Producing for Actors
Friday, June 13th & Saturday, June 14th from 9am - 4pm at Crash Acting in Los Angeles
Taught by Cara Mitsuko
Actors….
Are you tired of waiting for someone else to cast you but don’t know where to start in making your own work?
Do you think you have a story to tell but don’t know how to tell it?
Have people told you you’d be a good leader but you don’t have anyone to walk the path with you?
Are questions about the process holding you back? Do you need someone to demystify the process?
Have you been burned before as a producer and are looking for a way to do things more holistically?
Do you want to produce but need a little nudge?
This class is for you.
What you will learn?
Cara’s 4 Pillars of Producing 🏛️
How producing benefits you as an actor 🙂↕️
How to develop and break down a shooting script 🧑💻
Budgeting 🧾
How much do you actually need to make a film?
What are areas you can save, where do you need to spend?
What is the major difference between low budget and high budget AND how can you avoid looking cheap?
Common areas that are missed in the budget.
Funding your film 🤑
How to raise money for your film.
Crowdfunding platforms and campaigns.
Shooting 🎥
How to schedule a shoot and run on time.
How to communicate with cast, crew, and director.
How to close out a shoot.
Post-Production ⚡️
What are the steps of post-production?
Helpful tips to push your project over the finish line.
Distribution 🎞️
Different platforms and monetizing.
Pull the curtain behind being in film festivals.
Resources 🧐
Budget template
Call-sheet template
Shot-list template
Shoot schedule template
Boiler plate contracts
AND MORE 🥵
Meet Cara…
Actor & Producer
(she/her)
Cara is an actress and producer based in Los Angeles. She began her producing journey in live theater, producing an international theater festival, donor events with celebrities like Tom Hanks and Kenneth Branagh, and a small independent play that ran for two weekends and made $2k. She has produced numerous shorts, a three episode web series, and a concert presentation.
Her debut feature film The Country They Call Life just had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival, with incredible reception. Her second feature Wake Up Maggie is currently in funding, and she is developing three other feature scripts.
As an actress she originated the lead role in Luis Valdez's play Valley of the Heart, and then broke into TV with the fiery role of Sarah on Amazon Studio's The Man In The High Castle. She is a founding member of TheFilmKind.
Hannah Kean — Writer/Director/Producer
“…to simply call [Cara] a producer barely scratches the surface of what she brings to a project.
Cara sees problems coming a mile away and doesn’t just raise the flag—she gives you a menu of solutions, each tailored to your production’s specific needs. She is the rare kind of person who brings calm, clarity, and strategy into the whirlwind of filmmaking. She’s always thinking about how to ensure that everyone—not just the leads—is supported, valued, and able to do their best work.
What makes Cara stand out even more is her remarkable breadth and depth of industry knowledge. She can talk shop about every corner of the film ecosystem—from financing and festival strategy to post workflows and niche distribution. She's particularly gifted when it comes to navigating small- to mid-scale productions with grace and savvy, knowing exactly how to stretch a dollar without compromising the integrity of the story.
Working with Cara feels like being coached by someone who truly wants you to succeed. She’ll walk you through every step of shepherding a production from concept to completion, and she’ll do it with encouragement, intelligence, and a deep respect for your vision.
Cara Mitsuko is the kind of producer that reminds you why we make films in the first place: to connect, to create something meaningful, and to do it alongside people who care as deeply as she does.”
Jenna Keiper — Documentary & Experimental filmmaker
"Cara brings clarity and care to every step of the process. Even with limited resources she finds a way to shape something beautiful, honoring both the vision and the voices behind it."
Brent McEwan — Producer/Actor
“So, we had a terrific idea for a project, a finished script, and a lot of genuine enthusiasm towards the making of our short film but lacked some of the logistical producing knowledge and necessary time to fully manage the project. After one consultation with Cara Mitsuko, I knew she had the passion, temperament, and skillset to help us realize our dream. We couldn't have done this as efficiently and as professionally without her immense talent.”
Brett Kodama — Producer/Writer/Director/Editor/Colorist
"Cara is always a delight to collaborate with as she is the perfect combination of fun and efficient. She is also very crafty when it comes to maximizing budgets, cleverly finding ways of stretching dollars, making $10 look like $100. She is quick thinking and adaptable, which is particularly helpful when working on microbudget productions.”
Alan Natale — Director, Flaming Match, Flaming Match Productions, LLC
“Working with Cara was nothing short of a dream. From pre-production through post, Cara was the backbone of the project—organized, communicative, and thoroughly dependable in every regard.
Every element—from location scouting and scheduling to crew coordination and call sheets—was handled with precision and care. She kept detailed, up-to-date records and timelines, proactively flagged potential issues, and always had a plan (and a backup plan) ready to go.
One of her greatest strengths was her ability to communicate consistently and thoroughly with all departments. No matter how chaotic things became (as they inevitably do on set), Cara remained calm, clear, and present.
She had a hawkish eye for costs, tracking every line item carefully and making smart, thoughtful decisions about where to allocate funds. She made sure we never went over budget while also ensuring that every department had what they needed to succeed. Her transparency and accountability were impeccable.
Beyond logistics, Cara brought thoughtful, measured opinions to the table and had a keen sense of when to offer insight and when to simply support. Her advice was always rooted in experience, and she had an innate ability to help teams make solid, balanced decisions.
Perhaps most importantly, Cara brought heart and integrity to everything she did. She never cut corners, never compromised her values, and never lost sight of the human side of filmmaking. She led with kindness, strength, and clarity—a rare combination that made our set feel like a place where people wanted to do their best work.”
Katie Prentiss — Producer/Writer/Actress/Director
“Cara Mitsuko is an actor and creative person who holds my deep respect. She's self-reflective, dedicated, trustworthy, and inspired. So when I realized that she was also a producer, I jumped to bring her on to my first feature film. I was looking for a producer to support my vision, but also personally care about my movie beyond the practicals. Cara has wildly exceeded my expectations! Her personal commitment to creating our movie, Wake Up Maggie, brings me to tears. We've often said the movie is my baby and Cara is the midwife. Cara's mind profoundly holds the tension of making beautiful art and the practical requirements of filmmaking in ways I don't understand. Hire her and learn from her- your films will be better for it!”
