Producer Will Packer Discusses The Anatomy of A Film Project

What’s the revenue structure for this type of film?

It’s a traditional studio financial model where you’re paid by the studio. As a producer, I come in and produce for a fee and there can be revenue sharing on the backend.

You recently premiered Stomp the Yard 2 at the American Black Film Festival. How did you decide to bypass a theatrical release and go straight to DVD?

It was always slated for a DVD release; that was our plan from the beginning.  Although like all our films, we considered a theatrical release. But at the end of the day, it made sense to release the DVD to an audience we know who would accept it, without incurring the financial cost of theatrical distribution at risk of not making that money back.

What’s next?

Our active projects right now are an adaptation of Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man and a biopic of a woman named Kemba Smith, who was indicted on federal drug charges for dating a guy on the FBI’s most wanted list. She spent over six years in jail before being pardoned by Bill Clinton.

What do you think it takes to survive Hollywood these days?

Persistence, will power, faith, belief in God and yourself. The system is not really set up to be supportive and be loyal. It’s set up as a business, a what have you done for me lately business. Often, it rewards people following others and doing things that have been successful in the past. You have to have faith in yours.

Felicia Pride is founder of BackList, a media.entertainment.education company and author of The Message. Follow her on Twitter.