Television Producer - Types of Television Producers

Types of Television Producers

Different types of producers in the industry today include (in order of seniority):

• executive producer: There are four meanings for the term. The showrunner is the "chief executive"—in charge of everything related to the production of the show. It is the highest ranking individual who is responsible for the development and daily management of the show. Established show creators with prior writing credits are automatically given the title of executive producer, even after they depart the show. Executive producers can also be head writers, the CEO of the production company that distributes the series, or an experienced producer on the writing team who has moved up the ranks and currently serves on the board of the directors.
• co-executive producer: Second in seniority to executive producer who attends writing team meetings. Most write for the series.
• supervising producer: Supervises the creative process in the writing room, and often aids in script re-writes. These people also guide new writers. They are usually supervise less experienced story editors and staff writers on the writing team.
• producer: A producer can also be the writer of the episode, or a former executive producer who still writes for the show, but has since relinquished his/her duties as E.P. Since producer credits are used for individual episodes, they often require approval from the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Traditional producers, who are responsible for physical facilities, are given the credit of produced by. Most line producers are given the title of produced by.
• co-producer: A writer on the show who may not have written the episode, but contributed significantly through table reads or revisions. Co-producer credits also often require approval from the Writers Guild of America.
• coordinating producer: or production coordinator. This producer manages the show's schedule and arranges the staff into teams.
• consulting producer: These producers are former executive or possibly co-executive producers, or in rare cases directors, who no longer work on the show that much. They are called upon to assist the writers, sometimes specializing in a particular subject.
• associate producer: Runs day-to-day operations.
• assistant producer: Sources contributors and stories for the program.
• chase producer: For news and talk show production, locates and schedules (or "chases") guests for interviews.
• segment producer: Writes one segment of a program.
• line producer: Manages current staff, and finds staff to hire for the production.
• field producer: Selects areas to film (outside of a television studio) and coordinates stories for a production in the field. They also form a trusting relationship with the cast/participants in order to get interviews while in the field. They may fill a number of different roles, including production manager/coordinator, videographer and also Production assistant.
• edit producer: Oversees the creative and editorial aspects of the program when it is being edited.
• post producer: Supervises the overall post-production process, including editing, dubbing and grading. Post-producers are typically employed by facilities houses rather than by production companies directly.

In live television or "as-live", an executive producer seldom has any operational control of the show. His/her job is to stand back from the operational aspects and judge the show as an ordinary viewer might.

In film or video productions, the executive producer is almost always given an opportunity to comment on a rough cut but the amount of attention paid to his/her comments is highly dependent on the overall personnel structure of the production.