Film producer#Comparison to other producer roles

{{Main|Pre-production}}

During this stage of the production process, producers bring together people like the film director, cinematographer, and production designer.{{Cite web |title=Producer |url=http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/757_producer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916051230/http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/757_producer |archive-date=16 September 2018 |access-date=2017-02-18 |website=creativeskillset.org}} Unless the film is to be based on an original script, the producer must find an appropriate screenwriter.{{Cite web |quote=writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have been hired to pen the screenplay for producer Dino de Laurentiis |title=007 Writers to Tackle "Barbarella" |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723230546/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casino_royale/news/1648610/007_writers_to_tackle_quotbarbarellaquot/ |archive-date=Jul 23, 2010 |date=Apr 13, 2007 |first1=Scott |last=Weinberg |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casino_royale/news/1648610/007_writers_to_tackle_quotbarbarellaquot/ |access-date=13 April 2007 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{Cite web |quote=Goldman was contacted by director/producer Rob Reiner to write the screenplay |url=http://www.filmmakers.com/artists/williamgoldman/biography/page2.htm |title=William Goldman |website=FilmMakers.com |access-date=14 March 2011}} If an existing script is considered flawed, the producer can order a new version or decide to hire a script doctor.{{Cite web |quote=He began work on the script. And worked on it and worked on it, pushing it through seven drafts before arriving at a version with which de Laurentiis was satisfied. |url=http://www.davidlynch.de/dunetimeout.html |title=Dune the Movie That Cost the Earth |first1=Richard |last1=Rayner |date=November 1984 |website=David Lynch |publisher=Time Out |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121133818/http://davidlynch.de/dunetimeout.html |archive-date=21 November 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010}}{{Cite web |quote=Broccoli insisted on a rewrite, claiming to story was too political for a 007 film. Writer Christopher Wood was brought on board to collaborate with Maibaum and expand upon Broccoli’s personal concept for the film |url=http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/PhilFak/fshisto/jb/thespy.htm |title=The Spy Who Loved Me |website=Universität Düsseldorf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510193135/http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/PhilFak/fshisto/jb/thespy.htm |archive-date=10 May 2013 |access-date=14 March 2013}}{{Cite news |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |date=4 August 2010 |quote=the producers Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman hired him for two weeks to doctor the Richard Maibaum script of Diamonds Are Forever |title=Tom Mankiewicz obituary |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/04/tom-mankiewicz-obituary |access-date=4 August 2010}} The producer also gives final approval when hiring the film director, cast members, and other staff.{{Cite web |quote=Next De Laurentiis hired King Vidor, director of Duel in the Sun (1946) and The Fountainhead (1949) to make the movie |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/79836 |title=War and Peace (1956) |first1=Brian |last=Cady |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307121723/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/79836%7C0/War-and-Peace.html |archive-date=Mar 7, 2013 |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=14 March 2013}}{{Cite news |date=11 November 2010 |title=Dino De Laurentiis [obituary] |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8127250/Dino-De-Laurentiis.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8127250/Dino-De-Laurentiis.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |quote=He also stuck loyally by gifted American directors when they were out of favour or off form. Robert Altman made one of his less successful pictures, Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976), for De Laurentiis, who also helped the luckless Michael Cimino back on his feet after the commercial disaster of Heaven's Gate}}{{cbignore}} In some cases, producers also have the last word when it comes to casting questions.{{Cite web |title=Octopussy |url=http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/PhilFak/fshisto/jb/octopus.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510170037/http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/PhilFak/fshisto/jb/octopus.htm |archive-date=10 May 2013 |quote=Cubby Broccoli personally broke his own golden rule and cast her as the mysterious Octopussy |website=Universität Düsseldorf}} A producer will also approve locations, the studio hire, the final shooting script, the production schedule, and the budget. Spending more time and money in pre-production can reduce budget waste and delays during the production stage.

