What is a Video Producer?

One of the first questions I get when I tell people that I’m a video producer is: So, what does a video producer do exactly?

Well, Gale Anne Hurd, producer of Terminator and The Walking Dead, broke it down like this on an episode of The Nerdist podcast.

“You are the cheerleader. You are the fairy godmother. You are also often times the very stern proctor who’s walking around noticing if anyone is out of line. And you have to lay down the rules.”

Think of it like this–Have you ever been to a wedding, where every detail was taken care of and the whole event flowed effortlessly and as a guest, you felt completely taken care of?

With that being said, have you been to a wedding where your friend is in the corner of the country club hall changing CD’s himself because he didn’t want to pay for a DJ?

Now go back to the first scenario: that’s what it’s like to have a producer. It’s my job to anticipate every potential problem and to make it disappear before you even know that there’s an issue. It’s not that we don’t think you are capable of planning and organizing, but you don’t have to—that’s what you pay us for.

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You should be focusing on your vision of your project, not that Location A is only available through these dates, but Location B is ready as a backup in case filming gets extended. See what I mean? There are problems that you shouldn’t have to even worry about.

As the former Segment Producer of Facebook Live at Time Inc., I can tell you that there are a million different situations and solutions that I have come across in the hundreds of shoots that I have been a part of—the more you experience, the better you become at your job.

There have been times when someone tried to step in and add to a shoot that I had set-up—whether it be another interview or recipe demo, and when I stepped back and gave them the reigns to fully take over their addition, they immediately retracted their request.

The truth is that it’s not just one thing that you’re dealing with when you’re producing a video. There are PR firms, marketing agencies, locations, talent, props, and even the weather to do deal with. You don’t see the dozens of emails that get exchanged behind the scenes, and you shouldn’t have to.

The only thing that you should be focusing on is your vision and goal for the video. Leave the rest to me. It can be scary to leave your dream in someone else’s hands, but I’ve been here before, so I know how to get you to the finish line.

Honestly, you made it this far and have decided that you want to invest in a high-quality video for your business, brand, product, what-have-you—so let us be the ones up late at night thinking about lighting and storyboards. We’ve got your back.