Filmmaker Profile: Gonzalo Tarragona

The sky is the limit for filmmaker, Gonzalo Tarragona

Everyone seems to know what a film director does and what a cinematographer is responsible for. They also understand that the editor puts all the scenes together to make the movie tell a story in a coherent manner. But when the producer walks up to receive the Oscar for Best Picture, they scratch their heads and wonder what role he or she played in contributing to the film’s completion and greatness. Gonzalo Tarragona, the film producer from Barcelona, Spain, knows exactly what the Producer does on a film. He loves the idea of filmmaking as a collaborative effort. Since he has a solid background and a degree in Economics, Gonzalo has a clear understanding of the business side of the movie industry. He also has a degree from UCLA in Film Production, along with a Master Degree from ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema I Audiovisuals de Catalunya) in Line Producing, Film Business, Marketing, Distribution and International Sales. He brings a lot to the table, and Directors, writers and other creative talents appreciate his input from the beginning concept to the look of the end credits of the projects he works on.

A producer who worked in the 1930s through the 1960s succinctly described the producer’s main task as “Clearing the way for the director to guide the performances of the actors.” That is a pretty concise and shorthand way to characterize a person’s job but it gets the point across. There are a great deal of things done that are not mentioned in order to get to the director actually calling “Action” on the film set. Gonzalo, as the producer on a film, must take care of all location shooting permits from the city or county, hire the crew, such as the cinematographer, editor, assistant director, production designer, production assistant, the art department, etc. and the list goes on and on and on. Gonzalo is with the production from the beginning until the end of shooting and post-production. 

He oversees the editing and the implementation of music and anything else that the movie needs to tell a story flowingly, convincingly, genuinely and stylistically if necessary. He is like a mother hen who looks after, protects and makes sure her brood reaches maturity. After that, he might be in negotiations with a distributor or film festival for the best opportunity for the film to be seen, win awards and/or to make a profit. A producer stays with the film long after everyone else has moved on to other things. He is also willing to put his name on the film as producer and either take the blame for producing a flop or grab the Oscar for Best Picture.