In 2020, we have many technologies available, but you're probably wondering, "Is there a platform to enhance your film project's productivity?" On average, an independent film project will have 2 producers. Despite the expansive opportunities to bring your films to the viewers, from the various film festivals streaming platforms and the internet, the average number of projects a producer can put her or his name on has been consistent throughout the past 50 years. So if someone releases a movie as a ‘Producer, then they are, on average, likely to release one more within five years (1)*. However, since making a movie is extremely time-consuming with collaboration on hyperdrive, producers need to be working on more than 1 project at any given time to ensure that they can be financially sustainable.
Feature and short film producers both need to work on multiple projects (albeit different scales of budget) but nevertheless just as intense. When I was starting out producing short films, I usually worked on 3 to 4 projects at the same time, and they will be on different stages of production. Although it was during the early 2000s and the software scene wasn't as robust as it is now, how I wish there was a software to assist me back then. I had folders for each project and I had to refer to each of them every time I had an update or needed to refresh my memory of my status. It was very time consuming and naturally key details were slipping through the cracks. I needed a single software that will show me all the progress I have made in my projects.
There is definitely a need for a film production-specific software that will allow producers or stakeholders to see all of their active projects in one platform. This will allow clear visibility of multiple projects across the board that will benefit the producers and every individual working in the industry. Especially more important if they are freelancing, as they would need to get out of the single project mindset. Such ideas are needed in order to push high concept projects from conception to completion. There are platforms today, that solely provide an individual project view, which will significantly limit the ability to get work done, considering the growing need in most production units for immense collaboration between departments.
Currently, by using The Martini you can work on your synopses for multiple projects, and in our upcoming release, we will highlight a much-needed feature to enhance your filmmaking experience. However, there is a much bigger vision for The Martini. One of my end goals is to share project dashboards that offer real-time analytics to show producers and executive producers the health of a project or multiple projects respectively. Thus, enabling them to make swift and informed decisions. While this concept will have a design that is visually appealing and works just fine for micro-budget productions, much bigger budget productions will require dashboards and other capabilities that accommodate more complex workflows and surface a variety of perspectives. Eventually, the evolution will display the impact a particular project has at any level of the organization.
If you want to stay on the loop on what to expect from The Martini app, please do subscribe to my newsletter and my social medial accounts, Twitter, and Instagram. You will also be able to watch my short films and features films there.
Author’s Notes/References
(1) On average, how many films does a producer produce? ; "https://stephenfollows.com/on-average-how-many-films-does-a-producer-produce/"