Hiring a Producer, with deep pockets

Hello, all. I created a sci-fi TV series project in early 2016, seeking producers. One guy casually agreed to co-produce, then wanted to scrimp on budget, creating a parting of the ways.
Said project uses over 80 cast members and about 10-17 locations.

I have NOWHERE NEAR enough money to fund this, myself and cutting the budget detracts sufficiently from the story value that I've had a different producer say "It's a sound concept, keep trying, but its too big for my company."

Every big-budget company won't even return my calls or emails, because I have no actual production experience. I learned to create really great stories outside of the industry.

If any of you have suggestions, or would be willing/able to produce I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.
 
Lets see if I have this correct

You have zero experience producing cinematic content
You want someone to give you their life savings so you can experiment with producing cinematic content for the first time

Is that right?
An empty resume will get you to the bottom of an industry, not to the top!

Why not produce something much shorter on a reasonable budget first and then you can prove to these bigger companies that you have production experience with creating a high quality product.

You're trying to skip way ahead past all the career milestones, and go straight to the part where people have enough confidence in your track record to put their future at stake.
 
More accurately I want to know exactly what a producer's looking for in a pitch. I guess I posted this question in the wrong place on this forum.

The reason I posted this is I saw a much smaller film on IMDb with a budget listed as $22,000,000, for six characters, a few extras and the logline implied a small town. Sounds very cheap. Primarily I just want to talk to someone who knows about budgeting a film. If they agree with me about the successful prospects this project has, great! Maybe they'd want to gamble on it, despite my non-existent track record. If not, which I understand is far more likely, but are willing to seriously discuss it, I'll at least know what figure I'm trying to raise, what its likely to be spent on and maybe get a couple pointers for how to raise it.

I planned to work on a short this summer, with someone I know, who knows about writing and producing shorts, to gain experience, but she's out of the country, right now, leaving me with a 98% complete series, pilot written, cast and composer onboard, with the exception of about 3-5 roles that have been difficult to cast and five different estimates as to what our budget is likely to be.

I want to talk to someone about the budget and why each producer that asks about the budget guesses a radically different number.

I've heard a budget of $300,000 a budget of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 or the worst one was $27,000,000. I'd like to talk with someone, who's actually read the script and can give me a reasonably accurate idea of how much money I'll need.

Thanks.
 
You’re missing the point.

You aren’t going to go from zero experience to multi-million-dollar project overnight. Nobody’s going to throw money into it for you. You certainly aren’t the first to make this mistake, and you won’t be the last, but that also doesn’t make you an exception to the rule.

Establish a track record. Make some shorts. Use the folks you already have on board, since you seem to have a few people already. You’re gonna have to have something to show. Y’know... do some actual work. And having produced a few shorts will get you a better idea of how to budget based on production days and locations.
 
You should learn how to make your film on the budget you have (not the budget you want). If you feel that "cutting the budget detracts sufficiently from the story"... then you should be asking yourself if it's really that good of a story.

If they agree with me about the successful prospects this project has, great
What prospects would those be? I'm curious as to why you think someone else would invest in this.
 
Hello, all. I created a sci-fi TV series project in early 2016, seeking producers. One guy casually agreed to co-produce, then wanted to scrimp on budget, creating a parting of the ways.
This is where you made your first BIG mistake. You had a guy willing
to produce your series and you turned him down. Rather than use your
creativity and drive to make a low budget project to SHOW the industry
your vision you said no.

If any of you have suggestions, or would be willing/able to produce I'd love to hear from you.
My suggestion is to never turn down an opportunity. Learn to compromise
in order to build a career. Don't find reasons to NOT make a project. Creative
and budget control is the END game - not the first step. You clearly have
a project worth making or this producer wouldn't have agreed to co-produce.

The reason I posted this is I saw a much smaller film on IMDb with a budget listed as $22,000,000, for six characters, a few extras and the logline implied a small town. Sounds very cheap. Primarily I just want to talk to someone who knows about budgeting a film.
I know how to budget a film. My advice is to NEVER look at the budget number
on IMdB and jump to conclusions.

I want to talk to someone about the budget and why each producer that asks about the budget guesses a radically different number.
Union or non-union will make a difference. Shooting in one city is cheaper than
shooting in a different city. A name cast is more expensive but can make marketing
a movie easier. A first time writer/director can make a movie with other first
times (less expensive) or surround themselves with people with experience. Just
THAT can be the difference between a $300,000 budget and a $3,000,000 one.
 
An Amateur learns from his mistakes.

A Professional learns from the mistakes of others.

Since you've only been here a few days I'll have to first point out the almost everyone who has responded so far is a thoroughly experienced professional. They are people to whom you pay heed.

Unless you are a well-connected super-talent you're going to have to slog through the swamp with the rest of us. So pay attention to the professionals on this forum; they know from whence they speak. Especially when it's what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Let them be your guides through the swamp.

So, you want this project made exactly the way that you want, and no one is willing to finance you on those terms. But look at it from the other side; c'mon, you're a writer. "It's my frigging money, and I'm damned well going to have a say in how my money is spent." Most folks are looking to make a profit when they invest their money. At the very least they want to break even and have some fun. Without a track record you're going to go to the bottom of the list.

So put it on a shelf for now and start writing something else. Surely there's more than one script in you. Keep pilling up those scripts.
 
Shelf it for now.
Get ready for that short.
Make it.

Make more, get your name out there.

Pick up this project again when you've got something to show.

And make sure you watch 'The Disaster Artist' and remember: Tommy may look a bit sillier than you, without experience you are just as skilled as he was.
 
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