NYWIFT Blog

10 Takeaways: NYWIFT’s “Producer Boot Camp for Digital”

By Mellini Kantayya

In December, New York Women in Film & Television presented “Producer Boot Camp for Digital,” hosted by RED Digital and led by freelance producer Julie Gomez. Julie’s vast experience includes running the Upright Citizens Brigade’s production company Don’t Think Productions, as well as producing Thank you Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon, which premiered at SXSW in 2016.

In true boot camp fashion, Julie took participants through the steps of a digital project from concept to in-the-can, sharing pragmatic and unexpected gems on the art of producing along the way. Among them were:

 

  1. Take a holistic approach to producing. Always be mindful of being a creative and a leader—a steward of the project and your team.
  1. Key in implementing the above, is the “Liz Lerman Critical Response Process”—a technique for getting and giving useful feedback on creative processes and artistic works-in-progress.
  1. Surround yourself with genius. Having a great team elevates you and the project.
  1. And since you’ve surrounded yourself with geniuses—listen to them. “Don’t block flow.” Often not-so-great ideas and way-out-of-budget ideas pave the path to creative and useful solutions. And always deliver feedback respectfully (see #2).
  1. Treating your team well includes feeding them well—healthy meals with a comfortable place to sit, enjoy, and recharge. This gesture is not only one of respect, but increases productivity and prevents a junk-food-sugar-crash halfway through your workday.
  1. Don’t make ballpark guesses when it comes to budgeting a job for a client. Be clear about what the client wants and then offer options at varying budgets.
  1. Avoid using with animals when on a tight budget, especially cats because…cats.
  1. Think “post” in “pre.” Involving post-production from the start can keep you on budget and will avoid potential disasters.
  1. Imagine the worst—what happens if it rains? If someone is late? If the location is locked? Be prepared for anything.
  1. Lastly, Julie recommended the following books: Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film by Paula Landry; Production Management 101 by Deborah Patz; Film Budgeting by Ralph S. Singleton; In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch; and Making Movies by Sydney Lumet.

 

NYWIFT produces over 50 professional development programs and events like this one throughout the year. See what’s coming up!

PUBLISHED BY

Mellini_Kantayya

Mellini_Kantayya Mellini Kantayya is an actor, author of "Actor. Writer. Whatever. (essays on my rise to the top of the bottom of the entertainment industry)", contributor to Huffington Post Comedy, and an active NYWIFT member. www.mellinikantayya.com

View all posts by Mellini_Kantayya

2 Comments

Paula Landry

Thanks so much for this great post Mellini Kantayya! This sounds like a fantastic, empowering workshop by Julie Gomez and Red.

I appreciated #1 – about taking a holistic approach, by fusing creativity with leadership – is a challenge and offers tremendous rewards as well as to respect and honor the flow . I’m so appreciative that my mentioned book was mentioned, an unexpected surprise. Looking forward to hearing more!

busyk

These are such great tips. #8 if you have a clear idea of the post, then you’ve got a road map for production & #5 if you feed your crew well, they’ll be happy & devoted to the project. Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

Related Posts

Maria Miles Previews the 2025 New York Greek Film Expo

As former NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles finishes up her first year as President of the Hellenic Film Society, we sat down with her on the eve of the New York Greek Film Expo to discuss her time with the organization and what we have to look forward to at this year’s fest. Mary is the founder of an entertainment law practice with offices in New York. Maria’s practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law, including film (narrative and documentary), music, literary publishing, and digital media. She has represented award-winning producers, directors, writers, actors, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion and sports industries related to their entertainment matters. Maria is the Executive Director of the Hellenic Films Society, USA, and served as Secretary of the board of New York Women in Film & Television. She continues to serve NYWIFT as their legal counsel. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and the School for Visual Arts, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Amy Heller

Welcome to NYWIFT, Amy Heller! Amy is the co-founder of Milestone Films, an award-winning film restoration and distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films. After fleeing academia, Amy found her passion in the independent film world and co-founded Milestone with her partner Dennis Doros in 1990. For 35 years, their mission has been to restore forgotten cinema, particularly films by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ community members. Amy spoke to us about her journey in film distribution, the evolution of the industry over four decades, and her exciting upcoming transition as she passes Milestone to the next generation.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano

Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.   

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Sara Newton

Welcome to NYWIFT, Sara Newton! Sara is a director and cinematographer based in New York and Los Angeles. She is the creator of the MDR Sketch Comedy Show on PBS and has recently returned from an expedition in Antarctica, where she filmed a documentary. Her digital comedy sketches, produced under brands like Made by Tom and Sara, Nightpantz, and Conservation Comedy, have collectively garnered over 5 million views. With a strong foundation in television production, Sara has coordinated hit reality shows such as Love & Hip Hop (VH1), Bridezillas (WEtv), and Nellyville (BET). Her extensive experience in physical production led her to spend six years at Gunpowder & Sky, where she managed production across various platforms and developed sizzle reels for network pitches. Additionally, she served as the cinematographer for the experimental film Dust Flow: A Meditative Experience, also produced by Gunpowder & Sky. As of 2025, Sara is Head of Content for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is set to direct a feature film this fall. Sara shares her journey as an unconventional storyteller who is not afraid to explore new platforms and storytelling formats.

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php