So you want to be the next big Hollywood producer but you don’t know how to get started in the biz well the first thing you need to know is What is a producer, and what are the responsibilities involved?
“The funny thing about the question ‘What is a producer, and what does a producer do?’ is that it’s often easiest to think about it in terms of what don’t they do,” When I first learned the biz trust me it was not something anyone can guarantee you will be good at but if you have the right mentor and are willing to really learn the biz from the ground up then let me give you a few pointers to get started and some of the things I learned along the way from my mentors Sydney Pollack,Avi Lerner and Randall Emmett who taught me everything about the film making biz over the past 20+ years working for and alongside them.
First of all, producers don’t usually write, direct, edit, shoot, or act (at least while serving in a production role on a project). In Hollywood’s early days, film producers were thought of exclusively as “the money guy[s]” since they arranged the financing. That’s still a large part of what producers—whether for film, television, or theater—do. In the film, a producer will raise money from individual investors or institutions, or find a “home” for a project that will take on funding (in the form of a studio, network, or streaming service). In theater, there is less access to institutional funds.
A Broadway play usually costs about $4 million to $5 million dollars to produce, whereas a musical’s price tag can run between $8 million and $16 million dollars.
Fundraising, however, is only one aspect of a producer’s job. There are many different types of producers, and the job description for each can vary significantly. For example, a line producer deals primarily with budgeting, while a film’s visual effects producer is in charge of certain shots and coordinating with post-production.
The entire process usually begins with choosing a project and getting the intellectual property rights to make it happen, whether it’s a screenplay, film remake, play, musical, or show based on a movie. “It can take quite a lot of time to secure rights, and certainly during the early phases of a project, that’s what your day [is] spent doing,”
After that, the producer assembles the creative team, as well as the advertising and press team that will help sell the project to the public. And after the film, television show, or piece of theater is released to its audience, a producer’s job isn’t over. For example, on a Broadway show, the producer ensures the performance still looks good to both the audience and backstage team members, reprices tickets based on sales numbers, and, if the show is successful, works on plans for touring abroad.
“There is no one day that I would…say is typical in the life of a producer, and you have to be able to be fleet of foot, to be able to change direction and focus at the drop of a hat.”
Is being a producer a creative role?
There’s a reason that onstage at the Academy Awards, the Oscar is usually handed to the producer. It’s because “they’re usually the person responsible for finding the project—often, they’re the person who came up with the idea for the project,”
Producers oversee the overall creative vision of a story to ensure all of its smaller pieces fit in with the original concept, as well as supervise branding and marketing. Along with the branding comes the project’s messaging—e.g., the visuals and text used to describe and publicize the show. The producer also usually hires the director, screenwriter, and talent. “They’re the only human that’s really around from the beginning of the project until [long] after the project has already come out in theaters or is airing on television,”
By that point, almost everyone else involved with the project has generally moved on.
Another creative aspect of producing is managing a broad scope of different personalities and making sure to ask the right questions. A producer often acts as a mirror or creative sounding board for different members of the team. “I personally would never say to a director or choreographer or designer, ‘That’s wrong. You should do it this way,’“I would say, ‘What do you think you’re trying to achieve? How are you trying to achieve that? I’m not getting it.
What are the different kinds of producers?
In feature films, the producer is often the person who acquired the material and brought it to the studio and investors. Also sometimes called the “creative producer,” they supervise the entirety of the creative process from start to finish. This usually translates to hiring the right director and creative team (writer, cinematographer, actors), making sure rewrites are handled correctly, and studio and director notes. The producer’s opinion is heavily weighted in the preproduction process, but after hiring a director, their job focuses more on supporting the director’s vision. “Producer” is the top production credit you can have on a feature film, and they’re “sort of the uber-boss over the entire endeavor,”
After that comes the “executive producer,” often doubling as the “line producer,” who is in charge of “keeping all the trains running on time in all the dozens of departments,” This type of producer deals with each and every line of the budget (usually hundreds of lines) and makes sure the project sticks to the financial plan as much as possible. A line producer usually joins the team near the end of the development process and sticks around for about six months after a film wraps.
As for other producer titles on a feature film? “Co-producers” are often brought on to be responsible for a particular area, since it’s difficult for one person to coordinate among so many departments. This is especially the case in “postproduction-centric” projects, where many shots require coordination with the postproduction or visual effects departments,
For an example of a film heavy in postproduction, think “Transformers.” In movies like these, there are usually between one to 20 “visual effects producers.”
One visual effects producer will work directly for the production, and the others usually work for individual visual effects companies. That’s because, on a franchise feature film, it’d be very difficult for one company to handle the entire visual effects workload. One company usually takes the lead and is responsible for the bulk of the shots (say, $50 million to $80 million), while increments of up to 800 shots are usually contracted out to different companies. A “Transformers” movie might use 500 or 600 visual effects artists in San Francisco, Singapore, and China to cover 800 shots, then hand out 400 or 500 shots of lesser difficulty to independent facilities with different specialties.
