We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Byron A Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Byron A, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
As an independent producer, for me, the key to success is hard work and dedication. This demands constant attention to market fluidity., and the inherent changes to how we buy and sell our projects. Also, the ability to partner with countries around the world has become an essential collaborative measure, bringing financing and labour tax credits to productions.
The industry is always in a dynamic transformation, with the changes in how people consume their content, In recent years, the loss of the DVD market to the diminished theatrical engagement, has led to the rise of the streamers which ultimately has started a collapse of network television.
Byron A, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Established in 1991, Byron A. Martin Productions Inc. is a film and television production company. Led by producer Byron A. Martin, to date he has produced over 100 hours of television, and filming projects in over thirty countries. He has produced projects for Disney, Sony, Universal, Lifetime, Turner, Bell Media, DHX, Great American Country, Crown Media, AMI, and AMItéle. From THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, LAND OF THE DEAD, RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (3D) to AMERICAN PIE presents THE NAKED MILE, Byron has a tremendous scale and scope of production experience, producing and managing over $350M USD.
Byron graduated from NAIT, in Edmonton with honours winning several coveted awards including the Jerry Forbes Memorial Scholarship. Upon graduation, he was admitted into the second year at Ryerson University, garnering two Norman Jewison Filmmaker Awards, the CBC Telefest Award and was selected to attend the first-ever IMAX Symposium in the UK. His graduate project, EVIL UNDERGROUND was submitted by Ryerson to the Student Academy Awards. As a producer, his films have been honoured at Festivals around the world winning numerous honours. In 2021, he was honoured as the Best Canadian Film and TV Production Company by Corporate Vision at their annual Media Innovator Awards. Most recently his feature SOMETHING LIKE TRUTH was the JETS 2022 winner in Berlinale.
Byron A. Martin has worked in radio, film, television, and IMAX. He provides a unique production perspective having worked across Canada, in the United States and around the world. He has established himself as a producer of value by not only being involved in production but has a deep understanding of business affairs, legal, labour tax credits and financing. He has lectured for the Directors Guild of Canada, at Ryerson, Humber, Centennial College, George Brown and Sheridan College.
Byron A. Martin is a member of the CMPA, a long-time Directors Guild of Canada dual member (Production Manager /Unit Manager) who served almost fifteen years on both the National and Ontario District Councils, he is a voting Producer member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema, a member of the Documentary Organization of Canada and the current Hub of the Producers Roundtable of Ontario (PRO). Byron holds a U.S. Visa and an Abu Dhabi Creative Visa.
For years, Byron has served as an International Juror at the Bangkok International Documentary Film Festival, the Blue Water Film Festival, Sunchild International Environmental Festival and Toronto’s Female Eye Film Festival.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
As a producer, I attend the essential markets, Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, and American Film Market as well as participate at festivals around the world with my films. It is important to meet with sales agents, distributors and other producers at markets to continually expand relationships, sustain present ones and look for collaborations as I continue to develop projects.
With contacts leaving companies throughout the years for various reasons, it is very important to maintain a presence locally, provincially and internationally.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I like to recommend various books, to young filmmakers and colleagues who are interested in various disciplines from writing, producing and/or a veteran perspective.
Independent Filmmaking – Lenny Lipton
Film Budgeting – Ralph S. Singleton
The Independent Film & Videomakers Guide – Michael Wiese
Film & Video Financing – Michael Wiese
Film & Video Budgets – Michael Wiese
The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats Part 1: The Screenplay – Cole/Haag
Contracts for the Film & Television Industry – Mark Litwak
Story – Robert McKee
The Writer’s Journey – Christopher Vogler
Screenplay – Syd Field
My Indecision is Final – Jake Eberts
You’re Only As Good As Your Last One – Mike Medavoy
Making Movies – Sidney Lumet
The Kid Stays In The Picture – Robert Evans
Contact Info:
- Website: www.byronmartin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byronamartin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bampinc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bymartin/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/byronamartin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88cRu7KjlJ6dHELD7uqYKA
- Other: http://www.mightymotionpictures.com/about.html https://tomorrows-power.info/ https://wideopenexposure.com/gaza/ https://wideopenexposure.com/the-carbon-rush/
Image Credits
If you want to know who is in each photo, let me know. All of these were taken by colleagues at events, either using my camera or theirs.