Producers The main man

producers From the beginning, movie producers have guided films from start to finish, and in doing so, they have left their mark on the motion picture industry. As casts, budgets and companies grew in the early 1900s, the role of the movie producer became more essential in bringing movies to market. By the 1930s, movie production had grown into big business, controlled by studios that not only made and promoted the movies, but also distributed them and exhibited them in studio- owned theaters. A movie producer generally worked within the studio, taking on projects as assigned.

producers in 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the studios had established a monopoly and needed to relinquish control over the exhibition part of the industry. Independent distributors also came into being, giving independent film producers a way to bring their films to the public without going through the studios. Most movies today are made by independent producers, either for direct distribution or under contract for one of the remaining six major studios.

PRODUCERS A movie producer is the person responsible for making sure an appealing, high-quality movie is produced on time and within budget. That means supervising and packaging the project from conception to distribution to theaters, while interfacing with the studio and managing the work of hundreds of individuals. As you can see, movie producers do indeed have to wear many hats during movie production.

PRE PRODUCTION Find material from a book or script. Get the script into good enough shape to attract a director (and studio, if this is not a studio-initiated production). Secure financing for the film, if it is not being made for a studio. Choose the director and other parts of the creative team. Cast the actors, working with the director. Determine locations and budget. Decide on cinematographer and special effects. Hire a production team including crew and producers. Develop a shooting schedule. Create a detailed plan of action for production.

PRODUCTION Offer creative suggestions to the director. Handle problems with actors or creative staff. Monitor production timetable and budget. Review video dailies, the film shot each day. MAKE SURE THE CAST AND CREW GET FED DURING SHOOTS.

POST PRODUCTIUON Discuss order and selection of scenes with the director. Review the fine cut of the film after it is edited. In some cases, polish, revise and restructure the film to create the final cut. Work with a distributor to secure distribution for the film. This may include showing the distributors the final cut of the film. Review the distributor's advertising campaign for the film.

HOW IT ALL BEGINS "Rocky" (1976) started with a casual comment from an actor. Producer Robert Chartoff arranged to meet Sylvester Stallone after seeing him act in the "The Lords of Flatbush." Stallone mentioned that he had an idea for a script about a boxer and asked Chartoff if he would read it. Six weeks later, the actor brought in the first draft of the script for the film that earned him an Oscar nomination for best writing and was followed by five sequels. WHAT INSPIRED SLY TO WRITE ROCKY?

PRODUCERS To meet producer responsibilities, you have to be familiar with all aspects of movie production and quite skilled at some of those aspects. And your contacts - who you know - can be important, too. Plenty of film producers have honed their skills in acting, writing, directing or some other area of filmmaking before moving up to become a movie producer.

HOW SOME OF THE GREATS B ROKE INTO THE BUSINESS Irving Thalberg started as secretary to Universal Pictures' president. He moved up to studio manager before becoming head of production for MGM. Darryl Zanuck sold a film scenario to Irving Thalberg in 1923, joined Warner Bros. in 1924 as a writer for the "Rin Tin Tin" movies and, within three years, moved up to executive producer. Walt Disney started studying cartooning before high school. He worked as a draftsman and inker in commercial art studios and made short animated advertising films with a partner before starting the Walt Disney Company and producing animated films. Steven Spielberg produced and directed short films in college that attracted the attention of Universal Pictures. He directed episodes for television shows and made-for-TV movies before directing movies and becoming an independent producer. Spike Lee directed films and met his future co-producer, Monty Ross, at Morehouse College. He won the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' student award with the master's thesis film he completed at New York University.

HOW TO BEGIN YOUR PATH If you want to become a movie producer, you may want to start small like these experts did. Get some training in writing, editing, cinematography, animation or another area of movie making. Make your own amateur films. Produce something that showcases your skills, and then find a starter job in the industry.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED Here are the most important attributes for movie producers. Talent Experience Business acumen Ability to deal with many different kinds of people under stress

TYPES OF PRODUCERS Executive Producer -- Supervises one or more producers as they perform their duties for one or more films. The executive producer may represent the film studio and keep watch over the producer to make sure the movie is within budget and being made the way the studio wants. Or the title may be given as a symbolic gesture or to give a movie visibility. George Clooney, for example, was listed as executive producer for "Far from Heaven" (2002) to generate publicity, but didn't spend any time on the set, according to the film's producer Christine Vachon.

TYPES OF PRODUCERS Associate Producer -- Handles certain aspects of production, as assigned by the producer. Usually the associate producer has worked through all three stages of the production, from preproduction to post-production. Sometimes the associate producer title is given as a courtesy title to a key backer of the film who does not have a major role in producing the film. Assistant Producer -- Works on tasks assigned by the associate producer.

TYPES OF PRODUCERS Co-Producer -- Shares producer responsibilities as a team or group with other producers. One producer may take on creative responsibilities while another handles business functions. Or one of the producers may be a major investor who is not directly involved in the movie production. Or a co-producer may have brought the script or the film's star to the production. Supervising Producer -- Oversees one or more producers as they perform some or all of their duties. The supervising producer may take the place of an executive producer or work for the executive producer.

TYPES OF PRODUCERS Coordinating Producer -- Coordinates the work of several producers to create a unified end result. Coordinating producers are valuable when a studio produces several related films, as with "Spiderman," or particularly when two related films are being produced at the same time, as with the two sequels to "The Pirates of the Caribbean.“ Line Producer -- Handles the physical aspects of a movie's production and usually is not involved in decision-making regarding creative issues. This is the person who oversees the budget and day-to-day activities during filming. In addition to making sure the movie stays on budget and on target, the line producer handles any crises that may occur.

PRODUCERS To become a movie producer, you'll probably move up through some of these jobs. But expect stiff competition because jobs are limited at the major studios. film producers will always be needed. The bureau recommends small or independent filmmakers as providing the best prospects for beginners because they are likely to grow more quickly as digital technology cuts production costs