We asked our panel of corporate video production experts to define what the corporate video producer role means to them, and to outline some of the characteristics that are common to the best video producers they have worked with. Here’s what they told us.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a corporate video producer?

The corporate video producer role is broad and varied and includes responsibility for coordinating and managing all elements of a filmed video production, explainer animation or event video. This includes clarifying the brief to managing the budget, sourcing talent and specialists and ensuring the whole process runs smoothly. It’s a lot of work and it requires a unique mix of skills to get it right.

What makes a great video producer?

The best corporate video producers are…

Organised

The producer coordinates between the client, freelancers, creatives, talent and finance. It’s a lot of plates to spin and it requires a real ability to multitask and respond to ever-changing circumstances. Things never go completely to plan on a production and it’s the producer’s responsibility to anticipate where something might go wrong and course correct in advance.

Responsible

The buck stops with the producer. That means that she is accountable for the success or failure of the production. She therefore needs to be able to handle that level of responsibility.

Personable

The corporate video producer needs to guide the client through the production process. That means she needs to be able to build rapport with the client, giving them confidence that they are in good hands and that their money is being well spent. This intangible skill requires her to be friendly and professional at all times.

Diplomatic

Any video production has a lot of moving parts. From insane requests from clients, to high maintenance freelancers who need their creative egos managed, there will usually be a conflict of some sort. The best corporate video producer can manage these diplomatically, helping find a solution that works for everyone.

Great communication

One of the biggest challenges in video production is that the client will start with a very loose idea of what they want and it will be down to the producer to turn that that into a fleshed out video production brief that production can work from. It’s a tough job and requires an ability to understand the client’s objectives and turn these into key focus points for the production.

Experienced

It helps if the producer has an understanding of the different elements of the whole production process. She doesn’t need to be a seasoned camera operator or professional editor but some practical experience goes a long way. The producer needs to be able to understand the perspectives of all the people involved in bringing the video to life.

Passionate

The corporate video producer role is not an easy one. It can be challenging at times and the producers who are best able to adapt to those challenges are the ones who love what they do. A good producer really cares – it keeps her up at night if she thinks something isn’t quite right and she will go above and beyond to get it sorted.

Adaptable

It’s rare for a producer to only work on one production at a time. She will usually be dipping in and out of projects and having to juggle lots of clients. That means she needs to be able to adapt quickly to changes and prioritise work under often near impossible circumstances.

Creative

While the producer isn’t solely responsible for the creative output, the ones who can come up with original concepts, witty scripts and good visual creatives really do stand out. In fact, creativity is one of the most highly-valued skills in the role.

Financially literate

While being creative is important, so too is having a decent grasp of the finances of a production. The corporate video producer will need to be able to run a video budget, identify areas of risk and forecast for profitability.

The producer role is undeniably tough, but at TopLine we are proud to say that we have accumulated a team of some of the best producers in the industry to work on our corporate video productions – get in touch if you’d like to work with the industry’s finest.

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