A line producer is the key manager during the daily operations of a motion picture production.

The line producer supports the vision given by the director but does not have direct influence on the creative expression or narrative of the film.

From the beginning of principal photography, the line producer oversees the budgetary and physical production needs of the shoot. By the first day of production, several versions of the budget have usually been drafted. A finalized or "locked" budget is the one used for the production to move forward.

While in production, the line producer will oversee the execution of many decisions that must be made to deliver each day's shoot. The administrative aspects, especially those that have any financial impact, are all crucial areas of the line producer's work. These areas include but are not limited to negotiating compensation (usually during pre-production) of crew members (both for union and non-union productions), keeping oversight of the locked budget and resolving daily production issues (in conjunction with the first assistant director and possibly the unit production manager).