"What A Producer Does"
 

subtitle: "The Art of Moviemaking (Not the Business)" by Buck Houghton.

This title caught my eye in the bookstore because an industry guy in this area, after talking with me about video production, said, "I think you should consider taking on the role of producer, and let the others do the shooting, editing, etc." (Just what was he trying to say there?... :) My hope in reading it was that I could transfer principles to small-time video production.

This book was a great read, because it touched on all the various jobs in filmmaking through the eyes of the producer who knows when to be involved--and when to stay out of the way. Mr. Houghton used a production budget sheet as his table of contents, allowing each item to be his chapter headings. So, the chapters included: the story; the writer and screenplay; the director; the cast; etc.

Even though I've always admired and respected the work of the assistant director, the cameraman, the gaffer, the guy who says where to park the trucks on location--I'll never watch a movie quite the same again. Each person, and there are so many, is so valuable!

A lot of people on this forum know this stuff already, but for folks like me who may never have the opportunity to work on a Hollywood set or go to film school, this enlightening and entertaining book might be the next best thing!

Good tip, Lorinda! Here's a link to the book at amazon.com.

I re-watched "Wag the Dog" last evening and your thread's title jumped at me, and made me smile, in light of Dustin Hoffman's performance.

Now you've got me curious, Ken. Guess one of my stops in town today will be the video rental of "Wag the Dog." :)

Now, if we could only figure out what the "Associate Producer" does, we'd have a bestseller!

RB

An Associate Producer is an assistant to the producer or sometimes the line producer or production manager who's been given a bump up in the credits.

Sometimes the Associate Producer is an investor or daughter/son of an investor.

Now I'm going to have to write a book.

On some of the projects I've worked on, the Associate Producer has been the guy who actually did all the hard work, and the producer the big gun who went up on stage to receive the best film award! :-)

I hear ya Rob,

It has always been a running joke that the job duties of the Associate Producer was to associate with the producer!

I've been on a few TV shows and movies where the Associate Producer was nothing more than a convenient place to employ someone's girlfriend.

RB