Producer

Producers are at the financial, practical and creative heart of a film or TV drama. They are often the first to get involved, spotting the creative opportunity and commercial viability of a production. They continue as the driving force right through to distribution.

They are the overall decision makers. Producers will come up with story ideas and hire writers or choose and secure rights to scripts. This is known as ‘optioning’ a script. They decide on the scale and budget of the film and source financing from investors, studios and distributors. They work with creative ideas from the director and approve production costs. They spot and solve potential problems throughout the production process. They approve locations and hire a team of staff for the production, delegating certain responsibilities to a line producer. It’s their job to create a good working environment and they constantly communicate with everyone to make everything run smoothly. They have ultimate legal responsibilities for the health and safety of the crew on set and delivery of a completed film at the end of the production process.