{{main|Principal photography}}

During production, the producer's job is to ensure the film remains on schedule and under budget. To this end, they must remain in constant contact with directors and other key creative team members.{{Cite news |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |title=Bernd Eichinger [obituary] |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/30/bernd-eichinger-obituary |date=30 Jan 2011 |quote=In 1979, Eichinger bought a large stake in the Munich-based production and distribution company Constantin Film, which he ran as a hands-on producer for over 30 years}}{{Cite news |last=Matlack |first= Von Carol |date=10 March 2009 |title=Luc Besson's Growing Empire |quote=Europacorp studio posted $186 million in revenues last year, making it second only to Germany's Constantin Film as Europe's largest independent studio |work=Der Spiegel |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/the-movie-business-luc-besson-s-growing-empire-a-612371.html |access-date=10 March 2009}}

Producers cannot always personally supervise all parts of their production but will instead delegate tasks as needed. For example, some producers run a company that also deals with film distribution. Also, the cast and film crew often work at different times and places, and certain films even require a second unit.

{{Main|Post-production}}

Even after shooting for a film is complete, the producers can still demand that additional scenes be filmed. In the case of a negative test screening, producers may even demand an alternative film ending. For example, when the audience reacted negatively to Rambo's death in the test screening of the film First Blood, the producers requested a new ending be filmed.{{Cite web |quote=test audiences nearly rioted after cheering for Rambo and then seeing him die. So the producers went back to Hope, British Columbia, the location for the film, and shot a new ending in which Rambo lives |title=David Morrell On Rambo |url=http://davidmorrell.net/rambo-pages/david-morrell-on-rambo/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004072225/http://davidmorrell.net/rambo-pages/david-morrell-on-rambo/ |archive-date=4 October 2013 |access-date=15 March 2013}} Producers also oversee the film's sales, marketing, and distribution rights, often working with third-party specialist firms.

Different types of producers and their roles within the industry today include:

{{Main|Executive producer}}

An executive producer oversees all other producers under a specific project and ensures that the entire project remains on track. They are also usually in charge of managing the film's finances and all other business aspects.Zetti, Herbert (2011). Television Production Handbook 12th Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 7. {{ISBN|978-1285052670}} On a television series an executive producer is often a writer and given credit in a creative capacity. In a feature film or movie, the executive producer is often the person directly funding the project or is directly responsible for bringing in investors for funding. In television, it is becoming more and more common to split this role into two for creative projects. These are the executive producer and the showrunner. A showrunner, in this context, is the most senior creative, working on writing and producing their vision; they are effectively the same as the producer; overseeing, arranging, managing, and beginning every aspect of production. Whereas the executive producer focuses more on budgeting and predicting the views of the higher authorities in the wider company; trying to ground the showrunner's vision to tangible limits. A co-executive producer is someone whose input is considered as valuable as that of the executive producer, despite having a junior or unofficial role.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

{{Main|Line producer}}

A line producer manages the staff and the day-to-day operations and oversees each physical aspect involved in making a film or television program. The line producer can be credited as "produced by" in certain cases.

{{Main|Senior producer}}

A supervising producer supervises the creative process of screenplay development and often aids in script rewrites. They can also fulfill the executive producer's role of overseeing other producers.

Within the production process, a producer can oversee, arrange, manage, and begin every aspect of production. They are typically involved in every stage of the overall production process.

A co-producer is a member of a team of producers that perform all of the functions and roles that a single producer would in a given project.

{{Main|Production coordinator}}

A coordinating producer coordinates the work/role of multiple producers trying to achieve a shared result.

The associate or assistant producer helps the producer during the production process. They can sometimes be involved in coordinating others' jobs, such as creating peoples' schedules and hiring the main talent.

A segment producer produces one or more specific segments of a multi-segment film or television production.

A field producer helps the producer by overseeing all of the production outside the studio in specific film locations.

