BRAD FEINSTEIN MOVIE PRODUCER

By Sean Buttimer

When a kid from Philly dreamed of going into the movie business, the general consensus was, “you can’t just make movies. People don’t just get to go do that.” Not going into the family business wasn’t so much a big deal, but, “what do you know about making movies?” His response, “I’ll figure it out!” And he did figure it out.

When starting his career as a financial advisor, Brad Feinstein never thought about what was on the other side of a camera. He also never realized just how many jobs exist within the entertainment industry, and that there might be a place for him. “I always thought I was going to be in the furniture business like the last four generations of my family, or maybe a lawyer, longshoreman, a cop, a fireman, or doctor – that’s all the jobs we knew about.”

WHEN LOOKING FOR A FILM TO PRODUCE, “THE CREATIVE HAS TO MAKE SENSE. IT HAS TO BE A GREAT SCRIPT, AND THEN THE FINANCE PLAN HAS TO MAKE SENSE. IF BOTH THINGS MAKE SENSE, THEN YOU YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A MOVIE.”

But Brad found a job that’s slightly more interesting…namely the founder and CEO of Romulus Entertainment. Romulus has been responsible for films like Academy Award-winning Fences (2016), The Banker (2020), Last Looks (2021), etc. As you can imagine, he grew up with a love of film; his parents would take him to the movies routinely when he was a kid. But now that he has been on the other side of the camera, Brad can’t watch a movie without dissecting it. “Would I have used this angle? Would I have been on this lens? You watch The Revenant (2015), and think about all those poor people sitting outside in the snow, freezing between each take!”

Getting into the industry happened somewhat by accident. While working in finance straight out of school at University of Florida, Brad was continually approached by entertainers and actor clients who would ask how they could finance their movies and if he knew of a way to make it happen. Brad took it upon himself to learn more about film finance and started working from that angle, figuring out how it could be done. Later after transitioning to Investment Banking he started financing slates of film. But even then, it still took him a long time to get from a financial seat into a creative seat. “When you come in through that door (the financial side), people view you as a suit…they see you as money.” But now he’s firmly planted in that creative seat as lead producer on everything from Romulus Entertainment.

What exactly goes into being a producer? It’s a simple question that doesn’t always have a simple answer. For Brad, he’s with these movies ‘cradle to grave.’ This entails finding (or developing) the script, hiring the talent (actors, directors, and crew), working with the director once one is on board, influencing the look and feel of the movie, being on set every day during principal photography, editing the film, and handles the distribution deal from the film’s side with the studio . Phew – you can exhale now.

When looking for a film to produce, Brad explains, “the creative has to make sense. It has to be a great script, and then the finance plan has to make sense. If both things make sense, then you you know you have a movie.” Creatively, Romulus makes two kinds of movies. First is prestige, diverse dramas like Fences, The Banker, Beatriz At Dinner (2017), etc. Movies that have a viewpoint or say something, movies that make people think. “I want there to be discussion and a dialogue, I want it to be thought-provoking.”

Second is the ‘bigger’ action-thrillers, that are a little broader, a little more theatrical popcorn movies…but a cerebral version of those movies, not just action for action’s sake. “I want to make movies that are fun and a ride, but are also smart.” A good example of this from the Romulus catalog is the wildly-underrated Last Looks (currently on Hulu). Released during the pandemic, Last Looks was one of a few films that Romulus had to hold on to immediately after completing, due to the uncertainty (putting it mildly) of what theatrical releases and streaming would look like. But it allowed for a rare deal with Paramount, and Brad describes it as, “one of the most enjoyable movie making experiences I’ve had. Everyone got along and had a really good time.” Brad had nothing but great things to say about working with director Tim Kirkby and a stellar cast that included the likes of Charlie Hunnam, the legendary Mel Gibson, Lucy Fry, Clancy Brown, and Paul Ben Victor. Even Brad’s wife, Xen Sams, and youngest daughter Alexa managed to make appearances in the film!

But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows while on a production. There have been ‘days.’ “It’s rough making a movie, but if it were easy, everyone would do it. There are those days when you’re the guy sitting out in the snow making The Revenant. But being a good producer means being a good problem solver. I’ve always been a bit of a fixer.” That ability to problem solve, he says, is what he loves most about the job. “There’s always something that needs to be dealt with on a film set. The people who are most successful at navigating those problems and issues without taking it personally are typically the most successful producers.”

What does he have going on now? Well, he’s in pre production on three separate projects! Brad’s next movie will be shooting in Newark, which will make driving to the set easier on the New Jersey resident. While he can’t divulge too much information currently, he did reveal that his next project is called” Killing Castro” and surrounds Castro’s visit to the US in 1960 for his first UN convention…a visit which famously saw him meet with Malcolm X in Harlem and the government and organized crime colluding to kill him.. The other two projects already have A-list talent attached and are getting close to principal photography. More details to come at a later date. It’s clear that Romulus will keep making unique and compelling content for the independent film market.