Prompt 1: Lights, Camera, Action

By: Gigi

Ever wondered what it’s truly like to work as a producer or a director of a show? Sure, we’ve all seen portrayals of producers and directors on TV screaming, “Lights! Camera! Action!” or “Cut!” However, in reality, this is only the icing on a rather gigantic cake!

Accordingly, for the sake of producers and directors all over the world, I will attempt to debug the common misconceptions surrounding their work by shedding more light on what producers and directors actually do.

To know the truth, you must first know the existing beliefs, right? Well then, I asked a couple of my peers what they thought producers do. Check out the video above to see their responses, but if you’re not feeling up to it, that’s OK. Here’s a summary: Most students said that producers and directors were “creative visionaries” who spent their time “planning shows”, “working with people”, and “handling the action on set.”  These responses were not too different from what I had in mind. And now, I had to confirm if these responses were truth or just preconceptions which the media had created by airing shows such as “UnReal.”

Thus, I went scavenger hunting, exploring trusted websites about careers such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This particular website describes the job of a director/ producer thus, “Producers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.” Indeed, this definition really resonated with me as it highlighted the crucial and potent educational aspect of media which, what with the boom of reality shows and tabloids, is often overlooked.

So, now that we know what producers/ directors actually do, let’s go underneath the cake’s icing (yes, that gigantic cake I mentioned earlier) to discover what makes the cake.

Quoting the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “producers and directors typically do the following:

• Select scripts or topics for a film, show, commercial, or play.
• Audition and select cast members and the film or stage crew.
• Approve the design and financial aspects of a production.
• Oversee the production process, including performances, lighting, and choreography.
• Oversee the postproduction process, including editing, special effects, music selection, and a performance’s overall tone.
• Ensure that a project stays on schedule and within budget.
• Promote finished works or productions through interviews, advertisements, and film festivals.”