Arkansas Inc. Podcast: Kristin Mann, Film Producer

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TRANSCRIPT

Kristin Mann:

Hey, this is Kristin Mann. I'm a film producer based in Arkansas, and you're listening to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast.

Clark Cogbill:

Welcome to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast. This is Clark Cogbill. I serve as Director of Marketing at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. On this podcast, we talk a lot about economic development in Arkansas. That includes stories about new businesses coming to the state and existing businesses expanding their presence here. Another important way that the economy grows in Arkansas is through film and television productions that happen in the Natural State. In fact, we have a whole film division, led by Film Commissioner Christopher Crane.

Some movies in series that you may have seen were shot right here in Arkansas, including Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon; HBO's True Detective season three, with Mahershala Ali; God's Not Dead 2 and 3; The Chariot, with John Malkovich; Minecage, with Martin Lawrence and John Malkovich; Freedom's Path, which is currently in theaters; and soon coming to theaters, What Happens Later, with Meg Ryan and David Duchovny, produced by our guest today, Kristin Mann. Kristin is also the producer of films To the Stars, The Quarry, and Midnight Special. And we're excited she's here today. Kristin, welcome to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast.

Kristin Mann:

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Clark Cogbill:

And Kristin, you're coming to us from Los Angeles this afternoon, I believe.

Kristin Mann:

I am, yeah. I live in Bentonville, Arkansas now, but I'm in Los Angeles this week.

Clark Cogbill:

I bet you go back and forth quite a bit.

Kristin Mann:

I used to go back a lot before the pandemic, and then of course the pandemic changed the amount of travel that I do. But yeah, it's picking up a little bit more now.

Clark Cogbill:

Well, I know you're an Arkansas native. Tell us a little bit about your early days born and raised in Arkansas. Where are you from originally?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, I was born and raised in the Little Rock, North Little Rock area, and spent a lot of my time growing up in Maumelle, specifically. So if people are familiar with that area, they'll know that little area, suburb of Little Rock. And yeah, lived there forever. Born and raised, like I said, and then left. I did go to school in Conway, University of Central Arkansas. And then right as I graduated, left and started working in ... I went to New York for a little bit, and Los Angeles, and really just spent time ... I was going back and forth, really. I was also in Arkansas too. But just started working in the industry, doing whatever I could, working as an assistant here and there, and working in different departments, trying to figure out specifically what I wanted to do in film. I knew I wanted to work in the industry since I could basically talk. I just didn't know exactly what that looked like.

So yeah, did that. And then eventually ended up back in Arkansas. And the first thing that I ever produced was a short film called Pillow, which was written and directed by the local filmmakers, Josh and Miles Miller, out of Little Rock. And they came to me and said, "We need somebody to produce this short film." And I had never produced anything before, but thought, "Okay, here's an opportunity that someone's just handing me. Let's see how this goes." And I remember by the end of that short film, it felt like everything had clicked into place. And I realized I'd found my calling, and so started producing short films and some music videos, and whatever I could do. And then eventually ended up on the movie Mud, which shot in Arkansas. And everything changed after that.

Clark Cogbill:

We're going to talk more about Mud. I wanted to ask you, you're a student at UCA, you grew up in Little Rock, spent time in Maumelle. What got you originally interested in going into the film industry? You said it was a very young age. What was it that drew you into being a part of film production or just being involved in the movies?

Kristin Mann:

It was a means of escape. It was this whole other world that just seemed so magical that I wanted to be a part of. And of course, when you're a kid and watching these things, you just think it's pure magic, right? And then you get older and realize, "Oh my God, this job is so hard." It's not as glamorous as one might think. So a lot of it was just the magic and me being a naive, young kid thinking that this just seemed like such a dream job. And I didn't know what that looked like. At the time I didn't know about all the positions that were involved in a movie. I just thought, "Oh, I'm going to be an actress. That's what I need to do."

Clark Cogbill:

Were there any early movies that really were an inspiration to you?

Kristin Mann:

I just remember watching ET when I was really young, and by the end of that movie going ... I was just such in awe. I was so in awe of that movie and that whole experience. And I think that was the film that did it for me.

Clark Cogbill:

What a great movie.

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, right?

Clark Cogbill:

You talked about Mud a little bit. I want to ask you more about that. You talked about producing shorts in Arkansas. And you really got a pretty big break on the production of Mud, right, a film directed by Jeff Nichols, also in Arkansan?

Kristin Mann:

Mm-hmm.

