Yesterday we were given our brief for our Unit 1, 2 and 3 project and were split into groups. In my group my role is the Producer. At the moment, I don't know all that much about being a producer, all I know is that you need to be very organized to take the weight off the directors shoulders so they can concentrate on the creative side of things. It's the producers job to do all the paperwork and such. For my research, I looked on a wide range of websites, watched YouTube videos and used a textbook titled: 'A Dictionary Of Film Studies'. I took notes from all of these sources and then expanded and explained them in the text below. When I was looking up about production paperwork, I came across some really helpful PDF files which I am going to print off and use to help me during the proect.
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Producers work on a film from "conception to completion". While they may not necessarily be on set the whole time, they're the ones who are there coming up with the initial ideas, who then see that idea through to the final finished film. They are doing something at each stage of the film making process; these processes are: Pre Production, Production and Post Production. All three stages are essential for completing the film.
Before pre production can even begin, if a book or something is being adapted into a film, the producer needs to retrieve the rights so that production can begin. Pre production is a very busy time for the producer as they have to make sure that everything is being organized so that the production can begin. During pre production, the producer needs to secure the financing for the film. Securing financing is important, so that the producer can work out the budget and which resources to spend it on and such. It's important for the producer to stay in control of the budget so that they don't run out of funds and stop the production of the film. The producer is in charge of the financial side of things as opposed to the director, so that the director just has to focus on the creative side of things.
Casting is another task that needs to be completed by the producer (and also the director, however the producer generally has the final say) during pre production. Not only does the producer have to cast actors, but they also need to cast their crew and director. Hiring cast and crew is a good reason for the producer to develop a network of contacts so that they can easily get in touch with a wide range of people in case some crew/cast members can't make it. Having a good network of contacts is also good for adding production value, so for example if you're in contact with someone who owns a location you need for shooting, e.g a big country manor, all you have to do is give them a call or pay them a visit.
Another thing that producers need to do during pre production is come up with a production time table so that everything runs smoothly and is completed on time. Having a production time table is really helpful if you have to book a location on a certain day for a certain length of time, so then you will be able to plan the rest of the production around it. It will also benefit the Producer's crew and cast so that they know where they have to be, when they have to be there and how long they need to be there. All through production, the producer needs to monitor this time table so that they're up to date with whats happening and can make changes if necessary. Having a production timetable also helps with time management.
The next stage is the production which is when filming starts. While filming is going on, it is often rare to see the producer on set as they are busy taking care of other things. However some producers are on set a lot- it's just down to personal preference and whats going on. Sometimes the producer may want to give the director some creative suggestions for certain scenes and such. The producer will need to carry out health and safety checks before filming begins so that every risk is taken into account. For example, if you're filming on a construction site, you will need to ensure that every crew member is wearing the appropriate clothing and that the actors are safe and secure. It's also the producers job to know when the cast and crew are going to have food and drinks, as this is often forgotten, as sometimes you will film for many hours at a time. To sum up what producers do during production: they ensure the smooth day to day running of the cast and crew.
Once filming is finished, the next stage is post production. During this stage the producers main focus is the audience and the distribution of the film. The producer needs to work closely with the distributor to get the film distributed, they need to be good business people so that they can sell the film and get it the views and recognition it needs. The reason why the producer needs to work with the audience is so that they can find out what they thought of the film, and if it met their expectations and such. So for example, if it was a horror film, they would need to know if it made the audience jump or feel uneasy and afraid.
Another big aspect of a producer's role is the production paperwork. The production paperwork is all the legal stuff, such as contracts with crew and cast members, call sheets, camera shot lists, film budget sheet, location information and insurance. Contracts are important so that the cast and crew know what is expected of them and what they will be doing during production. It's also good to have a contract so that if someone tries to make a claim against you, you will have the contract. A call sheet is for the crew and cast members so that they know when and where they should report on filming days. Having a list of camera shots is also useful, as it will help you know whether a location will be suitable for filming based on the shots you want; so by this I mean, if you were to film in a confined space you would need to know what shots you were using to know if it would be achievable to film there- is there enough space, will the camera be in shot? A budget list is extremely important so that the producer knows what and where the money is being spent. It helps to stop the production from running out of funds, or from spending the funds on the wrong things.
Before pre production can even begin, if a book or something is being adapted into a film, the producer needs to retrieve the rights so that production can begin. Pre production is a very busy time for the producer as they have to make sure that everything is being organized so that the production can begin. During pre production, the producer needs to secure the financing for the film. Securing financing is important, so that the producer can work out the budget and which resources to spend it on and such. It's important for the producer to stay in control of the budget so that they don't run out of funds and stop the production of the film. The producer is in charge of the financial side of things as opposed to the director, so that the director just has to focus on the creative side of things.
Casting is another task that needs to be completed by the producer (and also the director, however the producer generally has the final say) during pre production. Not only does the producer have to cast actors, but they also need to cast their crew and director. Hiring cast and crew is a good reason for the producer to develop a network of contacts so that they can easily get in touch with a wide range of people in case some crew/cast members can't make it. Having a good network of contacts is also good for adding production value, so for example if you're in contact with someone who owns a location you need for shooting, e.g a big country manor, all you have to do is give them a call or pay them a visit.
