What job title should I apply for?

Question

Alright, I have an IDEA for a new film-making company that would target a whole new audience. I want to pitch this to a motion picture studio, like 20th Century Fox, and get them to hire me on. This is what I want:

(within a budget)
Creative control - casting control - final cut -
-Also, starting salary & percentage of gross (but I need a general idea of how much to ask for)

What I would be doing (in general) is coordination of all the elements - hiring all the staff necessary to put the project together, choosing the projects (with studio oversight, I am sure), basically running the company within Fox, with a budget provided by Fox.

Okay, I guess I want creative control as it pertains to keeping the project(s) within the goal of the marketing idea...Casting control I could do without, but I'd definitely want to get some new faces...and maybe just one big star per film...Final cut, again, to stay within the marketing promise.

Anyhow, as for being a first timer - I want to be the creative side - I have more ideas per day than some people have in their whole life! As for running the project - hiring the right people to do the job is the most important thing. I've always been a good judge of character. I would expect to have massive studio oversight - and monetary management from them.

Okay, if I wanted to sell the idea, how would I go about it, and how would I be able to protect it?

Answer 1

Yo Nadine
You are not getting into the major studio without the one in a million fluke--- Especially with no track record -- period !!
And, it will take a couple of succesful projects before they would even bother with a meeting !! So, you need to be targeting much smaller production companies for your approach
Be advised, that these people too-- have a certain way about how they do-- they get a formula and they stick with it-- some production crews stay exactly the same thru project after project for years !!! And change is something that happens very slowly within this set of professionals !!
Hopefully you have your ideas documented and even copyrighted if possible otherwise -- you pitch the idea-- they don't need YOU anymore !! It is industry wide and it happens everyday !!
The "title" you're looking for is something akin to -- Creative Director or Project Coordinator and THIS is something you may have trouble with from the get-go because Production Companies don't like sharing the power !!
If they are completely taken with your ideas-- the best offer that you could expect to make would probably be for something like Project Advisory and even that would probably be under heavy restrictions and oversight of YOU !!

Your best deal here may easily be -- to sell these ideas outright --- take the money and put it into one of these "other" ideas that you have !! One thing is for sure-- nothing succeeds like success-- and if you get one project done and successful -- even if you're not in charge OF it-- others are going to want to do another "something" with you !! And, as your success quotion rises -- so does the offers and added opportunity to move into these roles that you have described herein !!

Answer 2

That would make you the Producer. The Movie and Television Professionals associations would have salary ranges available.
And you're asking a lot from them as a first timer.

Answer 3

Those jobs are usually filled by those who have worked their way up and gained respect in the industry. But if you think you can do it-go for it!

Answer 4

wow..thats great!..do you have any experience in running a multi-million dollar project?..or do you have any credits to your resume'?...getting a company to just say,"OK"..here's a blank check..get your experience on our nickel is probably not going to happen...but good luck to you..