Budget vs. Creativity: Promoting Harmony and Collaboration
Creativity is endless. It’s a boundless reserve of energy in all of us eager to be poured into some sort of mold and realized in a form that can be sensed, viewed or heard by others. It’s an unlimited urge to convey to the minds of others that which you see in yours. It’s an expression of ideas that forms the world as we know it, whether in the areas of entertainment or business or the building of bridges. But sometimes that world being formed comes with constraints, not the least of which is in the field of finance, which happens to be the field I work in.
Finances are finite. They are not boundless, at least to the average man or organization. In the real world, there is only so much that can be allocated to any given project, only so much that can be pulled from the pockets of those in charge. And when this limitation is met by boundless creativity, problems tend to result.
I’ve found that this lack of agreement, or this “collision” of two worlds, has created a stigma in the industry. There’s a misconception that finance people are out to stifle this boundless energy or that those in charge of the budgets are a cold-blooded bunch with their minds set on destroying that which is being created. But I don’t think this is true. Far from it, in fact. In reality, those of us who hold such a station in life are there to help the creative process become realized. We’re there to assist the artist in manifesting their vision. We’re there to provide a financial structure with the available resources in order to fuel the project so that it may be fully actualized for all to enjoy.
People in positions of authority often talk of left and right brains. They make the distinction between one being analytical and the other being creative. In the entertainment industry, we have the execs and the studio heads; we have the “suits” with the final say. And then we have the creatives — the writers, directors, actors and artisans, all responsible for initiating their ideas.
At first glance, these could seem like two opposing worlds in contest with each other. And it’s true that some creatives have come to view the execs as their enemies. But are they really that? Is there nothing positive that can come from this merging of the opposing cerebral hemispheres? I think there is.
Let’s look at an analogy. Take the theory of synthesis. In its essence, this theory is that an idea (thesis) is met with an opposing reaction (antithesis) which results in tension and ultimately a resolution (synthesis). Synthesis solves the conflict between the thesis and antithesis by reconciling the common truths in the formation of something new. In this same way, art is realized by creative forces and budgets colliding and then reconciling. And the one in charge of that reconciliation in the film and TV world is me, the Line Producer. I’m the financial gatekeeper. I’m the one whose responsibility it is to find that common ground. And believe it or not, there’s an art to it. There is a technique to line producing that is a blend of both business and creative.
But this battle of the brains should not be a battle at all. It should not even be viewed as disconnected (and actually is not). There is a common goal and this relationship needs to be a cohesive one. In actual fact, it’s impossible for one to exist without the other. If either “side” fails, production comes to a crashing halt, which we see all the time in Hollywood.
There is full business on one side and full creativity on the other. As these two factors near each other, they’re going to have to blend and coexist. They’re going to have to “meet in the middle.” Like any relationship, there’s going to need to be a compromise from both sides or the result will be no relationship — or at least not a good one. So rather than viewing this relationship as a battle, it should be viewed as a collaboration. And the better the collaboration, the better the outcome.
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Here are a few tips for how to promote that harmony and collaboration.
1. Full transparency and crystal-clear communication are crucial.
2. When in doubt, ask the question. You have to make sure that the creative and the money or financiers are literally on the same page as the creative. People can get so excited about the creative that they forget to do the minutiae of the million questions.
3. There has to be an agreement that the project is first. It is the priority, not an individual or the people involved. Next is getting the best people to do the job within the constraints of the finances, and unless the financiers are willing to increase the budget for specific individuals, you have to go back to rule number one: the project is first.
4. You have to trust each other. A championship team has to trust each other to play their positions, execute the game and win the championship. Creative has to trust executive producers and financiers and vice versa.
5. Be willing to be disliked when your decision is for the majority and the project. If a director or someone is pushing one direction, have them explain it to you. Sometimes they’re right and you can do things a different way.
6. Be willing to walk away. At the end of the day, if you see that this team is not willing to be team players, it will do more harm than good.
The bottom line is that those in charge of the purse strings on these creative endeavors are not out to “get” the artists. They’re not there to squash the creative juices or to shut things down. To the contrary, they’re there to help with the meeting of these two worlds in an effort to resolve the differences and bring into being that which is envisioned by the dreamers of the world. And they’re there to do it with a workable plan so that all involved may enjoy the fruits of the labor — the executives, artists and the audience alike.