They work collaboratively with the heads of department on an unscripted TV production to identify the most creative, efficient and effective way to allocate the money and resources available to deliver the best production.
Line producers
They work collaboratively with the heads of department on an unscripted TV production to identify the most creative, efficient and effective way to allocate the money and resources available to deliver the best production. This means they need to understand the editorial, technical and craft needs of a production and be able to think laterally when offering up solutions to balance production, financial and editorial challenges.
Line producers are responsible for the contractual management of staff, talent and contributors. They negotiate deals with external companies, such as post-production houses, implement health and safety regulations, make sure all necessary insurance is in place and ensure any compliance and legal requirements are adhered to.
They create the overall schedule that covers the three stages of a programme’s production, allocating time and staff to planning and pre-production, filming and through to the final stages of post-production and delivery.
Line producers work on larger-scale TV productions and tend to work on a series for the duration of its run. They might appoint more than one production manager to look after different aspects of the production, such as the filming or the edit. On smaller productions, the production manager covers the line producer’s role.