JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT INDUSTRY POWER HOUR!

Wednesday, April 29th, 4 PM PT/ 7 PM ET

Attaching Top Talent to Your Indie Film: Insights from Producer René Besson

What do greats like Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Nicole Kidman, Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Daniel Radcliffe, and Octavia Spencer have in common? Independant producer René Besson has worked with them all!

René Besson is an independent producer with over 25 film credits. Spanning all genres, but with an emphasis on genre films, René will share more about his process of maintaining studio-quality within independent budgets using an empathetic, filmmaking-centric approach that supports creativity. We will discuss attracting and attaching top talent to indie films, the art of keeping quality high but the budget low, and how René went from making his first film, Boxes, in 2000 at $285,000 to becoming an Executuve Producer on hit indie films. He will also share valuable insight and tips for filmmakers, producers, and directors.

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Originally from Miami, René Besson was the producer on director Simon West’s The Mechanic, starring Jason Statham, as well as Stolen, starring Nicolas Cage. He also served as executive producer on The Iceman, starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, and James Franco; Stone, starring Robert De Niro and Edward Norton; Trespass, starring Nicole Kidman; Straight A’s, starring Luke Wilson and Anna Paquin; Drive Angry, starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard; Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D; Homefront, starring Jason Statham, Kate Bosworth, and James Franco; and Stonehearst Asylum, directed by Brad Anderson and starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Caine.

He also produced The Taking of Deborah Logan with Bryan Singer; The Free World, starring Elisabeth Moss and Octavia Spencer; The Tale, starring Laura Dern; Beast of Burden, starring Daniel Radcliffe; Speed Kills, starring John Travolta; Driven, starring Jason Sudeikis and Lee Pace; Ordinary Love, starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville; Military Wives, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan; and The Estate, starring Anna Faris and Toni Collette.

Using an empathetic, filmmaking-centric approach that supports creativity, he has developed an expertise in maintaining studio-quality on-screen within independent budgets.

Besson has overseen production on the box office hits The Expendables, starring and directed by Sylvester Stallone; Righteous Kill, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro; The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage; Trust, starring Clive Owen and Catherine Keener; Leaves of Grass, starring Edward Norton; and Solitary Man, starring Michael Douglas.

An avid street and BTS photographer, he has also worked as a Producer and Director on national promotion and branding campaigns for clients such as Sony Pictures Television, Telemundo, NBC, Bank of America, Subaru, uni-ball, Coca-Cola, Visa, Best Buy, Subaru, Budweiser, Sprint, Ready Pac, Kraft, TIAA CREF and the Olympic Games.

René Besson is a member of the Producer's Guild of America and the Director's Guild of America.

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Our Most Recent Power Hour Guest

Breaking Into TV: Insights from a What We Do in the Shadows TV Writer

Screenwriter Lauren Wells

There’s the dream of becoming a TV writer… and then there’s the real journey. Lauren Wells worked her way up from writers’ room support roles on shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to writing on FX’s Emmy-nominated hit What We Do in the Shadows.

Step inside the writers’ room for this exclusive Power Hour where Lauren will demystify how a writers’ room operates, share her journey from Writers’ Assistant to Staff Writer, and break down what it really takes to move up the ranks. You’ll also get practical insights on writing comedy and genre, navigating collaboration, and building a sustainable career in television — all in one focused, power-packed session.

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Lauren Wells is a screenwriter who most recently wrote on FX's Emmy-nominated television show, What We Do in the Shadows. Prior to that, she worked in support staff roles on shows such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Happy!, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Angelyne, among others. Lauren adapted Bram Stoker's Dracula as a scripted podcast series called Mina + Lucy's Guide to Slaying Dracula, starring Bradley Whitford. Her original dark comedy pilot FLAT was featured on The 2023 Next List. Lauren is a member of the screenwriting faculty at the American Film Institute Conservatory.

Originally from a horse farm in Central New York, Lauren studied improv and sketch comedy at UCB while finishing her M.F.A in Writing and Producing for Television at LIU Brooklyn. She has a B.A. in English from Hobart + William Smith Colleges. Lauren currently resides in Los Angeles with her rescue dog, Mr. Feeny.