HOWDY!
My name is John Mader. I am a Producer that has worked in every form of the media industry in one way or another for over 20 years.
I have done everything from reality TV to medium budget features up to multi-million dollar an episode/week scripted network TV shows costing over a hundred million a season. And during that time I have worked in every position on a project above and below the line.
I have produced 2 separate shows for 2 separate studios/networks at the same time, managing over 200 cast and crew, servicing each of the key players involved and each studio/network unique protocols and needs.
Shooting 2 separate multi cam shows at the same time I have had to shoot 1 epi for 1 studio on Monday/Tuesday while cross boarding 2 separate episodes for an entirely different studio then shoot them that same week on location Wednesday and Thursday to get the crew back on the lot to shoot on stage the second half of Thursday and Friday. Taking what would have been 4 days of shooting and making it 3 splitting the crew and the gear between the studios so that both saved money.
I have spent several months shooting reality on the ocean and in jungle swamps in foreign countries with a crew of 5 for only a couple hundred grand, then done the same on stage.
I have done multiple episodes a week for the run of the series in the 10/90 format.
I have taken a 7 epi single cam SVOD project and cross boarded it, shooting all the epis at once like a feature to reduce costs.
All this requires excellent people, logistical, communication and adept financial management abilities from the tiny to the large, as well as a solid grasp of union regs, labor and safety laws.
Each project has its own special needs, be it scripted, reality, feature length or a commercial, a few thousand dollars or several million, the fundamentals never change. There is an idea, we gather the resource’s needed to execute that vision and tell a narrative within the constraints dictated by the schedule and budget.
My experience working across genres has made me a believer of team building and collaborative management. It doesn't matter if it's union or nonunion, small budget or large. A crew will do anything if they feel respected and invested in a project.
Collaborative management and communication is even more important now in the age of COVID. Creating a sense of "team" keeps morale up and costs down.
My experience is varied and comprehensive enough that part time in the Fall Semester I lecture a Masters Level Course 511-2 at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. It goes from initial concept and script writing through execution of shooting and post. We also compare the differences between Scripted TV and Film vs Reality and the pros and cons of each.
John W Mader
PGA/DGA / IATSE / SAG-AFTRA/ATAS
www.linkedin.com/in/john-mader-1702239
imdb.me/johnwmader
I have done everything from reality TV to medium budget features up to multi-million dollar an episode/week scripted network TV shows costing over a hundred million a season. And during that time I have worked in every position on a project above and below the line.
I have produced 2 separate shows for 2 separate studios/networks at the same time, managing over 200 cast and crew, servicing each of the key players involved and each studio/network unique protocols and needs.
Shooting 2 separate multi cam shows at the same time I have had to shoot 1 epi for 1 studio on Monday/Tuesday while cross boarding 2 separate episodes for an entirely different studio then shoot them that same week on location Wednesday and Thursday to get the crew back on the lot to shoot on stage the second half of Thursday and Friday. Taking what would have been 4 days of shooting and making it 3 splitting the crew and the gear between the studios so that both saved money.
I have spent several months shooting reality on the ocean and in jungle swamps in foreign countries with a crew of 5 for only a couple hundred grand, then done the same on stage.
I have done multiple episodes a week for the run of the series in the 10/90 format.
I have taken a 7 epi single cam SVOD project and cross boarded it, shooting all the epis at once like a feature to reduce costs.
All this requires excellent people, logistical, communication and adept financial management abilities from the tiny to the large, as well as a solid grasp of union regs, labor and safety laws.
Each project has its own special needs, be it scripted, reality, feature length or a commercial, a few thousand dollars or several million, the fundamentals never change. There is an idea, we gather the resource’s needed to execute that vision and tell a narrative within the constraints dictated by the schedule and budget.
My experience working across genres has made me a believer of team building and collaborative management. It doesn't matter if it's union or nonunion, small budget or large. A crew will do anything if they feel respected and invested in a project.
Collaborative management and communication is even more important now in the age of COVID. Creating a sense of "team" keeps morale up and costs down.
My experience is varied and comprehensive enough that part time in the Fall Semester I lecture a Masters Level Course 511-2 at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. It goes from initial concept and script writing through execution of shooting and post. We also compare the differences between Scripted TV and Film vs Reality and the pros and cons of each.
John W Mader
PGA/DGA / IATSE / SAG-AFTRA/ATAS
www.linkedin.com/in/john-mader-1702239
imdb.me/johnwmader
