Exclusive: Amidst the Producers Guild Awards ceremony, a “Pay It Forward” public service announcement was released, featuring a group of producers discussing the production.
“I would say it starts with feeling,” says Victoria Alonso.
Producers who appear in the video are Tommy Oliver, James Lopez, Taja Perkins, Ian Cooper, Kyle Wilson, Gary Goetzman, Linda Morrell, Sharon Lopez, Jessica Elbaum and Kristen Oh.
The producers take turns talking about all the hoops they had to go through to make the production happen, such as the directors requesting a Black Hawk but not specifying whether they meant the helicopter or the bird, as Wilson said he ended up booking both.
In one of the funny moments in the clip, Perkins questions the balance between her social life and her work life, “Am I in the office doing cost reports at 11 on a Friday night because I’m single, or am I single because I’m home? Evening on a Friday night?
The clip cuts to Alonso being one of the presenters at an elementary school for Career Day, where the teacher tells her she has exceeded her allotted time.
Then one student notices what being a producer entails, and ends up inspired to become one one day.
“You’re telling me, ‘You do all the work, the director gets all the credit, the actors get all the money, and you take all the blame?’ The student says to Alonso, who is standing in front of the class. “You are up all night, away from your families, sometimes for months at a time, toiling for years with no guarantee that any of these projects will connect with the public or stand the test of time. And on top of that, most people mistakenly believe that you are actually part of AMPTP. Is that what I’m hearing?”
“That’s exactly right,” the former Marvel VFX head replies, and the young girl, played by Katrina Doe, asks, “Where can I sign up?”
Watch the clip in the video above.