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In the post, I explain the importance of different types of producers in the audiovisual market, comparing the production team to the brain of a human body, which coordinates and drives the project. I describe the roles of the Executive Producer, Production Director, specific area producers, Set Producer, and especially the Creative Producer, who works from the conception of the idea to the project's promotion. I emphasize that the Creative Producer is essential to ensure that the idea becomes viable, helping to make strategic decisions and coordinate talent. Additionally, I highlight the importance of having Assistant Producers to share the workload and ensure the smooth progress of the project. I conclude by encouraging reflection on stalled projects and offering assistance to get them moving.
Let's start from the beginning.
Many people don't even know that there are various types of producers in the market and that the production team is an essential part of any project. I might be biased, but if we imagine that the project is like the human body, direction is the heart, pumping nourishment to all the other areas, while production is the brain sending electrical impulses to the heart to do its job, as well as to all other parts.

However, the brain is not a uniform mass with a single concern, and neither is production. That's why there are different types of producers:
We have the Executive Producer, who is the person that made the project viable, both creatively and financially. They are the ones who secured the talent or funding for everyone to be working there. They think about partnerships and how everything can be accomplished. Their primary concern afterward is to ensure that the film is on schedule and that the budget is not exceeded.
Next is the Production Director, who takes care of the practical aspects of production, such as where everyone will eat, stay, transport, and what equipment each area needs to carry out their work. With the Executive Producer's approval, they take charge of scheduling and arranging everything necessary to make it happen.
We also have specific area producers, such as casting, location, and food producers. They are responsible for securing the inputs (actors, locations, or ingredients) needed to compose the scene in front of the cameras. Additionally, they manage these inputs from start to finish, negotiating prices and conditions, meeting requirements, handling contracts and schedules. They are the gateway for important information that guides production and direction decisions regarding these film inputs.
Then there's the Set Producer, who coordinates everything while filming is taking place. They resolve any issues that arise during filming, as they know all the schedules and contacts involved. They manage logistics, ensuring that everything is in order and that the set is delivered as agreed, without clutter or mess.
It seems like we have everything covered, right? So, what does the Creative Producer do?
The Creative Producer starts before everyone else. They are the person who helped shape the idea to make it viable concerning the proposed objective. They also helped choose the ideal director for the project, along with the rest of the team, later on, together with the director. They ensure that an idea is more than just an idea and can be realized, guiding how it will happen.
The Creative Producer works alongside the director, creating strategies for the ideas to come to life. It's a strategic job that goes from the beginning to the end, including the project's promotion.
This person knows enough, from their own experience, about each area of the project's execution, and thus helps each of them make the most assertive decisions for the proposed objective. They can assist any team member in deciding the best course of action if problems arise. They are also someone who maintains good relationships, enabling them to coordinate efforts, unite talents, and bring in reinforcements.
Having a Creative Producer at the beginning of any project ensures that it will happen in the best way possible, as that is what they excel at. They know the path to making things happen and who to call on at each stage. They also understand how long things take and how far you can go without running into trouble.
I often consider this work akin to solving a puzzle or logic problem. You have an objective, and the resources are laid out, whether it's money and time, talent and money, just talent, or just time. What you need to figure out is how to reach the objective using what you have and what you can acquire.
It's a game I enjoy playing, and every time things work out (which they always do, even when they sometimes go wrong more than once beforehand), the feeling of mission accomplished is priceless.
Many producers wear multiple hats, especially due to budget constraints that prevent assembling a solid team, but that doesn't mean the workload has decreased. Just as a director who also operates the camera has plenty to occupy themselves with, a Creative Producer who is also a Production Director can sometimes create a short circuit. Thinking about the macro strategy while checking if lunch is ready is not the wisest thing to do, but sometimes you have to take risks.
This reminds me of the great importance of Assistant Producers. Despite sometimes still making the mistake of trying to save money, I promised myself that I would never start a project without at least one of them on board. The magic of filmmaking is creating a reliable network and knowing how to delegate, and a producer who can do that cannot go wrong.
To add to this, I want to share a talk that took place at SXSW in 2016 with Creative Producer Sarah Green discussing the profession:
And an interview with Jens Jacob on the MusicBed Blog about what it means to be a producer, which I read in 2015 and found very insightful. Both are in English but are very interesting.
In both of the above contents, and I hope in mine as well, one thing becomes clear: only those who truly love producing can be considered producers. I often say that it's not something people choose to do; usually, you discover you're a producer because there was a project, and you were the one who produced it because no one else stepped up.
However, it is possible that this is a reductive view on my part and that many people don't produce because they haven't thought about where to start and don't have the tools at hand. My goal here is to help make that happen.
What projects are stalled that we can start moving forward?
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