A film producer is a person who oversees film production, from finding and selecting promising material for development, through to post-production, marketing and distribution of the film. They plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, directing, editing, and arranging financing. The producer supervises the pre-production, principal photography, and post-production stages of filmmaking. In some cases, the executive producer may hire and delegate work to associate producers, assistant producers, line producers, or unit production managers, to assist the main producer(s).

A producer hires a director for the film, as well as other key crew members. The producer must ensure the film is delivered on time and within budget. The producer typically manages logistics and business operations of filmmaking, while the director makes the creative decisions during the production, although some directors also produce their own films.

The film producer, who may be employed by a production company or work independently, oversees and manages film production. The producer is responsible for finding and selecting promising material for development, and goes on to plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, directing, editing, and arranging financing. According to Australian producer Julie Ryan, the producer negotiates the deals with stakeholders, oversees the creative vision, and generally manages the project, as well as being "ultimately financially responsible for the project".

Whereas the director makes the creative decisions during the production, the producer typically manages logistics and business operations, though some directors also produce their own films. The producer must ensure the film is delivered on time and within budget, and in the later stages before release, will oversee the marketing and distribution of the film.

Producers cannot always supervise all of the production. In this case, the executive producer may hire and delegate work to associate producers, assistant producers, line producers, or unit production managers.

Making a feature film requires a producer to commit to a minimum of at least two years of work: a year of development work on the front end; a year of post-production, sales, and distribution work at the back end; and several months in between for actually shooting the film. A film producer must have patience and passion to commit to a film for the long haul and see it through to completion.

During this stage of the production process, producers bring together people like the film director, cinematographer, and production designer.

Unless the film is based on an existing (original) script, the producer hires a screenwriter and oversees the script's development. If an existing script is considered flawed, the producer can order a new version or decide to hire a script doctor.