Teach Me in 60 Seconds: What a Producer Actually Does

A producer isn’t the bossy person on set shouting “action.” They’re the engine that makes the film exist.

Before a camera rolls, the producer develops the idea, secures the rights, raises or structures the money, and builds the team. They decide what gets made and how it can realistically be made with the resources available.

During production, the producer manages budgets, schedules and problems. When locations fall through, actors clash, or costs creep up, the producer finds solutions that keep the film alive without killing the vision.

After the shoot, their work isn’t done. Producers oversee post-production, shape release strategies, negotiate distribution, and protect the film’s commercial future. Festivals, streamers, cinemas, marketing — all roads pass through them.

In short: directors make the movie good. Producers make the movie possible.

Without a producer, there’s no film — just a great idea waiting in a notebook.