What does a Producer do?
Producers are entertainment professionals who can work in a wide variety of industries, like television, film, music and theater. They’re typically responsible for developing a project and overseeing the entire creation process from beginning to end. One of their main responsibilities is to build a budget for the project and to locate the necessary funding or financing for it.
Producers will typically find the Directors they’d like to work with and will either hire Cast and Crew Members directly or will oversee and provide their approval throughout the hiring process. They’ll also create production schedules for the Cast and Crew Members to follow to ensure the pre-production, production and post-production processes run smoothly to create an impressive final product.
Producer skills and qualifications
A Producer’s skill set will vary depending on the exact industry they’re working in. A job description for a Producer might contain the following skills and qualifications requirements:
- Communication skills for coordinating between different departments and personnel
- Creativity to ensure innovative productions
- Leadership to coordinate team efforts
- Time-management to ensure products meet deadlines
- Budgeting so each production falls under cost limits
Producer salary expectations
A Producer makes an average of $57,606 per year. Salary may depend on level of experience, education and the geographical location.
Producer education and training requirements
A Producer generally requires a bachelor’s degree, with many students studying cinema or film in programs at universities and colleges. In these programs, individuals learn about the filmmaking process, cinematography, screenwriting, editing and film history. More than 180 postsecondary institutions had accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) as of 2017 for their theatre arts programs.
A Producer may also have a degree in communications, journalism, acting or writing with others earning nonprofit management, business or arts management degrees.
Producer experience requirements
A Producer may start out working in theater management offices as a company or business Manager. If they work in film or television, they may begin as Assistants or in other low-profile studio jobs. As a Producer’s reputation grows, they may work on more expensive, substantial projects that attract increasing publicity or attention.
Job description samples for similar positions
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