Every year at Thanksgiving, my family brings all the Hollywood questions to me. I'm usually answering who's a nice celebrity and who's mean, but this year, people want to know what producers do.
I refused the urge to be snarky and laid it out the best I could. But there's a lot of nuance on the subject, especially when it comes to executive producers versus producers.
So...what's the difference?
Let's dive in and offer some answers.
What Does a Producer Do?
The producer role on a feature film is often seen as 'being the boss', but in some ways, it's better to think of them as the person who has to pick up the slack wherever that may be.
Generally speaking, a producer develops, manages, oversees, and delivers a finished project to a studio.
They can do everything from own the rights to the intellectual property to negotiating above the line salaries, to creating a budget and signing below the line craftspeople.
In some instances, they have all these responsibilities or just a fraction of one of them.
It all depends on the project and what is required of them.
What Does an Executive Producer Do?
An executive producer, or EP, generally has a more hands-off role, focusing on the big-picture aspects of the project. They could be there to brainstorm who should direct it, give opinions on actors, or just accept this honorary title for giving notes at some step in the process.
Executive producers are often the bigger names like your Spielbergs who are there more in name than anything.
They usually help with the budget or just securing the financing for the project.
When I was the EP on Shovel Buddies, I was super involved, but I was also the writer. So, I gave notes on which directors and cast I liked and talked about script changes to save budget.
Producer vs. Executive Producer
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Disney
While both producers and executive producers play crucial roles in film and TV production, their responsibilities differ significantly.
Producers are way more involved in the day to day jobs, like casting, scheduling, budgeting, and working closely with the director and crew.
In contrast, an executive producer is often more involved in the business and financial aspects of a project. They may help secure funding, negotiate deals, and oversee the overall direction of the production, without getting into the nitty gritty.
So the real difference here is that the producer is like a mechanic, making sure everything runs well and the project gets where it's going. And the EP is like the person who owns the car, and is looking forward to the drive.
Hopefully, that answers all your questions about production and producers. Each project is unique, so this may not cover everyone's point of view, but it should be seen more as a general guide.
The job of a producer is crucial on every set. So if you're stepping into that role, good luck and happy filmmaking.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
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