, always wanted to shoot for the stars, even if it looked unrealistic on the surface, and because of that relentless ability to see past what seemed possible, we managed to secure some really big wins, including the involvement of Lorraine Bracco, CNN and other big names.

- A good production services company is absolutely worth its weight in gold. There is absolutely no way I would have been able to produce this film without Front Street and Rebellium and all the wonderful people they brought on to execute our vision.

- Despite sometimes feeling burned out in this business, this film helped me remember a lot of the reasons I still like doing what I do. There were more than a few moments, especially during production, when I stopped and thought to myself, "Yes, this is what you love about this job! The creativity. The spontaneity. The camaraderie." So now I do my best to hold onto those moments as best I can. I'm grateful for them. Because it's what I'll think back on someday with a smile when I don't have this job anymore.

Bottom line, I'm going to keep making movies. For now. This gunslinger still has his edge, so might as well keep riding the range while looking for new opportunities.

Mark's Pro Tip #8

Pro Tip #8 - Utilize Escrow Accounts

Verifying financing from a film investor can be tricky. Beware any investor who merely wants to show you a bank statement. That money could be there today, gone tomorrow. Be even warier of those who say "trust me." Before committing yourself to any production expenses for your film, you need to make sure you have access to the capital you need.

When negotiating with financiers, start with an escrow agreement that requires them to place money into an escrow account for a period -- say 30 days -- while you work out the terms of the financing deal. If you can't come to an agreement on the financing deal by the 31st day, the escrow holder will return the money to the investor. If you do work out terms, the escrow holder will release funds to you to make the movie.

 This is the only viable way to hold third parties accountable when they say they have the money to give you for production. Asking you trust them without them trusting you is a shady proposition. Escrows create trust on both sides by making both sides accountable. Both sides have to do their part to make the deal happen: filmmakers must agree to terms that financiers find amenable and financiers need to provide what they say they can.