Pre-production unit - Roles

Jack  - Producer/ Writer

George - Director/ Editor

Producer

Producers play an integral role in the television, film and video industries. In this role I will oversee each project from conception to completion and may also be involved in the marketing and distribution process.

I'll work closely with directors and other production staff on a shoot. I'll also need to have directing skills to take charge of all project operations. I'll arrange funding for each project and keep the production within the allocated budget.

Responsibilities

As a television producer, I'll need to:

• Raise funding
• Read, research and assess ideas and finished scripts
• Commission writers or secure the rights to novels, plays or screenplays
• Build and develop a network of contacts
• Liaise and discuss projects with financial backers - projects can range from a small, corporate video costing £500 to a multimillion-pound-budget Hollywood feature film
• Use computer software packages for screenwriting, budgeting and scheduling
• Hire key staff, including a director and a crew to shoot programmes, films or videos
• Control the budget and allocate resources
• Pull together all the strands of creative and practical talent involved in the project to create a team
• Maintain contemporary technical skills
• Organise shooting schedules - dependent on the type of producer role and availability of support staff
• Troubleshoot
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, codes of practice and health and safety laws
• Supervise the progress of the project from production to post-production
• Hold regular meetings with the director to discuss characters and scenes
• Act as a sounding board for the director
• Bring the finished production in on budget.

Writer

Television Writers are skilled writers who prepare scripts for a wide range of television including commercials, soap operas, comedies, documentaries and dramas.

Some Writers create station announcements, previews of coming shows, and advertising copy for local sponsors. These editors may also write material for locally produced shows. They must be able to write persuasively, creatively, and quickly because of the pressure of deadlines.

The Television Writer is the person responsible for creating all plot lines, dialogue, characters and situations. The Writer provides the initial story as well as rewriting and polishing scripts. Episodic Television Writers can also serve as producers as well and are responsible for both the budget and the overall quality of production.

Writing for television is different from writing for film or stage. Television Writers must be able to write to order. For example they will need to write for a specific audience and to fill a specific time slot. It can be almost a technical job. They may be working as part of a team under a head writer who makes many of the creative decisions. Writing what the show calls for under a strict timetable is often more important than artistic expression.

Some Writers work full time for television stations but many work freelance on a job by job basis. Although individual television episodes are credited to a single Writer (or writing team), Television Writers often write as a group. Depending on the show, the budget available and the preference of the showrunner, there could be up to twenty Writers working at different levels on a single series from staff writers to producers.

Television Writers are usually employed on the basis of what they have written. A good spec script is a sample of your writing that shows other people that you understand television writing and is a good way to demonstrate your skills. It could be a script of an existing television show that you have written or an original television pilot.