For various reasons, producers cannot always supervise all of the production. In this case, the main producer may appoint executive producers, line producers, or unit production managers who represent the main producer's interests.[1] The producer has the last word on whether sounds or music have to be changed, including deciding if scenes have to be cut. They are in charge of selling the film or arranging distribution rights as well. The producer's role can vary significantly from project to project, based on the circumstances and funding. They generally are in charge of things like hiring staff, creating filming schedules, checking and approving locations, and much more.[2]

Responsibilities

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Development (film rights)

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The producer is usually the first person to get involved in a project.[3] During the "discovery stage", the producer has to find and acknowledge promising material.[4] A producer must then retrieve the film rights or an option.[5] If the rights owner is worried about preserving the integrity, voice, and vision of their work, the producer might have to comply with a variety of demands concerning the production.[6] The producer has to choose the screenwriter and story editing team during a project's development, while raising development financing.[3][7] Thus, it occasionally takes a lot of time and effort before the actual pre-production can begin. Late German producer Bernd Eichinger is said to have worked 15 years on convincing novelist Patrick Süskind just to agree to a film adaptation of his book Perfume.[8] However, sometimes all effort is futile. J. D. Salinger, for example, refused all film producers as long as he lived.[9]

Pre-production

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During this stage of the production process, producers bring together people like the film director, cinematographer, and production designer.[3] Unless the film is supposed to be based on an original script, the producer has to find an appropriate screenwriter.[10][11] If an existing script is considered flawed, they are able to order a new version or make the decision to hire a script doctor.[12][13][14] The producer also has the final say on which film director, cast members, or other staff get hired.[15][16] In some cases, they also have the last word when it comes to casting questions.[17] A producer's role will also consist of approving locations, the studio hire, the final shooting script, the production schedule, and the budget. More time and money spent in pre-production can reduce the time and money wasted during production time.[3]

Production

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During production, the producer's job is to make sure the film stays on schedule and under budget.[2] They will always be in contact with directors and other key creative team members.[3] Some producers run a company that deals with things like film distribution, which may prevent them from always personally supervising every part of the production.[18][19] In addition to this, cast and film crew often work at different times or places, and certain films even require a second unit. Consequently, it is normal that the main producer will appoint executive producers, line producers, or unit production managers who represent the main producer's interests and vision.[20] The executive producer for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi was George Lucas himself, the creator of the Star Wars universe.[21]

Post-production

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During post-production, the producer has the last word on whether sounds, music, or scenes have to be changed or cut. Even if the shooting has been finished, the producers can still demand that additional scenes be filmed. In the case of a negative test screening, producers may even demand and get an alternative film ending. This happened, for example, with First Blood. The test audience reacted very negatively when Rambo died, so the producers re-shot a new ending.[22] In addition to this, producers work with marketing and distribution companies in order to sell the film or arrange its distribution rights.[2]

Career process

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There are different ways to become a film producer. Stanley Kramer started as an editor and writer, while other producers started as actors or directors.[23]

However, most producers start in school. On the occasion of announcing his own film school, imaL'École de la Cité,[24] film producer Luc Besson admitted that at the beginning of his career, he would have appreciated the chance to attend a film school.[25] Film schools and many universities offer degree courses that include film production knowledge, with some courses that are especially designed for future film producers.[26][27] These courses focus on key topics like pitching, script development, script assessment, shooting schedule design, and budgeting.[28][4][29][30] Students can also expect practical training regarding post-production.[31] Training at a top producing school is one of the most efficient ways a student can show professionals they are not a rookie.[32]

While education is one way to begin a career as a film producer, experience is also required to land a job. Internships are a great way to gain experience while in school and give students a solid foundation on which to build their career. Many internships are paid, which enable students to earn money while gaining hands-on skills from industry professionals.[33][34] Through internships, students get to network with people in the film industry as well. This pays off in the end when looking for jobs after school. Once an internship is over, the next step typically will be to land a junior position, such as a production assistant.[32]

Although rates can vary based on a producer's role, the average salary can start anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000, even doubling when working in Los Angeles.[35] The average annual salary for a producer in the U.S. is $109,844. When examining more than 15,000 producers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the average annual salary is $138,640.[36] Producers can also have an agreement to take a percentage of a movie's sales.[36]

A producer's hours are often irregular, meaning they are long with the possibility of occurring on both nights and weekends.[37]

