Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Tabarrok.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicholas. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my career in Canada, where I’m from. I didn’t know anyone in the film business, I had no connections so I started at the bottom. First as a PA on a soap opera, then as a production accountant, production manager, and line producer. So I moved up the ladder on the physical production side, which isn’t really the ideal start for a producer, I would have been better off starting the more conventional route in the mailroom or an assistant’s desk, but I didn’t know any better. Eventually I was able to find, develop and finance my own projects so I no longer had to work as a ‘service producer’ which means being paid to produce films that other people developed and owned.
My intention was always to move to LA because this is the center of the film and television industry. After a few years making films in Toronto, I felt I was ready to take that step which I did 12 years ago, in 2007. Now I have an office here in Beverly Hills where I’m primarily based and keep one in Toronto where I have a small staff.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! No such thing as a smooth road in this business! If anyone tells you otherwise, don’t believe them! Many, many struggles along the way. Every film is a struggle, they are never easy and add to that I moved to a city where I didn’t know a lot of people, where I had to establish fresh contacts and relationships mid-career instead of at the beginning of my career. I’ve had films fall apart at the last minute due to losing cast, losing financing, losing the director, the distributor going bankrupt (a couple of times) and a cast member dying weeks before we were to being shooting (admittedly that was worse for him than for me).
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Darius Films – what should we know?
Darius Films is a film and television production company. We started out in features about 20 years ago and in that time have made over 30 films. Those films have had significant success in both the festival circuit and commercially selling all around the world. We moved into television more recently and have a hit show on Hulu entitled FUGGET ABOUT IT as we well as several others in development with some exciting talent and production partners.
What I’m most proud of is not any particular production but for giving a LOT of people work over the years. Every film employees a hundred + people, so over the past 20 years we’ve created thousands of jobs, most temporary but some that lasted years. We’ve always made a lot of films with first-time directors and writers and that’s a huge hurdle for them, so to give someone that first break, that opportunity to make their first film is something I’m very happy to have been able to do. Today I can think of dozens and dozens of people with full-time careers in the film industry who started with us, who’s very first job was with Darius Films.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
It’s a cliche, but it really is persistence. You just can’t give up, you get rejected a TREMENDOUS amount in this business. You’re going to hear ‘no’ 99 times before you hear that ‘yes’, so you just gotta keep at it.
I also am a big believer in the philosophy that ‘more is lost to indecision than the wrong decision’. God knows I’ve made a lot of wrong choices over the years but I don’t freeze up, I don’t lose time in limbo, I make a decision and act on it and move on, for better or worse. Indecisiveness drives me crazy.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9229 Sunset Boulevard
Suite 210 West Hollywood, CA 90069 - Website: www.dariusfilms.com
- Phone: 310.728.1342
- Instagram: dariusfilms
- Facebook: facebook.com/dariusfilms
- Twitter: @DariusFilms
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