Producing Department Certification Course

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  • This course is open for 12 weeks
  • 19 lesson series
  • Certificate of completion
  • 7 hours, 14 minutes of video

$99.00

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Producing is the business of movie making, assembling the raw talent, equipment, and resources for the director to build their vision on the set. Producers constantly strive to balance the director’s artistic desire with the limitations of the shooting schedule and budget, addressing challenges on location, and juggling schedules of cast and crew. But challenges always arise, and it’s the producer’s nimble response that keeps the show moving forward, always with the singular goal of producing a movie that thrills and entertains the audience.

But the business of filmmaking is like no other –  demands are constantly changing, and each scene requires its own unique approach to be successful. One moment you may be coordinating two hundred extras dressed in medieval garb, and the next, figuring out how to get an elephant to the end of a pier for a scene.

The Producing Department Certification Course has been thoughtfully produced in partnership with some of the producers behind Hollywood’s biggest TV shows and movies, all of whom graciously share their time, talents, and experiences to teach you the skills you need to build a successful career.

In this course, you will learn:

  • The role of the line producer, unit production manager, and production coordinator
  • How to work with agents and managers
  • How to raise money and manage investor's expectations
  • How tax incentives serve to attract productions to a region
  • How to form a production company
  • How to set up a production office
  • How to work with an entertainment attorney
  • How to effectively hire a production crew
  • How producers manage the budget on set
  • How to negotiate with, pay, and manage vendors
  • How to work with unions and guilds
  • How to hire SAG-AFTRA actors
  • How a feature film script is broken down
  • How to develop a realistic shooting schedule
  • How to develop the production budget


Your instructors are Hollywood producers whose credits include top blockbusters, critically acclaimed productions, as well as Emmy and Academy-Award winning projects.

 

JOSH MCLAGLEN

Producer, 1st Assistant Director
Josh is the producer of "Avatar," the X-Men movies, "Logan," "Real Steel," and, as James Cameron's 1st AD, ran the sets of "Titanic," "Avatar," and dozens of other Hollywood blockbusters.
 

JEFF ULIN

Studio Executive, LucasFilm
Jeff was the Head of Worldwide Distribution and Online for LucasFilm, overseeing the release of the Star Wars prequels.
 

RICHARD MIDDLETON

Producer
Richard has produced the Academy-Award winner, "The Artist," and "Hitchcock," "The 5th Wave," "I Love You Phillip Morris," "Jonah Hex," "and "ZeroZeroZero"
 

CRISTEN CARR STRUBBE

Unit Production Manager
Cristen ran productions for Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can," and "Charlie Wilson's War," Academy-Award winning, "American Beauty," and over a dozen other blockbusters.
 

JODY BROCKWAY

Emmy-Nominated VP of Production, NBC
Jody managed NBC Studio's made-for television movie department, with credits including "Christmas Cupid," "Snowglobe," "Identity Theft," "Maiden Voyage," "Rush of Fear," "Cruel Justice," and "The Ron Clark Story"
 

ANNE MARIE GILLEN

Producer
Anne Marie served as COO of Morgan Freeman's production company, Revelations Entertainment, and is the producer of Oscar nominated "Fried Green Tomatoes."
 

ALEXA AMIN

Studio Executive
Alexa is the former Vice President of Development at Sony Pictures Animation and Vice President of Production at New Regency Productions.
 

WAYNE FITTERMAN

Head of Production at William Morris-Endeavor
Wayne Fitterman leads the WME's Production Department, one the top five most powerful talent agencies in the world. His clients have included, Oscar-winning cinematographers, production designers, producers, and actors.
 

LLOYD KAUFMAN

President, Troma Pictures
Lloyd is president of Troma Pictures and the chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the global trade association of independent distributors and producers of motion picture and television programming.
 

