Of all the professions related to
the movie industry, perhaps one of the most complex and least
acknowledged is that of the producer. More than a profession, it is
a way of life which, like all creative activities, is wrought with
financial and artistic risks.
Curiously, in the USA the producer
has the greatest influence and is considered a key element in the
creation of a film. The stereotypical image of the producer has
been circulated by the media as "the fat man with a cigar, a
limousine and a mistress." Some of us are trying to change that
image.
The role of the producer is
twofold. On the one hand, he is an entrepreneur because he must
take on the financial risk of his company. At the same time, he
must guide his artists efficiently to ensure they work harmoniously
and to the best of their ability while instilling his collaborators
with a spirit of teamwork and global vision. Accordingly, the
producer must confront a constant duality of difficult challenges,
the resolutions of which often imply obtaining audiovisual work
that combine esthetical quality with profitability.
When a story is chosen, work is
undertaken from the start to finish and a final product is
delivered just as it was conceived; that is what real production is
all about. For a producer to deserve and earn that title, he must
be a creator.
A.V.G. [The audiovisual arts]