3 Tips for TV Line Producing

The other day I sat in on an inspirational conversation with the Line Producer of a popular half-hour comedy television show. The Line Producer is the person who "tows the line" of the budget, meaning she makes sure episodes are delivered on time and on budget. I won't get into everything she said because they're too specific to television production, but here are a few universal nuggets: "Coming under budget is a bad thing because it means you're producing scared." When you have a budget and deliver the episode way under, it means you're not very good at your job. You over-estimated how much things would cost originally (i.e. inflated the budget). Then you committed the cardinal sin of not using all your resources on the screen. The studio wants a great show, a hit show. If you deliver $10,000 over budget you won't get in trouble. If you deliver $100,000 under budget, you will.

"Line producing is like playing 3-D chess in space with math." As a line producer, your job is to protect the showrunner's vision, protect the studio's money, and keep your crew happy. You're the one who signs the checks, so you better be sure you're responsible for them. You have to be great with numbers, great at solving problems and managing people. You have to be comfortable making big decisions and small decisions. You also have to be willing to use the carrot and the stick.

"To be a good line producer, you must have self esteem." No one will believe your words if you don't. You have to believe in yourself and your abilities. You should be able to go home and sleep well at night, not worry about your work. This isn't to say things don't come up. They will. But feel confident in your decisions and know that whatever happens, you know how to fix it. Believe your words.

At the end of the lecture, she mentioned having been inspired by the Robert Frost poem The Road Not Taken.

Here it is:

The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

Happy creating!