From a Producer's Perspective: How to Find and Keep a Mentor in Hollywood

by David Kaufmann - updated on January 3, 2019

It’s no secret that Hollywood is a relationship-driven town. As a producer, my ability to find quality content and connect it to the right people is my life-blood. They say it’s a small miracle every time a film gets produced and that’s true to some extent. I view every project that I work on like a train. They all start out in the yard. Sometimes it’s just me standing in the engine room with an idea, and other times I’m meeting a weary passenger who is connecting from a long ways away, like a screenwriter who has just finished up a spec script. We start shoveling coal and bringing passengers on board and off we go trying to keep that train moving down the track, building momentum until we make it to our destination and get our story told, because that’s why we are all in this crazy business, right? To make things!

David Kaufmann goes even deeper in his book, The Producer's Brain. Get it on Amazon now.

I’ve been in the game independently for a little over a year after a long run as a corporate executive overseeing film and television projects for Major League Baseball. I can say now more than ever that my success will come as a result of the strength of my relationships and the trust that I’m able to establish with all of my collaborators, whether they be writers, directors, cinematographers, distributors, financiers etc. It takes a small army to bring any project into reality.

Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” I try to live my life by this truth and be the best partner I can be. I hope the same of all those that I work with. One of my mentors once told me, “Be humble and honest and good things will come your way,” and I subscribe to it.

On that note, the relationship that I’d like to focus on in this blog is that of the mentor/mentee. For my part, I just went through a fantastic mentorship experience as part of the Producers Guild that’s really helped me to understand what it means to have a long-term career as an independent producer. One of the wonderful things about this business is that even though the path to success (however you might choose to define it) is often long, there are many that HAVE traveled it, and I’ve found many of them to be really open to giving back and helping those who are serious about doing the work. I’m also a big proponent of paying it forward, so if you are going to request time from others, you should make an effort to give back to those who might not be as far along as you are. It’s just good karma and who knows, your mentee could become a game-changing collaborator down the road. Learn from your own experiences with great mentors and try to be a good listener and provide pragmatic but inspirational advice based on your own knowledge.

So how do you find a good mentor?

You have to ask! Before you do, start thinking about what it is that you actually need help with and where it is that you really want to go. Imagine where you’d like to be in 5-10 years and then research folks who are actually there. Many of them are going to be tough to connect with but in the age of social media, there’s always a way to track people down, and many organizations (like the PGA) have systems in place to help facilitate these types of relationships. Finding a personal connection is great as well. Perhaps there is a successful writer who went to your high school or college? You’ll likely have a better time getting in touch if this is the case. Like most things, finding a truly great mentor takes a lot of persistence and a little bit of serendipity, but heartfelt and thoughtful outreach always helps.

So you’ve got your mentor, now what?

Be VERY respectful of their time. They are giving you a gift in imparting the wisdom that they’ve gained from years of learning and they are likely a busy person. Know what you want to ask them and how they can help you. It’s not up to your mentor to figure out what you should do with your career. It’s up to you. People can provide much better guidance when it’s clear what your goals are. Many senior level executives often start conversations with “How can I be helpful?” It’s a cue that they’d like you to guide the direction of your discussion. This doesn’t mean you get to ask for a big favor (read my script/make a high-level connection) but it’s an opportunity to define what you are struggling with and ask for their guidance. If you are prepared, passionate and thoughtful your mentor may decide to help with something further but this shouldn’t be the expectation. If they do, be really appreciative and think about if you can reciprocate. Relationships are always a two-way street.

After the first meeting, send a thank you note and make sure you continually follow up with updates to explain how you’ve taken their advice and used it. Ideally, your first meeting will be part of a lifelong bond that will enrich both of your lives.

A great mentor is invaluable and ideally, you’ll want to have a lot of mentors. One of my business school professors used to talk about forming your own personal board of directors to help you whenever a really big decision comes up. I think that’s a great thing if you can find it. Try to fill that role for others too.

It can sometimes feel like we are really alone in our pursuits, but that’s not the case. Once you start talking to someone who has traveled the path you’d like to follow you’ll feel a bit more prepared to face the challenges ahead on your own journey.

David is an independent film and television producer living in Los Angeles. He began his career as an NBC Page at Saturday Night Live. He spent over nine years handling film and television licensing and development at Major League Baseball where he helped create critically acclaimed films like Moneyball and 42. He has an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Richmond and holds an MBA from NYU Stern with a focus on the media business and creative producing. He is an active member of the Producers Guild of America.