Producer

A Producer sets the situation for the production of a television show or movie.

A film Producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls all aspects of a production, from fundraising and hiring key personnel, to arranging for distributors. The Producer sees the project through to the end, from development to completion. Traditionally, the film Producer is considered the chief of staff while the director is in charge of the line. This "staff and line" organization mirrors that of most large corporations and the military. Under this arrangement, the Producer has overall control of the project and can terminate the director, but the director actually makes the film. It's the Producer who really authors a film. The Producer raises the money that pays for the film to be made, and is responsible for anything affecting the budget of the film. The Producer hires the director and the crew, manages the film through production and secures distribution for it when it is finished. In short, most of the time, it's the Producer who does the work to make a film happen. Good Producers are constantly on the lookout for material. Scripts, books, plays, news items, anything and everything these days can be turned into a movie. For every film they get made, a good Producer will have up to ten other scripts "in development". Some go for a wide spread of projects, others prefer to concentrate on one type of film that they can make their own. The advantages of having a slate of projects is obvious. It means you do not have all your fragile-skinned eggs in one basket. Remember: the development life of most scripts is several years.

A television Producer is usually employed by a television station or network. A network television series usually has an executive producer who does long-term planning for the show. Some television Producers work independently; they may find sponsors and grants to supplement their budgets from the stations.