What is the difference between a producer, executive producer, writer, and director?
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producer handles the business side, securing funding and managing the project. executive producer often provides financing or has a high-level oversight role. writer creates the script and story. director is in charge of the creative vision, guiding actors and crew to bring the script to life on screen.
The producer funds and has ideas for the show. The executive producer is his boss, so his ideas are more important. The writer listens to the ideas and directions from the producers and writes a story. The director listens to the producers’ ideas and interprets them and the script to direct the actors to make that story come to life.
Producers handle the project’s budget and logistics, while executive producers oversee the whole production. Writers create the script, and directors bring it to life on screen. Each role’s crucial.
Producers are responsible for financing, hiring (directors, writers, actors, extras, wardrobe, set builders, stunt teams, pyrotechnics, effects studios, composers, orchestras, production staff, security, catering, etc.), contracts, payroll, legal, insurance, scheduling, logistics (transportation, accommodations, delivery, personnel wrangling, etc.), location scouting, equipment rental, licensing, permitting, marketing, merchandising, distribution, sales, etc.—the entire *business* of producing and selling an entertainment product.
There is such an enormous amount to be handled that most projects have multiple producers, each with assistants and staff. In addition, investors will often be credited as producers in consideration of their contributions.
An executive producer is the one who hires producers and delegates responsibility to them.
A director is responsible for the creative vision of the product. They drive the process of casting, previsualization, storyboarding, blocking, shooting, effects and stunts development, re-shooting, pickups, looping, editing, foley production, soundtrack development, etc. They delegate to key roles such as casting director, director of photography, stunt coordinator, editor, etc.
A writer develops a screenplay which sequences all of the scenes, and details the action, narration, and dialogue.
It’s not uncommon for an individual to play multiple roles, spanning these categories on a single production.
If a production is a baby, the writer and director are like the parents who make the baby. The writer creates the idea for the production and the director executes the idea to create the production into their own vision.
The producer is like the grandparent who supports the parents through the whole process giving advice and financial support. The producer hires the director and buys the script from the writer. The producer could tell the director what kind of film they want. The producer is in charge of making sure the production is made.
The executive producer is like the adoptive parent who funded the producer, director, and writer which allow them to afford to have this baby. As adoptive parent, the executive producer could bump their nose in and give advice like the producer, or just sit back and watch the baby be born. And once the baby is born, the EP gets the fruits of all the work the team did when they give up the baby and the EP adopts the baby as their own. The EP ends up owning the production because they paid for it or set things up for it to be made in the first place.
Imagine you’re building a house.
The Director dreams up a cool design for the house.
The writer draws up the blueprints everyone will use to build the house.
The Producer helps secure funding for building the house.
The Executive Producer owns the building company.
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