Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers from Elizabeth Avellan

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Elizabeth AvellanBy Gabriela A. Treviño

On Sunday, July 22, the Austin Film Festival hosted "A Conversation in Film with Elizabeth Avellán: Producing your Independent Feature Film" at the Harry Ransom Center on UT's campus. The event drew a large crowd of students, aspiring film industry professionals and those curious-minded folk who yearned for some insight into what exactly a movie producer does. With experience in producing both independent and blockbuster films such as Sin City, Grindhouse and Predators, Elizabeth Avellán was able to share her experiences from working in the biz and offer her advice to the crowd with wit and honesty.

Just about everyone has an idea about what screenwriters, directors, and editors do ... but what about producers? The ever-elusive role of a producer is difficult to understand, and there are quite a few items on a producer's to-do list other than raising funds for a film. Everything from casting to scripts to locations and music -- that's what a producer has to think about. 

With a repertoire like Avellán's, it was surprising to hear her humbly state, "I'm still learning [the business] as we speak."

She spoke a bit about how the role of a producer is making sure everything that is shown onscreen is accounted for, and used the example of copyright products and logos as items to watch for when producing a film, as they can run at a very high cost. 

Together with producer/director Robert Rodriguez, Avellán owns half of Austin-based production company Troublemaker Studios. The duo has a reputation for producing low-budget films relative to their competition in the industry.

"Thirty million dollars sounds like a lot of money … It's not," she said, shedding some light on the figures she works with.

Avellán also spoke to producing independent cinema, using two of her most recent projects, blacktino and When Angels Sing. The former, which premiered at SXSW 2011 (Chip's review), is her son's directorial debut, which Avellán described as "Freaks and Geeks meets Glee without all the shiny stuff." The latter -- a feature slated with a release date for later this year -- Avellán described as a "very sweet and special film."

She also spoke about raising funds for both films. For Blacktino, she aimed to save money any which way she could, calling in favors from friends and "asking for miracles." However, despite the film's microbudget, she highlighted the importance of making sure the cast and crew felt taken care of, which results in a better project. 

And what about advice for the young filmmakers in the crowd, who look to Avellán -- famous for producing Robert Rodriguez’s film El Mariachi for only $7,000 -- as inspiration?

"If you're going to make a movie that has a budget, you have to ask yourself, 'What is the market going to bear?' Make a profit. Make some money back," she said.

Elizabeth AvellanKeeping an audience in mind, she says, is important because that is who the movie is for and they may be willing to invest in it. For example, Avellán says she sought church groups for funding for When Angels Sing, as it has religious themes.

"One of the most grueling parts of this process is raising the money,” Avellán noted. Her discourse was very honest. She never gave the audience the false pretense that making a movie is something easy. 

"It was very stressful, and it continues to be stressful," she says.

However, she admits that with determination and know-how, it can be done. She encourages filmmakers to seek their crew locally, plugging UT student showcases and SXSW to find talent.

Most importantly, Avellán suggested, "Be confident."

Gabriela A. Treviño is an intern at the Austin Film Society.