{{Globalize|section|United States|date=January 2022}}

Considered executive employees in regard to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in the United States, producers represent the management team of production and are charged by the studios to enforce the provisions of the union contracts negotiated by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) with the below-the-line employees. Founded in 1924 by the U.S. Trade Association as the Association of Motion Picture Producers,{{Cite web |title=Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) records |url=http://collections.oscars.org/link/bio/1473 |website=Special Collections: Margaret Herrick Library |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences}} the AMPTP was initially responsible for negotiating labor contracts. Still, during the mid-1930s, it took over all contract negotiation responsibilities previously controlled by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Today, the AMPTP negotiates with various industry associations when dealing with union contracts, including the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).{{Cite web |title=AMPTP |url=http://amptp.org/ |access-date=2017-03-19 |website=amptp.org}} In 2012, the AMPTP negotiated over eighty industry-wide union agreements on behalf of 350 studios and independent production companies. Since 1982, the AMPTP has been responsible for negotiating these union agreements and is now considered the official contract negotiation representative for everyone within the film and television industry.[http://filmmakeriq.com/2012/09/a-guide-to-hollywood-unions/ "A Guide to Hollywood Unions | FilmmakerIQ.com"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328214512/https://filmmakeriq.com/2012/09/a-guide-to-hollywood-unions/ |date=28 March 2019 }}. filmmakeriq.com. Retrieved 2017-02-19.

While individual producers are responsible for negotiating deals with the studios distributing their films, the Producers Guild of America offers guidance to protect and promote the interests of producers and the production team in film, television, and new media, offering the framework to provide health insurance and pension benefits, and assists in establishing safe working conditions and vetting the validity of screen credits.{{Cite web |title=About the PGA: Mission Statement |url=https://www.producersguild.org/?page=about_the_pga |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323053941/http://www.producersguild.org/?page=about_the_pga |archive-date=23 March 2018 |access-date=June 27, 2017 |publisher=Producers Guild of America}}

In December 2021, global unions filed a report titled Demanding Dignity Behind the Scenes to attempt to end the "long hours culture" of the television and film industry, citing in part that abuses increased in 2021 as the industry attempted to recover lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unions supporting the report make up over 20 million television, film, and arts workers worldwide.{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2021-12-14 |title=Global Unions Call to End 'Long Hours Culture' for Film, TV Workers |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/global-unions-call-to-end-long-hours-culture-for-film-tv-workers-1235062384/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}

{{Globalize|section|United States|date=April 2024}}

Many producers begin in a college, university, or film school. Film schools and many universities offer courses covering film production knowledge, with some courses specially designed for future film producers.{{Cite web |title=The MFA Advanced Film Practice programme aims to equip you with the creative, professional and technical knowledge you will need to enter the professional arena as a writer, producer or director. |url=http://www.screenacademyscotland.ac.uk/content-114 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416155055/http://www.screenacademyscotland.ac.uk/content-114 |archive-date=16 April 2013 |access-date=15 March 2013}}{{Cite web |title=The training course last three years and the interdisciplinary teaching programme prepares students in the specific areas of directing, scriptwriting, acting, photography, editing, sound techniques, production, set design, props and wardrobe |url=http://www.fondazionecsc.it/context.jsp?ID_LINK=18&area=7 |access-date=15 March 2013}} These courses focus on key topics like pitching, script development, script assessment, shooting schedule design, and budgeting.{{Cite web |title=Course of Study - Production |url=https://www.filmakademie.de/en/studium/course-of-study/production/production/ |website=Filmakademie Baden Wurttemberg GmbH}}{{Cite web |title=Our BA in Film Production is one of our most highly sought-after courses. |url=http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/schools/media/departments/photography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202000449/http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/schools/media/departments/photography |archive-date=2 February 2013 |access-date=15 March 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Producing seminars teach through practical studies in production, script development, budgeting, and media economics |url=http://www.dffb.de/html/en/studium/produktion |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119153325/http://www.dffb.de/html/en/studium/produktion |archive-date=19 January 2013 |access-date=15 March 2013}} Students can also expect practical training on post-production.{{Cite web |title=All student films are developed, shot and post-produced in teams, closely mirroring a realistic industry work process in order to ease graduates' transitions to the professional environment |url=http://www.bfm.ee/programmes/film-arts/film-arts-ma/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513160527/http://www.bfm.ee/programmes/film-arts/film-arts-ma/ |archive-date=13 May 2013 |access-date=15 March 2013}} Training at a top-producing school is one of the most efficient ways a student can gain industry credibility.{{Cite news |date=2015-06-12 |title=Becoming a Producer - Tried and Tested Career Paths |work=Student Resources |url=https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/becoming-a-producer-tried-and-tested-career-paths/ |access-date=2017-02-20}}

