¶ … producers are your inspirations, and why? Two producers who are an inspiration to me are Danny De Vito and Harvey Weinstein. Danny De Vito began working in Hollywood as a comedic actor but has parlayed his acting success into a successful and courageous career as a producer, where he produces both popular movies and champions smaller, independent films. As a producer, De Vito is not afraid to take risks, and the result is an interesting, varied body of work. I admire many of the movies he has produced, including "Garden State" (2004), "Pulp Fiction," (1994), "Reality Bites" (1994) and "Man on the Moon" (1999).

I also admire De Vito for his opposition to the popular Hollywood belief that looks are everything. De Vito and his wife Rhea Perlman have spoken out against Hollywood's obsession with youth and beauty, insisting they are proof you don't have to be beautiful to succeed in the business. Although both their looks are unusual, the two, who have been married for 30 years, have become multi- millionaires. De Vito's production company, Jersey Films, is a force in Hollywood, and although I have no acting aspirations, I look to him as a model of unconventional success.

Another producer I admire is Harvey Weinstein, who has changed the face of modern film. He was...

Weinstein isn't afraid to disagree with people, and he stays true to his own creative vision and instincts. Weinstein has the type of uncompromising attitude I admire, and I think this is a quality that is key to a success career as a producer. Weinstein is responsible for many movies I admire, including "Smoke" (1995), "The English Patient" (1996) and "Good Will Hunting" (1997)."
Why do you want to be a producer?

Unlike being a director, who focuses on the look and execution of a film, or an actor, who brings a character to life in the film, a producer has an impact on all parts of a film, from the conception of an idea to the placement of the film in theaters. Being a producer is the best way to have a creative and economic impact on the making of a film. Producers are involved in every part of the filmmaking process, and in a sense, they are key to fueling the creative process. Producers solicit scripts, pay money for them, gather talent to execute them, and essentially bring entertainment to life and life to entertainment.

Producers are very hands-on during the filmmaking process, meeting daily with writers and directors to make both large and small decisions on the film. Even before production begins, producers are instrumental in finding projects and deciding which films should be made. As a producer, I would read many movie scripts from aspiring and established…