Everyone in the film business has a unique job to do to ensure the smooth production of a movie. Producers are among the most senior members of film crews because of the extensive control they exert over the entire production. Knowing what sets executive producers apart from other producers is helpful if you’re considering a career in this field. We break down the differences between executive producers and producers, as well as their shared responsibilities, in the film industry.

Exactly What Does the Term “Executive Producer” Entail?

The term “executive producer” refers to a high-ranking member of the filmmaking team, who may work for a production company or produce films on their own. The executive producers of a film are the ones who generally provide or raise funds and direct the spending of that money. In addition, they serve as a liaison between the film’s other producers and the studio, company, or individual providing funding for the project. Some executive producers are working for major studios that actively seek out well-known actors, directors, and musicians to appear in their films to increase their box office success.

Who or What is a Producer?

A film’s producer is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of making the film, such as drafting a production budget to allocate the money raised by the executive producer and keeping track of when scenes will be filmed. It is common practice for film producers to report to executive producers and use the executive producer as a conduit to the company providing financial support for the film. The producer is present on set throughout filming and coordinates with the director, director of photography, and screenwriter to keep an eye on everything. For more information on what local producers offer their clients in the production process, click here.

Executive Producers and Producers Have Different Responsibilities

Despite the similarity in name, the many various sorts of producers in the entertainment business require very different skill sets. Specifically, we’ll examine the following distinctions between an EP and a regular producer:

Power Position

In filmmaking, the executive producer has the most sway over the entire production, while the producer works under their direction to complete the film. It is common practice for the head of a production company or studio to also serve as the film’s executive producer. These execs are crucial to the production of movies because they raise the massive sums of money required to shoot, employ, and disperse a final product. Producers and other members of the crew are sometimes hired by them directly.

The film’s producer has considerable say in the day-to-day operations of filming. The producer is responsible for bringing the vision of the film’s executive producer to life by overseeing the film’s budget and cast. Often, the vision or concept that the producer must adhere to is decided by executive producers or the studios in charge of production. As a result, the producer might not have much input into the film’s final vision but can steer the cast and crew toward success.

Taking Part in a Film

The executive producer of a film usually has little to do with the production itself, despite having significant influence over the film’s budget, cast, and creative choices. These executives are not present on set but instead work in studio or company offices, where they are updated by producers. The majority of their work is done off-set, with the occasional on-set visit for problem-solving or observation purposes.

As opposed to this, producers are actively involved in the filming process and spend most of their time working on set. The production manager is usually present throughout the day, checking in with the director and the set to ensure everything is running smoothly and relaying any messages from the executives to the production team.

Work Background in the Field

Executive producers might have greater expertise than film producers, given their higher position in the filmmaking industry. It’s common for people in this position to have worked as producers in the film or television industry first. They may also hold high-level positions in a studio or production company, where they oversee the running of a show and hold regular meetings to discuss the company’s or studio’s upcoming and ongoing projects.

Individuals with less professional expertise than a producer on a film from a big studio can still be recognized as executive producers if they work for independent filmmakers or smaller production companies. However, compared to executives, most producers lack relevant work experience. Producers can advance to the executive producer position and play a larger role in filmmaking as they gain experience.

Active Involvement in All Stages of  Producing

These two film professions have distinct responsibilities throughout the various phases of production. Executive producers are typically more involved in the pre-production and post-production phases of filmmaking. In pre-production, they do things like secure financing, flesh out the story’s central premise, and assemble the cast and crew. The post-production phase is where studio executives work together to market the film and figure out how it will be distributed to audiences.

Producers typically take part in the middle stages of production, which entail the bulk of the filming. Pre-production, when they assist with casting and location scouting, and post-production, when they oversee the editing process, are two other times they are involved. Executive producers assist to establish an environment conducive to the success of a film before and after production begins, while the primary responsibility of the producers remains the production of a film the studio can be proud to sell to customers.

Executive Producers and Producers Share several Commonalities

Projects

An executive producer and a producer often collaborate on identical film projects in the entertainment world. There is often little differentiation between the types of projects these producers work on and the films in which they are involved because they show up together in movies across genres. This means that they frequently collaborate on film projects, discussing ideas and working through editing to produce a polished final product.

Production as a Whole

Although producers are more directly involved in the day-to-day production of a film, both they and executive producers are responsible for overseeing the production as a whole rather than its parts. The lighting crew, for instance, works in one area while the actors are onstage but rarely ventures into any other part of the set. Both producers oversee the entire production, rather than focusing on one particular aspect. This usually results in both kinds of producers becoming well-versed in every facet of the filmmaking process.

Education

The educational demands and standards for both executive producers and film producers are equivalent in the movie business.  In most cases, a producer-only needs a high school diploma, but a bachelor’s or master’s degree in film or comms is popular. Rather, employers value broad experience in the industry and proficiency in multiple areas of production.

Objectives

Film executive producers and producers share similar aims, as they work together on projects and are responsible for more than just their areas of expertise. A film’s producers often have two primary objectives in mind: to realise the film’s central concept and to engage the film’s target demographic.

To accomplish this, both categories of film roles take into account production details like money and manpower as well as the sum of a film’s parts in determining its overall worth. Executive producers and producers work together to create a cohesive whole for the film’s intended audience, rather than focusing on any individual aspect.