Clark Cogbill:

Will you tell us a little bit about how you got involved in that film, and then what was that experience like?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah. At the time, I was living in Arkansas, and someone on the film actually reached out, knowing that I had a little bit of experience working in production, and asked if I was interested in working in ... I think they were asking if I was interested in working in locations or an assistant office coordinator. And I remember at the time feeling really upset because I wanted to very badly work on that movie, but I was already committed to something else, so I had to turn it down. And then one thing led to another, I became more available as it got closer to them actually starting to shoot the film, Mud.

And so I reached back out to them and said, "If there's anything available, I want to work on this movie." And basically, everyone had been hired at that point, but they did need additional production assistance for the first week or two, I think. And so I said, "Sure, whatever." I'm like, "I'll get coffee for people. I don't care what it is. I just want to work on this movie and work with Jeff." And so I ended up getting hired as a PA. And it was only supposed to be for the first week or two, but I remember at the time, I was being very strategic about sort of accepting this week or two of work and then telling myself I was going to convince somebody on that movie that they needed to keep me, I was going to find a role somewhere. So I was being pretty strategic actually about observing production the first week or two and trying to see if I could spot a hole anywhere, a department that might need support or help or anything I can work to convince them to keep me on.

And I did. It seemed to me like they needed support in the props department. They lost someone and then weren't quite sure what they were going to do about it. But anyway, I basically started begging the prop master to bring me on for the rest of the show, and had to convince him at first, and then he had to go and convince the powers that be that it was the right thing to do. But anyway, one thing led to another, and I ended up working as a props assistant for the rest of the show. And I'm so grateful that that happened, because it led to me becoming friends and establishing professional relationships with so many people involved on that movie, or people that I actually are still friends with and still work with to this day.

Clark Cogbill:

Right. So your persistence paid off. I understand that through Mud, you made a connection to Sarah Green and eventually became her assistant, and that led to some other relationships, like with Michael Shannon. And how did that all come about?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, so Sarah produced Mud. And once the film wrapped, I basically was begging for a meeting with her. I observed the process, really loved the experience. Mud is one of the best experiences I've had making a movie, to date. And I just saw this person that had a legendary producing career doing what I wanted to do, and I thought it'd be a dream to work for someone like this. And so I was kind of begging for a meeting, and then an opportunity came up where they needed some help with some additional photography from Mud, but that was happening in Austin. So I'm crazy enough that I was like, "I'll drive out there and help out for the day. I don't care. I'll travel out there and I'll get myself out there and do it."

So I ended up going out and just helping out, just assisting with that shoot. I think it was just a one-day shoot. And because I did that, Sarah met with me. I remember she had breakfast with me. And she basically ended up saying, "If you can get yourself out here, we can try to get you involved." And so I did. I came out, and then that led to me becoming her assistant, which was at the time just such a huge ... it was like a dream come true to me, working for such an amazing, legendary producer. And I suddenly found myself working in an office with not only Sarah, but Terrence Malick and Jeff Nichols, because she was producing for both of these filmmakers. And then that led to eventually within the first year, I think she moved me up to an associate producer position. And I was getting the opportunity to work on a number of films, because she was producing for several filmmakers. So it was an invaluable experience, and I did that for several years.

Clark Cogbill:

So through that relationship and others that you formed, you eventually became a producer in your own right. What was your first film that you really were the lead producer on?

Kristin Mann:

The first one was called Poor Boy. And it was a super low-budget, like micro-budget film, very ambitious, kind of bonkers, to be honest with you. And looking back on it now, sort of knowing what I know now, I would never agree to do this project, only because it was just so ambitious what we were doing, trying to pull off for such a tiny amount of money. But we did do it. It was a movie that we shot in and around Las Vegas. And it ended up debuting at Tribeca Film Festival, and worked with a lot of really great people on that. But yeah, that was the first project I was lead producer on. And that was right after I moved on from working with Sarah and Jeff and that gang.

Clark Cogbill:

I'm sure that was a huge educational process just to have a tiny budget, and it's all on your shoulders. It's your first film to produce. Let's pause for just a second. And for those who don't know, which is probably a lot of people probably have some idea of what a film producer does, or maybe they get it mixed up with being a director, tell us, what does a producer do? I know it's a lot, but I'd love to hear in your own words a description of that role.

Kristin Mann:

Yeah. So there are so many different types of producers, so it's hard to give one answer, but I can tell you what I do. And what I do as a producer, it's somewhat all-encompassing, meaning I do everything from either find the material, whether that's somebody that has sent me a script that's already finished, or a producer might option the rights to a book that they really love, and then go hire a writer to write the script. But basically, it's sourcing the material one way or another. And then raising the financing to make the film, which is one of the most difficult aspects of the job.