Notable producers

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A–M

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N–Z

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  1. ^ Cieply, Michael (8 November 2012). "Three Studios Agree to Let a Guild Certify Credits for Film Producers". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "TV or film producer". nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Producer". creativeskillset.org. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  4. ^ a b "Production". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  5. ^ "A screenplay agreement normally provides that the copyright is assigned to the producer". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  6. ^ "He created a screenplay about a rough-and-tumble thug who struggles for a chance to make it as a professional boxer. According to several reports, Stallone refused to sell the script unless he was allowed to star in it". Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Producer | Film and TV Jobs in the Entertainment Industry | Media-Match.com". www.media-match.com. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  8. ^ "A Farewell to Bernd Eichinger: German Film Loses its Leading Man". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  9. ^ Allen, Nick (19 June 2010). "JD Salinger always insisted The Catcher in the Rye was "unactable" and refused to let Hollywood anywhere near his masterpiece". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  10. ^ "writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have been hired to pen the screenplay for producer Dino de Laurentiis". Retrieved 13 April 2007.
  11. ^ "Goldman was contacted by director/producer Rob Reiner to write the screenplay". Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  12. ^ "He began work on the script. And worked on it and worked on it, pushing it through seven drafts before arriving at a version with which de Laurentiis was satisfied". Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  13. ^ "Broccoli insisted on a rewrite, claiming to the story was too political for a 007 film. Writer Christopher Wood was brought on board to collaborate with Maibaum and expand upon Broccoli's personal concept for the film". Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  14. ^ Bergan, Ronald (4 August 2010). "the producers Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman hired him for two weeks to doctor the Richard Maibaum script of Diamonds Are Forever". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  15. ^ "Next De Laurentiis hired King Vidor, director of Duel in the Sun (1946) and The Fountainhead (1949) to make the movie". Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  16. ^ "He also stuck loyally by gifted American directors when they were out of favour or off form. Robert Altman made one of his less successful pictures, Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976), for De Laurentiis, who also helped the luckless Michael Cimino back on his feet after the commercial disaster of Heaven's Gate". The Daily Telegraph. London. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  17. ^ "Cubby Broccoli personally broke his own golden rule and cast her as the mysterious Octopussy". Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  18. ^ Bergan, Ronald. "In 1979, Eichinger bought a large stake in the Munich-based production and distribution company Constantin Film, which he ran as a hands-on producer for over 30 years". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  19. ^ "Europacorp studio posted $186 million in revenues last year, making it second only to Germany's Constantin Film as Europe's largest independent studio". Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  20. ^ Cieply, Michael (8 November 2012). "Three Studios Agree to Let a Guild Certify Credits for Film Producers". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  21. ^ "Lucas continued the Star Wars saga as story writer and executive producer with The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi in 1983". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  22. ^ "test audiences nearly rioted after cheering for Rambo and then seeing him die. So the producers went back to Hope, British Columbia, the location for the film, and shot a new ending in which Rambo lives". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  23. ^ "Mr. Kramer began his career in the 1930s as an editor and writer, later forming an independent production company". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  24. ^ L'École de la Cité
  25. ^ "Luc Besson launches film school". Variety. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  26. ^ "The MFA Advanced Film Practice programme aims to equip you with the creative, professional and technical knowledge you will need to enter the professional arena as a writer, producer or director". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  27. ^ "The training course last three years and the interdisciplinary teaching programme prepares students in the specific areas of directing, scriptwriting, acting, photography, editing, sound techniques, production, set design, props and wardrobe". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  28. ^ "Production". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  29. ^ "Our BA in Film Production is one of our most highly sought-after courses". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  30. ^ "Producing seminars teach through practical studies in production, script development, budgeting, and media economics". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  31. ^ "All student films are developed, shot and post-produced in teams, closely mirroring a realistic industry work process in order to ease graduates' transitions to the professional environment". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  32. ^ a b "Becoming a Producer - Tried and Tested Career Paths". Student Resources. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  33. ^ "Where to Look for Internship Programs in Entertainment". The Balance. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  34. ^ "Ways into the film industry - Film Industry - Creative Skillset". creativeskillset.org. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  35. ^ "Jobs in Film: Average Salary & Career Paths". Student Resources. 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  36. ^ a b http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/highest-paying-jobs-film-industry.htm#page=1
  37. ^ "Television/film/video producer job profile | Prospects.ac.uk". www.prospects.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-02-20.