Job Roles

Producer

One of the vaguest titles in Hollywood, a producer can be a writer, an investor, an idea man, a manager or all of the above. In film, the head producer is called the executive producer and is responsible for each and every phase of filmmaking: pre-production, production and post-production.

In pre-production, the producer reads scripts and hears ideas from writers, directors and agents. After choosing an idea, the producer has to raise money to fund the project. One route is to get the backing of a major movie studio. Another is to go independent and seek funding from individual investors.

Now the producer has to hire a screenwriter, a director, production staff, casting directors, art directors, camera and lighting crews and editors.

It's the producer's job to make sure that the project stays within budget throughout production and post-production. A good producer not only makes good films, but makes money for the investors.

Like most jobs in the film industry, producers work their way up. You might start as a production assistant or a script reader, learning how to spot a good idea and how to bring it to fruition. Or you can just leap right in and learn by trial and error, making small, low-budget films and working up to bigger ones.

Director

Directors oversee the artistic vision of a film. Directors aren't usually involved in the financial side of filmmaking, unless they're wearing multiple hats as a producer-director.

In pre-production, the director works closely with the screenwriter and the producer to figure out the best way to visually represent the script and its themes. An experienced director will have a preferred list of cinematographers, art directors, cameramen, casting directors and even actors. Even if the producer does much of the actual hiring and location scouting, it's the director who has the final say.

During filming, the director coaches actors on the best way to read their lines and express emotions. He or she works with the cinematographer to make sure that the action is being faithfully and artistically recorded. And the director decides how many takes are necessary before the crew can move on to the next shot.

In post-production, the director sits with the editor to assemble the finished film. He or she works with a composer and music director to create a score and soundtrack that supports the story. And finally, after months or years of work, the director has a finished film.

To succeed as a director requires a persistence of vision and the ability to collaborate with an extensive team to bring that vision to life. They also need to have a deep understanding of film history and technique. Directors usually start with small, independent projects, sometimes as part of film school programs.

Screenwriters

There are several different ways for a screenwriter to get involved with a film project. One way is to write a full script on spec. The idea is to write the script first and then shop it around to agents or producers who might hire you or buy the script for later development.

Experienced screenwriters don't even have to write the script. Through their agent, they can get appointments with producers to pitch an idea for a script. The producer can then decide whether to just buy the idea or to hire the screenwriter to write a full script or a shorter treatment.

Some screenwriters are hired later in the process, after a producer or director has developed an idea. The screenwriter might be asked to write an adaptation of an existing work, like a novel or a play, or even punch up another screenwriter's script by adding more jokes or more realistic dialogue. On large studio films, it's not uncommon for several screenwriters to get credit for the same script.

Some screenwriters start as playwrights, journalists, novelists or other professional writers, while others go directly into writing for film and television. It's a notoriously hard industry to break into, so it helps if you have connections.

Editors (Film and Video)

Editors perform one of the most important -- but least glamorous -- jobs in Hollywood. It's not uncommon for a director to shoot hundreds of hours of footage that needs to be whittled down to a tight, 90-minute film. A skilled editor will select the scenes and individual shots that best tell the story according to the director's specific vision.

Editors spend their days (and some late nights) in front of a console of computer monitors, shaving seconds off of shots and painstakingly editing audio. Larger film projects employ many different editors, each with a specific task (rough cut editor, dialogue audio editor, special effects audio editor and more). They don't get paid that much for all those late night