While education is one way to begin a career as a film producer, experience is also usually required to land a job. Internships are a way to gain experience while in school and give students a foundation to build a career. Many internships are paid, which enables students to earn money while gaining hands-on skills from industry professionals.{{Cite news |title=Where to Look for Internship Programs in Entertainment |work=The Balance |url=https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-get-a-production-internship-1283507 |access-date=2017-02-03}}{{Cite web |title=Ways into the film industry - Film Industry - Creative Skillset |url=http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/film/ways_into_the_industry |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909213705/http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/film/ways_into_the_industry |archive-date=9 September 2018 |access-date=2017-02-03 |website=creativeskillset.org}} Through internships, students can network within the film industry, which is an important way to make necessary industry connections. Once an internship is over, the next step will typically be to land a junior position, such as a production assistant.

Pay can vary based on the producer's role and the filming location. In the United States, the salary can start between $20,000 and $70,000, even doubling when working in Los Angeles.{{Cite news |date=2014-12-01 |title=Jobs in Film: Average Salary & Career Paths |work=Student Resources |url=https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/jobs-film-average-salary-career-paths/ |access-date=2017-02-20}} As of 2022, the average annual salary for a producer in the U.S. is listed as $70,180 per year, with an estimated range from $43,000 to $150,000.{{Cite web |title=Film/TV Producer Salary {{!}} PayScale |url=https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Film%2FTV_Producer/Salary |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=www.payscale.com}} When examining more than 15,000 producers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the average annual salary is $138,640.{{Cite web |date=30 May 2008 |title=10 Highest Paying Jobs in the Film Industry |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/highest-paying-jobs-film-industry.htm#page=1}} Producers can also have an agreement to take a percentage of a movie's sales.

There is no average workday for film producers since their tasks change from day to day. A producer's work hours are often irregular and can consist of long days with the possibility of working nights and weekends.{{Cite web |title=Television/film/video producer job profile {{!}} Prospects.ac.uk |url=https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/television-film-video-producer |access-date=2017-02-20 |website=www.prospects.ac.uk}}

• List of highest-grossing film producers
• List of film producers

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book |last=Lee |first=John J. Jr. |url=https://archive.org/details/producersbusines0000leej |title=The Producer's Business Handbook |publisher=Focal Press |year=2000 |isbn=1136050655 |url-access=registration}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Pardo |first=Alejandro |year=2010 |title=Special Issue: Production Studies: Table of Contents |url=http://widescreenjournal.org/index.php/journal/issue/view/3 |journal=Widescreen Journal |issn=1757-3920 |access-date=13 August 2017}}
• {{Cite book |last=Simens |first=Dov S–S |title=From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film |publisher=Warner Books |year=2003 |isbn=0759520763 |location=New York |oclc=882105853}}
• {{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Cory |date=23 February 2011 |title=How Many Cooks?: Counting Up the Many Producers of 'The King's Speech' |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |department=Monkey See (blog) |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2011/02/23/134002443/how-many-cooks-counting-up-the-many-producers-of-the-kings-speech |access-date=13 December 2016}}

{{refend}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Film producers}}
• Producers Guild of America

{{Film crew}}

{{Authority control}}

Producer

Category:Mass media occupations

Category:Film production