lesson notes - role of producer

the role of a producer is:

• To turn story ideas into profitable cinematic entertainment and to convince others to share in their creative vision.

• The producer is often the first person to become involved in a project.

• Producers need an extensive knowledge of cinematic narrative and a thorough understanding of all the creative processes of filmmaking

• Producers are ultimately accountable for the success of a finished film. 

Things a producer should consider:

health and safety:

• risk assessments
• actors around equipment
• children - chaperones
• weapons - do you need experts? choreographers?
• animals - handlers
• generators - reliable sources, people trained to use them
• cost

 actors:

• most of the above
• Pay
• Warmth
• Food
• Shelter

Location:

• where is easily accessable?
• where is closer?
• where is most cost effective?
• does it look like it says in the script? if not... Does it have to? or can something be changed? e.g. lighting... script says jungle, could you use a forest? - think about the context of the location in the script. how important is it?
• public - have you told who you need to?

A producer always needs ti think of things in a legal sense as well. for example..... you want to film a public panic...

Q - is it better to hire extras or simply cause a public panic and film it?

A - Causing a public panic is illegal. you can put people at risk and you may get charged with: disruption of the peace, reckless endangerment of the public and if weapons are involved: carrying firearms with intent to cause fear. 

Another example. In 'Kes' the child had to be upset over a dead bird, so the director switched the live bird they had been using (which the child had become attached to) for a similar looking dead bird. the resulting performance from the child was very realistic. however... was this ethically correct??