Profession video and motion picture producer

Video and motion picture producers supervise the entire production of a movie or television programme. They select the scripts that will be turned into motion pictures or series. Video and motion picture producers find the financial means to make a movie or television series. They have the final decision on the whole project, from development and editing to distribution. During large-scale productions, video and motion picture producers can be part of a team of producers and may be responsible for some of these tasks.

Personality Type

• Artistic / Enterprising
• Enterprising / Realistic
• Artistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Audiovisual products

  The different types of audiovisual products and their requirements, such as documentaries, low budget movies, television series, records, CDs, and others.

• Project management principles

  Different elements and phases of project management.

• Accounting techniques

  The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.

• Copyright legislation

  Legislation describing the protection of the rights of original authors over their work, and how others can use it.

• Film production process

  The various development stages of making a film, such as scriptwriting, financing, shooting, editing, and distribution.

Skills

• Consult with production director

  Consult with the director, producer and clients throughout the production and post-production process.

• Work with motion picture editing team

  Work together with the motion picture editing team during post-production. Make sure the finished product is according to specifications and creative vision.

• Manage budgets

  Plan, monitor and report on the budget.

• Perform project management

  Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.

• Perform market research

  Gather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.

• Liaise with financiers

  Liaise with people willing to finance the project. Negotiate deals and contracts.

• Take artistic vision into account

  Take the artistic and creative vision of the organisation into account when selecting a project.

• Select scripts

  Select the scripts that are going to be converted into motion pictures.

• Develop professional network

  Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.

• Implement strategic planning

  Take action on the goals and procedures defined at a strategic level in order to mobilise resources and pursue the established strategies.

• Work with video and motion picture production team

  Work with the cast and crew members to establish requirements and budgets.

• Work with playwrights

  Work with writers through workshops or script development schemes.

• Assess financial viability

  Revise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Assess if the agreement or project will redeem its investment, and whether the potential profit is worth the financial risk.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB