Producers and The Production Office

CHAPTER

PRODUCERS AND

THE PRODUCTION OFFICE

n the broadest sense, it is the producer who makes a film happen.

The producer finds the story, gets the money to finance the production,

and helps put together the pool of actors and artisans who will bring the

story to life. Once the project is set up, the producer troubleshoots prob-

lems and keeps the project on track throughout all its phases, until the

finished product is released.

Some producers are dealmakers, specializing in the business aspects

and hiring out the actual production responsibilities to others. Other pro-

ducers love the creative aspects of filmmaking and remain actively

involved throughout the process. Then there are writer/producers who

are sometimes given a producer credit in lieu of a salary increase.

Responsibilities of a producer vary from project to project, and a title

may denote one set of responsibilities in film, another set in television,

and yet another for commercials and music videos.

The production staff is charged with the hands-on, nuts and bolts

responsibility of getting the project made. A huge project may require

multiple people to split the responsibilities of a single position, while one

person will fill several positions on a small project. Generally, the produc-

tion staff consists of:

· Unit Production Manager (UPM): oversee budgets, negotiate con-

tracts, strike deals, hire crew, and handle the mountain of paper-

work thus generated.

· Production Supervisor: assist the UPM with office responsibilities.

· Production Office Coordinator: the office manager.

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