It is everything from attaching a director if there isn't one already attached, to casting the movie with talent, hiring all of the key crews, such as the cinematographer and production designer, and then working really closely with all these people to develop the project and properly prepare the project. There's scouting involved, so figuring out where you're going to shoot the movie, and then making all those deals that come along with that. It is finding distribution for the movie, overseeing the actual physical production and post-production. And then eventually, most of the time there's a festival premiere, so managing that whole process, debuting at a festival. And then hopefully if you have distribution, overseeing the theatrical release of the movie and marketing and promotion. And yeah, it's all of it. It's a lot.

Clark Cogbill:

It feels like you listed everything but acting and directing and maybe running the lights. That's a lot. That is a lot.

Kristin Mann:

What's funny about what you just said is somehow I've ended up in front of the screen on every project that I do, which I don't ever intend to do, but somehow end up getting thrown in there too.

Clark Cogbill:

So you're in the films that you produce?

Kristin Mann:

Just tiny little roles, nothing significant, but somehow I always end up on the day the director looking at me and going, "Hey, we need somebody to do this. Will you jump in front of the camera?"

And I'm like, "Okay, I guess I'm doing this now."

Clark Cogbill:

You become an extra. So for our listeners, if you're watching a Kristin Mann film, look for Kristin Mann. That's great. That's a really great thing to know. As you describe all the things that you're responsible for, and you really are, it feels like you're the CEO of a business venture, and each film is a business venture. And in my own words, that's how I would describe what you talked about. And so there's big opportunity and big risk. Let me ask you this. You could be based anywhere, and you choose to be based in Arkansas and produce films in Arkansas. Why did you make that choice?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, so I started working for Sarah and Jeff and Malick. That's what took me to Austin, because they're all based there. And so I moved there years ago and just fell in love with it. And over the last 12 years or so, I've been back and forth between Los Angeles and Austin, for the most part. And then in 2021, that's when I made the decision to move to Bentonville. To be totally honest, I did not know if I would move there and stay. It was more of I wanted something different for a bit. The idea of living in a smaller town where things were a little bit slower and quieter was appealing to me at that time. And so I moved knowing that this could be temporary, but we'll just see what happens. Moved there and then just completely fell in love very specifically with this area that I'm in, Northwest Arkansas. And I'm specifically in Bentonville, which I also really love.

But I'm also just in a place in my career where it doesn't fully matter where I'm at, because it really at the end of the day comes down to, are you hustling enough to get your projects off of the ground? And so I don't know if this would be something that, I don't know, just anybody and everybody could do. I know there's a lot of crew positions and things that ... Well, I don't know. Everybody has a different journey. But for me, I'd reached a place where I felt like I could live anywhere.

And then I saw that there was such enthusiasm for not just making movies, but just innovative thinking. And it's this sort of entrepreneurial spirit that's really supported in Northwest Arkansas. And that was really exciting to me. So I decided to stay. I coincidentally was already planning on bringing What Happens Later to Bentonville. That was a decision that had already been made. So the two aren't actually all that related. So I'd already had plans to bring a movie there. And even just before I moved back to Arkansas, whenever there's a movie that I'm involved in, or even frankly just talking to people that have a movie that I might not be involved in, I'm always throwing Arkansas into the mix as an idea, because to me, it feels like it is an untapped resource, meaning there are just so many projects going to places like New Orleans and Oklahoma and Georgia.

And I feel like sometimes Arkansas is a little bit under the radar. Not everyone in the industry is aware that there is an incentive and how simple and straightforward it is, that's a cash rebate, and how far you can stretch your money in a place like Arkansas, just because people are so supportive. So I witnessed all this and decided to stay and try to bring more projects to the area. And now that I live there, selfishly, I'm just trying to bring more projects to the area so that I can make movies in my hometown.

Clark Cogbill:

Right, for your own convenience. Well, we're proud that you call Arkansas home, and we're thrilled that you choose to have some movies filmed in Arkansas. Your most recent film, What Happens Later, filmed in Northwest Arkansas, recently wrapped, stars Meg Ryan and David Duchovny. I know there's some things that we can't say about the movie because that's going to come later as the movie is released. But what can you tell us about the film in general?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah. Well, basically what you just said. It's directed by Meg. So Meg Ryan directed the project, so she was our partner on it. And yeah, starring her and David. And it's a romantic comedy, I can say that. And we shot the entire thing in Bentonville, so the whole movie takes place ... or shot there. And we wrapped in November. We do have distribution. There will be a theatrical release. We don't have a date yet, so I don't quite know when that will be, hopefully this year.

Clark Cogbill:

And you talked about wanting to find opportunities to shoot films in Arkansas. With any film, it sounds like it is a business venture. There is risk and opportunity. So at the end of the day, why did it make sense to shoot this film in Bentonville?

