Think Like a Producer: Strategy, Creativity & Real-World Lessons [Podcast]

In this episode of Producer Profile, John sits down with Chaya Amor, CMO of Kinolime and producer of HBO Max’s One Day in October, for a candid look at the realities of producing beyond the red carpet. Chaya shares why producers must be creatively invested, how to protect artistic integrity while making high-stakes decisions, and when walking away from a project can be the smartest choice.

She also recounts the extraordinary experience of producing a series during a war, balancing safety, responsibility, and leadership under pressure alongside career-defining moments that remind you why the work matters. Honest and insightful, this episode offers a rare look at the producer as the true engine behind a project.

Full Transcript: Kinolime Podcast Episode 28: Think Like a Producer: Strategy, Creativity & Real-World Lessons

Participants

• John Schramm - Head of Development, Kinolime

• Chaya Amor - CMO and Producer, Kinolime

John: You can’t be interested in producing if you’re not interested in creativity. Go into a different business venture.

Chaya: That’s right. Creativity is my drive.

John: You really have to understand the creativity you’re stepping into and the project you’re stepping into, because it’s super important. Producers do get to say no, but you have to care about protecting the integrity of the creative vision.

Producer Profile

John: Welcome to Producer Profile, where we talk with producers and filmmakers about what it really means to be a producer, writer, or director. Today we’re starting with Chaya Amor, the CMO of Kinolime and an absolute kick-ass producer. Chaya, what’s up? How are you?

Chaya: This is so exciting, John. I’m on your podcast.

John: This is our podcast. Of course. You’re usually behind the camera, not in front of it, and that wall design behind you, you definitely did that.

Chaya: I literally hand-painted these walls.

John: She hand-painted it. But yeah, producers like to sit behind the lens, not in front of it.

Chaya: Totally. Producers also get this weird reputation that it’s all glitz and glamour.

John: Which, sure, sometimes.

Chaya: But people really misunderstand what producers do. I’m like, you can still dress nice behind the lens. Why not?

John: Exactly.

Chaya: We go into producing because of creativity too. The glitz and glam is actually part of the strategy. From beginning to end, everything you do as a producer has to be extremely strategic.

Chaya’s Path Into Producing

John: Before we get into that, how did you start producing? What’s the Chaya Amor origin story?

Chaya: I’ll keep it short, I don’t get paid enough for the full version.

John: Fair.

Chaya: I always knew I wanted to do something film-related. I explored different departments, writing, acting, set design because I wanted to understand where I fit and what I’d actually be good at.

John: Wasn’t it set design at one point?

Chaya: Yeah. I’m really glad I tried different avenues because it gave me a full view of the industry. Producing is kind of crazy, you have to be a little unhinged to want to do it, but what I love is that it combines business and creativity.

Chaya: It can be the biggest success or the biggest failure. That risk is what attracted me. I wanted to work with creativity, not just my own, but a whole team’s and also be someone who could push the project forward.

What a Producer Actually Does

John: When I think of producing, I think of budgets, above the line, below the line. Producers are one of the few roles that truly balance business and creativity.

Chaya: Exactly. I see producers as the CEO of a startup. Except the startup begins and ends with the project. We have a very short amount of time to make million-dollar decisions that can fail in huge ways.

Chaya: We build the entire project, budget, department heads, creative goals, exit strategy. We manage egos, turnovers, contracts, decision-making, everything.

Chaya: People ask, “What does a producer do?” There’s also an important distinction: executive producers are usually part of the financial picture, while producers are the CEOs of the project.

John: For people at home: executive producers are typically tied to financing. Producers are boots-on-the-ground, building and running the project, and often wrangling the money too.

Chaya: Exactly. EPs take the financial risk. Producers execute the vision strategically.

What Chaya Loves Most About Producing

John: If you had to boil it down, what’s your favorite part of producing?

Chaya: Creativity. If I wanted to do business only, I’d be in a different industry. You have to understand the creativity you’re stepping into, because that’s what drives success.

Chaya: Producers do have to say no sometimes, because creatives can run wild, but you can’t cut corners on the wrong things. You have to genuinely care about the creative integrity.

Chaya: I also love being on set. It’s my favorite place. I’m like, this is my home.

Chaya: People ask why producers need to be on set. Because if anything goes wrong, every minute counts. The producer runs the project. If it were up to directors and writers, they’d roll for 20 hours straight, no lunch, huge overages and call it “fine.”

Knowing When to Walk Away

Chaya: Part of producing is accepting that you’re going to fail, or at least face failure moments. You need high standards, but you also need perspective.

Chaya: A lot of producers don’t know when to walk away. Investors pull out, actors turn over, things pile up, but you keep going because you don’t want to disappoint people.

Chaya: Sometimes the damage becomes so big that you burn bridges. It’s not a failure to say, “This project isn’t working.”

John: That’s great advice. There are checkpoints, script, pre-production, production, where you can reassess and say, “I don’t like where this is going.”

Chaya: Exactly. I had a project where I should’ve ended it earlier. Instead, the budget doubled, and while we finished it, it didn’t feel successful. But I learned more from that than from anything else.

One Day in October - Producing During a War

John: Let’s talk about a success story: One Day in October on HBO Max. Incredible work.

Chaya: Thank you.

John: What were the biggest producing challenges?

Chaya: It was deeply emotional. One of the biggest challenges, aside from the war itself, was budgeting a TV series while filming in a war zone.

Chaya: You can plan contingencies, but you can’t anticipate everything. There are shutdowns, safety concerns, real people involved, life-rights issues, it adds layers of responsibility.

Chaya: You also have to be incredibly sensitive. Safety, mental health, psychologists on set, the responsibility ultimately falls on the producer.

Chaya: Working out of a bunker-like situation while making sure the team was okay was incredibly difficult.

John: You had to leave the country while planes were shut down. Walk us through that.

Chaya: I was one of the only American producers, and I knew I was more useful outside the country. But figuring out how to leave was complicated.

Chaya: I traveled with strangers, crossed into Jordan, waited at the border for hours in extreme heat, dealt with visas, payments, confusion, it was intense.

Chaya: I took almost nothing with me, cash, phone, bag. That was it.

Chaya: But what stayed with me was how kind people were. Person to person, people just wanted to help. Politics distort reality, but lived reality is very different.

The Premiere & Steven Spielberg Moment

John: Then you’re back in LA at the premiere, and suddenly you’re talking to Steven Spielberg.

Chaya: Those moments are surreal. When someone like Spielberg tells you he watched your show, you pause and realize you’re in a room with giants.

Chaya: It’s not something you expect, it’s something you dream of. And when it happens, it makes you want to push even further.

John: Huge milestone.

Chaya: Everyone has their own “Steven Spielberg” moment. You don’t chase it directly, you chase what you care about, and those moments find you.

Closing

John: We’re absolutely having Chaya back. You give incredible advice, and we could talk about anything, producing, cooking, travel, life.

Chaya: I’m in. All of it.

John: Everyone, go watch One Day in October on HBO Max and Fox Entertainment. Chaya, thank you so much for joining us.