Film credits often have producers, creative producers, executive producers, and similar titles that can confuse a layperson. Here is a quick primer:<ol><li>The Executive Producer is the one who invested all the money in the project.</li><li>The Producer is more in line with the director's vision, and is there to solve real-world problems during production.</li><li>The Line Producer runs the operation of the film production, working with payroll, insurance and vendors.</li><li>The Creative Producer works directly with the director and hatches ideas, creative elements and creative collaborators that make or break the movie.</li></ol>

What Producer Does What

<img src="https://i1.wp.com/www.mentorless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/What-Does-a-Producer-Do-Creative-Live-mentorless.com_.jpg?resize=492%2C268&amp;ssl=1" alt="What Does a Producer Do - Creative Live - mentorless.com" width="485" height="264" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.mentorless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/What-Does-a-Producer-Do-Creative-Live-mentorless.com_.jpg?w=630&amp;ssl=1 630w, https://i1.wp.com/www.mentorless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/What-Does-a-Producer-Do-Creative-Live-mentorless.com_.jpg?resize=150%2C82&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/www.mentorless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/What-Does-a-Producer-Do-Creative-Live-mentorless.com_.jpg?resize=300%2C163&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/www.mentorless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/What-Does-a-Producer-Do-Creative-Live-mentorless.com_.jpg?resize=100%2C54&amp;ssl=1 100w">Film credits can get confusing, especially when it comes to the producing side of the process. Between the Producers, the Creative Producers, the Line Producers and the Executive Producers, it is sometimes tricky to visualize who does what.Fortunately, <a title="Download and Learn From Screenplays Competing For Oscars Attention" href="https://www.mentorless.com/2012/12/17/download-and-learn-from-screenplays-competing-for-oscars-attention/" dir="ltr">Beasts of the Southern Wild</a>&nbsp;and <a title="Watch “High Maintenance” the Web Series Soon to Become Vimeo First Original Series on Demand" href="https://www.mentorless.com/2014/09/05/web-series-high-maintenance-become-vimeo-first-original-series/" dir="ltr">High Maintenance</a>&nbsp;Producer, Michael Gottwald gave a class on <a title="Producing an Indie Film" href="http://cr8.lv/mggrassrootsyt" dir="ltr">Producing An Indie Film From The Grassroots Up</a>&nbsp;at <a title="Fill Up Your Creative Batteries With Austin Kleon’s Priceless Advice" href="https://www.mentorless.com/2013/09/20/fill-up-your-creative-batteries-with-austin-kleons-priceless-advice/" dir="ltr">Creative Live</a> where he explains what are the responsibilities tied up to each title.Watch the video and see below for a recap:<div class="embed-placeholder" data-type="youtube" data-id="0ly2zjACZCk"></div><h3> The&nbsp;Executive&nbsp;Producer </h3>The Executive Producer is usually a person who does have a financial interest in a film or maybe they are a person who gathered money for the film.<h3>&nbsp;The Producer&nbsp;</h3>It depends on each project or each company, and it also depends on a&nbsp;per-project basis.Knowing what the reality is, and knowing what the director’s vision is, and trying to marry those two in a way that best does that but in the real world.Problem solving, mostly on set. Knowing what to do when things go wrong.During production, managing relationships between the crew. Making sure everybody is happy and communicating and understanding each other, so you’re getting what you need to get done, working toward the same interest.Later fostering the right kind of partners that you’re going to work with in distribution or in that phase of the film. And strategically thinking about the life of the film once it is finished.<h3>&nbsp;The Line&nbsp;Producer&nbsp;</h3>You’re running the operation of the film production.You’re working with the production company if there is one, on payroll and insurance and all that sort of things.You’re managing with your Unit Production Manager vendor relationships.You’re the stepping stone of the Producer who can be the in-between between the Line Producer and the Director.<h3>&nbsp;The Creative&nbsp;Producer&nbsp;</h3>It’s a term you can hear passed around more and more these days.You could work directly with the director on the script, if they are open to it. Either bouncing ideas off of each other, or [the director]&nbsp;use you as a sounding board.You could provide a timeline for them.You can gather key creative collaborators for the director like heads of departments that are going to be crucial for the success of the movie.<h4>Email is how I connect</h4>I email curious minds about thoughts and ideas I find interesting and that might help them storytell the world differently to showcase its potential as a diverse, rich and inclusive space.<div dir="ltr">

 
 
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Film credits can get confusing, especially when it comes to the producing side of the process. Between the Producers, the Creative Producers, the Line Producers and

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Film credits can get confusing, especially when it comes to the producing side of the process. Between the Producers, the Creative Producers, the Line Producers and the Executive Producers, it is sometimes tricky to visualize who does what.

Fortunately, <a href="https://www.mentorless.com/2012/12/17/download-and-learn-from-screenplays-competing-for-oscars-attention/">Beasts of the Southern Wild </a> and <a href="https://www.mentorless.com/2014/09/05/web-series-high-maintenance-become-vimeo-first-original-series/">High Maintenance </a> Producer, Michael Gottwald gave a class on <a href="http://cr8.lv/mggrassrootsyt">Producing An Indie Film From The Grassroots Up </a> at <a href="https://www.mentorless.com/2013/09/20/fill-up-your-creative-batteries-with-austin-kleons-priceless-advice/">Creative Live </a>where he explains what are the responsibilities tied up to each title.

Watch the video and see below for a recap:

The Executive Producer is usually a person who does have a financial interest in a film or maybe they are a person who gathered money for the film.

It depends on each project or each company, and it also depends on a per-project basis.

Knowing what the reality is, and knowing what the director’s vision is, and trying to marry those two in a way that best does that but in the real world.

Problem solving, mostly on set. Knowing what to do when things go wrong.

During production, managing relationships between the crew. Making sure everybody is happy and communicating and understanding each other, so you’re getting what you need to get done, working toward the same interest.

Later fostering the right kind of partners that you’re going to work with in distribution or in that phase of the film. And strategically thinking about the life of the film once it is finished.

You’re running the operation of the film production.

You’re working with the production company if there is one, on payroll and insurance and all that sort of things.

You’re managing with your Unit Production Manager vendor relationships.

You’re the stepping stone of the Producer who can be the in-between between the Line Producer and the Director.

It’s a term you can hear passed around more and more these days.

You could work directly with the director on the script, if they are open to it. Either bouncing ideas off of each other, or [the director] use you as a sounding board.

You could provide a timeline for them.

You can gather key creative collaborators for the director like heads of departments that are going to be crucial for the success of the movie.

I email curious minds about thoughts and ideas I find interesting and that might help them storytell the world differently to showcase its potential as a diverse, rich and inclusive space.

Finally Understand in 5min the Difference Between a Producer, an Executive Producer & a Line Producer

What Producer Does What

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