What Is the Job of an Executive Producer?

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Christopher Rokosz, actor, director, producer. And we're discussing, what's the job of an Executive Producer? Well, jobs descriptions will vary depending on the different productions. You will find executive producers on either theatrical projects, film projects or television projects. Or even local television news projects. But in the main projects of theater, film and television. The executive producer is the guy with the money. Now he may not have in his pocket. Because, if you remember the two good rules of producing. One is never put your own money in your project. Two, never put your own money in your project. But they are responsible for getting that money. Money makes everything go. Cameras don't roll, actors don't show up without cash. So at the beginning, their number one job is to get the money. Then from there, their job quite simply is to control or oversee or manage every aspect of production. Now a lot of times people think that the director's job. The director's job ultimately is to get the very best performance out of the actors. And lead the actual production crew. While an executive producer's job is to lead the financing business management of it. The preproduction crew oversees the production crew. Over see and manage the post production crew. And distribution, revenues, merchandising rights. They are responsible for just, they are responsible for every aspect of the production. So some of the skills that they must have are negotiation skills. To be able to, to be able to get the actors that they want. Convince people to join their project. They also have to have great presentation skills. To be able to sell people, to give them from anywhere thousands to hundreds of millions. To make this project happen. Picture this. This movie, with a guy. And he's going, the airplane explodes. Give me some money. Then he's also got to have to be able to convince people to buy the product. You've got to come see this movie. We're going to put this person over here, this person over here. Coordinate with an advertising agency. If not perform those things themselves. Deal with temperamental directors. Problem solve with big temperamental actresses and actors. Deal with problems with lights not working properly. Deal with problems where the set didn't show up. The animal actor passed away. The production over runs, cost over runs. Things don't go as planned. Story boards didn't come out the way, it was supposed to. Wrong order got shot backwards, clean up. So the job the executive producer literally is everything. It's his responsibility to make the project go. He is the manager, the executor, the money guy. It's an incredibly high pressure position. Not for the faint of heart. Incredible organization and management skills. That what it takes to become an executive producer. I'm Christopher Rokosz. We'll see you next time."