Producer, Andrew Corkin

Today we're talking to Andrew Corkin. Andrew is a producer who's body of work includes Martha Marcy May Marlene, the American remake of We Are What We Are, The Beach House (now streaming on Shudder) Alone With You, the feature debut of Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks, the Netfliux docuseries, Pepsi Where’s my Jet, and many more titles. 

In addition to producing, Andrew is also a teacher who has taught at Emerson and The American Film Institute and goes out of his way to teach career lessons that are not typically taught in film school as evidenced by this conversation.

Andrew delivers some of the most honest and thorough insights into what it means to be a producer that I think I've ever heard on this show. This is years worth of film school in a single hours so get ready to take notes. 

In this conversation Andrew and I discuss the keys to sustaining a long and successful career in film, the importance of mentorship and his experience within the horror genre. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Andrew Corkin.

Heed the 80/20 Principle: Andrew pays a lot of mind to which directors he decides to work with, noting that it's a 3-5 year partnership and therefore a serious commitment. The balance he seeks in a director he’s working with is someone with a strong vision but open to feedback. The ideal director has 80% of their vision realized and thought out, but remains open to 20% influence from collaborators. A director with too strong a vision is as difficult to work with as one whose vision isn't fleshed out enough. It's crucial to demonstrate a thorough vision while maintaining some fluidity to enable powerful collaborations.

Show Don't Tell: When pitching Martha Marcy May Marlene with Director Sean Durkin, raising money was a challenge since at the time, Sean was a first time feature director. Andrew and Sean responded by creating a short proof of concept, showcasing the vision, tone, and nuance of the film they wanted to make. This approach was successful, helping them raise the funds not just by communicating the vision, but by demonstrating Sean’s ability to deliver it as a director. A verbally articulated vision can only take you so far; producers need to see what you're capable of actually making if they’re going to invest in you.

Lean into mentorship. A common theme throughout Andrew’s career has been mentorship and education. He not only seeks to learn from collaborators but will even choose specific collaborators to learn from. This learner's mindset can be rare in the film business which is rife with egos, but Andrew credits this mentality of continuous learning to his success and career sustainability and even after over a decade in the industry, he still constantly strives to learn more.

SHOW NOTES

Movies Mentioned: 

• The Kid Stays in the Picture (Documentary about Robert Evans)
• Afterschool - Antonio Campos
• Simon Killer - Antonio Campos
• Martha Marcy May Marlene - Sean Durkin
• We Are What We Are (Mexican Original) - Jorge Michel Grau
• We Are What We Are (American Remake) - Jim Mickle
• Let the Right One In (Swedish Original) - Tomas Alfredson
• The Babadook - Jennifer Kent
• Vigilante - Sarah Dagger-Nixon
• Clean Shaven - Lodge Kerrigan
• Le Samourai - Jean-Pierre Melville

Follow Andrew Corkin at:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewdcorkin/
• X:  https://twitter.com/andrewdcorkin?lang=en
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2371958/