Video Production ch. 4

Producing

Types of producers

Executive, just plain, associate, assistant, line, supervising, unit production manager, all things mashed up

Unit production manager

Part of the deal with the studio — knows the space and the equipment and the infrastructure of the space

All things mashed up

Producer-director, writer-producer, etc.

Producer responsibilities

Idea generation, budgets, personnel (casting, crew, consultants), schedules, legal considerations (budgets), record keeping, promotion and evaluation of programming

Budget worksheet

Spreadsheet, have a 10% or 20% contingency plan for the budget

Rate/budget impacts

Union (everything from SAG-AFTRA to IBEW), non-union, in-house gear or studios, gear/facility rental, other vendors needed (pyrotechnics, catering)

Facilities rate card

Charges extra for additional equipment and set pieces

Legal considerations

Copyright clearance (U.S. Copyright Office, music, video footage), laws and regulations from Congress and FCC, indecency and obscenity, elections and candidates (“I approve this message”), generative AI

Producer-director specific tasks

Blocking the production, making script, other preparation, conducting rehearsals, communicating with crew, timing, calling commands

Other important things to know

Additional script formats, additional production documents, legal information, scriptwriting

All video information

Left 1/3 of the page — shops and sources are ALL CAPS, other production information upper and lower case

All audio information

Right 2/3 of the page — sources ALL CAPS, production info ALL CAPS, dialogue is upper and lower case

Script format

Align content that occurs at the same time

SLUG header

Above the table: production name, producer name and date of production, total running time (TRT), kill date (if needed)

Kill date

The last possible date when content can be used

Things to know

Standard script-marking symbols, shot sheets for camera operators, making a prompter copy