Producer

=**Film producer** by Kalinda Korkman = //"The producer is like the conductor of an orchestra. Maybe he can't play every instrument, but he knows what every instrument should sound like." **–**// Richard Zanuck

In film, the producer is the person or people responsible for overseeing the production of a movie. The producer is often involved in the project from the start, and will often work together with a Director and a Scriptwriter to build on their own ideas for a film; however an idea may start with any individual. Producers are in charge of making sure the project is financed, completed on schedule and distributed.

**Role in the production process**
The producer has a wide range of responsibilities in the film production process. In the development stages, producers are responsible for coming up with the idea for a production or for selecting a screenplay to produce. They are in charge of overseeing the development stages, securing necessary rights, selecting the screenwriter and script editing team, and are also responsible for ensuring the film is financed. Producers are typically responsible for bringing together key members to the production, including the Director, Cinematographer, principal cast and finance and production team members during pre-production. Once the Producer and any Executive producers have secured financing, other key personnel are selected to work on the project, such as the Line Producer, Associate Producer and Production Manager, as well as any remaining Heads of Departments, Editor, Production Designer and Composer. Producers will also scout locations and approve the final script, production schedule and budget. During the production of films, Producers are responsible for overlooking the day-to-day operations of the producing team, and are always in communication with the Director and other creative personnel, both on and off set. Producers are in charge of any costs relating to the production and post-production, and they are the point of contact for all production partners, investors and distributors involved. In post-production, the Producer is responsible for consulting with all creative and financial personnel involved in the project in finishing the movie. They are usually involved in ensuring the marketing and distribution of the finished film.

**Training requirements**
Producers are required to have a wide range of skills, including being good strategists, motivators, negotiators and businessmen. Many producers are often talented in other areas of the film industry, such as script writing or acting. There are no specific training requirements for producers; however formal training is available at some universities and other places of tertiary education.

**Famous Producers**

 * Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor)
 * Steven Spielberg (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future, Saving Private Ryan)
 * Walt Disney (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella)
 * Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange)
 * Lawrence Bender (Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds)

**Notable examples**

 * Steven Spielberg**, one of the most influencial and best known filmmakers in Hollywood. Born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnaty , Ohio, he attended California State University Long Beach, but dropped out to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He gained notoriety as an uncredited assistant editor on "Wagon Train", a classic western in 1957. He went on to direct a number of short films including "Escape to Nowhere", "The Last Gun", and "Amblin'", which went on to become the name for his production company. This company would later go on the produce one of his most famous and highest grossing films, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial". Perhaps the first film to gain Spielberg fame was the 1975 thriller film "Jaws". He produced his first film in 1978, the forgettatble "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", and followed that with "Used Cars" in 1980 and "Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981, a film which gained him much notoriety. Spielberg produced and directed two films in the next year, "Poltergeist" and "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial". Following those, Spielberg went on to produce and direct many well-known films including "The Goonies", "Gremlins", Back To The Future", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "The Land Before Time", "Casper", "Jurassic Park", "Schindler's List", "Saving Private Ryan", the successful mini-series "Band of Brothers", "The Legend of Zorro", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Transformers", "The Lovely Bones", and "Super 8", and continues to produce and direct today.

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