STEPHEN MARINACCIO

Line Producer
Stephen worked with James Cameron on "Aliens of the Deep," and numerous features, including "Marco Polo," "The Darkest Hour," and "13 Hours"
 

EVE LIGHT HONTHANER

Production Coordinator
Eve's credits include "Titanic," "Tropic Thunder," "Joy Ride," "Just Married," "In Dreams," and "The Game"
 

CAROLE KIRSCHNER

VP of Amblin Television
Carole has worked at CBS Comedy and as Vice President of Steven Spielberg’s first Amblin Television. During that time, she heard more than 3,000 pitches, bought hundreds of scripts, and was involved in developing dozens of television series.

 

RICKY MARGOLIS

Investor
Ricky serves as the Vice President of Future Films, LLC. The Future Film Group is a major financier and producer in the media sector having raised over $2bn in finance and having been involved in over 200 films and TV shows.
 

NOEL BERMUDEZ

Production Accountant
Noel has managed the accounting for "American Crime Story," "Feud," "Stitchers," "Switched at Birth," "10 Things I Hate About You," "The Pacific," "Wasteland," "Tin Cup," and "What's Love Got To Do With It."

 

The lessons
  • Agents and Managers

    Learn the different between an agent and a manager, the roles each fulfill, how to get one, the costs involved, and how to use their services to promote your career.
  • Raising Money

     Learn how money is raised for motion pictures, from equity and debt financing to tax incentives
  • Tax Incentives

    Learn how to take advantage of tax incentives, the difference between rebates and credits, how to convert credits into money, what to expect during the auditing process, and how to collect your money.
  • Forming a Production Company

    Learn how to choose the right corporate structure, set up a company, open the proper accounts, establish the legal framework for the production, work with an attorney, and set-up the production office.
  • Working with an Entertainment Attorney

    Learn how and when to involve a lawyer with your project and how you can protect yourself in a litigious industry.
  • Money Management

    Learn to manage the budget, set-up a bank account, manage the flow of money throughout the production including payroll, loan outs, kit fees, per diems, mileage, and petty cash.
  • Hiring the Crew

    Learn how to hire an experienced crew, work with above the line vs, below the line, union vs. non-union crew members, manage pay or play deals, work with independent contractors and employees, address personal conflicts on set, and ultimately assemble the most talented professionals for your project.
  • How to Use a Crew Deal Memo

    Lean how to use a Crew Deal Memo.
  • Working with Vendors

    Learn to find qualified vendors in your shooting area, manage relationships with vendors, the financial workflow from purchase orders to invoices, and tips to making sure you get the resources you need on set.
  • Unions and Guilds

    Learn how the unions function, the benefits for members, the key unions: IATSE, DGA, SAG, and WGA, the differences in hiring union and non-union crew, how productions flip, and how to shoot in a “Right-to-Work” state.
  • Working with SAG/AFTRA

    Learn how SAG functions, the ramifications of the SAG-AFTRA merger, how signatories work, how the Taft-Hartley act admits new members into SAG-AFTRA, and the benefits and drawbacks of Financial Core.  Be prepared when working with SAG-AFTRA actors on your production.
  • Scheduling the Production

    Learn to determine the number of shooting days needed to shoot your film, how to determine the shooting order, manage day and night shoots, account for turnaround time, and the benefits of shooting consecutive shooting days.
  • Scheduling the Day

    Learn how to schedule company moves, meal breaks, learn the productivity arc of a shooting crew, how to work with the director’ shot list, skills for managing a shoot running over schedule, how to generate a one-line schedule, and how to create call sheets.
  • Budgeting

    Learn to create an accurate budget, tricks to reducing the budget if you’re running over, how to plan for contingencies, how to manage crew expectations, and how to go into production knowing you’ll have the money to finish.
  • Insurance

    Learn how to insure your production against liabilities and costs incurred from accidents, the types of insurance you’ll need, where you can buy production insurance, the costs of insuring a production, cast insurance, film and video tape insurance, equipment insurance, and E&O insurance. 
  • The Line Producer

    Learn the duties and responsibiltiies of the line producer, both on and off the set.
  • The Unit Production Manager

    Learn the duties and responsibilities of the Unit Production Manager, both on and off the screen.
  • Production Coordinator

    Learn the duties and responsibilities of the Production Coordinator both on and off the set.
  • About this Course

    This lesson provides instructions on how to make the most out of this course.