When it comes to television, the “executive producer,” who often doubles as the showrunner, is the top dog. The showrunner is usually both the show’s creator and a writer, and they oversee all creative decisions—like location, script, cast, and which scenes are being shot each day. The next billing after that is the “producer.” (This title hierarchy is the reverse of that in a feature film.) In television, it’s common for most or all of the show’s writers to be given producer credits because, whether or not they technically write a particular episode, they “produce” by tossing ideas, dialogue, and rewrites around in the writers’ room. There are also co-producer and associate producer credits, and one of these usually doubles as the postproduction liaison, especially in a show that’s heavy on visual effects.
In the realm of theater, the person with the bulk of the creative responsibility is called the “lead producer.” They shepherd the project from the beginning (idea stage) to end (show wrap). Reporting to them is the “executive producer,” who oversees many of the day-to-day activities of the crew. When it comes to raising money, the lead producer reaches out to potential financial supporters in the industry and explains the credit they’d receive for different levels of fundraising. “Co-producer” is the second-highest billing when it comes to fundraising, followed by “in association with” and “associate producer,” which both usually denote people who have raised smaller amounts of money.
How does producing differ between film, TV, and theater?
On almost any professional production, there is a line producer to oversee the budget. There’s also typically a creative producer, whether the budget is $10,000 or $250 million. The television hierarchy is similar, with “one incredibly important distinction,” Instead of creative producers, there are showrunners, as mentioned before. The showrunner is the individual who created the television show, typically a writer, and they take on those creative responsibilities: the location, the day’s script, which scenes are shot, who acts, and more. “On a television stage, the writer-showrunner is the ultimate boss,”
“On a movie set, typically the director is the ultimate boss, but if the director gets in trouble, they turn to their creative producer to intervene.” The reason for this? If a significant problem arises, the showrunner can often “write their way out,” whereas, on a film set, the producer might need to turn to a writer to ask them to come up with a solution. The television production process is so fast-paced and high-volume that it’s important for the writer to be in charge; they’re the ones who will end up fixing problems both on set and in postproduction.
Theater, on the other hand, is more similar to film in the sense that there are both financial producers (who receive “producer” billing after investing funds in the production) and creative producers (who discover the material and put together the show). There are also essentially line producers, but in theater, they’re billed as production managers. Much like in a film, theater producers champion a project, hire the director, and cast and create a strategy for rolling out the show and, often, its path to Broadway. And much like in television, the writer plays a major role—the producer, director, and actors can’t touch a word of the material unless it’s approved and executed by the playwright. Another responsibility of theatrical producers? They’re the “captain of the ship” when it comes to managing a number of personalities like investors, co-producers, directors, choreographers, and writers. “You’re [at the top], so if there are big decisions, you’re the person who, at the end of the day, answers them,”
This can include deciding to cancel a show due to weather, increase ticket prices due to demand, or recast a role. After all, when you’re producing live theater, anything can happen.
What are the first steps to becoming a producer?
First things first: “There’s no one way to become a producer,” Some enter the industry by interning at a successful production company, some work on a smaller piece that later takes off, and some begin as actors, filmmakers, or writers. There are three main tracks to enter the production industry—working for a company/general management office, working your way up in a production office (production assistant, then assistant producer, then associate producer), or simply writing a check. If you’re looking to produce theater, you can even start putting on your own small shows and concerts at local venues, since you’ll learn lessons about managing people and time that are directly applicable to the industry. “You just add a couple more zeros,”
The Commercial Theater Institute also has a variety of courses to teach students to produce on Broadway.
First I suggest start looking into entry-level opportunities at local nonprofit theaters, like Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, and Manhattan Theatre Club if you’re in New York.
How you choose to start out on the path also depends on what kind of producer you want to be. If you’re leaning toward solely the physical numbers side of producing (like handling the budgets and financing), the best education could start with an on-set production assistant role. You’ll need to prove yourself and learn to work with all the different departments before getting promoted, and the top job for this type of producing would be line producer or production manager.
If your sights are set on being a creative producer, then going to film or theater school can be an enormous help when it comes to a macro understanding of how all the departments work. Plus, you’ll have a higher likelihood of access to internships, which can help you determine the kind of producing that suits you best. After graduating from college, it’s a good idea to follow in many successful producers’ footsteps by first learning everything you can from an esteemed producer you admire before setting out on your own. Aim to work as their reader, production assistant, or runner. “Sit in on creative meetings and learn all the levers of creative producing that can only be learned by being around someone 24/7,”
Aspiring film and television producers can also volunteer at the Producers Guild of America.
“If you’re a producer and you want to break into the industry, my best advice is to find a story you love and get it made,” When I started out in the business in the 90’s there were seven studios you could petition to take a chance on your project. Now, there are almost unlimited outlets, including streaming services, the internet, and independent producing. “Producers produce,” she says. “It’s the kind of skill that requires not stopping.”
“If you want to be a producer of quality product, [you need to] know when you see a quality product.”
Start by investing in a playwriting or screenwriting class might even be worthwhile. Another key takeaway is to build your network in a genuine way. Listen, observe, and absorb; and know that you have something to learn from every one, no matter what their position or title. “You have to treat people really well…whether that be the receptionist at an organization or a producer of a major Broadway hit or the ushers at the theater,”
“No one is more important or less important than anyone else.”
A final piece of advice: “The least successful young producers are those that try to be everything to everyone,” Consider becoming a specialist in something you really love, pursuing that rabidly, building your reputation around it, and then branching out from there..”
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