Another thing that producers need to do during pre production is come up with a production time table so that everything runs smoothly and is completed on time. Having a production time table is really helpful if you have to book a location on a certain day for a certain length of time, so then you will be able to plan the rest of the production around it. It will also benefit the Producer's crew and cast so that they know where they have to be, when they have to be there and how long they need to be there. All through production, the producer needs to monitor this time table so that they're up to date with whats happening and can make changes if necessary. Having a production timetable also helps with time management.
The next stage is the production which is when filming starts. While filming is going on, it is often rare to see the producer on set as they are busy taking care of other things. However some producers are on set a lot- it's just down to personal preference and whats going on. Sometimes the producer may want to give the director some creative suggestions for certain scenes and such. The producer will need to carry out health and safety checks before filming begins so that every risk is taken into account. For example, if you're filming on a construction site, you will need to ensure that every crew member is wearing the appropriate clothing and that the actors are safe and secure. It's also the producers job to know when the cast and crew are going to have food and drinks, as this is often forgotten, as sometimes you will film for many hours at a time. To sum up what producers do during production: they ensure the smooth day to day running of the cast and crew.
Once filming is finished, the next stage is post production. During this stage the producers main focus is the audience and the distribution of the film. The producer needs to work closely with the distributor to get the film distributed, they need to be good business people so that they can sell the film and get it the views and recognition it needs. The reason why the producer needs to work with the audience is so that they can find out what they thought of the film, and if it met their expectations and such. So for example, if it was a horror film, they would need to know if it made the audience jump or feel uneasy and afraid.
Another big aspect of a producer's role is the production paperwork. The production paperwork is all the legal stuff, such as contracts with crew and cast members, call sheets, camera shot lists, film budget sheet, location information and insurance. Contracts are important so that the cast and crew know what is expected of them and what they will be doing during production. It's also good to have a contract so that if someone tries to make a claim against you, you will have the contract. A call sheet is for the crew and cast members so that they know when and where they should report on filming days. Having a list of camera shots is also useful, as it will help you know whether a location will be suitable for filming based on the shots you want; so by this I mean, if you were to film in a confined space you would need to know what shots you were using to know if it would be achievable to film there- is there enough space, will the camera be in shot? A budget list is extremely important so that the producer knows what and where the money is being spent. It helps to stop the production from running out of funds, or from spending the funds on the wrong things.
Renowned producers and who inspires me
There are many film producers such as: Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino and David Heyman. They've all produced some truly fantastic pieces of cinema. They've become real icons in the film industry because of the success of their films. Although these producers are all really amazing, two of my favourite producers are Eli Roth and Jason Blum. Both of these producers are known for their horror films, and most of the horror films that they have created are seriously great and really get your heart beating fast. My favourite film produced by Eli Roth is Hostel (he co produced it with Mike Fleiss and Chris Biggs, as Roth was directing the film).
What I like about Hostel is just how gory it and thus how uncomfortable you get while watching it. The film follows the conventions of a horror-thriller extremely well which makes it so successful. One of the scenes that's really awful (this is a good thing, as it is a horror film) is the scene where the girls eye is ripped out of her face, and when she gets a glimpse of her reflection in the train window she proceeded to jump in front of it. The whole film is just so dark, but it's so wonderfully executed and keeps you right on the edge of the seat.
While doing research on Eli Roth, I found out about something funny that occurred on the filming set of Cabin Fever: while they were filming, Rider Strong went off for a wonder around the woods (with his gruesome and bloody special effects makeup on), he came across some schoolgirls who were on a school trip and terrified them at first due to his horrible appearance, but then one of the girls recognized him from another film he starred in and he ended up being mobbed for pictures and autographs.
Jason Blum is another extremely talented horror film producer. He is also the founder of Blumhouse Productions (which you see at the beginning of a very large number of horror films). One of his earlier films he produced is called Insidious (which has now gone on to become a trilogy, however in my opinion the third film wasn't really needed as it doesn't really add much to the film, where as the second film was excellent as it helped to explain events from the first film). I'd say that Insidious is actually one of my favourite horror films, because no matter how many times I watch it, it still makes me jump every time and still leaves me cautiously looking around my bedroom before I go to sleep. If I went on to be a producer, I would definitely want to follow in Jason Blum's footsteps.
Below I have added a clip from Hostel that is very gory (as I couldn't find the scene with the girl and her eye on YouTube) and also a clip from Insidious which is only 2 minutes long, but I guarantee it will make you jump.
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Sources:
http://blogs.britannica.com/2007/02/what-does-a-film-producer-do/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/television_film_video_producer_job_description.htm
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-producer2.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_producer
http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-a-film-producer-do-2217
http://filmmakeriq.com/2009/04/588-free-film-contracts-and-forms/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Blum
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089658/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Roth
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0744834/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_Fever_%282002_film%29
http://blogs.britannica.com/2007/02/what-does-a-film-producer-do/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/television_film_video_producer_job_description.htm
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-producer2.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_producer
http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-a-film-producer-do-2217
http://filmmakeriq.com/2009/04/588-free-film-contracts-and-forms/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Blum
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089658/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Roth
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0744834/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_Fever_%282002_film%29
I found this video really helpful, as it explained the role of a producer in a brief and easy to understand way.