A line producer is the person who is in charge of hiring all of the below-the-line production crew such as camera crews, lighting crews and catering staffs. They are in charge of overseeing the production budget and the day-to-day operations. They work closely with the executive producer of a television show or the director of a film to make sure they are properly executing on the creative vision. Line producers are also in charge of coordinating all post-production efforts such as editing and special effects. On smaller productions a line producer will sometimes also serve as the unit production manager, or UPM.
To be an effective line producer, you need to have the following skills:
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Accounting: Since you will be the one overseeing the production budget, you should have a solid basis in working with numbers. Take a basic accounting class if this is something you're lacking.
- Leadership: Your leadership skills must be top notch for this position. You will have a lot of crew members looking to you for your opinion and answers to their questions.
- Patience: The creative process can be quite daunting and there will be a lot of punches along the way that you will need to roll with.
Get as much experience as you can working your way up from the bottom. It's the only way to learn everything you need to know to be an effective line producer. Learn all you can from every department from camera to catering. The more you know the better prepared you will be to handle any scenario that might come up in your career.