The document discusses a survey of Australian screen content producers. It aimed to map the culture, motivations, and aspirations of over 4,000 producers in defined populations. The survey included open and closed questions about classifications, projects, education, employment, industry sentiment, attitudes, and perceptions. The document also discusses the role and responsibilities of a producer. Producers are involved in all aspects of a production from development through post-production and marketing. They oversee the creative process and make important decisions. While no single producer handles every task, they must perform a majority of producing functions. Producers tend to work in industries like health, education, media, and finance. They are motivated more by intrinsic rewards than

1. Deb Verhoeven
@bestqualitycrab

2.  Project Team: David Court (AFTRS), Allan
Cameron (AFTRS), Deb Verhoeven
 Purpose: To map the culture, motivations
and aspirations of a highly influential sector
of the content production industries

3.  Scope:
◦ Defined population > 4,000
◦ Sample 2,000
◦ 12% participation
◦ mix of open and closed questions looking at
classifications, project details, education,
employment, industry sentiment, attitudes and
perceptions

4.  What does a producer do, exactly?
 Who is a producer, typically?

5. There are approximately one hundred and twenty-eight
different crafts and skills called upon in the manufacture of a
single picture including a familiarity in depth with story,
writing, directing, casting, editing, acting, wardrobe,
cinematography, sound, film colour, dubbing, publicity,
carpentry, architecture, set design, make-up, music and
lighting. It would be astonishing if any single executive had
even a superficial knowledge of some of these highly
specialized skills.
William Fadiman, Hollywood Now, 1972, 128.

6. I know that I have opened a can of worms with the word
'Producer' because entertainment entities, both networks and
studios, have used the word with such inaccurate profligacy
of late that it has lost its power of identification: Associate
Producers, Line Producers, Co-Producers, Assistant
Producers, Executive Producers! (One can only guess what
they all do…probably too much and too little.)
Houghton. What a Producer Does, 1991, vii

7. Peter Weir once described the functions to me thus: the film
director is the pilot of a large aircraft wishing to reach its
destination, and the producer is the navigator who helps to
get them there safely and without hassles…In Australia,
certainly, too many producers think they're the pilot and
neglect the navigation.
Patricia Lovell, No Picnic: An Autobiography, p. 242.

8. Producers need to have skills and dexterity far beyond those
of mere mortals. Producers are required to be tactful, witty at
lunch, compassionate, charming to actors, clever with money,
patient at the fifteenth meeting, mechanically able to fix a
photocopier, and able to remember thousands of details and
their significance.
Damien Parer, 'Excuse Me, but What is a Producer?', Film
Business: A Handbook for Producers, p. 2.

9. I can never understand how anyone can take on the
responsibility for planning any big show without guidance
from God.
J. Arthur Rank

10. Development
 Conceived of the underlying concept upon which the production is based or
involved at its inception.
 Selected the material upon which the production is based and secured
necessary rights for development and production of the material.
 Selected the writer(s).
 Supervised and oversaw the development process.
 Secured the initial financing.
 Served as the primary point of contact for the studio and/or financing entity.
Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by” in Theatrical Motion Pictures is
expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job
functions:

11. Pre-production
Selected the director, co-producer and unit production manager.
Selected the principal cast in consultation with the director.
In consultation with the director, selected the production designer,
cinematographer, editor and visual effects co.
Participated in location scouting in consultation with the director.
Supervised the preparation of the preliminary budget and approved and
signed the final budget in consultation with the Co-Producer and UPM.
Creatively involved in the final shooting script in consultation with the
director and the writer(s) and approved and signed the final shooting script.
Approved the final shooting schedule in consultation with the director.
Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by” in Theatrical Motion Pictures is
expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job
functions:

12. Production
Exercised final approval of the deals for the principal components of the production.
Provided continuous in-person consultation with the director and principal cast
In collaboration with the director, provided in-person consultation with the production
designer, art department, wardrobe, make-up and hair.
In collaboration with the director, provided in-person consultation with the stunt
coordinator and on mechanical effects (if applicable).
Supervised "on-set” and on a continuous basis the day-to-day operation of the producing
team and the entire shooting company.
Approved the weekly cost report.
Viewed the "dailies” and provided in-person consultation with the director, the editor, the
studio and/or financial entity.
Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by” in Theatrical Motion Pictures is
expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job
functions:

13. Production
Provided in-person participation on visual effects in consultation with the director, the
studio or financial entity.
Selected the composer in consultation with the director, and participated in-person with the
composer and the director in the scoring process
Provided in-person consultation with the editor along with the director, the studio or
financial entity, and participated on the final cut of the motion picture.
Consulted with the director and the editor during the preparation of the first cut that is
shown to the studio/financial entity.
Selected the music supervisor in consultation with the director, and participated in-person
during the music recording sessions.
Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by” in Theatrical Motion Pictures is
expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job
functions:

14. Post-Production/Marketing
Provided in-person consultation with the director on the re-recording stage.
Provided in-person consultation with the director on the titles and opticals.
Provided in-person consultation with the cinematographer, the director, the studio and/or
financing entity on the answer print or edited master.
Consulted on the media plan and materials, and the marketing and distribution plans for
the motion picture.
Consulted on the plans for exploitation of the motion picture in ancillary and foreign
markets.
Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by” in Theatrical Motion Pictures is
expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job
functions:

15. “…while no single producer is expected to undertake every one of these functions on a
given production, a credited producer must perform a majority of the producing functions
listed.”
http://www.producersguild.org/?code_of_credits

20. Who is the typical producer?

24. •Health and Community Services
•Cultural and Recreational Services
•Education
•Finance and Insurance
•Communication Services

29.  Importance of Psychic income to offset
precarity
◦ The subjective value of non-monetary satisfaction
 Cross-media mobility is not simply a
characteristic of media consumption, but is a
fact of life in production
 Producers are „idealistic‟ rather than
pragmatic

30.  Allan Cameron, Deb Verhoeven and David
Court, “Above the Bottom Line: Understanding
Australian Screen Content Producers” Media
International Australia, Issue 136 (August
2010)
 Deb Verhoeven and Allan Cameron, “Analysing
the culture of Australian screen content
producers” Lumina, Vol. 6 (December 2010)
 http://csb.aftrs.edu.au/survey/