The film industry is pretty vast and is supported by many industry roles that are so much that you can’t even count them. However, if you have ever seen a behind-the-scenes take, you would notice how many people there are performing a specific task attributed to the production.
A Producer’s Role
For starters, let’s talk about producers and their roles in the film industry. First of all, a producer is responsible for the business side of things, meaning that they are in charge of getting and launching a project. You might be surprised, but a producer plays a crucial role in initiating everything related to the project. A producer organizes financing; hires a director, writers, and other essential members of the creative team, and runs all pre-production, production, and post-production procedures.
That doesn’t mean that there is only one producer in a production doing all the work; it all depends on the project. You can see big projects such as a TV shows or film production having several producers participate in them. Some producers might be minor contributors to the film, such as finances. Others actively work on set to ensure all is in place from the first day up until the last day of production. Finally, you will see producers working in close cooperation with the director to set all the needed elements for production.
Types of Producers
The film industry boasts many different producers, each with their own capabilities. Of course, we all know that a producer is necessary for the production process, but have you ever thought about how many types of producers there are.
Producers manage production logistics from the beginning of production up until the end. They actively work on set and closely cooperate with the director.
Executive producers supply a project with the needed finances and handle legal issues. For example, an executive producer might finance a project with their own money and receive a leading acknowledgment in the film. Other roles might be procuring additional financing from different places and handling accounting.
Creative producers work directly with the director on overseeing script revisions, hiring talent, and communicating director notes.
Other forms of producers are line producers, creative producers, field producers, showrunners, co-producers, associate producers, and impact producers.
Characteristics You Need to Become A Producer
As was mentioned earlier, the film industry is enormous, and becoming a producer doesn’t have to start from scratch. For example, you see a celebrity portrayed as a producer in the end credits of a film or TV show. Because this is usually the case, actors can be producers and writers, studio executives, and agents. Some or perhaps most producers have studied in film school to take on the role of a producer. Still, experience comes from participating in film productions.
You should follow the following advice if you aim to become a producer one day. You have to be a creative thinker, can solve problems, and have strong project management and organizational skills. Also, have a desire or passion for making films or TV shows. Other traits that you should have are numerous contacts, drive, confidence, determination, persuasiveness, courage, business experience, management experience, and film production experience. If you have all those characteristics, you stand an excellent chance of succeeding in this industry.
Responsibilities of A Producer During Pre-Production – Production – Post-Production
During Pre-Production, the first thing a producer does is collect the needed funds for the film to take place. Next, a producer’s role is to try and sell the project to gather funds. They do so by having a creative team help with pitching to studios and production companies. Next, a producer starts to look for a director for the project and, at times, may reach out to actors, offering them to take the role of the director. Finally, suppose the producer succeeds with the previous steps and gets the approval to continue. In that case, you have a project that is ready to launch.
During production, a producer cooperates with the director to bring to the project core creatives like a production designer, casting agents, director of photography, and cinematographer. Other responsibilities include getting a line producer on board to develop a budget and schedule and guarantee that the production is on schedule and under budget. Lastly, govern all logistics and business operations, and check with the production staff if all aspects of the production are in place.
During Post-Production, the producer decides the marketing plans for the project, like PR, distribution, advertising, and release.
Famous Movie Producers
Quentin Tarantino is a director, screenwriter, and producer who has many successful projects under his name. As a director Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, and Django Unchained are among his best works. In addition, countless films of his have become pop culture icons. As a producer, his five best films are Killing Zoe (1993), Four rooms (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Grindhouse (2007), and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019).
James Cameron is a renowned filmmaker who is acclaimed for his big-budget film productions like Point Break (1991), Terminator 2 (1991), Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and Alita: Battle Angel (2019).
Steven Spielberg is among the most famous directors that exist today. However, he is also known as a producer and screenwriter. He first grew to fame with his blockbuster Jaws, which skyrocketed his career. Among Spielberg’s famous films as a producer are E.T (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and the Indiana Jones Franchise.
Launching A Career as A Producer
Producers are truly one of the essential pieces of the puzzle during the filmmaking process. They do just about everything from the early stages of pre-production up until the release date of the film or show. So, launching a career as a film or TV producer might be just for you if you have what it takes to prove yourself as the person for this role. Follow @BL80prod and stay tuned for more awesome content!