Line Producer Job Description
While audiences usually see beautiful and skillful actresses and actors on the silver screen, film production has business needs just like any other organization. Producers and executive producers hire a line producer when they decide to produce a film. These specialists combine their knowledge of finances with their knowledge of the film industry to create a budget that maximizes the quality of the film while minimizing costs.
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Function
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Excluding the development of the film, every aspect of the production of a film is overseen by the line producer, according to LineProducer.net, a website of the International Feature Films and Television Budgeting Services. If the line producer does play a role in the creative development, the line producer is instead called a co-producer. The line producer determines the budget for a given film. To get the most out of the budget, the line producer must carefully negotiate down prices of various products and services. The budgeting gives investors a sense of whether or not they should invest in the project. The line producer decides the schedule of a film, such as when the film will be shot and when the film will be released in the theaters. The line producer is also responsible for staffing the entire production crew, such as the director, writers and actors. These workers are usually freelancers, according to Sector Skills Council, a nonprofit professional group for those in creative media professions.
Conditions
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Line producers work in a variety of environments, including environments where all members of the production team are exposed to adverse weather conditions. In addition to the effects of bad weather, line producers sometimes work irregular hours and are sometimes put under heavy pressure to complete a project.
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Skills
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Line producers must be thoroughly aware of how the film industry operates, such as the technical requirements for the type of film that the director intends to produce, according to LineProducer.net. Financial experience and scheduling experience are necessary attributes for line producers. Line producers who have a lot of relevant business contacts are sought after, according to SkillSet.org. Line producers need to be able to communicate well with the director and actors to determine what their expectations are so that the film can be better budgeted. Regulatory agencies require that line producers assess how hazardous the production environment is.
Outlook
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The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that the need for producers and directors will grow by 17.2 percent between 2008 and 2018. Like most jobs in film, the line producer position is highly competitive and only those who have considerable experience in the film industry have hope of finding employment.
Wages
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The median hourly wage for line producers in 2008 were $41.32, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since these producers are self-employed, they do not usually receive benefits.
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References
- Photo Credit movie image by saied shahinkiya from Fotolia.com
