Production Value

What the Juniors Say About It

Pal Roed – Junior Line Producer – Norway
Before PV14, I had reached a point where I considered myself pretty well-shaped to do 2-4 million euro films. I wanted to do bigger projects, but I was scared as so many good professionals I know are having serious trouble pulling them off in a good way. PV14 started by breaking my confidence completely. But then, after hard work and very little sleep, it turned out to give me exactly what I was looking. This process thought me huge amounts of detailed solutions on important issues. A new kind of confidence has started to grow and I am now looking forward to my next film.

Frida Hvenmark – Junior Assistant Director – Sweden
From listening and talking with the Seniors I have found new ways, more than one, to approach the breakdown of a script and therefore I now have a better way of approaching the scheduling of a script. Last but not least, my confidence as a first AD has grown. Trial and error together with laughter and fun is the best way to find joy and to strengthen the teamwork in any line of work.

Olivier Abrassart – Junior Line Producer – Belgium
I found in PV14 a unique opportunity to be confronted with more ambitious and complex international mainstream feature films. Due to the scale and the complexity, I had to push myself. Starting from the script instead of starting from a financing target. Breakdown and schedule the script to define needs. Budgeting the needs realistically. Avoid global assumptions and break down each cost as much as you can. This was both a stressful and exciting experience. I saw that with the help of my Senior, I could achieve it. In a unique neutral context, PV14 gave me the opportunity to improve my skills and to really evaluate myself.

Oscar de Grado – Junior Assistant Director – Spain
I just can applaud to the idea of matching Senior professionals with Junior professionals in a way of transmitting the experience and knowledge to impulse a new generation of filmmakers. During the workshop process, I´ve absolutely enjoyed all the creative aspect of being the AD. It was a great opportunity to know that I can contribute positively and feel myself participant in the development of a real production. In that sense, Production Value is a continuous stimulating experience. Working with the Seniors and sharing the process with your Junior partner generates such motivation that I strongly recommend participation to Production Value once a year!!

Michiel Bartels – Junior Line Producer – Netherlands
The setup of Production Value keeps you ping-ponging between the feeling of control and moments of freaking out. And more important: it feels like an actual job. With a real project, real colleagues and a real deadline to meet. In that way Production Value is one-of-a-kind. As a line producer, you can get pretty lonely. Talking openly about your work with fellow line producers in your own country isn't that easy because of the competition you have.

Rasa Rimkute – Junior Assistant Director – Lithuania
From the moment I’ve got the script, I was like on fire, full of energy, though it was so cozy working at home. But coming to Retz – that’s when all the interesting and crazy part began. Meeting all the Juniors and Seniors, I felt like I was with my own kind ☺ Every day, in all spots of the hotel, all the time, we were sharing our experiences, learning from each other. Everyone was so supportive. Working together with a Junior Line Producer, getting to the point from both perspectives proved me how important the AD involvement is in an early phase of the project. I never thought how creative you could be at this part of the development.

Sonja Lévy – Junior Assistant Director – Switzerland
Production Value makes you feel as if you are in the pre-preparation stage of a feature film. One experiences all the ups and downs and feels completely absorbed in the project. So the case studies held by the Seniors and experts were therefore a welcome change; it was exciting to hear what they had achieved and how they had dealt with problems. For all the participants, those plenary sessions were a good discussion opportunity and a means of not just sitting at a computer. Furthermore, the workshop is well organized and, even if you do not leave the hotel very much during these days, everything is taken care of, which is very much appreciated by a group of demanding filmmakers.

Malin Söderlund – Junior Line Producer – Sweden
I now look at my part in a production in a quite different way, I can really see the importance of a proper breakdown of the script into scheduling and also that the budget needs to be equivalent to the schedule and the script. You need to go into all details and then you can take a step back and look at the results. I can look back on former productions I have worked with and ask myself how I could make it even though the breakdown wasn’t made that detailed, as it should be.

Linda Mester – Junior Line Producer – Hungary
I had the chance to take a closer view on which direction I could progress and I can see that this is a very exciting area/ job that is waiting for me and that it is still going to be a long way ahead. It would be great to have other workshops similar to this one where people can be educated on such a safe ground but in a close to real life situation ☺

Barbara Skawran – Junior Assistant Director – Germany
What was PV14 for me? – It was like seeing a tree with leaves in the winter but it was not a Christmas tree!!!

David Canelo – Junior Line Producer – Spain /UK
I highly recommend this course to all junior ADs and Line Producers, it´s the only one of its kind in Europe. Now I am very confident and empowered for the future and I learnt an invaluable lesson: don´t make a budget for the producers, make a budget for the script. Read the script and prepare a budget according to the script necessities, the film will thank you.

Tobias Reiner – Junior Assistant Director – Sweden
By working with a European film project that is not planned to be filmed in the country the participant comes from, to be teamed up with a “teammate” from another European country with a different professional background, the participant is forced to think outside their usual framework and their safety zone which is very stimulating. It is about gathering facts, adjusting oneself to new circumstances and than trusting and using ones skills to get all the way to the goal.