produksjonsselskap

A produksjonsselskap, literally a production company, is a business entity that develops, funds, manages, and oversees the production of audiovisual or live productions. They are responsible for bringing a project from concept to finished product, handling development, budgeting, staffing, and coordination across departments. They can be specialized in film, television, animation, music videos, commercials, or theatre, or operate across multiple media.

Core activities include development, script development, securing rights, packaging a project with talent, creating a production plan and budget, hiring line producers, crew, and subcontractors, arranging locations, obtaining permits, managing schedules, supervising production and post-production, and ensuring compliance with legal and union requirements.

Financing is a central function, with funds raised from various sources such as pre-sales to broadcasters or streaming platforms, private investors, loans, tax incentives, grants, and co-production agreements. Production companies may form partnerships with distributors and sales agents to secure market access and revenue streams.

Distribution and exploitation often follow production, with responsibilities for licensing rights for cinema, television, streaming, home entertainment, and ancillary markets. They may retain distribution rights or allocate them to distributors or sales agents, coordinating release strategies and rights management.

Ownership and structure vary by jurisdiction but commonly involve registration as corporate forms such as aksjeselskap (AS) in Norway, with contracts defining IP ownership and revenue sharing. Companies operate under agreements with producers, directors, writers, and crew, and are subject to applicable labor laws and industry governance.

Global context: The term is widely used across media industries, reflecting a common function of coordinating resources, managing risk, and turning creative concepts into marketable products.