Any production would not be the same without the post producer. Post production is a huge portion of the production process as it is when editing, title credit creation, audio mixing and color correction occur in a TV show, movie or commercial. The post producer is responsible for overseeing the completion of all of these elements. This same position is often also referred to as the "associate producer/post," according to Filmmaking-Careers.com.

Education and Experience

To be a competitive applicant for post production jobs, you should have a degree from a college or university. Many individuals wishing to be post producers go on to higher level education focused on film or on post production. Classes should introduce you to after effects, special effects and combustion. Additionally, your years of education should give you proficient knowledge of many computer software programs crucial for the video editing world such as FinalCutPro, Adobe Pro, 3D Max, DVD Studio Pro, Avid, Adobe Photoshop, Realviz Matchmover and others. Most individuals wishing to eventually be post producers start out as editing assistants. This is traditionally not an entry-level position someone can begin immediately after graduation from college, according to JobMonkey.com.

Skills

Post producers edit scenes from TV shows, movies, documentaries and commercials to make them flow in the correct order seamlessly. This can be an especially lofty task since scenes are typically shot out of order. They may have to make scenes that were shot days apart when weather conditions were completely different look as if they occurred 10 minutes apart in the film or television show. Therefore, these professionals must have a knack for detail and be creative in order to piece together these scenes and make them look natural. They should be patient as editing requires significant amounts of time. Also, they should be able to work well individually and as part of a team. Post producers should be able to delegate tasks effectively since they are the leader of the entire post production side of the project.

Duties

Post producers facilitate the post production side of a music video, film, TV show, commercial, documentary or other project. They must take video footage, decide what is usable and cut it together on a computer. They cut out errors in sound in video in order to make the video flow more naturally. Also, they add in music, effects and titles. Advanced software allows them many other options when editing that give the production a certain effect, such as stabilizing an image or color tinting a clip, according to JobMonkey.com.

Work Environment

Post producers typically work long hours. Since they are the final stage of production, they are under huge pressure to make deadlines on time. Therefore, this can be a very stressful job and many may have to work nights or weekends close to deadlines. If you work as a post producer, you may spend significant amounts of time working on the computer in a dark room. his can lead to lower back pain, eyestrain or hand or wrist issues, says JobMonkey.com.

Salary

According to a July 2010 survey from SimplyHired.com, the average annual income for a post producer is $81,000 per year. As with all salary information, however, this figure can vary significantly based on years of experience, geographic location, employer and many other factors.