Dumb movie question

[Bradox]

Hi everyone

OK, this may seem dumb to some of you, but I've been curious about this for years.

What do the producers/ executive producers of movies actually do?

Thanks

Phil

[RavenBlade]

Bradox, the only dumb question is the one not asked, or something like that.

Other then that, i really don't know what they do, so i will leave it at that.

Sorry.

[Kastman]

producers handle the budget crap and where the money goes.

also being a producer would get people rich quick coz thats probably why so many actors do it.

or so i have heard

[[SD] Bob Plisskin]

hey mate I had the same pondering not to long ago, here's that topic:

What do movie producers do? (http://www.joblo.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/006420.html)

hope it helps.

<OB>

[TheFrost]

Really, the question wasn't dumb at all mate. I don't really know myself, so there you go.

[movielover-9]

there are no dumb questions. curiousity is what makes the world go round. anyway to answer that questions, producers basically handle all of the budgets, deadlines and money managements for the film.

[This message has been edited by movielover-9 (edited 07-21-2002).]

[PhantomRhyter]

Braddox,

Not a dumb question at all my friend. It's the answer that's really stupid. When the film 'industry' started up there were basically two types of people--> those who could and did make films, and those who had money. The money men, knew a good investment when they saw one and started financing films for a portion of the profits (large portions, usually including ownership of the film).

With the huge profits they earned, they opened up studios to make even more movies. Now in all this time they remained money men, and really had no real 'creative' inclinations. Wanting to 'fit in' with all the creative talent around them, they devised a title for themselves to be included in the film credits, thus 'producers' were born.

Eventually producers became men who worked for studios, they were sort of like accountants, whereas mostly they were still not really a creative lot, they did have a good nose for a story (ie. like boy wonder Irving Thalberg). This era of producers worked closer with the creative talents of filmmaking, and the original money man, who did nothing more for the film other than provide the money to cover the expense of getting it made was sorta shut out of the picture again.

Soooo He had to devise yet another title for himself to distinguish himself, from that 'regular producer' who now worked more closely with the actul production of films. Hence the 'Executive Producer' was born. They'd probably saved a lot of trouble and confusion if only they'd named themselves with a more appropriate title to start with such as 'bankroller' or some such.

Chills,
PhantomRhyter

[Ronaldinho]

I'm afraid that PhantomRhyter is giving information that is very erroneous.

Oh, sure, there are some people who call themselves producers who fit that description.

But a real producer is simply someone with the ability to get a movie made. That usually means they know how to acquire and develop a property, run a production office, get the neccesary financing, and hire appropriate talent, both above and below the line.

Nowdays many people who get Executive Producer credits are actor's managers. You want John Travolta? Fine. His manager puts the deal together, and for that he gets a fee and a producer credit.

Saying, however, that the producers are nothing but no-talent money men is wrong and stupid. Some producers are. The Producer's guild doesn't protect credits the way the WGA and DGA do. But when the Oscars roll around, the guys who get to stand up at the podium and acecpt the best picture award that the people who took the script, developed it, if neccesary, hired writers and a director and everyone else, got the financing, got the picture of the ground and into the theaters.

If you think it's juat about having money, you're very, very wrong.