The secret history of great filmmakers is the history of great producers working behind the scenes to give the director the freedom and the resources to focus on his or her ?vision.? The director?s job is everything ?in? the frame; the producer?s job is everything outside the frame. This class asks: how does one produce a film? What do producers do, anyway? Why are there so many of them (what are their duties)? Why do they do it? And most importantly: HOW do they do it? This class creates structures and techniques for students to create more viable film productions; it also invites a number of guest speakers to share their experiences and advice about filmmaking. Most of these speakers are producers, or work in the world of film production and development.