Line producer

A line producer is a type of film or television producer who is the head of the production office management personnel during daily operations of a feature film, advertisement film, television film, or TV program. A line producer usually works on one film or episode of a TV program at a time.[1] They are responsible for human resources and handling any problems that come up during production.[2] Line producers also manage scheduling and the budget of a motion picture, as well as day-to-day physical aspects of the film production.

Responsibilities

According to Producers Guild of America (PGA) guidelines, the line producer is the individual who reports directly to the individual(s) receiving "Produced by" credit on the theatrical motion picture and is the single individual who has the primary responsibility for the logistics of the production, from pre-production through completion of production; all department heads report to the line producer.[3]

The line producer functions like a chief operations officer in running the production company. During pre-production, responsibilities include supervising the assembly of the shooting company, recruitment of key personnel and services, and production organization for how to shoot the script and transform it into a movie. The line producer plans start dates for everyone and everything, and monitors the budget in the lead up to picture. Film production generally follows a rigorous schedule. The line producer facilitates location scouting, set building and decorating, offices and stages, wardrobe, props, stunts, physical and visual effects, camera, lighting, rigging, transportation, crew and union relations, travel, cast and crew accommodation, contracting of legal permissions and agreements, safety and risk management, prep and shooting schedule. In short, the line producer oversees the joint planning, negotiations, implementation and accounting for production.

In the studio system, the line producer reports to the studio and typically liaises with key executives of production divisions inside the studio such as physical production, legal, labor relations, insurance, and finance. The line producer supports the director's vision and direct influence on the creative expression or narrative of the film.[4] Although it could be argued that, through a line producer's ability to influence aspects of the film via power of the purse, like allocation of resources to certain departments, they can change important aspects of the film that have creative consequences, e.g., production value. For example, they can affect the project's look by influencing the choice of filming locations.[3] While the director is in charge of all purely artistic decisions, the line producer helps to substantiate the director's creative ideas by taking care of logistics and related issues.[5] From pre-production through principal photography, the line producer oversees the production budget and physical needs of the shoot. By the first day of production, several versions of the budget have usually been drafted. A finalized or "locked" budget is the basis for the production to move forward. A key objective of a line producer is to respect this "locked" budget and deliver in time.

While in production, the line producer oversees the execution of many decisions that must be made to deliver each day's shoot. The administrative aspects, especially those that have any financial impact, are all crucial areas of the line producer's work. These areas include but are not limited to negotiating compensation (usually during pre-production) of crew members (both for union and non-union productions) and resolving daily production issues (in conjunction with the first assistant director and possibly the unit production manager).[6] Moreover, they provide demanded equipment. If required, they handle unanticipated scheduling changes and serve "as a liaison between the crew and the producer."[3]

Japanese animation

The work of a line producer in the Japanese anime industry differs from that of its western counterpart. The terms "animation producer" (アニメーションプロデューサー) and "production producer" (制作プロデューサー) are more commonly used (or variations of them), though "line producers" (ラインプロデューサー) are sometimes credited instead or credited alongside an animation producer in an assistant-like position. Animation producers and line producers in the anime industry are more often than not responsible for an entire series, rather than working on a single episode or unit of a work, usually belonging to the main animation studio or studios attached to a project. Vinland Saga director Shuuhei Yabuta described the role of an animation producer as being mainly responsible for gathering the main staff of a work, and also managing the creative site (the main animation studio(s), which the animation and line producers usually belong to) and negotiating with the production committee producing the work.[7] In that regard, the staff gathered for a particular series is more so representative of the skills of the animation producer and their connections rather than the studio itself.[8]

In some instances, the different animation producers employed by or associated with a studio reflect different departments or entirely different sub-studios belonging to a particular studio or company. The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, for example, is a work attributed to Wit Studio; however, the OVA and film are the products of Wit's branch located in Ibaraki Prefecture led by animation producer Kenta Yamada, as opposed to works which can be attributed to Wit's headquarters studio located in Musashino, Tokyo that have other animation producers.[9] Wit Studio itself, even, was founded after a split from Production I.G's sub-studio named Section 6, led by section head George Wada and animation producer Tetsuya Nakatake.[10]

References
  1. "The Importance of a Line Producer". Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  2. "A producer who is responsible for managing every person and issue during the making of a film. Line producers only work on one film at a time". IMDb. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  3. "Producer's Code of Credits". Producers Guild of America. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  4. "A line producer is basically there to make the director's vision achievable". Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  5. "Runs the more practical aspects of the production such as logistics and personnel, as opposed to the creative content". Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  6. "A line producer is the person who is in charge of hiring all of the below-the-line production crew such as camera crews, lighting crews and catering staffs". Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  7. Yabuta, Shuuhei [@yabshu55] (October 1, 2021). "It's not often talked about, but the work of an Animation Producer is extremely important as well as animator's. It's a tough job that needs to balance managing the creative site and negotiating with the production committee. They have a big influence on the quality" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. Yabuta, Shuuhei [@yabshu55] (October 1, 2021). "It is certain that studios play a role in coordinating the environment for creative teams, but each and every staff member is much more important for the success. Gathering staff is largely due to the skills of Animation Producer and the studio does not necessarily affect" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. Cirugeda, Kevin "yuyucow" (October 14, 2019). "Studio Wit's New Dream Factory: Ibaraki Studio and the Girl From the Other Side". Sakugablog. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  10. May, Callum (March 21, 2021). Breaking Down Attack on Titan's (All Seasons) Incredible Animation - Animator Spotlight. YouTube. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
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