Most film and television productions require the services of a line producer. As a member of the production team, this individual is responsible for budgeting each aspect of the project and ensuring that the budget is adhered to during pre-production and principal photography. This job necessitates the ability to think creatively about budget issues and the frequent emergency situations that occur in the film and television industry, as well as a meticulous understanding of industry costs.
When a script is being prepared for production, a line producer is frequently brought on board to help set the film’s budget. He or she can tell the executive producers what to expect in terms of project cost, taking into account cast and crew salaries, cost of building sets and using locations, cost of renting equipment, cost of running the set, and cost of insurance. From the costumes to the trailers to the grapes on the craft table, everything is included in a film’s budget.
If a budget for production has already been set aside, the line producer assists the rest of the production team in determining how the funds should be distributed. This necessitates a lot of creative thinking, as many departments on a film or television set require money to function properly. A line producer must be skilled at weighing the pros and cons of various options for each project, such as whether it is more important to spend money on costumes or set decoration, or whether there is enough money to hire a backup camera if the primary one fails.
Once production begins, a line producer’s role becomes even more crucial. Each day, a set costs money to operate; a line producer’s job is to keep it from going over budget. If a project’s filming schedule is extended beyond its initial dates, a line producer will usually create a second budget for additional filming. The studio or financiers may be approached to add additional money to the production based on this secondary budget, working with the executive producer and the rest of the producing team.
Line producing, while it may appear to be a mundane job of accounting and adding up numbers, necessitates a great deal of creativity, industry knowledge, and communication skills. A good line producer will be just as good at talking to people as they will be at dealing with monetary issues; being able to allocate and refuse money without enraging people is an important part of the job. In addition, the ability to read and comprehend the importance and style of the script is required in order to determine where the money is most needed.