Did you study film in college?
I didn't go to "film school." I went to independent filmmaking boot camp! 3 weeks on location, with cast, crew, equipment, 35mm short-ends and a micro-budget. There's no better way to learn than by actually doing it!

If you've had other jobs in the business, what were they?
I became a member of SAG in 1979. A guest star role on "Archie Bunker's Place" got me started in the business. I learned a lot from being on sets and watching the way things are done.

When did you decide to become a producer?
It's kind of funny. I took my kids to see a "movie." I won't name it, but it was a huge budget studio film, that made millions of dollars and was horrible. After the 90 minutes of torture was over, I decided that someone needed to make movies that wouldn't be painful for parents to watch with their kids.

What do producers do, anyway?
Everything! Or at least I do. In development/pre-production, I read scripts, arrange financing, scout locations, do the budget, breakdown and shooting schedule, hire cast and crew, work on product placement. In production, I'm on set every day, keeping things on schedule and running as smoothly as possible. In post-, I supervise editing, sound mixing, color timing, arrange music licensing, screenings, festivals, meetings with distributors. It's endless. But it's also because I'm very picky.

What's the biggest challenge of independent production?
One word - Financing!

What's the biggest reward?
A great film! On schedule, and under budget with a cast and crew that want to work together again.

How do you find funding?
It's hidden inside my mattress. I wish! That's a tough one. It's different each time. On my first film, I got family and friends to invest. On my next film, I'm working with distributors and pre-sales.

Is budget a big factor for your company when you choose a script to develop?
Absolutely! The potential for a greater investment return is obviously better on a modest budget, and that's the ultimate goal - to get your investors their money back!

What do you look for in spec scripts?
A great story. It doesn't need exotic locations or outrageous special effects; that's just eye-candy. Give me characters that are real and that I care about.

You've optioned Screenplayer Kent Graham's script ZOTZED! What attracted you to the script?
It's so well written. Kent did a wonderful job. It's funny. The characters and story are well developed. It's something I would enjoy watching.

Please describe the projects your company has in development.
Kent Graham's ZOTZED! is our main focus. I'm hoping to go into production by the end of the year. We've also just finished shooting the music video "One Big Blur" for the band Golden Ticket. I have another script in development that the writer is doing re-writes on. And author Phyllis Whitfield has just finished the novelization of our first film, THE LEGEND OF CRYIN' RYAN, which is being published by Presstige Books and will be available soon.

For artists in other media, the work is sacred. Why is screenwriting not?
A screenplay, in a sense, is not a finished product, as a painting or a song is. It still needs to be "developed" into a movie, which brings other people's ideas and input to it. Because there are so many other factors that are involved in getting the written words onto film, there has to be flexibility, in order to accommodate schedules, locations, and availability of actors, which often cause changes to have to be made out of necessity rather than choice for the producer.

Please predict the future of film for our readers, in view of all the advances in digital video.
The advances of digital video are great. It gives a lot more people the opportunity to make movies that they otherwise wouldn't be able to because shooting on film is so expensive. I think "film," however, will always be the preferred choice.