INTERVIEW WITH A TELEVISION PRODUCTION STUDENT ABOUT THE ROLE OF A

PRODUCER:

INTRODUCE YOURSELF:
Hi, I’m Bethany Baker, I am currently a second-year student at Falmouth university with an
aim to work in Television production when I graduate. I have been a producer on about four
projects them being Happier Times, The Kings, My Friends and Beloved.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE ROLE OF A PRODUCER IS?:
The role of a producer is very much making decisions for the production and organising and
doing the paperwork. They decide the scale of the productions and the budget for said
productions. The producer is one of the only people on the production that works with
everyone. Many issues that might happen will go to the producer and they will solve it. They
also secure what script is to be used. When being a producer you are in control of all the
core paperwork including Risk Assessments, Location Agreements, Music Licencing
agreements, insurance (public liability insurance), consumer release forms, contracts, cast
and crew release forms. The producer has to sign off on all of these documents as well as
draft them. We must approve the location and the crew.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE PRODUCER’S MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES ARE?:
I would say that the most important responsibility of the producer is the fact that they are in
charge of securing funding for the project. The project cannot start without them doing this
so they have to find it somehow: this might include reaching out to people, starting a
Kickstarter, or reaching out to organisations for funding or if it's part of a company securing
the money from the budget. They are also in charge of reaching out to studios, investors,
and distributers.
Another important responsibility of the producer is enlisting a creative team, a producer is
only as good as the team they work alongside.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS:
Without the producer there is no production. They are the backbone that holds it the
production together.