VP, Physical Production

About The Position:

Black Bear, one of the world’s leading independent film and TV studios, is looking for a VP, Physical Production, to join its Los Angeles, CA office. The studio behind such commercial and critical hits as The Imitation Game, NYAD, Immaculate, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, I Care A Lot, Mudbound, and more, Black Bear is seeking a candidate with deep knowledge of physical production, an interest in wearing many hats, an attention to detail, a team player and a drive to deliver. The VP, Physical Production will supervise the physical production of Black Bear’s growing slate, managing quality and costs, protecting filmmaker vision, thinking proactively and creatively, while always being conscious of fiscal limitations.

Responsibilities:

Overseeing the initial strategy of where best to film;

Scheduling and budgeting of films, and as necessary, working with a third-party line producer on same.

Hiring each project's line producer and working with same to configure the crew, including negotiating deals and setting rates.

Working closely with the filmmakers and Black Bear’s creative, business affairs and finance teams to develop a plan that delivers the best possible product at the best possible price.

Mastering and monitoring the details of each production, including the ambition for each shoot day, the feasibility of same, and being integrally involved in all troubleshooting and decision-making, from departmental budgets, to schedules, to talent logistics, and much more.

As needed, attending technical scout and final production meetings to confirm that the final stages of pre-production are on course for a successful shoot.

Reviewing hot costs and cost reports to ensure production is staying on track both in current production period and looking forward.

Tracking any and all deviations during production, including those related to VFX workload, to ensure potential overages are not simply punted into postproduction.

Reporting all material updates internally to ensure that Black Bear's creative, BA and finance teams are aware of any and changes in real time, and as needed, opening up further dialogue with the filmmaking team.

With Black Bear’s business affairs, establish standards across all Black Bear productions to to maximize efficiency and uniformity, while minimizing any potential for grievances, liability and copyright piracy.

Maintaining contact with state, provincial, regional or federal film commissions around the world to understand credit/rebate mechanics, availability and timing.

Qualifications:

A minimum of 10+ years of physical production experience.

A minimum of 5+ years’ in-house for a studio, streamer, mini-major or production financing company.

Strong knowledge of SAG, WGA, DGA and IATSE guild rates and working rules

Experience working in a range of genres and budgets, including Period films, VFX heavy shoots, stunt-heavy photography and more.

Experience with photography in the US, Canada, UK, and EU preferred.

A strong desire to be a part of a team, and work collaboratively.

Working knowledge of all the latest production software, and an interest in emerging technology that may reduce production or postproduction costs and maximize workflow.

Must be able to multitask and work effectively under changing priorities and daily time constraints

Excellent verbal and written skills