The same year a short film I produced was nominated for an Oscar, I directed my own short film. It didn't get nominated. For years I thought that was just bad luck. It wasn't. I was living too much in my producer head as a director — and not enough in the creative choices the film actually needed.

In this episode, I break down what a producer actually does at every stage of a film, why the best directors I've ever worked with can hold both jobs in their head at once, and how learning to think like a producer — even a little — makes you a stronger director. I'll share stories from my own career, including watching David Fincher and a first-time indie director handle the exact same studio situation in opposite ways, with very different results.

In this episode:

• What a producer actually is — and the three things it's commonly mistaken for
• The one or two elements every film has that a producer must protect, no matter the cost
• The questions a producer should be asking at development, production, and post-production
• What happened when I directed my own short film with too much "producer brain"
• David Fincher vs. a first-time director: two approaches to managing the studio, and only one that worked
• A simple habit for developing your own producer's instincts, starting with how you watch other people's films
• Why you should lean into your strengths instead of fixing your weaknesses — and find a partner who covers the rest

For the companion piece to this episode, head to hollywoodfilmcoach.substack.com.