Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Line Producing
What is a line producer? Is it an actual producer position? How do line producers spend their days? What are their responsibilities? How do you become one? What skills make for a good line producer? If you work in the entertainment industry, chances are you’ve heard this term before. You may have even dealt with a line producer on a production or two. But what you think you know about this role and the reality of it may be quite different.
I’ve been line producing for the better part of 25 years, from music videos to commercials to feature films, and I’ve seen a lot of changes to the industry during that time. But one thing that has remained consistent is the ever-important role of the line producer and how necessary it is for a production to hire a good one. Here are the answers to a few key questions people often ask me about line producing.
What exactly is a line producer?
Key creative positions like producers, directors, writers and actors are what we call “above-the-line,” while crew members hired to execute that creative vision are considered “below-the-line.” The line producer is a member of the producing team, so it is an above-the-line position, but his title comes from the fact that his primary task is to sit on that line and oversee everything below it during the production phase, including prep, shoot and wrap. He is essentially that member of the producing team tasked with making sure the trains run on time, on budget and don’t derail. When shooting is complete, he hands the project fully over to the post production supervisor to manage the post process.
What are a line producer’s key duties?
First and foremost, the line producer is tasked with running the budget and maintaining it throughout production. This often includes breaking the script down and scheduling it unless the project already has a unit production manager (UPM) and assistant director (AD) team on board. He also must hire the key department heads, like the director of photography, production designer and sound mixer. The line producer ultimately approves or rejects all expenditures and is the last line of defense in protecting the investors’ money. He works closely with the accountants to ensure proper payments are made; the attorneys to ensure contracts get executed and legal compliance measures are undertaken; and his production team, led by the UPM and coordinator, to manage day-to-day operations. He spends most of his time on set to provide leadership and address problems that arise. He is the eyes and ears of the producing team and regularly reports budget and schedule updates to them.
What skills must a good line producer have?
A line producer is nothing if not a strong, confident leader. He needs to be able to make quick and effective decisions, especially under pressure. He needs to be a great communicator, not only in his ability to convey information, but in listening to the needs of his team. He must maintain strong connections to key crew, or if not, at least know how to find them. He must also know enough about those key positions to properly interview for them. He’s resourceful, finding solutions where others might not, and is not intimidated by challenges. A line producer knows he’s not there to be liked, but to get the job done, so he’ll command respect. In the end, he’ll be adept at straddling another line — getting the production team what they need to shoot a great film while also protecting the finances.
How do I become a line producer?
If, after reading the preceding paragraphs, you have interest in becoming a line producer, kudos to you. There are two main paths to becoming one. The first is a little less conventional, but the path I took: I taught myself. I started producing music videos, but realized that someone had to put all of the elements together for the shoot — run a budget, find the vendors, hire the crew, get deal memos signed, answers questions, run the set. It was like trial by fire, but I eventually learned. The other, more conventional route is to work your way up, starting as a production assistant (or PA, the set grunt), eventually become the key set PA, and then join the AD team, working your way from a 2nd second AD to a second AD to a first AD to a UPM, and eventually a line producer. There is no set timeframe for how long this path takes — it could be a year or many years. It’s really determined by how quick you learn, the opportunities you get, and whether you choose to seize them.
What is the career path after line producing?
Once you’ve line produced for a while, you may start looking for new opportunities. Some people choose to stay line producers, but shift into other mediums, like film to TV or TV to live events. Others go on to be full producers, leaving the line producing to someone else as they focus on more creative endeavors. And still others become executives. Once you’ve line produced for a while, you’ve likely amassed the kind of skills a production company looks for in a head of production and may be able to score a job overseeing multiple line producers on multiple company projects.
Is line producing a movie different than a music video or commercial?
From 30,000 feet, production is production is production, and therefore line producing is line producing is line producing. No matter what medium you’re working in, you’ll need to be able to oversee a budget, hire a team, effectively communicate the results you want, troubleshoot production problems and serve as a respectable leader. Filmed media is always going to need a camera. You’re going to need a location. You’ll have to feed your people. Contracts will have to be signed and paychecks sent out. It’s the more granular details that will change from medium to medium, like, for example, using playback instead of sound recording on a music video or turning around a commercial in a week while you have eight weeks on a movie. But don’t get bogged down in this minutiae; if you’re a successful line producer in one medium, those skills will invariably translate to other mediums as well.
What is the difference between a line producer and a UPM?
People often ask me what the difference between these roles are, as they seem to have many duties that overlap. And they’re right, they do, which is why many shows just have one person who serves as both line producer and UPM. (I’ve done it many times.) But on a show with a big enough budget for both roles, duties are delegated to the UPM at the discretion of the line producer. While the line producer is an above-the-line position, the UPM is a below-the-line position — basically, the head crew member. The UPM may break the script down and schedule it, while the line producer budgets from that, and then tasks the UPM with ensuring those budgeted expenditures are maintained. While the line producer is on set making sure the day goes smooth, the UPM is likely in the production office somewhere with a small team preparing things for future days, including approving time cards and call sheets. The line producer may also task the UPM with sourcing and hiring crew. In the case of shooting out-of-state, a line producer will often hire a local UPM who really knows that state’s crew base.
Line producing can at once be highly stressful and yet highly rewarding. Being the producer most heavily tasked with ensuring the production goes off right means you have to masterfully balance creative, fiscal and technical elements. But the position can convey a real sense of ownership, as you have your fingerprints on almost every facet of the filmmaking process. At the end of the day, the line producer may just be the most integral person to ensuring a logistically successful shoot.
