Khi crew Avatar 2 quay tại New Zealand suốt 4 năm với ngân sách $400M, ai đảm bảo từng người được trả lương, từng chiếc trực thăng đến đúng giờ, từng catering đầy đủ, từng location permit hợp pháp? Đó là Line Producer.
Line Producer là người ground-level chuyển ý tưởng phim thành reality on set. Khác Executive Producer (financing, deal), Line Producer là "operations chief of staff" — họ live + breath ngân sách + lịch quay + crew + logistics suốt production. Không có Line Producer giỏi, phim collapse.
01Line Producer là ai?
Line Producer là Producer chịu trách nhiệm về hằng ngày production logistics + ngân sách của phim. Phân loại theo project: (1) Feature film Line Producer — long-form, multi-month shoot, large crew; (2) TV series Line Producer — episodic, ongoing season; (3) Commercial / Advertising Line Producer — short-form, tight schedule, high-end cost; (4) Music video Line Producer — short-form artistic; (5) Documentary Line Producer — variable scope. Phân loại theo scale: Low-budget indie ($200K-$5M), Mid-tier ($5M-$50M), Studio film ($50M+).
Khác với Executive Producer (financing, top-level deal) — Line Producer ground-level execution. Khác với Producer general (creative + business) — Line Producer specifically logistics + budget. Khác với Production Manager (under Line Producer, hằng ngày department) — Line Producer higher authority. Khác với UPM (Unit Production Manager) — overlap, sometimes same role with different title. Hợp tác chặt với: Director, Producer, UPM, Production Designer, Department Heads (DP, AD, Costume...), Studio Executive, Completion Bond company.
- Manage production ngân sách
- Hire crew + vendor
- Schedule shoot + logistics
- Report to studio + producer
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"line producer film set production office budget schedule professional management"
Line Producer — operations chief của phim
Vị trí trong quy trình sản xuất
Line Producer join trong pre-production (8-16 tuần before shoot), stay through production (shoot 4-20 tuần), partial post-production (wrap admin). Báo cáo Producer / Executive Producer / Studio. Authority over: UPM, Production Coordinator, Accountant, Department Heads (budget side). Quy trình: receive script + ngân sách → break down → schedule + budget → hire crew → manage shoot → wrap. Project: indie film (4-9 tháng total commitment), studio film (12-24 tháng), TV season (6-12 tháng). Fee: % của ngân sách hoặc weekly flat (VN 15-40M/tuần mid, 40-100M/tuần senior).
02Công việc của một Line Producer
1. Pre-production — script breakdown + budget
Receive script. Break down: scene (count, location, day/night, INT/EXT), cast (lead + supporting + extras + stunt), crew need (number per department), equipment (camera, lighting, grip), location (cost, permit), special effect, VFX shot. Build shooting schedule. Build budget — 100+ line item từ above-the-line (cast, director, writer fee) tới below-the-line (crew, equipment, post, contingency).
- Script breakdown
- Shooting schedule
- Budget chi tiết
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"line producer script breakdown movie magic budget software professional film"
Breakdown + budget
2. Hire crew + vendor + negotiate
With Director, hire department heads (DP, Production Designer, Costume, Sound, Editor). Heads hire their crew under Line Producer ngân sách + approval. Negotiate rate for each. Hire vendor — equipment rental house, post house, catering, transport, insurance. Establish vendor contract. Manage petty cash + payroll.
- Hire crew + heads
- Negotiate rate
- Vendor contract
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"film crew hiring department head meeting line producer set professional"
Hire crew
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"film production vendor contract equipment rental negotiation professional"
Vendor + contract
3. Production — manage shoot hằng ngày
On shooting day, Line Producer present (sometimes in production office, sometimes on set). Monitor budget actual vs plan daily. Approve spending. Solve crisis — actor sick (re-schedule), location cancel (find alternative), weather day (insurance claim, swap interior scene), equipment break. Manage overtime + penalty. Daily production report + cost report. Communicate up to producer + studio.
