“Line Produce” in Cinema

by Seyyed Ali Esmaeili

Communication and messaging instruments are increasingly getting more developed and advanced in the modern world. However, some instances have not been able to improve their status and are even disappearing (e.g., magazines and newspapers). On the other hand, cinema as a developing art and industry has been able to avoid dropping behind and has even been able to become stronger by using modern technologies and has attracted numerous audiences from various classes and ages. The human resources or expert and skillful production workforce is a significant factor that has to be equipped with the latest knowledge and achievements in that particular field. That is because producing a distinguished film in the modern world brings about complexities that were not mostly identifiable to the producers and investors of previous decades. In the modern global village, the production of international movies may seem a necessity to communicate and exchange between cultures and introduce them better. Thus, a combination of political, cultural, and economic factors has led to the production of movies filmed in more than one country and include the locations and actors of several countries, and their producers have been forced to make multiple, lengthy, and costly trips.
Producers always try to end their projects as soon as possible, using an optimal budget, and with the highest quality possible. This requires them to employ a professional and experienced cast in the three stages of pre-production, production, and post-production.
After the idea of a film was proposed to a producer(s) and was approved, the first and perhaps the most important issue to consider is raising the required budget and credit to produce it. The next stage includes the selection of an executive team capable of making a film within the envisaged time and budget considerations and according to the expected artistic and technical parameters. Thus, the production unit including the producer, executive producer, line producer, and even the director consider designing the schedule and budget of the film according to a set of internal and external considerations. The success of a standard film depends on the execution of this plan so that it can be in line with the producers’ ideas and fulfill the director’s desires. The more accurate and practical this plan, the higher will be the chance of success. Imagine that you need to work in two locations in two countries with actors of different nationalities. Consequently, the production unit will face the financial, cultural, social, and political regulations of at least 4 countries. The production unit should gain a sufficient understanding of the regulations and apply its skills and experience so that the procedures can be performed completely and smoothly based on the minimum time and cost considerations and the maximum quality.
The line producer is a key figure in the production unit, and the current study aimed to investigate this position in more detail.
Line producer



If the production stages of a film are viewed as a comprehensive plan, it should have a pre- specified schedule, a convenient location for implementation, careful and guaranteed budgeting, and a strong and experienced executive team. Thus, the liner producer is a person who should direct the staff so that the project can be optimally finalized within the specified time, location, and budget considerations with the maximum technical capability.
Executing such plans requires a person with special technical and executive characteristics so that he/she can understand the financial and artistic aspects and know the domestic and international laws and regulations related to filmmaking, and his/her experience can facilitate the fulfillment of the specified goals. In addition, the line producer is a figure that facilitates communication among the whole cast.
A competent and experienced line producer can add to the credibility of a film. The presence of such figures makes the producers certain that their films will be produced within the specified budget and time consideration, and the line producer will solve any issue by proposing innovative solutions at the minimum time. This is because the line producer performs multiple duties in the production of a film and is well aware of its challenges.
The line producer should remove the concerns of the producers and the director and execute everything according to the specified plan. In addition, they should solve issues so that the cast can feel secure enough and the work can proceed smoothly and soundly. They have to establish close relationships with all of the cast members from the top to the bottom and coordinate different units with each other.
The presence of and the role played by a line producer should save the costs of production, and the process of production in terms of pre-production, production, and post-production should be performed smoothly and quickly. In addition, a good film according to directors, actors, and other members of a cast moves its audience and revives their artistic viewpoints. Thus, the line production should endeavor to fulfill the director’s expectations and should keep this spirit from the pre-production stage to post-production.
Based on the above discussion, as line producers perform significant responsibilities, they need to have particular personal, social, and specialized characteristics that will be discussed in the following section.
The characteristics of a line producer

1. They have worked in different cats (for instance as an assistant production manager or sound mixing, cinematography, and scenic design units) and are familiar with their issues like the stages of work, probable challenges, and the costs of work.
   
