Executive Producer as follows

 

The Producers Guild of America defines an Executive Producer as follows:

1.    The credit of Executive Producer shall only apply to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the motion picture and who additionally qualifies under one of two categories:

·         Having secured an essential and proportionally significant part (no less than 25%) of the financing for the motion picture; and/or

·         Having made a significant contribution to the development of the literary property, typically including the securement of the underlying rights to the material on which the motion picture is based.

 

The short definition that they give for a Producer (“Produced by”) credit is:

1.    The Produced By credit shall be in the primary credit position among all PGA-sanctioned credits for theatrical motion pictures.

2.    Subject to the control of the Owner, The individual receiving Produced By credit shall have final responsibility for all business and creative aspects of the production of the motion picture, with direct participation in making decisions concerning a major portion of the producing functions (see PCOC Section 1 for comprehensive list).

 

What is an Executive Producer?

 

An executive producer is someone who enables and supervises the making of a commercial entertainment product, and oversees one or more producers and their work on the production. There are three main areas that executive producers work in: motion pictures, television, and music.

What does an Executive Producer do?

In Motion Pictures-
An executive producer is responsible to the movie studio for making a film that is completed on time and on budget. They work with the producer(s), the production company as well as a movie distributor to secure distribution and to review the distributor's advertising campaign for the film. They will find the material for the movie, get a script written, and find financing. They will also find, or assist in finding, the director, the cinematographer, the lead actors and a production team.

The executive producer will develop a detailed production plan and budget, figure out a shooting schedule, and determine the various locations the movie will be shot at. During production, they will keep the movie on track, both creatively and financially, and make suggestions to the director. It is the responsibility of the executive producer to keep the movie studio informed about the progress of the film and act as a liaison between the studio and the technical and creative staff.

In Television -
An executive producer will often supervise the financial aspect as well as the creative content of a television production. They may also be the creator/writer of a series as well as being the executive producer. They are in charge of anything that is related to the production of the television show or movie, which involves all development and daily management, and the planning or approving of publicity and promotional campaigns.

Making a series for television is fast-paced, and the executive producer needs to be able to make snap decisions and work quickly. Unlike a film, which can take months or even years to complete, a television series has specific time restraints, and an executive producer needs to complete a show every week, and a certain number of shows for a season. They also help create the concept, the characters and the format of the show, participate in story and script meetings, approve all the story lines, hire the director and the cast, select the production team, and make sure the budget and schedule are kept in line. They have the final say for all the business and creative aspects of producing the series, and approve all the final cuts of each show. They are the liaison between the network and the technical and creative staff.

Making a television movie is very similar to making a feature film, and the executive producer's responsibilities are very similar.

In Music -
While a motion picture and television executive producer is mainly involved with the business side of the production process, a music producer is often much more involved in the creative process, and has more control over the artist and the performance. The music executive producer is more like a producer and director rolled into one, and will help the recording artist fine tune their performance. Their expertise is in the designing, staging and presenting of the music and the artist.

Unless they work for a large record label, they often run their own small label, focus on the creative side of things, and leave the deal making to the music agents. They may handle everything from song writing, picking the recording location, hiring the musicians, sound engineering, vocal arrangements, orchestration, music distribution, cover art, and marketing plans. They will also manage the budget and the production timetable.

In India
A Producer is generally perceived to be the financier of the film. In some cases that's true while in other cases a Producer is responsible for putting together an entire film project - right from identifying the script, to getting it on floors for shooting to its end release. They could also be a higher executive at a film studio.
An Executive Producer is usually hired by the Producer to help in certain areas, usually when the film is on floors. Someone to oversee the day-to-day film shooting logistics etc.

In Hollywood
A Producer is usually an independently working professional who puts together projects and gets it financed either through private equity or through one of the major studios.
An Executive Producer is someone who is not directly involved in the project but has helped in getting the film made by either lending their name or support in some key area (casting, financing, release, etc). Usually big actors/directors get this credit if they have taken a fee cut or played a role in enabling the film to be made.

 

I'm a Record Producer. My role as a Producer is to produce entire complete songs known as the Master Recording or “Masters”. I have many duties as most of the time I’m wearing two hats as both a Co-Writer and Producer. I'm heavily involved in producing in Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B genres as I'm doing alot of Co-Writing such as composing backing track instrumental compositions known as making beats, working directly with the artist in the studio overseeing overal vocal production, recording and mixing, coaching the artist, involved in vocal and song arrangement, giving feedback through out the entire production process. A Record Producer is similar to the role as s Film Director. Many times I may hire other writer's and musicians to work for me. I'm alot like Pharrell Williams and Timbaland as I do very much the same thing.

