Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Everything You Need to Know About Being a Showrunner
No Film School: Imagine being the brains behind one of the most popular shows on streaming or television. You have so much responsibility. and it's not just story. Your title is "showrunner," and that all-encompassing word. You're part god, account, hostage negotiator, and writer.
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4 comments:
I find it interesting that the person in charge of running the show isn't credited as a showrunner but rather as an executive producer. Managing an entire movie or show must come with a lot of pressure and potentially very little work-life balance. I can only imagine that top producers make a significant amount of money, and I'm curious to know how much of their salaries come from a fixed rate versus royalties from production. I also can't help but draw parallels to the theatrical side of the entertainment industry with the larger regional or Broadway-scale productions.
I am so curious about all these different levels of producers, executive producers, writer-producers, etc. I don’t think I had realized before that the showrunner/ executive producer takes on the final level of both creative and management responsibilities. I guess that would be like if the production manager for a theatrical production was also the director, which seems like an insane burden to bear. It must also be pretty difficult to have to constantly work both sides of your brain, and to have to keep yourself in check when artistic and logistical priorities conflict––that’s usually why the people creating the design and the people implementing it are either different people or on a team sharing responsibilities. But as a showrunner, it sounds like you have to negotiate with yourself and be able to make clear-cut decisions. Also, wow. Those are some pretty high salaries. I didn’t know nine figures was a thing.
Jamnia: “You're part god, account, hostage negotiator, and writer”. I think that’s a really interesting take on being a showrunner. I had no clue whatsoever that they made so much money but honestly that makes sense. I wonder what kind of people become showrunners? Is it stage/production managers or is it directors and other producers? Can actors and designers break into the field as well? I feel like being a showrunner is kind of similar to being a talent manager whether it be a sports agent or a band manager in the sense that there’s basically no work/life balance but at the end of the day, they get paid a crazy amount of money. Honestly, it’s good to know that there are some jobs in the entertainment industry that pay well but it takes a lot to get there so I guess it’s the same as other high paying jobs in other industries.
After reading about the role and responsibilities of a Showrunner, I’m most interested in learning more about how one comes to be a Showrunner and the kind of background that would lead someone to this career. It is unclear whether a Showrunner is brought on by the creative team or if this is a hired position within a network or studio (it’s likely that showrunners may come from both for different shows or networks), which would surely affect the dynamics within the creative and professional environment. The hiring of a showrunner then must be an incredibly difficult choice (both on finding someone that would meet the qualifications, and be appropriate in the minds of the creative team and the network) as the show and creative team rely so heavily on this person and any conflict that arises from the showrunner surely is a difficult obstacle to tackle. A showrunner that doesn’t care for the network jeopardizes the financial stakes of the show, and a showrunner that doesn’t respect the creative process or truly aid in it’s grow runs the risk of killing the show entirely. As such, reliability and consistency seem to be important factors in the hiring of a showrunner, and regardless of background in screenwriting, management, or television, soft skills are an important factor for showrunners on first glance.
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