Question 1

What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

Jessica Lipman · Accepted Answer

“Shake a lot of hands!”

Question 2

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

Jessica Lipman · Accepted Answer

“Assuming they already know everything they need to know, or thinking that because they produced 1-2 student films in college they understand budgets and call sheets and story breakdowns. You never want to act too cocky in this industry. The minute you think you know it all, you risk losing it all, too.”

Question 3

What is the question people should ask about this career but rarely do?

Jessica Lipman · Accepted Answer

“People should ask more: ‘Can I go home?! It’s 11 pm!!!’ Just kidding. People should be more curious about diversifying their experiences. You might want to be a Line Producer, but why not try story editing? You might foresee yourself working solely in casting, but would working as a Field Logger hurt your career? More likely, it’ll help.”

Question 4

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

Jessica Lipman · Accepted Answer

“Perserverance.”

Question 5

Is an Associate Producer higher than a Producer?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

In short, no. Someone with the title of Producer typically has more oversight and sway on a film, as they are involved in the day-to-day decisions being made and issues that inevitably come up. An Associate Producer generally has a specific set of duties and tends to report to the Producer about that sphere of responsibility.

Question 6

How old are Associate Producers?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

There are no hard-and-fast age stipulations to become an Associate Producer. Some younger professionals start out as Associate Producers as they build the experience and skillsets to one day become Producers with more responsibility for a project. Other professionals prefer to have a specific set of responsibilities on set, which is why they may stay Associate Producers over the course of their entire careers.

Question 7

How many Associate Producers can a film have?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

Outside of how many Producers can be named for an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, there aren’t specific rules about the total number of Associate Producers who work on a film. If a movie warrants a particular number of Associate Producers, that is the right number for that project.

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Associate Producer