PRODUCTION CONSULTING & SERVICES
I’ve spent more than 20 years figuring out how to get films and productions made.
Sometimes that means building a budget from a script. Sometimes it’s finding a better place to shoot, figuring out whether an incentive actually saves money, bidding a commercial, restructuring a production plan, or solving a problem that’s keeping a project from moving forward.
I work with filmmakers, producers, financiers, agencies and production companies who need experienced production support without necessarily needing another full-time producer.
My approach is practical: understand what you’re trying to accomplish, identify what’s getting in the way, and build a realistic path forward.
BUDGETING & BIDDING
A budget should tell you how you’re going to make the project, not just what you hope it will cost.
I build and review budgets for independent features, commercials and branded content, from early estimates through detailed production budgets and bids.
For agencies and production companies, I can take boards, scripts or treatments and develop the schedule, assumptions and production approach needed to put together a competitive bid.
For filmmakers and producers, I can budget directly from a screenplay, pressure-test an existing budget or model different versions of a production before you commit to a plan.
WHERE SHOULD YOU SHOOT?
A 40% tax credit doesn’t necessarily mean a location is 40% cheaper.
I compare jurisdictions based on what the production will actually spend: incentives, labor, fringes, crew depth, locations, infrastructure, exchange rates, travel and the costs of bringing in people or equipment that aren’t available locally.
I’ve evaluated productions across the U.S., Canada and international jurisdictions, often modeling several versions of the same film so producers and financiers can see the real net cost before choosing where to shoot.
PRODUCTION STRATEGY
Sometimes the question isn’t where to shoot. It’s whether the current plan works at all.
I can come into a project and review the script, budget, schedule, financing assumptions and production approach together.
That might mean identifying where a budget is unrealistic, finding a less expensive way to accomplish something creatively, evaluating whether a schedule is achievable, or determining what needs to change before taking the project to financiers, sales companies or production partners.
The goal isn’t to produce another report. It’s to help make a decision.
FINANCING & CASH FLOW
A finance plan only works if the production can actually operate underneath it.
I help producers understand how equity, tax incentives, sales, loans and other financing sources interact with the budget and production cash flow.
That can include modeling incentive receivables, financing costs and timing, identifying funding gaps, and looking at whether the proposed structure creates problems once production begins.
I don’t raise capital as a consulting service. I help make sure the production and financing plan make sense together.
PHYSICAL PRODUCTION
Some engagements move beyond consulting.
I can help establish the production plan, crew and vendor structure, schedule and cost controls, or step into prep and production when a project needs experienced hands-on support.
Depending on the project, that can mean consulting on a specific issue or joining the team as a Producer, Executive Producer or Line Producer.
POST-PRODUCTION
I’ve spent a significant part of my career taking projects from production through final delivery.
I can build or review post budgets and schedules, establish workflows, evaluate vendors and bids, plan VFX and finishing, troubleshoot a post process that has gone off course, or supervise post through delivery.
The earlier post is considered, the fewer expensive surprises there tend to be later.
U.S. PRODUCTION SERVICES
I also work with international producers and companies preparing to shoot in the United States.
I can help translate a production plan into the realities of shooting here, including budgets, unions, incentives, crew, vendors, locations and production infrastructure, and provide local producing support through prep and production.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED ANOTHER PRODUCER IN THE ROOM.
Not every engagement fits neatly into a category.
You may have a budget that doesn’t work. A financier asking questions you need to answer. Two locations that look comparable on paper. A project that needs to come down $1 million without destroying the movie. A commercial that needs to be bid quickly. Or a production that simply needs another experienced set of eyes before committing to a plan.
Those are often the conversations where I’m most useful.
LET’S TALK
If you’re working through a production problem or trying to determine the best way to get a project made, send me a short note about the project, where it stands and what you’re trying to solve.
Official correspondence from Peter Phok and Phok Productions will only come from an email address ending in @peterphok.com or @phokproductions.com. Messages from Gmail or other domains claiming to represent Peter Phok or Phok Productions are not authorized.