An Executive Producer role is overseeing and management of entire projects, scheduling, budgeting, finances, distribution of an entire album. Its not uncommon for recording Artists to be acting role Executive Producer's such as Beyonce Knowles, or Mary J. Blige.

 

In general terms, the producer is the person who is involved in producing the film. He is the one who is as closely associated with the project as the director himself. The money involved in making the film has to come through him. He is also responsible for assembling the crew, make sure the shoot is on schedule & within the budget. He'll be involved right from the pre-production stage starting from writing, casting etc. The producer also is responsible for marketing the film well.

An executive producer, on the other hand, may not be quite involved in the project. A person can get an EP credit for a variety of reasons. This can range from writing, creative consulting, financing, advertising/marketing, arranging logistics, acquiring shooting permissions, securing locations, legal affairs etc. An EP credit is given when the person's involvement is quite significant in realizing the project.

 

An Executive Producer is the person who arranges the financing for the film and has oversight on major financial, legal & administrative issues as the film goes into production and through its revenue life-cycle. Very often an Executive Producer represents a funding entity, such a bank, pension fund, venture capital group, etc. As a previous responder has noted, highly recognizable industry figures are often Executive Producers — because they have used the power of their reputation to bring in the funding and get the project ‘green-lit’.

A Producer (sometimes in partnership with a Co-Producer) is the person who steers the project all the way from its initial development, through the attachment of key creatives, into production, post production, marketing, delivery, release and the licensing cycle(s). In independent film, the producer (or the company he/she represents) will hold the copyright ownership in the film and will make decisions on how that copyright can be best exploited.

An Associate Producer is usually a person who has contributed something significant to the production — such as arranging cast attachments, bringing in key creatives, organizing or offering services and facilities.

A Line Producer oversees the nuts and bolts of the Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production phases — with responsibilities for each ‘Line’ of the agreed budget, from hiring crew, organizing schedules, administering cash flow, etc, etc.

 

Producer: Individual who has the greatest involvement in the project and responsible to produce a film financially.

Exexutive Producer :Usually an executive producer is just someone who has notoriety in the industry and agrees to attach their name to a project, hence why Steven Spielberg Executive Produces about 8-10 films a year. An indie or smaller film needs somebody "famous" to be involved in the project to raise funding, so usually a respected contact will executive produce, they agree to put their good name on the line that it will be a good film, in exchange they get the credit and accolades if the film succeeds without actually doing any real work. Its like Hollywood credit.
Also, many actors will executive produce their own projects- often times the most "famous" or credible person attached to the film is the lead actor, so they will get an executive producer credit as well..

 

The director yells cut, but the producer’s the one to say that's a wrap and end the day.

Scheduling, locations, managing budget, making sure below the line cast are paid, fed, and working efficiently are just some responsibilities.

Completing the picture on time and on budget is a big priority. Making sure the film steers in the direction of the Studio’s vision is another if they're an employee.

For executive producer roles in film, a lot of producer credits can be handed out like candy, without any real input on the film. (With the exception of the real producers who do the above.)

On the other hand for TV, the executive producer is usually the showrunner and has a big influence on the show creatively and mangeriarly.

If you want to watch a dramatized show about the film process from directors to producers to studio, check out Project Green Light on HBO.

 

Here is how the Producers Guild of America defines the two roles.

An Executive Producer supervises, either on his/her own authority (entrepreneur executive producer) or subject to the authority of an employer (employee executive producer) one or more producers in the performance of all of his/her/their producer functions on single or multiple productions. In television, an Executive Producer may also be the Creator/Writer of a series.

 

A Producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls, either on his/her own authority, or subject to the authority of an employer, all aspects of the motion-picture and/or television production process, including creative, financial, technological and administrative. A Producer is involved throughout all phases of production from inception to completion, including coordination, supervision and control of all other talents and crafts, subject to the provisions of their collective bargaining agreements and personal service contracts.

 

“Producers” make the choices about how the money gets spent. And figure out how to rework the budget when plans break down. They keep the director and production designer inside the business proposition.

“Executive Producers” make the deals that provide the budget for the producers to spend. Alternatively, their participation in some way helps make the deal happen that makes the production possible. A name actor may get EP credit (and back end money) for taking a lower up front fee, making the risk of the investors lower. Lots of ways ‘the deal’ is made, and EPs are always part of the “deal”.

 

An executive producer on a TV show has a very different job than an executive producer in the film industry. Like a film executive producer, a TV executive producer is also a high level producer who oversees the production from the top.