   
   
2. They work with numbers and are well aware of the concepts of budgeting and scheduling. For instance, if the costs should be spent in terms of a foreign currency in another country, they should know the updated exchange rate and consider it in their calculation.
3. They act as a link between the cast members from the top levels to the bottom and have to be skillful speakers with a high bargaining capability. Moreover, they need to deal with people in a friendly way.
4. They have to be creative and propose a fast and practical solution for every problem. 5. Discipline (both financial and behavioral) is a quite important principle for them.
5. They have to sympathize with others during difficult times, and the cast members should feel confident in their presence.
6. They have to take good command of the related matters from different perspectives (e.g., financial and tax regulations and protocols, labor and employer laws, etc.).
7. They need to give the utmost priority to security.
8. They should love their work, and others have to feel such love.
9. They should have a good command of the financial, project control, and scheduling software.
10. They should perform their duties (particularly the ones related to contracts and financial matters) honestly and clearly.
11. They need to be able to work long hours and even during holidays.
12. They need to have the power of prediction and analysis; for instance, if a generator is needed at the scene, they have to envisage an auxiliary generator.
13. They need to have the power of organizing matters during sensitive and stressful situations.
14. They need to have the power of communicating with people other than the cast such as the departments that issue production licenses.
15. Their presence should be seen as a strong wall that does not let the internal issues get outside the cast and maintain the members’ comfort.
16. They have to profoundly know the film market, advertisement, sponsors, and their expectations.
17. They have to be optimistic and view matters positively.
18. They should believe in the spirit of teamwork and increase it.
    
    
    
19. They should have profound extensive geographical information and know any location in terms of its cultural, social, and economic aspects.
    The duties of line producer
20. They should cooperate with the producers and the production manager while budgeting and scheduling and should have an accurate understanding of the required budget, the way to procure it, the manner of getting access to it, and the schedule. In addition, they should have a clear understanding of the beginning, middle, and end of the project to take the first steps in the preparation of other matters.
21. They should cooperate during the selection of the director and even the lower members of the cast so that they can establish better collaboration with them.
22. They need to monitor the signed contracts and make sure that they are in line with the scheduling, budgeting, and other plans.
23. They should have a good command of the costs of screening days and know the details of costs, the number of people, the costs of the required equipment, and other costs such as transportation, food, etc., and consider them in their planning.
24. They should serve the director to fulfill their expectations and dreams within the budget and time considerations. For instance, if the director desires a particular scenic design, they should calculate the required costs and time to perform the economical ones. Though they should try to fulfill the director’s expectations, they have to keep the spending’s within the specified budget and should not allow the whole project to be harmed.
25. They have to extend or end contracts according to the specified plans. In addition, matters such as insurance and tax clearances and preparing the final proceedings are some of the duties performed by line producers.
26. They need to check the contracts against the domestic and international regulations of the filming locations
27. They should make sure that all the cast members have received their specified wages
28. They should make estimates of the involved risks of production based on the legal and monitoring obligations.
29. They should check the status of the borrowed or rented equipment, apparatus, and places and declare the end of contracts.
30. They should make the necessary coordination between different levels of the cast, 12. They should monitor and participate in all matters that need the spending of money.
    
    
31. They should not interfere with the artistic and technical matters of the filmmaking process like lighting or cinematography.
32. They should prepare and perform follow-up actions on insurance contracts and perform their required correspondence.
33. They need to establish a neat and creditable collection of the financial documents and records of the film, correspondences, and contracts.
34. They need to always be present in the location.
35. They need to facilitate the domestic and international trips of the cast. 18. They need to endeavor hard to obtain official licenses.
    The requirements of becoming a line producer
    There is no particular academic discipline or education, but the applicant needs to start from the lower stages like the “Logistics Manager” or “Production Assistant” and become familiar with different sections of the cast experimentally. Then, they can gradually emerge as a line producer by developing some of the characteristics mentioned above (e.g., being able to manage the cast, having higher executive power, etc.) and knowing the distinguished figures of the film industry.
    The above considerations were made to produce a fine and standard film in terms of artistic and technical aspects within optimal budget and time considerations. Nevertheless, some producers or production managers may have all of the above characteristics and take those responsibilities, too. The latter case depends on the opinions and decisions of the producers.
    Seyyed Ali Esmaeili