Production strategy and executive producing for filmmakers who have the vision, the funding, and the deadline but need someone to make the machine run.
THE PROBLEM
The script is strong. The director has a vision. The money is in the bank.
Then pre-production spirals. The schedule falls apart. Nobody knows who owns what. Budgets bleed. Post drags for months. The film either never finishes or finishes bruised.
This is not a talent problem. It is an operations problem. And most filmmakers have never been taught how to solve it.
THE RAGGED METHOD
The Ragged Method is a production system built for independent and micro-budget filmmaking.
AI handles the operational work: scheduling, budgeting, script breakdowns, documentation, asset tracking, and workflow coordination. Every production gets a structured Google Drive architecture, an Asana task engine for deadlines and assignments, and a complete Production Bible that serves as the single source of truth for the entire project.
Humans keep all creative authority. Directing, writing, performance, editing, and every decision that touches story and tone stays with the filmmaker.
The Proof: Beneath the Same Sky (2025). 15-minute narrative drama. $12,000 4Culture grant. From receiving funding to festival submission: 17 days. $3,000 under budget. Writing, casting, production, post-production, and delivery. All of it. International festival selections across North America, Europe, and Asia. This was not luck. It was a system.
The result: faster pre-production, tighter shoots, smoother post, and finished films that hit festival deadlines without the chaos.
WHAT I DO
Pre-Production
Script feasibility audit. Realistic budget built on your actual resources. Production schedule that accounts for everything. Project management setup (Asana, Google Drive, Frame.io). A complete Production Bible: the operational blueprint for your shoot.
Production
Budget and schedule management on set. Vendor coordination. Real-time expense tracking. Problem-solving before emergencies happen. You direct. I run the operation around you.
Post-Production
Workflow and timeline management. Editor, colorist, sound, and composer coordination. Version control, approvals, and delivery specs. Festival submission packages and DCP/digital deliverables.
WHAT I DON'T DO
I don't make your creative decisions. You direct. You own the artistic vision. I make sure the system supports it.
I don't do VFX-heavy productions. The Ragged Method is built for contained, character-driven, practical filmmaking.
I don't take projects without a clear script and confirmed funding. If you are still figuring out what you want to make, come back when you are ready.
TWO WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
Model A: Production Consultant
I come in during pre-production. I audit your project, build your schedule and budget, set up your tools, and deliver a Production Bible you execute yourself. 10 to 20 hours of focused work. You run the shoot. I hand you the plan.
Model B: Executive Producer
I am on the project from pre-production through delivery. I manage budget, schedule, vendors, and deliverables so you can focus entirely on directing. 30 to 80 hours over 2 to 4 months. EP credit on the finished film.
Pricing:
Fees scale to your production budget, typically 10 to 15 percent. We scope every engagement together on a call before anything is committed.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Grant-funded filmmakers who have the money and the deadline but need a producer who builds systems, not just call sheets.
Writer/directors who need an operational partner, not a creative collaborator.
First-time directors making a short or proof-of-concept who want to do it right the first time.
Production companies that need EP-level oversight without a full-time hire.
Nonprofits and branded content teams producing narrative short films with real budgets and real deadlines.
ABOUT
I am Thomas Scott Adams. Founder of Ragged Films. Writer, director, producer, and production strategist.
Outside of filmmaking, I have spent 15+ years leading creative operations for Netflix, Disney, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. I hold a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, three Adobe Certified Expert certifications, and training from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Vancouver Film School. I have taught AI and marketing at Northwestern University.
I bring enterprise operational discipline to independent filmmaking because the tools and thinking that make Fortune 500 content operations run at scale are the same tools and thinking that can make a $12,000 short film come in early and under budget.
My films have received Best Short Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Thriller honors at international festivals including Tokyo Horror Film Festival, Strasbourg International, and Humro Cinema Film Fest.
Book a free 30-minute Production Feasibility Review.
I will look at your script, your budget, and your timeline and tell you exactly where your plan breaks and how to fix it. No cost. No obligation. If we are a fit, we scope the engagement together.
Based in Seattle. Working with production teams wherever films are made.