电影监制，是管理整个电影、电视电影或电视连续剧拍片的专案管理工作，包括如资金筹措，寻找或购买电影剧本，演员、合作厂商与工作人员的寻找、聘顾、任用与调度，预算的控制，拍摄时间进度控管等，让电影能在合理的时间与预算下完成。在拍片过程中，监制的一举一动都容易影响到整部影片的品质，是不可缺失的职位。

在商业电影发达的地区，许多经验老到的成功监制可以要求拍摄何种走向及风格的电影，甚至乎凌驾导演成为电影内容的主导者，成为电影制作过程中权力最大的人，佼佼者包括向华胜与向华强、杰瑞·布洛克海默、乔·西佛和乔治·卢卡斯等。

Film producers fill a variety of roles depending upon the type of producer. Either employed by a production company or independent, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting script, coordinating writing, directing and editing, and arranging financing. During the "discovery stage", the producer has to find and acknowledge promising material. Then, unless the film is supposed to be based on an original script, the producer has to find an appropriate screenwriter.