Kristin Mann:

It made sense because the locations, there were really interesting locations. And those just worked creatively for the movie. And like I said, it's just in general, Arkansas overall, not just Northwest Arkansas, Arkansas overall is just a very welcoming, supportive place for making movies. And so it's a different experience when you're making movies somewhere like Los Angeles, that's been doing this forever, and there may be some people that might not be so receptive to it. And so it just makes a difference when you have a community, especially when we were shooting in northwest Arkansas, just to have a community sort of rally around you and say, "How can I help?" And it feels like compared to a place like New Orleans, for example, where I've made two movies, it's just your money goes a little further or you can stretch a dollar more than some other places.

Clark Cogbill:

Right, right. Well, that's great to hear. I understand that a pretty significant percentage of your production crew was comprised of Arkansas-based folks. Being an Arkansan yourself, what was that like? What can you tell us about the production crew? And how did you recruit the local workforce to be a part of that?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, the crew in Arkansas is great, I mean, overall. It's hard to make one sweeping statement about everybody, but for the most part, the crew is really great, super hardworking. Some of them I had worked with years ago back when I was first starting and lived in Arkansas. And then there's been a huge amount of crew that have come up that have either moved here or started working since I left. And so it was just getting connected to them either via Christopher Crane, via the Film Commission, or just other people that I knew.

There was a local person, Shelley Needham, who's our line producer, who has become the go-to line producer local in Arkansas on a lot of these movies. And so she brought in the people that she normally works with and hires on these projects. And yeah, we basically hired as many locals as we possibly could and that the rest of the team was open to. And we had a great experience. I mean, there's a lot of ... the crew is growing in Arkansas, from what I can tell. And the experience is growing, because more and more movies are being shot in Arkansas. And I hope that continues.

Clark Cogbill:

We do, too. And you worked with the Arkansas Film Commission at AEDC, spearheaded by Christopher Crane. What kind of things did you and Christopher work on together? And what was your experience like overall, interacting with him and with AEDC?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, it was purely positive. I mean, Christopher Crane's the first person that you call when you're interested in shooting a movie in Arkansas. And so it's a good first call to make because he's going to say, "Okay, how can I help?" Every time I've ever called him about something is, "How can I help? What can I do for you?" So one of the most instrumental things that he did was help us with the locations and introducing me to the right people at each of these locations that we were interested in filming in, so just that alone, that connection and saying, "Hey, here's this production, and I've known this person for X amount of years, and you can trust her and this team to take care of your space." And then of course, the Film Commission's heavily involved with ... you submit an application to get pre-approved for the tax incentive for making a movie there. And so you work with the Film Commission and Christopher in the office on all of that and getting connected to crew. And yeah, it's been a very positive experience.

Clark Cogbill:

Well, good to hear. I'm a coworker of Christopher's, and he's either on the road somewhere usually, or if he's in the office, he seems to always be on the phone. So he's always making those connections. Kristin, you talked a little bit about distribution of the film earlier. Where will our listeners be able to watch this film?

Kristin Mann:

If you mostly have Arkansans listening, I mean, I really hope that it will be in theaters in Arkansas. I don't have those details yet, but what I can say is that it is receiving a theatrical release, and Bleecker Street is releasing the film in the U.S. Bleecker Street is an amazing distributor with an incredible reputation, and super grateful that we've partnered with them on this movie. But it will have a theatrical release. Fingers crossed that it will be in theaters in Arkansas, but I don't just have those specific details yet.

Clark Cogbill:

Sure. Beyond that, do you think we could find it on something like Netflix or Amazon Prime?

Kristin Mann:

Hopefully. I mean, when a distributor buys a movie, they are going to exploit that thing for as much as they possibly can. So they'll get it out there and hopefully get it in front of as many eyeballs as possible. But yeah, I imagine that you'll be able to see it in one of those ways as well.

Clark Cogbill:

Great. Well, we'll definitely look for What Happens Later when it's released soon. So Kristin, let's just talk a little bit about ... I want to talk a little bit about the economic impact of film productions. At AEDC, our focus is to build the economy of Arkansas, to add jobs to the state, to increase incomes among Arkansans. Just in general, when a film production comes to a city, what are some of the economic impacts that happen when you bring in both local people and then people who aren't local? What can you say about how long a film may take and what the economic impact might be on a community?

