Chapter 8 The Production Process 293to develop their projects. Whatever the situation, producers can apply a
great deal of control over all processes of production, including creative
decisions. In most contractual arrangements, the producer is in charge of
the staff on the fi lm, and that includes the director. If a producer is unhappy
with the work being done by the director, it is possible for the producer
to fi re the director as well as any other person working on the fi lm. Th is
was an essential condition of production as it was set up by the Hollywood
studios in the fi rst half of the twentieth century. Directors who wanted
more control over their own work would oft en produce their own material,
although studio heads still retained a great deal of power in fi nal decisions
about projects.The Production Team
Th ere are many titles for the roles that have to do with overseeing production.
Besides the basic role of the producer, here are some key positions in the
production staff :- Executive Producer – In major motion picture production, this is
typically a CEO, executive with a studio, or chief investor, while
in independent production, the writer or director may fi ll this
position. Th e executive producer supervises the overall fi nancial and
administrative decision making for the movie. Other producer titles
are co-producer (which may only indicate fi nancial involvement or
initial contributions during development), associate producer, and
assistant producer. A line producer is seen on some projects when the
administrative offi ce wants a producer regularly on set to supervise
the logistics of the shoot and the budget of the production, and whose
role is similar to that of the unit production manager.
Figure 8-5 J. J. Abrams
directing Star Trek on the
main bridge of the Enterprise.
Some contemporary directors
also function as producers
and writers, and they vary
their roles in a variety of
domains, including television,
feature fi lms, music videos,
and commercials. (Courtesy
Paramount Pictures/Photofest)Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).