So, you decided to become a producer, but you have no idea where to start in this fast-paced field, don’t worry because you’re in the right place. Here we have a talented and highly skilled video, film and documentary producer Erieny Mouawad to answer some of the most common questions buzzing around in your head right now.

What are the types of producers and what exactly is the difference between them?

There are a lot of different types of producers, but mainly they can be categories into 4 types, List, Post, Executive, and Video Producer. Depending on the project you’ll find a number of different producers, such as Content, News, Field, Segment, Film, Tv producers, or even production coordination or manager. All of these titles are different branches of being a producer.
The executive producer is the one who executes the project itself. In programs or projects that need content to be written on a daily basis, you’ll find a Content producer behind the scenes. The Post Producer is the one who takes care of everything post-production until the project is ready for airing.
A production manager or sometimes called “Field Producer” is the one who accompanies the crew (film, camera crew and so on) in their filming endeavors to help make sure the process goes smoothly and the production doesn’t stop because of any legal papers or what not.
The main producer is the one who invests their money into the production of the project itself. This is somewhat different than what occurs abroad. There you can have production companies doing so, but here we usually have one person (The Producer) who does that.

How can I make people want to see my project?

You can’t make anyone do something they don’t want to do. This means your audience has to want to see your creations in order to actually, well, see it. So what does that mean for you? It means that your content has to be something you know your audience will want to watch, that’s, of course, assuming you know your audience which is something you definitely have to do. Before you start creating anything you need to know who you want to produce it for. So, this means as a producer you need to be creative enough and intuitive enough to know exactly what your audience will want to watch in order to make it

How do I estimate the value of a film/project before I take it?

In the field of production, there is absolutely no way you can do something without planning. You have to plan everything in advance (and I mean in advance). Every step is researched, calculated, studied and everything is scheduled so we know how to proceed in an organized manner. This is also vital if you want to stick to your budget because you sort of have to. In our field, every second counts, literally!

How do I avoid shooting materials that don’t end up in the final project/film?

As I mentioned before, if you plan very well, you’ll never have to shoot any material extra. Because if you shoot material that you don’t need, that’s lost money, time, effort and did I mention money, you pay for studio time and pretty much everything else. So, plan very well, script everything and follow your schedule and all should go to plan.
That being said, there is one exception to this and that’s documentaries. While shooting a documentary (and News) you don’t plan what you’re filming because you’re just filming as you go, following how the story unfolds. So, you’ll find in the end that you shot a lot of extra material that you won’t need in your final project.

What are all the ways I can earn a living as a producer, doing what I love?

You can work as any of the producing jobs I mentioned above of course. You could also work as a production consultant on films, tv shows or even in festivals like El Gouna Film Festival for instance. A producer could also work in the academic side of things and teach production. I can never forget how my Professor in college was Rania Hegazy the renowned producer and at the time she was also working in Al Qahera Al Youm.

From your experience in the industry, what do you think makes investors eager to invest in films, projects, etc.?

The thing with investors is that they have to feel that your project will position their brand in a way they want. This could happen when they see that your production will feature celebrities, influencers, etc. You need to believe in your production because if you don’t, no one else will. So, use the power of your belief to persuade your potential investors. However, you have to know that this is a risky game because you just put your money, effort and everything in this project you produced and you still don’t know if anyone will be willing to sell it. So, be very smart in how you sell your product.
