What Does a Movie Producer Do?
Posted on December 23rd, 2013 by Jenny FrankelSome of the longest movie credits of all time include Alien v Predator with a 12-minute long sequence and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King which was just over nine minutes. It takes a lot of people to create a film. The person who brought them all together is the movie producer. But by watching the credits of a movie, you realize there are many different producers. If you’re an international student considering a job as a producer, it’s good to know the difference between them.
Executive producer
An executive producer plays a big part in funding the production. They also will watch over the production for a studio. Sometimes the title is honorary in the sense that they might not ever step foot on set and instead just write the checks.
Producer
A producer is responsible for finding the script and hiring the directors, producers, actors and other crew members. They are also responsible for finding funding for the production as well as creating a budget and schedule. They work closely with everyone in the production.
Supervising producer
Supervising producer does just what its title says, supervises the other producers. They can work with or under the executive producer as their right hand man.
Associate producer
Associate producers work right under the producer, doing tasks the producer assigns, as well as helping with the hiring, budgeting and scheduling. They are also involved in every aspect of the production; preproduction, production and post-production.
Assistant producer
Assistant producers work under the associate producer, completing tasks given to them and dealing with the day-to-day operations of the production and set. They coordinate interviews, write letters, answer phones, prepare publicity material and the list goes on.
Line producers
Line producers don’t deal with the creative process or make big decisions for the production. Instead, they make sure the production is on schedule and on budget as well as deal with any type of crisis that might come up.
These are just some of the jobs as a producer international students can get. A career as a producer is highly stressful and very competitive, but getting a foot in the door by working an entry level position or through internships can lead to the bigger, more glamorous position as a producer.
If you are interested in studying film, learn more here.
