Post-Production Producer

Post-Production Producer editing a film

Job Overview

Post-production producers have a major role in the production process. These roles can include editing, title credit design, blending of audio and color correction. The post-production producer is accountable for supervising all these aspects. This is important in many medias such as a TV shows, commercials, and movies. One of the most common tasks of post-production producers is to correct the order of scenes in media since they are usually shot out of order. In addition, it is very important to ensure that the scenes have a pleasant flow to them, so the transitions seem smooth to the viewer. There will also typically be errors in the film that the post-production producer must discover and correct as well. Not to mention, it is essential that they are able to work well in a team since they will be the leader of the whole post-production side of the project.

Additional Responsibilities

  • The post producers main task is to gather all of the footage and upload it to the editing software for the finished product.
  • After gathering all of film you should determine the edit and the sequencing of shots. Usually along with the director.
  • You should supervise all of the post production process during live shows, news stories and daily soaps since they will be done live rather then pre-recorded.
  • Post producers are responsible for overseeing/completing all the editing of the film. If done incorrectly, it can ruin the film.
  • Accountable for putting in the credits correctly. In addition to creating a film with no errors, even one mishap is unacceptable on this job.

Education

Most post-production producer jobs require some sort of degree from a college or university. However, some Post production jobs don’t require any particular degree. It may actually not even require a degree at all. Having experience in film certainly helps as well. A few of the classes should familiarize you to after effects, combustion and special effects. Furthermore, you should have experience with several computer software programs that are essential for the video editing world such as FinalCutPro, Adobe Pro, Avid, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Max, DVD Studio Pro, Realviz Matchmover etc. A lot of people start off as editing assistants before becoming post-producers. It usually takes a few years before this position becomes available to someone; thus, it is uncommon to get this job straight out of college.

Long Work Days

Post-production producers more often than not work long hours. They are usually under a tight schedule with pressure to make deadlines, especially during the final stages of production. Therefore, this can be a somewhat stressful job. There will be times where you will have to spend weekends and long nights alone in a dark room to finish a project. For example, a 30 minute film will commonly have you put in 150-300 hours of work. However, this can vary drastically depending on the media and quality of the film.

Salary

The median annual income for a post producer is around $81,000 per year. But this is just the median annual income. Some post-production producers can make millions and some only make $30,000 per year. The leading factor that you can control to boost your income in this field is experience. As a result, the more work you do in the industry the more likely someone is to hear about what you have done and want you to join their team. However, having a good degree can also have a decent factor on wage as well.

Sources

First Source: Post Producer Job Description by Morgan Bolling, Career Trend at https://careertrend.com/about-6710511-post-producer-job-description.html (Visited 9/14/2020)

Second Source: Post Producer Job Description, Job Description at http://www.jobdescription.org/post-producer.html (Visited 9/16/2020)

Third Source: Description of Film Post-Production Jobs by David Searls, Chron at https://work.chron.com/description-film-postproduction-jobs-16107.html (Visited 9/17/2020)