Producer vs Executive Producer | Who's The Boss?

[@AlexiOuzas]

What has your experience been like working with a Producer or Executive Producer?

[@michaellancaster9350]

I find your teaching / mentoring very insightful. I am currently working with a development company whose parent company is in finance and its development partners are in production. I am a novelist turned screenwriter and have worked years on this project and invested in attorneys, line producer, graphics and coverage. I am pitching this not only as a screenwriter, but also as a producer. The finance people tell me that although my script hits all the high notes that [those] do not necessarily and historically bring pre sales. They like to finance completely off of pre sales, MG's etc. Meanwhile I am reading that all the [high notes] in my script are what's driving the success in current filmmaking. It's a bit of a Conundrum.

[@AlexiOuzas]

@@michaellancaster9350 thanks for the support and glad it's insightful for you! There is a difference between how 'financeable' a film is VS how successful it ultimately is in the marketplace. In the financing stage, financiers are essentially looking at ways to minimise risk through things like cast, director, genre, screenplay, it's more of a package. But when the film hits the marketplace, the audience helps to influence the success of the film, and story matters a lot. So they are right, but part of the problem might be that they are trying to raise the entire budget through pre-sales - that's difficult. Have you optioned the project to them?

[@michaellancaster9350]

@@AlexiOuzas I have not optioned the screenplay to them. Not long ago two filmmakers heard of me because I am working with a local city in New Mexico to create a film campus devoted to diversity. They read my script and offered an option agreement that was not satisfactory for a tier 2 low budget film. I passed. With the development partners my guess is that after attaching talent and director they may offer to option. My intention here is to craft a really good film, not just satisfy investors.

[@AlexiOuzas]

@@michaellancaster9350 OK great, see what they offer and then make the call. You're absolutely right to focus on the film

[@emilyabt9375]

Another excellent, very helpful tutorial. Before watching this I was a little unclear re a bond company's role in production decision making but now I get it. Also, I've worked with many investors over the years but still learned a lot from this tutorial. What an important service you're providing to us indy filmmakers Alexi. You're really demystifying the key business aspects and being so generous with your knowledge. Our industry can sometimes feel like a black box but these tutorials are the best resource I've come across for nuts and bolts wisdom on how to make low budget narrative features. I think you need to write a book!

[@AlexiOuzas]

Thank you so much for the kind words and support! Glad that these videos are a useful resource even for those who have experience in the trenches! If there is anything else you would like to learn, just let me know and I'll line it up. And we will have to see about the book!

[@ekim3001]

thanks for the explanation I get the two mixed up sometimes , I.m enjoying the videos.

[@nancygillard5961]

Producer makes the director's movie a reality.

[@JLW667]

2:57 3:15 Producer 4:10 Copyright

[@dirtydan3462]

Great video. Boost the volume on future uploads please!

[@AlexiOuzas]

Thanks Dan and noted! Next one is already scheduled but I will keep this in mind for future vids

[@BrooklynHudson]

My television series is with a major network. As the creator, I was given EP credit. Isn't that also the norm... show creator = EP? It's interesting to me how many people who have worked in the industry for decades, still can't make heads or tails of the producer roles and titles. When I was in the contract phase, everyone gave me a conflicting answer. This was a much-needed video, Alexi, thank you!

[@AlexiOuzas]

Producer credits for TV and Film are quite different. This video relates to credits for Film and I'm not the best person to speak to exactly how it works in TV land. But I do know that an EP credit for TV is a great credit!

[@BrooklynHudson]

@@AlexiOuzas Well, that's good enough for me! LOL

[@transversalfilms]

Once again thank you very much for each and every one of your videos dear Alex!!! A query about the rights of the film. The 100% of the rights are shared exclusively between us EP, unless, as I understand from your explanation, the Producer, who is responsible for the film, is the one who can also have a percentage of the rights if he has invested a certain amount for the budget of the film. Am I right? Thank you very much once again.

[@AlexiOuzas]

Thanks for checking them out! Do you mind rephrasing your question, not sure I'm clear on it but I'm sure I can help!

[@transversalfilms]

@@AlexiOuzas Can the producer be an EP as long as he/she is an investor, i.e. as long as he/she contributes money to the project? Or can he/she also be EP if he/she brings other elements of value, such as "his/her work", "his/her conections", etc., to the project? etc..

[@christian2085]

Thank you, friend!

[@AlexiOuzas]

Any time!

[@azeemwilliams665]

Very helpful thank you!

[@AlexiOuzas]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Lyfeastrey]

So if I write the check, I can get a EP credit?

[@AlexiOuzas]

100%

[@MoLtenMetaL7]

Cool. Why would an EP invest in an independent film, when they know -AFAIK- that the chances of that film actually making profit is very slim?

[@AlexiOuzas]

Many reasons, but usually it's because they have income that they can allocate to high-risk investments (like film) and they want to support the filmmaker and/or the film.

[@MoLtenMetaL7]

@@AlexiOuzas Does it usually apply to foreign filmmakers? I understand some countries kinda forces the rich people to allocate some funds to support the artists, like USA, but can they support filmmakers in a far far country, typically speaking?

[@AlexiOuzas]

@@MoLtenMetaL7 do you mean is it likely that US based investors would support foreign filmmakers? I'm based in Australia and we have Australian investors supporting Australian filmmakers, and we have had a US investor support an Australian film (though it's less common)

[@naimahq8739]

@@MoLtenMetaL7WHAT a list to get one’s hands on! Lol

[@MichaelCamacho-l9g]

The one with the money behind the movie is the boss.

[@ericdavidwallace]

If you're George Lucas, you do it all...