The Job of a Movie Producer is not Black and White
Posted: Saturday, February 12, 2011
by Sid Kali
Slice of Americana Films
The role of a movie producer and different screen credit general definitions can bring up questions. No matter how great a script is without a determined producer it will remain only words on a page. The title of “producer” on a film is often misunderstood because there are so many different titles with the word “producer” or “production” attached to them. When you watch a movie you will see numerous producers listed during opening and ending screen credits.
Gaining experience making movies and reality programs I learned not all producers are the same or bad characters. A producer has the most overall involvement in making a film. Instead of going right into what a producer does it is helpful to explain other job titles that could be confused with the main producer that keeps the show moving forward and on budget.
Keep in mind it is not uncommon on independent films for a producer to perform many roles to get a movie done. That is just the way it is due to film budget constraints that need a producer to be flexible enough to run the show and get their hands dirty when needed on set. On a multimillion dollar film a producer is well supported with key personnel including their own assistants in many cases. The amount of production support depends on how much money there is in the budget. Studio backed movie projects run a lot different than indie cinema shoots. It is not good or bad, it just is.
PRODUCER AND PRODUCTION TEAM GENERAL DEFINITIONS
Executive Producer - A person who funds a project with their own money or finds outside money they are responsible for managing. On large budget movies an executive producer works for the studio, production company, or financial group financing the film to keep an eye on the money. On a majority of smaller budget independent films an executive producer does not exist. The filmmaker is basically the person that finds the money to make a movie. The filmmaker acts as executive producer representing money from family, friends, or their own bank account.
Co-Producer - This title carries different meanings depending on the project. On large budget films they are responsible to report to the executive producer or producer. Often they have less involvement in a film than a producer. In some cases there are equal producers who jointly share production duties. It really depends on the project and creative core involved.
Line Producer - Creates and maintains the budget that is used for pre-production through the physical shooting of a movie. They also negotiate contracts for crew. Once a shoot is wrapped their job is done. They are the "bean counters" reporting to an executive producer or producer. In some cases the producer acts as a line producer too. Often on independent projects a line producer and unit production manager function as one in the same.
Unit Production Manager (UPM) - Creates and oversees the budget from pre-production through the physical shooting of a movie; keeping track of every dollar spent to avoid going over budget. They prepare the preliminary shooting schedule of the movie, negotiate deals for equipment, and hire crew members except crew members hired by a producer or director that have pull over decisions.
They function much like a line producer. On large budget shoots the duties of line producer and unit production manager can and do overlap one another. With smaller budget independent projects there is usually either a line producer or unit production manager hired. Not both. With very lean projects a producer could also function as unit production manager and line producer.
Production Coordinator - They are responsible for making sure needed cast, crew, and equipment are scheduled to be where they need to be.
Associate Producer - They are secondary support staff working for higher shot caller producers, including the main producer running the overall big show. The job of the associate producer is to assist in whatever task is given to them by their supervisor. It is a great way to learn the entertainment business from all angles.
Assistant Producer - They work under an associate producer assisting them with their production duties. In every organization there is a chain of command and people have their roles to play.
Post-Production Supervisor - Creates the budget and scheduling for post-production. This includes hiring a rock and roll movie editor like Tim Beachum, sound engineer, renting equipment and finding an adequate post facility. They oversee every stage of post-production. Their job is done when the delivery of the final master of a completed film has been approved and accepted by the main producer. My intention is not to overload you with dry and boring descriptions of job titles, but I wanted to express that not all producers are the same or perform the same duties.
WHAT DOES A MOVIE PRODUCER REALLY DO?
On the surface it seems like an easy straightforward question to answer. A producer oversees all aspects of a movie from start to finish. For example, a producer:
• Initiates a project at the story idea or script stage;
• Develops a production budget;
• Attaches actors to a movie;
• Hires the director and other key personnel;
• Oversees every part of production from script to completed film;
• Raises financing;
• Coordinates all phases of production with budget considerations and schedule in mind;
• Arranges for stills (photos) to be taken on set of actors in character and behind the scene stills for future marketing purposes;
• Is responsible for communicating information and decisions to key personnel;
• Solves problems quickly, even if it calls for a snap judgment based on only a gut feeling;
• Deals with the money people financing the production. Especially, if a movie is drifting over budget and falling behind schedule;
• Spearheads marketing and publicity;
• Is involved in the sale of the film to an outside party like a distribution company.
