The movie producer is responsible for all the business arrangements of film production. From the budget to the hiring of the actors, director and crew and acquiring or providing the financing to complete the project, the producer is the general overseer of a movie from conception to completion. The producer is also responsible for lining up distribution and submitting the film to festivals. A producer is generally the most important person when it comes to getting a film made and released. This is why the Oscar for Best Picture is always given to a film's producer, not the director. The director, while being artistically indispensable, is a hired hand of the producer. Often times, especially among independent filmmakers, the director and the producer can be the same person. A producer can be one person or team of people. Other types of producers are the executive producer, the line producer and the associate producer. An executive producer is generally well-heeled, well-known and less involved in the day-to-day production. A line producer is often the busiest person on a film set, making sure what happens each day falls within the budget. An associate producer is a more wide-ranging position: an assistant to the producer. The associate producer might also be the production coordinator, making sure that everyone on staff is where they need to be and being paid what they need to be paid.
Law: Producers, like other employees, will be protected by federal and state labor laws. However, the producer may be treated as an independent contractor if she is working through her won company, such as a loan-out company. pg.180- Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers
Generally speaking, a producer who contracts with another independent producer or independent production company will obtain a better position with respect to issues such as intellectual property rights, creative approval, net profit definitions, credit, and so forth than she would receive if she were to contract with a larger film studio or network. Of course, the downside of working outside the studio system is that the film may have a harder time finding financing in the beginning or finding distribution when it is complete. pg. 172 Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers
Law: Producers, like other employees, will be protected by federal and state labor laws. However, the producer may be treated as an independent contractor if she is working through her won company, such as a loan-out company. pg.180- Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers
Generally speaking, a producer who contracts with another independent producer or independent production company will obtain a better position with respect to issues such as intellectual property rights, creative approval, net profit definitions, credit, and so forth than she would receive if she were to contract with a larger film studio or network. Of course, the downside of working outside the studio system is that the film may have a harder time finding financing in the beginning or finding distribution when it is complete. pg. 172 Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers