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Making of The Point The Setting Characters and Actors The Story The Filmmakers Reviews Screenings Credits Mission of Site A Filmmaking Primer A Filmmaking Team Proposals and Pitches Script and Story Budget Camera Sound Directing Producing Editing Acting Marketing Glossary Where can I learn more?
Producing is both a business and an art. It's an essential part of filmmaking that's important to learn or to have someone on your team focused on. Producing is the art of how to get a film made. How you present a pitch, how you get financed, how you plan a schedule, how well you feed your crew, and who you hire in key positions all impact the final film product in significant ways. These are the producer's decisions. I produced most of my early films, so I had to make these decisions myself, and you probably will too. I often found that the choices I made as a producer affected the final outcome of my films as much as my creative input as a director. If I scheduled things too tight, wasn't prepared enough, was understaffed or had forgotten to arrange for meals, it all would end up cutting into the time and space I had (or my actors or key technicians had) to make the right creative decisions for the film.
As a producer you have to know how to get the best final product from limited resources, and like directing, you mainly learn through experience. You can spend your money on the best cameraman, but if he isn't used to working without a crew, your money may have been better spent elsewhere. A producer has to put the best team together, give them the time and tools they need. With every project it's a delicate balance and a producer understands this delicate balance as much as a director knows how to get great performances from his actors. When you finally get to work with experienced producers, you'll know what I mean. In the meantime, spend the time you need to understand the producer decisions that will affect your financing and your film. And remember, think creatively and ambitiously and don't take no for an answer.
No matter the size of the production or whether it is a documentary or a drama, the producer is the person with the ultimate responsibility. Involved all the way from concept to completion, he or she maintains financial and administrative control over a project and sets the production schedule. As importantly, the producer deals with day-to-day business so the director can focus on the film.
The producer is responsible for raising money to get the film done. Depending on the size of the production, this can mean approaching large distribution companies and television networks or enlisting friends and relatives willing to contribute. Once funding is secured, the producer monitors the budget to help ensure that a good film gets made and at the same time that it turns a profit for investors.
The producer, with input from the director, hires the team of actors, technicians and support staff that will make the film. The producer also finds a distributor to bring the film to the public, either through screenings or in stores and on the Internet.
On the creative side, the producer is the the director's confidante and advisor through the making and editing of a film. Though the director makes most of the daily creative decisions, the producer, as the representative of the investors, often has ultimate creative power. The producer tries to ensure the director stays on budget and on schedule.
A producer's involvement in a project varies quite widely. Some producers want to be on set every day. Others may only view rushes - the film or video that is shot on a given day - to monitor the progress of the shoot and ensure things stay on track. In many independent productions, the producer and the director might be same person. In fact, this producer might do all kinds of jobs, from sound to operating the camera to booking the cinema to launch the film!