Who wants to be a TV producer?

Nearly everyone on the idiot box apparently As daily soap writers and title montage directors turn fulltime producers and actors dream of floating their own shows the latest trend to hit the telly is profileswappingIts a hectic thankless job that gifts you sleepless nights and demands a truckload of patience But its also one of the most soughtafter jobs if you are remotely connected to television The Great Indian Television Dream is to some day turn producer And the recent rise in creative folk turning to production means the Dream isnt all that tough to achieveu00a0 Writer Zama Habib in orange tee discusses a scene with director Rakesh Kumar and actress Ragini Khanna on the sets of his coproduction Sasuraal Genda PhoolWhats the big dealSo whats the big deal about producing a saasbahu girlmeetsboy or rural cause show Control for one Ask Rajan Shahi of Directors Kut The producer who started 17 years ago as an errand boy on the sets eventually climbing up to the rank of a director In 2007 Star Plus took him on as producer of now hit soap Bidaai The story of two cousins one fairskinned the other dusky Bidaai peaked TRPs for the channel and continues to be among the top five shows The best part about being a producer is that I can take my creative ideas forward says Shahi Its also a position of power As JD Majethia of Hats Off Productions the man behind popular sliceoflife shows Khichdi and Baa Bahoo Aur Baby puts it The producer is at the top rung of the television ladder He is even bigger than the actor True When Amar Upadhyay aka Mihir the muchloved son from saasbahu drama Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi quit the show producer Ekta Kapoor plodded on She found a replacement a new plot twist and the show ran for six more years in his absence ufffd and later in the absence of heroine Smriti Tulsi Iraani too Breaking a wall The position of power isnt that hard to get to Shahi calls himself a frontrunner in the socalled movement of creative people turning producers He is not entirely wrong That an individual and a creative person at that as opposed to a corporate company can become producer is a recent development Zama Habib would know The writer of Bidaai and Ajeeb Dastaan is now coproducer of Star Plus Sasuraal Genda Phool A lighthearted drama about a rich girl married into a middleclass household Genda Phool is an adaptation of a Bengali show coproduced by Ravi Ojha Habib says a producer who comes from a creative background unlike say a corporate house will add more creative inputs to the project Our first intention is to make a mark and to do quality work he says The biggest myth he busted when he turned producer Its possible to make a great show with a limited budget he smilesOther creative folk who have headed the production way include former creative head Rajita Sharma who is now coproducing the intercommunity couple story Ram Milaayi Jodi and Raakesh Paswan a writer who is coproducing Imagines Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo The recent influx of individual producers owes its thanks to channels as well who are as Habib says the final powerwielding party A source from the industry explains that encouraging creatives to take on the baton of production brings in more competition This in turn leads to producers falling over each other to offer a good deal to channels better work for lesser money Ultimately the channel stands to gain But Sukesh Motwani head of fiction programming for Zee TV disagrees While he is proud of how Zee has a long list of firsttime producers with creative backgrounds to its credit he insists that its purely a qualitative decision Its interesting to have a writer as coproducer Who better to produce a show than the person who has written so many There isnt any logistical advantage Actors et tuWhat makes the producers job desirable for actors is that its a job with a long shelf lifeu00a0 Vikaas Goopta who has been creative head for Balaji Telefilms Kitani Mohabbat Hai plans to turn producer Goopta also dabbled briefly in acting he shot for Ekta Kapoors upcoming college romance loosely modelled on Twilight Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani but rumours abound that he is no longer on board Goopta maintains that a job behind the camera has a longer life than one in front of it I wouldnt want to act again ever Acting on television fuels insecurity is monotonous and hardly fulfilling he admits candidly A source reveals that the 23 yearold will soon coproduce a nonfiction show with a music label All Goopta says is that boredom sets in quickly in the industry and reinventing yourself is the only hopeThats something actress Ratan Rajput heartily agrees with Rajput became a household name with her role as Lali in Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo Now she is training her sights on writing and being creative head Im not the kind of actor who says my lines and leaves after cut I love every aspect of television and have some concepts in mind Lets see she says Know the TV hierarchy flowchart Television experts insist that there isnt a hierarchy on the tube anymore at least behind the camera But the credits of any show speak otherwiseThe producer enjoys top spot followed by the Director Writer Cameraman Music director Editor followed by production departments How you can get thereUnless you are a star kid or have suitable green back backup youll have to start from scratch Start as a Production Assistant to learn the ropes Hope to move to the position of Assistant Director probably an Associate Director Director or Creative Head of a show If you get lucky or pick the right mentor to work under three years may be the minimum time before you turn independent Producer Easy DefinitionsA producer is responsible for everything that goes on in a show right from the idea story screenplay to the cast costumes lighting all departments are answerable to the producer Of course the money talk of any show is his concern too A creative head is responsible for the characterisations settings and script of any show But he is not right on top the final call is the channelsScene abroad It must be fun being a writer in America since they are often credited as producers According to the Writers Guild of Americas rules the entire staff of writers are given producer credits while the shows actual money backer comes under the produced by credit A significant actorproducer on American television has been Kiefer Sutherland who plays Counter Terrorist Unit office Jack Baer in 24