Why so many producers?

What do "producers" of TV series and films actually do, and why are there so many of them?

I was watching the credits of a cable series (Nurse Jackie) and counted nine (9) executive producers, producers, co-producers, etc.

Other series seem to have oodles of these folks as well. They sometimes outnumber the writers and in some cases the actors in the cast of some episodes.

Just wondering.

 

I'd like to know how to become a producer. I'd like to give them money to make a blockbuster film and have return dividends out the wazoo. Can Vidiot hook me up?

 

This is from the PGA (Producers Guild of America) website:

1. What does a Producer do?
   A Producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls, either on his 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.
   
   
2. What does an Executive Producer do?
   An Executive Producer supervises, either on his 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.
   
   
3. What does an Associate Producer do?
   An Associate Producer performs one or more producer functions delegated to him/her by a producer, under the supervision of such producer.
   
   
4. What does a Co-Producer do?
   Co-Producers are two or more functioning producers who perform jointly or cumulatively all of the producer functions as a team or group.
   
   
5. What does a Supervising Producer do?
   A Supervising Producer supervises one or more producers in the performance of some or all of his/her/their producer functions, on single or multiple productions, either in place of, or subject to the overriding authority of an Executive Producer.
   
   
6. What does a Segment Producer do?
   A Segment Producer produces one or more individual segments of a multi-segment production, also containing individual segments produced by others.
   
   
7. What does a Coordinating Producer do?
   A Coordinating Producer coordinates the work of two or more individual producers working separately on single or multiple productions in order to achieve a unified end result.
   
   
8. What does a Line Producer do?
   A Line Producer performs the Producer functions involved in supervising the physical aspects of the making of a motion picture or television production where the creative decision-making process is reserved to others, except to such extent as the Line Producer is permitted to participate. Unit Production Managers, who perform no more than the customary services of a Unit Production Manager should be credited only as such.

 

On TV shows a lot of the "producers" are the writers.

 

Yes, check the names. The producers on the show can often include writers and/or lead actors. What they actually do varies ... it could be creative input (think of how Alan Alda refashioned MASH in his own image) or it could be more of a business/financial thing. Sometimes it can even just be a question of getting the "right" name on a show - "Produced by Steven Spielberg and Joe Schmoe" sounds much more impressive than "Produced by Joe Schmoe", doesn't it? Even though Joe might be doing almost all the work...

 

In reality, an Executive Producer is (a) someone who helped the real producer get the bux to get production underway, or ponied up a large amount of cash himself, (b) someone famous or respected in the biz who lent his name to a project in order to help the real producer raise funds or get talent attached, or (c) one the stars or key writers, who accepted a producer credit in lieu of a higher fee or profit participation.

 

as usual, it takes money to make money...especially in that business.

 

I'd also like to know why some shows have the credits rolling 20 minutes into the show.

 

Too many cooks in kitchen.
a lot tv shows have been ruined be too many producers.

 

So, they are bankers.....?

But instead of paying back on the bankroll/loan to make a show they take a big cut of the return...so gangster?

Gangster/banker? Banker/gangster?

 

The Simpsons is probably the king of this, with credits that often seemed to go on forever, though I think more recent episodes have been placing them in the end credits instead of superimposing over the show... or maybe I just got used to it and don't notice anymore... but it got bad enough at some point that even on the DVD commentaries it became a running joke about the ridiculous amount of producer credits. It was explained, at least for that show, that the producer credit was sort of an honorary thing for the people who'd been there long enough, including writers and animators. I guess it's probably similar for other shows.

 

A pretty accurate description!

When I worked in the film industry this happened a lot, especially (a). A distributor might pitch in some cash and ask for an exec producer credit. Their input amounted to a cash contribution.

There's a couple of great scenes making fun of the whole exec producer credit scenario in the film State & Main which was written and directed by David Mamet.

 

It's become an honorific and a way to give someone a promotion without really giving them a promotion.

This why they have now had to invent the term show runner. The producer credit got so watered down that they need a way to distinguish who is really running the show.

 

I thought the the producers role in the film industry was\is different from the producers role in TV.
Film producers are money people and TV producers are creative.

 

One can make a good argument that if the film could not have been made without the cash of Mr. X, then Mr. X deserves an executive producer credit.

