What is a Film Producer | What Do Film Producers Do?

Whenever I talk to people outside of the entertainment industry and tell them what I do, they often ask “what’s a producer do?” As a film student I often found my understanding of a producer to shift and evolve, especially once I actually started to work in the field.

So for those who are curious or for the up-and-coming filmmakers out there, I thought it would be helpful to define who a producer is and what they do.

Now to be honest, there is no one clear cut and set definition of a producer and that’s because there are tons of different kinds of producers working in all areas of the media and entertainment field. We’ll go through some of the various types of producers in a bit, but for the sake of simplicity, the general definition of a producer is someone who oversees the whole process of getting a film made by making sure the film is on schedule, on budget, and on “brand” (meeting its creative and messaging goals).

Think of a producer as a project manager. They’re often taking care of the logistical, legal and business aspects of getting a film made. Their tasks will vary depending on their role in the film and what phase of the process they’re in, but usually they’re the ones having conversations and executing the funding and budgeting, schedules and deadlines, determining the logistical needs and possibilities for the creative ideas, and upholding the legal and procedural requirements for the production. Simultaneously, they’re working with every department and key player to make sure everyone has what they need, is on track, and that for the most part everyone is relatively happy. It’s a very delicate balancing act.  

Not all producers are involved in the day to day management of the film and some have very different responsibilities than the ones laid out below, so let's delve into the different kinds of producers and get a better sense of their responsibilities.

• Executive Producer (EP for short)- The “head honcho” producer overseeing all of the productions in development. They’re often the ones who’ll green-light a production if they feel it’s inline with the company’s goals. They have a general knowledge of the status on all productions in development and are usually the ones executing the business aspects of each film, such as obtaining the rights to a book, screenplay, or story, locking down funding and distribution, and attaching names to a project. Overall their main focus is business strategy, which means they usually aren’t involved in the physical production process.

  • Some EP’s are strictly focused on the creative development of a film (think Tina Fey or Steven Speilberg) meaning they give creative backing and input on a film but aren’t involved in the nitty gritty execution. 

  • In addition, someone could also be credited as an EP for providing funding, being a part of the creative development, helping attach talent to the film, bringing in a distribution deal, or otherwise contributing to the creation of the film in some kind of pivotal way.   

• Producer- A Producer is the one taking a project and running with it on a day to day. Usually the one sifting through the screenplays, screeners, and other literary works to find the best story to bring to life. Producers are in charge of getting a production off the ground and tend to stick with a project from the very beginning through the very end.

  Once they have a script green-light for production, the producer will begin assembling the resources necessary to make the film, which could mean bringing on writers to finish or revise the script, pitching the project to financiers and directors, or bringing on other production partners for specific needs of the film. They’re also in charge of breaking down an estimate for how much a project will cost, what the feasible timeline for the project will be, and calling out any strategic or tactical ideas for making the production work as efficiently as possible.

  Producers report to the EP and will work hand in hand with them to create a commercially successful film all the while attempting to nurture its creative integrity.   

  • There are producers in EVERY sector of the film production process. There are bidding producers, editorial producers, SFX and MGFX producers, audio producers, music producers, the list goes ON. Producers are legitimately the backbone of ANY and ALL productions.

  • Although their roles vary, the general goal is to manage their teams to make sure shit gets done on time and on budget. 

• Associate Producer- The right hand to the producer, the associate helps manage the daily communications and tasks for the production. The producer will often delegate certain aspects of the production for the associate to drive-- such as securing other production needs like travel or communicating between internal and external partners. The associates are also involved in the development process of looking for new content and keeping tabs on directors, writers, and actors.

  Associates might be tasked to run small or mid sized productions on their own once they have a solid grip on the production process. Overall, they’re high level assistants breaking into the producer role.

• Line Producer- Line producers are the folks who oversee the preparation and filming during the physical shoot. They work closely with the producer and associate to assure logistical and creative needs of the studio are met, all the while working very closely with the director, DP, and crew heads to make sure their logistical and creative needs are met and in line with the studio.

  Line producers are in charge of any and all matters pertaining to the shooting of the film, so they’ll often be the ones setting a firm production budget, locking down and adjusting the shooting schedule, and sourcing crew heads like gaffers, art department, wardrobe stylists, makeup artists, casting managers, location managers, and any additional keys needed for a particular shoot (food stylist, stunt coordinator, etc). They oversee all key-heads on set and teeter between the above and below the line communications.  

• Production Manager (PM or UPM for short)- I’m including the PM here bc even though they don’t technically have “producer” in their title, they’re still responsible for running and managing the majority of pre-pro duties of a shoot. Along with a dozen other things, PM’s deal with the on-set legalities of working with actors and crew (filling out timesheets, release forms and tracking hours), they obtain the shooting permits for the locations, they source the shooting boards, they coordinate wardrobe fittings and prop management, they build and send out the call sheets, they book catering, and they deal with all the little logistical on-set things that pop up last minute (like printing 100 copies of the new shooting board and script or dealing with one of the exect’s spotty wifi).

  PM’s are the oil that keeps the shooting production chugging. Oh and in case it wasn’t already clear, they respond to and work directly with the line producer. 

Responsibilities of a producer vary depending on the company or studio, budget, and type of production you’re dealing with, but this layout was intended to be an overview of how a traditional producer hierarchy looks in a studio system. Sometimes producers will put on many hats and dip into other roles like writing, direction, or set design to make the project come to life; it just depends on the budget and set up of the film.

So the next time you hear the term “film producer”, hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of what that means and the multitude of producers that work in the field.