The Role of the Producer

An executive in the entertainment industry, Jon A. Divens has overseen Rocket Media Inc. since 2010. Earlier in his career he worked on a range of projects, including the first two films of one of the highest-grossing horror film franchises of all time, Blade and Blade II, horror movies with a new generation of vampires. Jon Aubrey Divens focuses on developing and refining scripts, hiring the best of talent, and producing standout projects.

While the producer undertakes many roles in a motion picture, two functions dominate: development and financing. The producer must identify and trace material worthy of a full-length feature film in the development stage, long before pre-production or production take place. The material may involve an original screenplay, an adaptable novel or nonfiction work, or a life story or personal tale. The next step is to negotiate with the material’s owner regarding acquiring the rights, their extent of production involvement, and other terms and conditions.

After rights acquisition, the next stage involves financing the project to make it possible. Producers pitch to various or preferred movie studios (or their employer, if bound to one studio) to secure funding and subsequent finance management, throughout the production lifetime, including movie distribution. However, high-budget projects often require a hierarchy of other producers to aid in various tasks.