Producers are the main players in the television, film and video industries. A producer will oversee each project from conception to completion and may also be involved in the marketing and distribution processes.

Producers work closely with directors and other production staff on the shoot. Increasingly, they need to have directing skills themselves as the producer may also be the director and may take care of all project operations. Producers arrange funding for each project and are responsible for keeping the production within the allocated budget.

Tasks:

1. Raising funding
2. Reading, researching and assessing ideas and finished scripts
3. Commissioning writers or securing the rights to novels, plays or screenplays
4. Building and developing a network of contacts
5. Using computer software packages for screenwriting, budgeting and scheduling
6. Hiring key staff, including a director and a crew to shoot films or videos
7. Controlling the budget and allocating resources
8. Pulling together all the strands of creative and practical talent involved in the project to create a team
9. Maintaining contemporary technical skills
10. Organising shooting schedules - dependent on the type of producer and availability of support staff
11. Troubleshooting
12. Supervising the progress of the project from production to post production
13. Holding regular meetings with the director to discuss characters and scenes
14. Acting as a sounding board for the director
15. Bringing the finished production in on budget

Key skills for Video Producer:

• A good knowledge of the production process
• Excellent communication and people skills
• Creativity and vision
• Good presentation and negotiation skills
• Leadership and management ability
• Good planning and organisational skills
• Financial skills and budget awareness
• Confidence, assertiveness and motivation

Average Salary (2013):

United Kingdom: £60,000 per year
United States of America: $89,020 per year
Australia: AU$50,494 per year

Qualifications and training required:

Successful producers need good business skills and creativity. Although producers may be hired based on their experience and reputation, some employers may prefer candidates with a bachelor's or master's degree. Useful majors for aspiring film producers include theatre management, film studies, cinematography, communications or broadcast journalism.

A theatre management bachelor's degree program can include classes in acting, directing, script study and staging plays. Additionally, students learn accounting, public relations and management skills. A bachelor's degree program in film studies may focus on the filmmaking process and teaches students how to produce, direct and write. Students also learn film theories, technical skills and film history.

Some schools offer joint graduate degree programs that allow students to combine a Master of Business Administration with a Master of Fine Arts. For creative business professionals like film producers, this is a useful combination. Relevant curriculum could include entertainment business, conventional business knowledge, studying screenplays, script writing, entertainment law, and directing.