Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Television Producer

For those interested in pursuing a career in the media world, there are few jobs which are desirable as that of a television producer; at the same time, this is also one of the most challenging and multifaceted jobs which exists in the field of broadcasting. Producer is a job title which leaves many outside of the industry scratching their heads, unsure of what this position entails exactly. There are in fact a large number of duties which fall to the person in the role of producer. This is not a career path which those who have a hard time multitasking will be well suited for. These jobs also tend to be senior level positions, meaning that one must put in some time (usually years) in the industry before being seen as a viable candidate for the job of television producer.

Essentially, the job of a television producer is to oversee all aspects of the creation of a television program from financial aspects to hiring talent, the producer has one of the toughest jobs in the business. The producer is the person responsible for the long range planning for the program which they produce which can be a difficult task indeed. The producer will work with writers (if the show which they produce is a scripted program) to determine the direction of the program going forward and has a large amount of influence on the course of the program.

A television producer may work on a freelance basis and independently produce content for television, raising funds and overseeing the creation of the content but more typically, television producer jobs are done in the employ of a television station or network. One of the many jobs of a television producer is to make the call as to what content is ultimately aired; they hold the final say over whether or not the work of the entire staff will see the light of day. Obviously, in the course of their jobs television producers must make some tough and at times, unpopular decisions a thick skin is essential here, as in so many other sectors of the economy. Not every call a television producer makes is going to be a hit with the staff they supervise.

Television producer jobs may involve doing a wide variety of duties, from scriptwriting to hands-on supervision of the filming process, depending on the standard practices at the company in whose employ they perform their duties. Producer jobs call for people who have a deep understanding of the medium of television including the entire creative process. Any job in media also involves a certain degree of stress, with perhaps no job in television being more stressful than that of a television producer. If grace under pressure is one of your strong suits, then a career in television production may work well for you.

Long hours are the norm in these jobs, something which is not uncommon in broadcasting. Especially in the case of the producers of news programs, these hours may also be irregular, since they may be called to produce news segments at any time of day or night that noteworthy events are happening.

Being a television producer is not a job for the faint of heart – it takes a genuine dedication to and love of the medium. However, the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from seeing a job well done and being able to share this accomplishment with a wide audience via the airwaves is considerable.

Television producer jobs tend to be financially rewarding as well which should come as no surprise, given the great number of responsibilities and the stress which is part and parcel of these challenging media world jobs. These are, as said before senior level jobs. A typical career path for a television producer is a few years spent in an entry level position with their entry into production being in the role of junior producer or assistant producer, with the individual eventually gaining sufficient experience to take on the role of producer. These jobs are challenging and definitely not suited to everyone, but for those who have the dedication and drive to move up into these jobs will find that the financial rewards can be substantial.

No comments: