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Producer Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated 24 January 2025
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Producer interview questions and answers.

  1. What can video do for our business? See answer
  2. How would you start making and using videos for us? See answer
  3. Describe your strategy for setting project deadlines and staying on schedule. See answer
  4. What process do you use to determine a budget for a particular project? See answer
  5. What makes your production style unique? See answer
  6. Give me an example of how you’ve resolved conflict in the past. See answer
  7. If you were working on a project that used expensive special effects, how would you stay under budget? See answer
  8. Explain your communication style. See answer
  9. Explain how you map out your workday. See answer
  10. How much does a video cost? See answer
  11. Talk about a time when you went above and beyond at work. See answer
  12. How do you build relationships with your team members? See answer
  13. What does the future hold for the creative video industry? See answer
  14. What are the different types of business videos you’re familiar with? 
  15. How do you cut costs in a production you’re managing?
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Hire your next Producer today.

Post a job

Hire your next Producer today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Producer Interview Questions and Answers

What can video do for our business?

Having an in-house producer means that your company can cater to the public's increasing demand for informative but entertaining videos. Today, the best use of video is often through social media channels, meaning that your candidate must be well-versed in the use of various platforms. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of social platforms
  • Experience uploading video content regularly
  • Ability to craft videos for the company's target market
Example:

"Home page, mobile phone, and email videos increase sales. They represent your company's product features and the problems they solve, and they allow for an optimal increase in email open rates. Video influences buyers, builds a reputation in the market, and educates customers about the technical details of your product. Other benefits include a higher website ranking, possible viral status, and an improved advertising ROI."

What are the different types of business videos you're familiar with?

Marketing strategies allow for the publication of various videos to expand target markets. The candidate must be aware of these various types and their purpose. What to look for in an answer:

  • Detailed knowledge of video types
  • Understanding of the long-term strategy of video use
  • Understanding of the purpose of each type of web video
Example:

"I am most familiar with commercial videos that push your advertising content to several target audiences. They are short, raise awareness about one product, and sit on various platforms. I also know about short educational content videos and animated or live-action explainer videos that help further demonstrate products."

How would you start making and using videos for us?

Candidates would have to be further assessed for you to know their true value to your company. One way the candidate can prove their skills is to produce quality, effective, and informative videos. What to look for in an answer:

  • Talent for making videos
  • Ability to make videos that comply with the strategic marketing plan
  • Analytical thinking to select the right type of video for each message
Example:

"A cost-effective way to get started is by using programmes such as Video Creator, which offers free templates for video ads, promos, and more. They have a stock library, or we can upload our own video clips, edit and fine-tune our message, and save and share the custom video on any platform. There are many cost-effective video software packages available. Alternatively, we can shoot videos in-house and use computer software for further content enhancement."

Describe your strategy for setting project deadlines and staying on schedule.

A producer is expected to learn project management software programmes to oversee various aspects of work that may depend on each other. The candidate must be aware of film-producing issues and reveal strong time-management skills. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to prioritise project details
  • Time and project management skills
  • Detailed understanding of the film production process
Example:

"Film production schedules and deadlines are one of the most demanding parts of the producer's role. To ensure that we meet deadlines, I track every project and task using project management software. I track the progress of the different teams weekly and stay in close contact with supervisors. I also ensure that milestones are on schedule."

What process do you use to determine a budget for a particular project?

A producer creates and negotiates budgets, and this question allows the candidate to identify their process for assessing costs of a production and outlining negotiation strategies. What to look for in an answer:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Creative problem-solving within budget constraints
  • Experience managing a budget
Example:

"Based on the project scope, I develop cost estimates for direct and indirect costs, operating expenses, capital expenses, and project deliverables. To plan for the unknown, I add 10% as a contingency fund. As I track the project activities, I closely look into all the expenses to catch anomalies."

What makes your production style unique?

If you're looking for a producer with a special talent to join your team, this question can help you learn what sets them apart. This question gives them the opportunity to discuss their production style, noting any special skills or qualities they have. What to look for in an answer:

  • Creative ways of producing video content
  • Evidence of an impressive skill set
  • Examples of what makes them special
Example:

"My production style is unique in that I imagine an entyre project as a living being. By taking care of each part of my project, I can ensure it's healthy and grows strong. In other words, I communicate with everyone in the creative department to verify they have the right funding and resources to do their work. I use my budgeting and organisation skills to make sure the project is well funded, and I take care of every aspect."

How do you cut costs in a production you're managing?

Keeping costs down is a vital part of managing production. This question helps you better understand the candidate's strategies for cutting costs, their management style, and how they respond to the demands of stakeholders. What to look for in an answer:

  • Creative problem-solving
  • A practical approach to management
  • Attention to detail to reduce errors and remain cost-effective
Example:

"When unexpected issues drive up costs of production, I draw from my previous experience and management skills to implement creative solutions. A creative strategy may include bartering, trading, or simplifying the scope of the project."

Give me an example of how you’ve resolved conflict in the past.

Producers manage production operations and the team that is involved. Occasional conflict may arise, and the candidate must explain how they would diffuse the situation. What to look for in an answer:

  • Empathy and patience
  • Conflict resolution and management skills
  • Strong active listening and communication skills
Example:

"Filming brings out people's creativity and passions, and this may lead to frustration. Once in a film theory class, we were assigned a group debate as a final project. One team member had different ideas about how to present our argument. We both said we were right but agreed to stay calm and have a conversation about it. As a result, we decided that both ideas had merit, so we combined them for a unified, stronger presentation." 

If you were working on a project that used expensive special effects, how would you stay under budget?

With this question, the candidate can give insight into their management skills and how they can spend the film's allotted money while handling conflict that may arise. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Aptitude for budgeting and financial management
  • Successful experience producing large projects
Example:

"I worked on a series of video campaigns for an introduction of a new product. The budget was small, and the project needed sophisticated CGI effects. Our creative team was disappointed that we had to limit screen time using the special effects, but I found a way to make the most of our resources."

Explain your communication style.

When on set or during creative video development, the producer is an effective communicator who manages a diverse group of people. The candidate can discuss their various styles of communication. What to look for in an answer:

  • Strong communication skills
  • Experience working with diverse groups
  • Ability to adapt communication to different groups
Example:

"My experience working with film crews taught me how to interact with a diverse group of personalities. I identify the communication style preferred by the people on the team and tailor it to each person. I like to be transparent and hold important conversations face-to-face."

Explain how you map out your workday.

This question can help you discover how the candidate prioritises their work, if they are reliable, and how they structure their workday. What to look for in an answer:

  • organisation skills
  • Prioritization skills
  • Project management skills
Example:

"For each project I work on, I break each step down into smaller tasks to ensure I stay on track and work efficiently. Each evening, I write out the tasks I need to complete the next day, assign a time block to them, and rank them based on priority. This keeps me focused, improves my workflow, and allows me to complete tasks on time."

How much does a video cost?

The candidate has already explained their strategy for making project budgets, but this question gives you insight into how realistic their planning is and what experience they have. What to look for in an answer:

  • Budgeting and analytical thinking
  • Awareness of the company's return on investment
  • Analytical thinking to determine the cost of each phase of a video
Example:

"When looking at the cost, I consider the company's return on investment. For instance, if a video costs $10,000 and the product costs $1,000, the video must produce at least 10 sales. For most companies, videos are produced for less than $10,000, so the cost is determined by the price of your product, along with the quality, length, and type of videos you make."

Talk about a time when you went above and beyond at work.

This question gives you insight into the dedication and willingness of the candidate to put in extra time to meet deadlines and accomplish goals. What to look for in an answer:

  • Exceeding baseline expectations
  • Dedication to completing projects on time
  • Dedicated to helping others
Example:

"Once, I was designing graphics based on a creative brief, and I decided to write up a 10-question survey on the effectiveness of each campaign using my drafted designs. I collected the data from the social media platforms, analysed the results, documented my findings, then presented them at a client meeting. My work had increased the relevance of the client's campaign to the end user, resulting in new clients and increased satisfaction."

How do you build relationships with your team members?

The relationship that a producer has with their team affects productivity. You need to know how well the candidate can work in a group, along with the level of relationships they have with team members. What to look for in an answer:

  • Interest in developing strong relationships
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Strong interpersonal skills
Example:

"I build relationships with team members by being interested in what they do. I try to understand each member's personality type by showing concern about their goals and interests. I make the time to coach them with reviews of their work and encourage consistency."

What does the future hold for the creative video industry?

Video production is experiencing many changes, and it's important for your candidate to know what may occur in the future so that your company can anticipate and adjust to these changes. This question gives you insight into their ability to lead your company to the future. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of future developments
  • Desire to grow and learn
  • Dedication to staying current in the industry
Example:

"In the future, I believe video editing software and live-event sharing may continue to improve. Additionally, brand vlogging, interactive videos, and 360-degree video experiences may start to trend. Content may also become the end goal for many organisations, where consumers pay providers only for the content they want to see."

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