Associate Producer credit or Finder's fee?

[Juno Styles]

if a person you know introduces you to a producer and basically just says "if anything comes from this just look out for me" and you end up selling your screenplay or working with the producer to get your movie made....would the person that turned you on to the producer get an associate producer credit or just a finder's fee from out of your own pocket?

from my understanding an associate producer credit is essentially a finder's fee, but i understand the term to be used very loosely.

how would you repay a person that helped you in this way and just "trusted" you to somehow pay them back?

[jimjimgrande]

for making an introduction, you might get a finder's fee.

Or maybe you just might get taken out to dinner.

An Associate Producer credit is disproportionate. It can mean many things, someone who works in physical production, post-production, or is an executive in the production company behind the movie - but not this.

[scripto80]

People make introductions everyday. It's called networking. And I didn't think it meant you had to give a credit nor money to everyone who introduces you to someone, lol. He didn't find material to get made. If he wants a finder's fee for bringing you to the producer then since you've got the material and the producer has the resources, the producer should be the one offering the go between a finder's fee, not you. And an AP credit for an introduction? God help us all if that becomes the norm. I believe in reciprocation but that's an uneven reward for a small action. If the guy has contributed more than just "Bob, meet Joe." like creative input or SOMETHING, then sure.

But "Looking out for him", to me, considering all he did was something everyone does in this biz every day, would be done by trying to get him a job on your production should it be made. Or like someone above said, taking him to dinner, lol.

Besides, in terms of the credit, if you're just the writer you can't be promising credits. That's gonna be up to the producer and prodco. And in terms of a finder's fee, why should he make the equivalent of a manager, agent, or two lawyers? He's not working a deal for you, not negotiating. He took five seconds to help you network. Say thanks, maybe you can get him a gig working on the film if it gets made, or if nothing else, if/when you succeed you'll try to help him do the same.

[jcgary]

You take him to dinner and continue the relationship. Anything else is ridiculous.

[Hamboogul]

jcgary, jimjim, and script80 are right. i suggest you take them out to dinner.

also, jc, jj, and s80, if you three do get dinner out of this, just look out for me, okay?

[scripto80]

Hahahaha. :D

[Juno Styles]

lol @ Hamboogul

makes perfect sense what everyone is saying and that is what my gut was telling me, but i wasnt sure if possibly i was missing some unknown rule of what it means to "look out for me" in the event the script gets sold or someone wants to produce it.

the person that has approached me with this scenario supposedly knows some producers looking for material, but its unclear what role he's trying to play in the process of getting the script in the hands of the producer....other than being a middle man....which i hate unless its absolutely necessary.

[Jules]

A special thanks credit would be pushing it, wouldn't it?

[jcgary]

A special thanks credit would be pushing it, wouldn't it?
In so many ways.

[scripto80]

If that guy gets a special thanks credit then I expect one for answering in this thread to help you out. You can just put me down as "Scripto B. McAwesome".

Thank you ahead of time.

[EvilRbt]

A finders fee never comes out of the writer's pocket. It's something to be worked out between the finder and the producer.

Assoc Prod or Exec Prod is really just a vanity credit for finders or financiers.

[Juno Styles]

if the guy decides to say something like "well i think i should get 10% like an agent does since i worked up this deal for you" what would you say?

[scripto80]

Say an introduction isn't "working a deal". Handling negotiations, contract agreements, collaborating on creative content, etc is what a manager or agent does. He did none of that.

[Brad Hole Brad]

Rename one of your characters after them. Take them to the premier (or a Tuesday matinee) When the credits roll, point out the character's name. All's good after that.

[EvilRbt]

if the guy decides to say something like "well i think i should get 10% like an agent does since i worked up this deal for you" what would you say?

"Thanks, but you're not having any of my pie."

Like the other poster said, if he's not handling negotiations and contracts then he's not doing the work of an agent. If the producer is happy to compensate them for "finding" the project, so be it. But it should cost YOU nothing.

That's why I don't really like managers. They take a % and they can't handle deals. All they do is give development notes and make phone calls. I can do that but I'm not interested in leeching 15% from writers' paychecks. I'm happy to do that same work and have the studio reward my efforts... after all, they can afford it.

Tell this guy to say the same thing to the producer, i.e. "i worked up this deal for you.". Let them give him something. But if he does land you a sweet deal, you should also support that.