There are many different kinds of producers in the film and TV industry, such as executive producer, co-executive producer, line producer, and more. While some filmmakers, like George Lucas and Martin Scorsese, may attend a film school, it is not a requirement to become an executive producer. Others, including professionals like Bardya Ziaian, may enhance their skills through short courses online.
Funding
Filmmaking is a highly risky undertaking, so financing films can be challenging. There is no guarantee that a movie will find interested audiences, break even or be commercially successful.
Obtaining funding for filmmaking can come from a variety of sources including grants, private investments, crowdfunding, product placement and more. Some of these options are better than others, and some may not be available for certain types of projects.
The development stage requires funds to write the script, create a budget and hire crew. The production stage typically requires a larger sum of money to cast, shoot and edit the final product.
Filmmakers in the US benefit from a sophisticated financial system that allows them to use their intellectual property and other intangible assets as collateral for loans to develop films. This includes strategies like co-production, loan syndication and guarantees. Alternatively, filmmakers can self fund a project with their own personal capital. This comes with some significant risks and requires the film to be a very compelling story in order to earn a return on investment.
Production
Producers may not get the same level of public recognition as directors or actors, but they’re still a critical part of the filmmaking process. They’re the ones who turn chaotic ideas into structured, efficient productions that can be filmed on time and on budget.
Once the initial funding has been secured, producers create a detailed production budget. This will be a rough outline of the amount of money required to make the project, and includes costs for things like location scouts, catering, wardrobe, equipment, set construction, legal fees and more.
During production, the director works with the DOP to create the visual style for the shoot. They’ll decide on lighting, for example, and if the Director has different opinions then he or she should listen to the DOP to avoid costly mistakes. The First Assistant Camera, or AC, is responsible for knowing how to operate the cameras on the set. They’ll also be responsible for data wrangling and digital loaders – transferring and organizing Magazines and Scan Discs onto hard drives so that Editorial can find the right footage quickly.
Distribution
The relationship between film production and distribution is a dance of mutual dependency, with decisions made in one area having a profound effect on the other. Distributors are responsible for getting films into cinemas, onto digital platforms and TV screens.
A film producer (and exec producers) often attends the film market to sell their project to distributors. They are sometimes referred to as acquisition executives.
The term of the contract with your distributor is important to consider; ideally you want to negotiate a short term length. That way, if they don’t do a good job of getting your movie out there within a reasonable time frame, you can terminate the agreement. You may also wish to add a performance requirement clause, which requires that they meet certain sales levels within a given period of time. This can be helpful if you’ve put a lot of money into your film, but haven’t been able to generate the audience interest that you hoped for.
Marketing
Filmmakers must be able to understand their target market and how to appeal to it. This is why marketing is such an important part of filmmaking. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop an effective marketing strategy, so it’s not something you can do overnight or within days and weeks. This is why it requires a dedicated team of experts in the field. These professionals will help you find the right strategies to promote your film and its content.