What is a producer? What do they do?

𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖!

If you managed to find your way here, then you might be looking for the answer to that question. Or your fingers slipped on google or maybe you came over from Loogaroo's Facebook group. Regardless how you found me, welcome! My name is Jessica and I work primarily in 2D animation for a boutique animation shop called Loogaroo in N.B, Canada. 

You can find more about us here -->>> Loogaroo  

So, I hope the focus of this blog will be to share my knowledge on how I produce projects for Loogaroo. My way may be different or very much the same as what you know or have seen. I will also be cracking the window into the day to day of a small animation studio. What goes on? What kind of people work here? Maybe some of these lovely artists will even come on and guest write an article on how they do what they do.

Look at that crazy crew enjoying some grub.

So what do I do? I mainly help bring to life t.v shows, commercials and even games. As of today have been producing for almost 8 years now. Although it feels closer to 20(Like dog years).  I am pretty sure my family doesn't know what I do. To be fair, I have also noticed students right out of school still don't know exactly what a producer is. And they really should.

 I want to use this blog to share some knowledge I have learned over the years. Some tips and tricks on how to run a project. How to track, schedule and set a project up. How to deal with clients. How to overcome issues and help your team be the best they can be. Be prepared to read or watch me explain how to break down a project, set a budget and choose your team.

   I want to offer this as I have been told I can run a pretty organized project. I pride myself on being on schedule and on budget. Because I started in the industry as an artist I can easily slide into any position and help. I think it helps team moral to know you can get in there and get your hands dirty in the trenches with them.

So, a producer. Who are these elusive creatures?

The skinny     

• A producer manages the team during a production
• They source and manage the budget
• They ensure the creative process goes smoothly and always to schedule right to the very end.

Wow, only three things on the list. You must be saying to yourself. Well, this  sounds like an easy job. Ha ha ha. No. And let me explain why.

So skills you should start out with

• Have plenty of experience from working in the animation industry(the more positions you have worked in the better)
• Have a good business sense
• Have a great understanding of finance
• Make sure creativity isn’t stifled regardless of budget and deadline
• Be able to keep yourself and your team motivated
• Be a good negotiator
• Solve problems in a creative and logical manner
• Have an in-depth understanding of the animation process
• Prepare and control the production budget
• Have excellent communication skills

I have a few more extra skills that need to be added to the list, as I work for a small studio I also have to be HR and Office manager. 

• Understand any new employee laws and guidelines
• Hiring and firing
• Managing the roles and expectations of employees
• Tracking and organizing all sick days and time off
• Preparing all payroll paperwork
• Be a liaison to to the landlord for any office fixes
• handle any technical issues (computer and software)

As you can see its not for the faint of heart. A lot of people who end up in the producing role sometimes end up burning out. It can be of pressure to put on one person. 

I have to admit it has gotten to me at times. We are all only human after all (for now anyway) So a Producer has overall control and responsibility over an animation project's production. They are typically in charge of managing the artists and directors, making sure everyone is working to the best of their abilities while staying within time and budget constraints. Its very important you know what a producer does as you can see.

Producers will also be in charge of sourcing all the assets needed for an animation project to be completed. Whether this is software or art materials, a Producer will need to know what’s needed, where to get it from and how much it will cost.

Because of the small size of our studio I am also in charge of negotiating and implementing all project contracts with clients/investors/broadcaster/government departments. I break down a project and give a quote to a client based on my knowledge of the time/skill requirements.

While a producer is the highest authority on a project, they would be directly underneath the executive producers at a studio, and would be their main point of contact. This means if the project is running over budget or is coming in late, the Producer will be the person in charge of explaining the situation and the causes to the executive producers. Basically if the team is dropping the ball the producer takes shit.

Despite that, a Producer’s real skill is being able to balance the clients demands and restraints on a project and also give the animation team artistic freedom and room for creativity. Being able to balance time, budget and a room full of buzzing creatives is a tough job, making a good producer a very valuable asset.

Now that you know the basics would you like to go on a journey with me as I share my knowledge.

Next week - How do you find a project to produce?