With the vision clearly established, the next step was to get a pilot story written. Here's how that went:

	Producer:		I need a story now! But it has to be flashy but genuine, personal but epic, sensitive but intense, and most of all simple but complex!!!
	Writer:		Ooookaaaaayyyy...
	Producer:		Great! Let's have it be about love and hate, greed and generosity, friendship and rivalry! Let's also have lots of family values but don't forget the T&A! I want lots of T&A `cuz sex sells!
	Writer:		This might take a while...
	Producer:		No! We don't have a while! We need to write it all down while its still fresh in our heads!

With the pilot script done, the next step was to get the storyboards drawn up. Here's what you would have heard if you were there:

	Producer:		All right, we need this script turned into pictures fast! Here, do you need coffee? How's your arm?
	Artist:		I like it the way it is...
	Producer:		OK, the boards have to look familiar but radically innovative! We have to have an art style which is gorgeous but cartoony! Let's make it real simple so it can be animated cheap but don't skimp on the detail!
	Artist:		Are you on drugs??!!
	Producer:		No, why? Will you be needing any?

Now that the storyboards have been completed, the writer is upset because the story has been changed to make the artwork less difficult. But that's a minor concern. Onto the recording of the voices:

	Producer:		OK, here's the script with all the dialogue.
	Director:		Well...
	Producer:		The ex-girlfriend in this story needs to sound cute but not like an airhead! The male lead: he needs to sound like a nerd, but he has to be heroic! His friend here has to sound like an idiot, even though he's really a genius! The female lead has to sound innocent but mature and experienced! And this guy here has to be stoic but lively! Can you find five people who can play these parts?
	Director:		I don't know if I can find anyone to play those parts!
	Producer:		Why? Am I not paying enough?

Wow. We're almost done. Now for the background music:

	Producer:		How's the music coming along?
	Composer:		Not too good. I was wondering if you could give me a few examples of what it should sound like...
	Producer:		It has to sound bouncy like AA! MEGAMISAMA!" but grand like LODOSS WARS! There'll be quiet moments like MAISON IKKOKU, but there are also loud moments like BUBBLE GUM CRISIS. We have to have a pop sound like SAILOR MOON to attract our target audience, but we don't want to sound lame, so make it artsy like MACROSS PLUS!
	Composer:		I think I need a vacation...
	Producer:		Hey, so do I! But do you see me complaining?

Put all these pieces together and you have enough stuff to start selling the show to a network like FOX. Being as well connected as I am, all the studio executives know me and are willing to hear me out. Here's a typical conversation I have with these guys:

	Producer:		Have a look at this show!
	Executive:		Go away.
	Producer:		No wait! It's the best thing since individually wrapped slices of cheese!
	Executive:		It is cheese! Go away!
	Producer:		You gotta put my show on the air! Kids will love it! Parents will love it! It'll save endangered species! It'll help clean up the environment! It'll lower high blood pressure! Its cure for AIDS! Wars will cease! World Peace will follow! Please? Pleeeeeeaaaseeee? O please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please, o please!!!!!!! I BEG OF YOU! PLEASE, YOU JUST GOTTA PUT MY SHOW ON THE AIR!!!!!
	Executive:		No!
	Producer:		I guarantee it'll boost your ratings in any time slot by a whole point!
	Executive:		All right, let's see what you've got.

So far, this is as far as SILICON MOUNTAIN has gotten. Actually, it has come pretty far when I look back on it.
As you can see from the previous example, being a producer means being misunderstood most of the time. Even though the producer didn't do much of the actual creative work, he has to pull everything together so that means a lot of writing, communicating, paperwork, organization, selling and of course, begging and groveling. But did you notice that without the producer pushing his project, all the artists wouldn't have anything to do? He "caused entertainment to be created", but somehow, didn't really create any one part all by himself. Sort of ironic isn't it?
Of course, as in all of my articles, there's a liberal amount of exaggeration, but all of it is based in truth. Even though I claimed to be an Independent (as opposed to an Ordinary), the truth is that I'm both and I've seen both sides of the coin. That's why I can get away with trashing both sides! (For the curious: I work for a company called VTech where I produce children's educational CD ROMs, but my heart will always be with anime.) In the end, the best part of being a producer is being able to say, "That's my show!" I hope you will all watch RIAP's when it is done.