What kills me are people who are agents or attorneys and had some hand in the deal, and they give them a credit that has nothing to do with the process. For example, I worked on a major CBS series in the 1980s where the first name in the closing credits was that of a guy credited for "Post Production Producer." I was involved in the post on that show, and I had never met him, so I asked who it was. I was told that it was the show creator's attorney, and this was the credit they came up with. So the guy worked on the show for 1 day, doing the creator's contract, and got a credit for life... for a job he doesn't do! Crap like that does happen.

I pointed out Cowboys and Aliens a year or two ago as an example of a movie with 14 producers, one where I was convinced that each had dabbled in the plot and screwed things up. Terra Nova was an expensive TV disaster with a similar number of producers. Both, ironically, were connected to Dreamworks, which is telling.

No, there are many film producers who are also writers or have some other creative role in shaping the tone, casting the film, and "assisting" the director in making creative decisions on plot, locations, story points, and other issues. It used to be that producers were money or legal people, but it's more complicated than that now.

I worked with a producer who owned the rights to a major best-selling novel, and he told me it took him 12 years (!!!) to work with the novelist to come up with a script they could sell. He helped the writer cut the novel down to a workable length that could be shown in a 2-hour time-slot, but that took a long, long time and many dozens (if not hundreds) of meetings and phone calls to make it happen. And the movie wound up getting a nomination for Best Picture, though did not win (but made a good chunk of money).

 

I would imagine most of those actors who have producer credits take a pay cut up front in exchange for a backend deal that actually nets them more money. I know I would if I were involved.

 

..No, smart and rich.

 

It took me a bit to catch on what was meant by "show runner"; just going by the title I thought it was some joe job, like running around doing small tasks to assist or support the real producer. "More coffee, sir?"

 

Not necessarily. Sometimes, they get more money from two paychecks. In some cases, this happens because an actor goes in at the end of a contract and demands a raise. If he or she is part of an ensemble show, the studio can legitimately say, "we can't do that, or else all the other actors will want raises." But if they make the actor a producer, then the actor gets a separate paycheck, giving him the total amount he demanded. As one relatively-recent example, Dan Castellaneta did this on The Simpsons, and he's had a producer credit as well as a starring role for several years now. But he actually goes into the office every day of the week and has an active role in story pitches and writers meetings.

 

I saw a movie today. End credits:



Produced by Jonathan Mostow and Kevin Misher

.....black screen...

Produced by Gerald Butler and Alan Siegel

...black screen..


Produced by Heidi Jo Markel, John Thompson

....black screen...

Executive Producer: Peter Schessel

...black screen...

Executive Producers: Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Ed Cathell III, Boaz Davidson

....black screen...

co- producers: Andrea Leone, Raffaella Leone

...black screen...

co-executive producer: Diego Martinez

...black screen...

Associate Producers: Danielle Robinson, Andy Berman, Margaret Coll

by the 3rd black screen I was laughing like a mad man..oh in case you're wondering; this is the gem of a movie those 18 producers proudly gave to the movie industry!

 

That movie bombed. Talk about phoning it in.

Thats so bad that shows that movie had too many funding it
because the movie studio would not not fully.
I wonder what vidiot has to say about this movie.

 

That would be a genuine bomb: cost $35M, made $16M worldwide. That's not good.

Many, many, many films now have 12-16 producers at the front end of the credits. The higher you are on the food chain, the more chance you have of a "solo credit" card by yourself. Some of the producers are studio or distribution execs who bought the film; some are the guys who made the financial deals to pay for the budget; some are the guys who actually hired the director, writers, cast, and crew; some are the day-to-day people who managed the set during production (line producers and UPMs); and some are the people who managed the post process (editing, mixing, VFX, etc.). All of them deserve credit, because without them, the movie might not have been made.

What is sobering to think about is that Alfred Hitchcock never took a producer's credit on his films, even though he was effectively producer on at least 40 or so of his productions, and had a hand in every single facet of pre-production, production, and post. And he also participated in the writing and re-writing of every script (as did his wife Alma), only they never took a credit. To me, what Hitch did was the epitome of class and style: that "Directed by Alfred Hitchcock" was the only title he really cared about.