- Daily cost tracking
- Solve crisis
- Report up
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"film production office line producer daily report budget tracking professional"
Hằng ngày management
4. Wrap + audit + close-out
After wrap shoot: strike (return equipment, vacate location, close set), wrap party. Final cost report — actual ngân sách vs original. Pay outstanding bill + crew final payroll. Insurance close. Studio audit. Sometimes Line Producer continue partial post (oversee VFX, music, mix expense). Archive document.
- Strike + wrap
- Final cost report
- Audit + close
Gợi ý tìm ảnh
"film wrap party crew celebration end production post professional"
Wrap + close-out
03Line Producer cần giỏi gì?
widgets
Budgeting + financial control
assignment
Production logistics + scheduling
bolt
Crisis management + problem solving
widgets
Communication + negotiation
movie
Film knowledge + craft understanding
handyman
Công cụ: Movie Magic Scheduling, Budgeting, Excel
Budgeting + financial control
Cốt lõi. Detailed knowledge of 100+ line item. Hiểu union rate, equipment cost, post cost. Track expense actual vs forecast daily. Foresee cost overrun + take action. Read: "The Hollywood Standard", "Movie Money Confidential".
Production logistics + scheduling
Schedule shoot day = puzzle. Optimize: minimize moving company, group location, work around actor availability + weather. Tools: Movie Magic Scheduling (MMS), StudioBinder, Yamdu. Hiểu day-out-of-days, strip board.
Crisis management + problem solving
Production luôn có crisis. Calm under pressure. Quick decision. Creative alternative thinking. Network for resource (last-minute equipment, replacement crew, emergency location).
Communication + negotiation
Talk với artist (sensitive ego), crew (union rule), vendor (contract), studio (budget pressure). Negotiate rate constantly. Diplomat. Strong written communication for production report.
Film knowledge + craft understanding
Hiểu craft of each department — không cần do technical work, nhưng phải understand what they need + why. Realistic estimate. Spot bullshit budget request. Industry experience essential.
Công cụ: Movie Magic Scheduling, Budgeting, Excel
Movie Magic Scheduling + Movie Magic Budgeting — industry standard. Excel + Google Sheets for custom calc. Slack, Asana, Frame.io for collaboration. QuickBooks for accounting.
04Làm cách nào để trở thành Line Producer?
1
Học Film Production / Business / Finance 3–4 năm
Nền tảng: Film Production / Film Business / Business Administration. VN: ĐH Sân khấu Điện ảnh, ĐH Văn Lang Truyền thông Đa phương tiện, Hoa Sen Sản xuất phim. Quốc tế: USC Peter Stark Producing, UCLA Production, AFI Producing, NYU Tisch Producing. Thêm: PGA (Producers Guild) seminar, line producer workshop.
2
Khởi đầu: Production Assistant (PA) 2–4 năm
Start: PA (production assistant) — coffee, paper, logistics support. Production Office Coordinator (POC). Production Secretary. Learn how production office work, who do what. VN: production company BHD, CJ HK Entertainment, Galaxy Studios, Lotte Cinema Production. Indie: Saigon Cinema Co., East Captain.
3
Production Coordinator → Production Manager 3–6 năm
Promote to Production Coordinator (manage paperwork, communication, scheduling). Then Production Manager / UPM (manage department, budget oversight). This is direct Line Producer prep path.
4
First Line Producer credit — indie / commercial
First Line Producer credit thường nhỏ — indie film, commercial, music video. Build reputation. Strong recommendation từ director + studio.
5
Mid-tier feature / TV series Line Producer
5-10 năm Line Producer experience. Take on mid-tier ngân sách film, TV series, premium commercial.
6
Sự nghiệp Line Producer
Lộ trình dài hạn: (1) Studio film Line Producer — large ngân sách Hollywood studio film; (2) Producer — promote to full Producer (creative + business + financing); (3) Studio executive — production company VP, head of production; (4) Independent producing partner; (5) International co-production specialist — VN attractive for international co-production (tax incentive); (6) Production company founder. Lương: VN Line Producer mid 25-60M/tháng (project rate); senior 60M-150M+/tháng. Quốc tế: $5,000-$12,000/tuần mid-tier; $12,000-$25,000/tuần studio film; top Line Producer $25K-$40K+/tuần. Demand luôn cao — every shoot need Line Producer. Solid career với clear progression.
