🎬 The Creative Power of the Producer’s Perspective: The Appeal of Collaborative Novel Writing

🎥 Producers and Directors Play Different Roles

When I was younger, I briefly worked at a video production company. There are many types of production companies, but I chose one that specialized in corporate promotional videos—not for entertainment, but for logical, informative content.

We produced things like explainer videos for financial products shown in bank lobbies, or short educational clips screened inside museums. That was the kind of work I wanted to explore.

Early on, I was often asked, “Are you aiming to be a director or a producer?” I always answered without hesitation: “Director.” Among young employees, few said “producer,” and honestly, I couldn’t understand what was interesting about a role that didn’t directly involve hands-on creative work. To me, directing was clearly more exciting.

Let me briefly explain the difference:

• The producer oversees the big picture—planning the project, managing the timeline, and ensuring the final product is delivered within the set parameters.
• The director works within those constraints to shape the creative execution—handling the details of performance, visuals, and storytelling.

These roles are fundamentally different, and in creative settings, they often clash.

In Japan especially, there’s a strong tendency to romanticize the director as the passionate artist, while the producer is seen as the antagonist—someone who blocks creative vision for the sake of budget and schedule.

But of course, producers aren’t villains. Without a solid producer, a project wouldn’t be planned, completed, or distributed. Their role is absolutely essential.

In fact, I’ve come to believe that producing might be the most fascinating part of the creative process. While directing is fun, if I want to bring many projects to life, I need to embrace the producer’s role and entrust directing to others.

🧠 Why Amateur Creators Should Embrace the Producer Mindset

Most of our creative work isn’t commercial. That gives us freedom—but freedom can be tricky. Unless you’re naturally skilled at planning and management, things often fall apart.

Take a picnic or camping trip, for example. Even if the plan is messy and things don’t go as expected, it can still be fun—as long as no one gets hurt.

But with creative work, the real joy lies not just in the experience, but in completing the final product. Without proper planning, that completion may never happen.

Amateur creators often gravitate toward the fun, improvisational side of directing. That’s understandable. But before you can enjoy that, you need the producer’s groundwork.

I’ve made the mistake of prioritizing the director’s experience and failing to finish projects. That taught me—painfully—that the producer’s role is crucial.

That said, the producer and director don’t always have to be separate people. If you can switch perspectives internally, you can handle both roles yourself. Many DIY filmmakers do exactly that. I do too.

For example: “I want to perfect this scene, but we’re running out of time—let’s adjust.” That’s me toggling between producer and director.

If you struggle to make that switch, or lack the skills for one role, it might be better to collaborate with someone else.

🎯 Strengthening the Producer Perspective

Amateur creators often lack the producer mindset. The director’s passion activates naturally—but the producer’s discipline must be consciously cultivated.

And this mindset isn’t just for film. I’ve started wondering: could we apply producer-style collaboration to other creative forms?

📚 Rethinking Novel Writing Through Division of Labor

Take novels, for example. We tend to think of novel writing as a solitary endeavor—from concept to final draft. But the process actually involves distinct phases:

• Concept development
• Plot outline
• Story structure (like a screenplay)
• Final prose and expression

Each phase requires different skills. What if we divided the work among collaborators?

Some might object: “Novels are personal. How can you co-write them?” But people have strengths and weaknesses. Some create compelling characters but struggle with plot. Others have great story instincts but weak prose.

Professional novelists may balance all aspects, but amateur writers don’t necessarily aspire to be literary giants. Many just want to create something enjoyable.

And readers? They care about the story. Whether it was written solo or collaboratively doesn’t matter to most.

⏱️ Collaboration Saves Time and Boosts Output

Completing a novel solo brings immense satisfaction—but it’s a high hurdle. It takes a lot of time.

Collaboration can reduce that time and increase output.

Each phase—concept, outline, structure, prose—offers its own creative joy. And people naturally gravitate toward different tasks.

If you’re not aiming to be a “great novelist,” you can let go of the pressure to master everything. You don’t have to “overcome weaknesses” just to finish a book.

Plot and structure can be built using methods, even without raw talent. Many people want to write but struggle to find ideas. Even using AI to generate rough drafts can be a powerful tool.

📝 A New Style of Novel Production

Imagine a novel created by a team, with each person contributing their specialty. You could even include a “staff list” at the end—like film credits.

Just as we admire a movie’s script, direction, or cinematography, we could appreciate a novel’s concept designer, plot architect, or prose stylist.

And at the center of it all? The producer—who selects the team and oversees the entire process.

This could redefine how amateur creators enjoy collaboration. Instead of the traditional doujin model, where everyone brings finished work to share, we’d build something together from the ground up.

I still dream of writing my own novel. But since imagining this collaborative model, I’ve become more interested in producing and organizing projects.

It’s something I hope to explore further through my DIY Film Club.

Hope this sparks some ideas for you too.