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Craig and John explain what producers do — at least, what they’re supposed to do — and discuss the myriad subclasses of producers that litter the opening titles of many movies.
Which is the more impressive credit — producer or executive producer? In film, it’s the former. In TV, it’s the latter. But whatever the title, producers are integral to getting a movie or TV show made.
Craig feels producers can be either anxiety buffers or anxiety conductors. John breaks down four essential roles you find producers filling:
- The general. This producer keeps things moving forward and protects the production. She forces you to make decisions.
- The diplomat. This producer makes sure crazy people feel respected, even when they’re being giant pains-in-the-ass. He talks the actress out of her trailer.
- The creative. This producer reminds everyone what kind of movie they’re trying to make. She performs quality control for the production.
- The bulldozer. This producer will smash down a phone booth to help the director get his shot. (This actually happened.)
Some producers can fill multiple roles (like diplomat-creative), but you’ll often find these qualities spread out among several people on a production, regardless of the size.
Who’s that fat cat, and how did he afford such a fancy cigar? Find out on episode seventeen of Scriptnotes.
LINKS:
- Producer credits and what they mean
- Producers Guild of America
- Kelly Manners on IMDb
- INTRO: The Weebles
- OUTRO: What More Can I Say (Falsettoland) performed by the San Francisco’s Gay Men’s Chorus
You can download the episode here: AAC.
UPDATE 1-4-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.
