What Does a Producer Do?

“What does a producer do?” That’s one of the most common questions people have when it comes to the onscreen credits they see in the openings of movies and TV shows. What is even more interesting for screenwriters is the question of “How do screenwriters and producers work together?"

The dynamic between screenwriter and producer is best summed up by one word: collaboration. Producers need screenwriters to bring their concepts and projects to life. Screenwriters need producers to hire them so they can make a living. It’s a multifaceted, symbiotic relationship with many examples of how the collaborative process plays out. 

With that in mind, let’s discuss the collaborative processes that come into play between producers and screenwriters.

We’ll start with the overarching responsibilities that fall under the producer credit umbrella, specifically for feature films. 

What do producers do? They:

• Come up with original concepts or acquire intellectual property to adapt for feature movies.
• Partner with studios, production companies (sometimes their own production companies), and distributors to fund development for those projects.    
• Find screenwriters to take on the writing assignment of writing the script(s), unless development executives handle that search first. If development executives at a company work with screenwriters to write the script, they will then look for producers to take on the project once it has been greenlit. 
• Work with the screenwriters to finetune the script. They’ll work to ensure their vision for the project is implemented by writing the script.
• Package the film with a director and cast to attract studios or financiers to invest.  
• Ensure that the director and crew are staying within budget during production, and that the original creative vision remains intact.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what producers do because they are also problem solvers that handle daily issues, needs, and wants during the preproduction, production, and post-production phases.

Many managers these days take on screenplays and screenwriting clients to find and develop projects, with the intention of earning producing credits as well. This isn’t always the case with managers, but it’s increasingly becoming more common. 

Agents, however, are not allowed to be producers. It is legally seen as a conflict of interest, as they will be negotiating contracts on your behalf. 

Paid screenplay options involve a producer or production company signing an agreement with a screenwriter to retain the sole rights to develop and package an existing script for a specific period. Producers will then take the script to studios, distributors, financiers, directors, and actors to package it for production. Note: Unpaid screenplay options, where a producer develops a writer’s script without paying an option fee, are also common, with the idea that the screenwriter will be paid once the project is sold or set up with a production company or studio. 

When the contracted time frame of an option or shopping agreement expires without success in setting up the project, the producer will either move on or ask the screenwriter to extend the agreement for additional time. 

Writing assignments are the bread and butter for most professional screenwriters. You’ll be hired to develop and write from a concept that is given to you by a producer. While on assignment, screenwriters work directly under development executives and producers during the development and writing of a new script. 

Whoever is hired to tackle the script reports directly to the producer. The producer then works with the screenwriter to write an outline for the script, which serves as an effective collaborative tool to help the screenwriter and producer get on the same page about characters, story, plot points, structure, and pacing. 

Once the outline has been agreed upon, the screenwriter will then write the first draft. Most standard contracts give the writer anywhere from one to three months (usually somewhere in between) to complete the first draft. When the first draft is handed in, the producer will read it and then offer notes to the screenwriter for any changes. 

A producer will read through the script, take notes, and then either:

• Opt for a meeting (virtual or in-person) to discuss the notes
• Offer notes via a document and/or a bullet point list for the screenwriter to address

Sometimes both. It really depends on the producer and what has been agreed upon with the screenwriter regarding the best notes practice. 

The screenwriter is then responsible for addressing and applying each and every script note. Once again, these are the wants and needs of the producer and their higher-ups (if any). 

Production rewrite notes are slightly different. They are less about an individual's wants and needs. Instead, these are production-related notes that address available locations (or lack thereof), budgetary restraints, and any casting that requires a role to be rewritten or re-envisioned. 

These notes can come from a producer, but they can also come from line producers, who are there specifically to oversee the production's day-to-day operations. 

Either way, the notes need to be addressed and implemented by the screenwriter on deck. These notes are also much more non-negotiable at this stage because they entail specific production requirements. 

One of the greatest strengths you can have as a screenwriter is to have outstanding collaborative skills. You need to be able to:

• Embrace constructive criticism
• Take notes with grace
• Understand the business-related roles of the producer and screenwriter 
• Come up with effective solutions to any problems, issues, or notes
• Be confident in your abilities while also being open to the ideas of others
• Not take any notes personally

If you can showcase yourself as an amazing collaborator, producers will want to continue working with you. And if you can get a producer to champion your work, you’ll get more and more offers to make this screenwriting dream a professional reality. 

Lastly, remember that producers are storytellers too. They love movies just as much as you do. You both can work together to bring your stories, or theirs, to life on the screen for all to see. Embrace the collaborative process between you and the producer. It’s what allows the magic of cinema to take hold.