Naively, when I became interested in making movies, I was hoping to learn everything about being a real movie producer from books (I am a self-confessed book junkie). I religiously devoured books looking for clear answers that fit neatly into a universal idea of what a producer did. Many books were entertaining sharing real stories from the trenches of production while providing practical tips to readers. Those were my favorite types of books on filmmaking because I could relate to the human interest parts.
I felt like they were talking to me about making movies in my own language. One of my favorite reads on making movies is Make Your Own Damn Movie! Secrets of a Renegade Director by Lloyd Kaufman. Others were very dry reads packed with technical film school speak and text book style information. It was clear the audience these books were tailored to were film school students. It was frustrating to sift through pretentious film terms while reading about how to be a producer.
DIVIDED OPINIONS ON WHAT A MOVIE PRODUCER DOES
Regardless of presentation and writing style, these books had different explanations for what a producer did. The basic overall definition of what a producer did at the core remained similar, but after that books varied greatly in opinions on what a producer has to do to make a movie. With so many books written on being a film producer and filmmaking it's hard to separate them into clear cut camps.
But I did notice two common schools of thought emerging on producing. One being books that discussed what a producer does on a multimillion dollar studio film with Hollywood stars and award winning directors supported by enormous film crews. The second being about the guerrilla filmmaking philosophy where a producer works with a nearly nonexistent budget with unknown actors and a skeleton film crew, sometimes only supported by a few people. Opinions were divided on how to produce a movie.
As an aspiring producer I knew I was not going to be able produce a multimillion dollar movie with Hollywood stars and I didn't want to produce a no budget movie shot completely guerrilla style. After taking away practical tips from books I felt were useful to my own producer goals I thought to myself, "Where do I go from here?"
GOING OUTSIDE OF BOOKS TO LEARN WHAT A MOVIE PRODUCER DELIVERS
After books I turned to the Internet to read or watch video interviews of successful producers. It's interesting to hear producers in their own words discuss their personal experiences and advice making movies. Sharing both their triumphs and failures until they finally made a name for themselves in the film industry. There were some pearls of wisdom an aspiring producer could learn, but then it hit me. Overall the producers being interviewed were major Hollywood players or producers on the rise working with six figure budgets.
These producers had production and development deals already firmly in place with studios and production companies for their next projects. Some top Hollywood producers are given offices on major studio lots to develop projects where budgets can range from 2 million (considered ultra-low by Hollywood standards) to well over 100 million. As an aspiring producer, I could not relate to a majority of their views on producing films. Their creative worlds and mine were different when it came to movie budget.
I was not in their well-earned shoes, but wanted to keep working to get there. Every producer has to pay their dues. I had not paid mine yet when I started making movies. At that time, I had not even produced a single film. I decided to seek out a few people that had produced a movie before to get real no BS answers. It was a scene straight out of a romantic comedy where a love sick guy asks advice from his friends on how to win back the love of his life. In return he gets ten different answers on what needs to be done.
It did not happen right away, but it eventually sunk in that there were only general guidelines on what a producer did to take a film from script to movie distribution. Then it was crystal clear to me these guidelines adjusted depending on a producer's status within Hollywood, the budget of a project, and their track record. The producer of a multimillion dollar project and the producer of a $25,000 indie project follow different guidelines, including different duties, different circumstances, different goals and entirely different working environments.
This is the perfect spot to talk about polar opposites on producing movies. One being how a Hollywood producer might put together a large budget film for distribution. The other being how an indie producer might put together a guerilla film shoot with no money to make a movie and self-distribute.
Maybe you are like me and not in the financial position to produce a large budget movie for millions, but you also do not want to produce a no budget one either that has no chance of finding meaningful distribution that can make you money. Maybe you are looking for more of a balanced approach to producing a movie on a smaller budget.
The first movie is the toughest, but there are resources provided by filmmakers that have already went down the street before you that can make it easier. Experience is what shapes a film producer into a person that can get movies done and sold without getting screwed in the business end. Before you think, “Hey, Sid you do not know chicken shit from chicken salad about producer roles” keep in mind this post is just from my experience.
The role of a movie producer and different screen credit general definitions can bring up questions. These were my answers. This is aspiring novelist and distributed indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing read The First Movie is the Toughest. It strips off the clothing of BS that gets shared and delivers honest uncensored insight on how I personally write, direct, produce and sell movies. Indie cinema is a great ride if you have a better idea of how the road is.
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