Kristin Mann:

Yeah. Sometimes it depends on the budget and scope of the project, but a lot of the times that I've made films, it's usually a two- to three-month process overall on location. And so it's a mix of, like you said, hiring locals. So you are obviously employing people for that amount of time and giving them an opportunity to gain more and sort of new experience. And then there's another sort of group of people that you're often bringing in from out of state, oftentimes from New York or Los Angeles, but really all over. And those folks are coming in and not only spending money for the amount of time that they're here, but they are experiencing the area in a way that they otherwise wouldn't, right? They're exposed to the area and getting to experience it like a local for those two to three months.

And so it's sort of invaluable, sometimes. It's hard for me to put a number on it, and I'll use one example to illustrate what I'm talking about. The movie that we just did, What Happens Later, that we've been talking about, there was a guy that we brought in to serve in the first assistant director role, which is a position that is extremely important. It's very critical because the person is basically running set. They're the director's right hand and managing set. And this guy came to the area and fell in love with it and called me about a month ago and said, "Well, you're never going to believe this, but I'm moving to your area."

And so now we have somebody that has an incredible resume that has now moved to the state, and we have this additional skilled person that we can have available to us on projects. But it's also like you're spending money on hotels and just all sorts of hospitality and restaurants, and you're spending money on locations. So if you're renting a house to shoot at or whatever, those people are making a little money. So yeah, it's a number of ways.

Clark Cogbill:

I think one of your points is ... you made a lot of great points, but a point that I don't think about a lot is that when people come to a location and if they've never been there before, they're experiencing that location, in this case, Bentonville. And if you really love that spot, you may decide to come back, you may decide to move. And so that's a great opportunity for that community.

Kristin Mann:

Yeah. And it's also, there are instances, and Christopher could speak to this too, but where someone, a producer or producers, have brought a movie to Arkansas and then had such a great experience that they continue to bring other projects back. That's a really good sign.

Clark Cogbill:

Absolutely. Okay, Kristin, just a couple more questions for you, some fun ones, hopefully. What are your favorite movies of all time?

Kristin Mann:

Oh, it's funny. I never really think about this, but if I'm being honest, my favorite movie, and I say favorite only because it's one of those that it's a classic and I could watch it over and over and over, and I just never get sick of it. And it's When Harry Met Sally, which is funny because it's starring Meg Ryan, who I just worked with.

Clark Cogbill:

Meg Ryan.

Kristin Mann:

So getting to work with her was a dream come true, knowing that that was my favorite movie. But yeah, obviously that's sort of a lighthearted romantic comedy, but I think that movie is just ... it's kind of perfect. It's one of those that I could just watch over and over and over and never get tired of.

Clark Cogbill:

Well, a colleague of mine heard about your film, What Happens Later, with Meg Ryan, and Christopher gave her an opportunity to visit the set. I think she got a chance to meet you. And she's a really big fan of Meg Ryan, and she talked about what a dream it was of just being on set for the day and how professional everybody was.

Kristin Mann:

Oh, good.

Clark Cogbill:

So that's one of her favorite movies as well.

Kristin Mann:

Nice.

Clark Cogbill:

So Kristin, what's next for you?

Kristin Mann:

That's always a good question. As a producer, you always have to have your hand in several things, because you just never know what's going to stick and what's going to go next. But I do have another feature film that we'll shoot in Hot Springs, hopefully this year in 2023, fingers crossed. And that is a project with a local filmmaker. We have similar stories in that she's from Arkansas. She was born and raised in Hot Springs and then was away working in the industry, and then came back and now lives in Hot Springs. But she wrote it and will direct the film. It's called Has Been Beauty Queen. And I'm doing that ... my producing partner on that is Summer Shelton, out of Tennessee. So hopefully that will go this year, fingers crossed. We're raising financing for that right now.

And then I have another project I can't say too much about because we haven't announced it, but it's a really fun comedy that will not only shoot in northwest Arkansas, but it's actually about ... the story takes place in Arkansas. So I'm excited about that one. And that one I'm in the sort of final stages of buttoning up, getting the material in a place where we feel comfortable sending it out. And then the next step will be to attach a director and talent to that. But that's another one that will be ... The two that I have up next are ones that I plan to shoot in Arkansas.

Clark Cogbill:

Well, that is great to hear, great to hear. We're going to keep tabs on those. And we're going to be looking for the release of What Happens Later, a film produced by our guest today, Kristin Mann, and filmed in Bentonville, Arkansas. Kristin Mann, thank you so much for spending time with us today on the Arkansas Inc. Podcast.

Kristin Mann:

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Clark Cogbill:

You've been listening to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast. This is Clark Cogbill, director of marketing at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. You can subscribe to the Arkansas Inc. Podcast on most podcast apps like Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and others. And for more information about AEDC and to sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit our website at arkansasedc.com. And connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Thanks for listening.