When the Notorious B.I.G. ’s " Born Again " album was released in 1999 , a lot of the credit went to executive producer Sean " Puffy " Combs . B.I.G. , after all , had been dead for almost three year , the victim of a drive - by shooting in Los Angeles . Combs create the knocker ’s third album by arrange some of his unheard rhymes and add guest spot by well - known creative person including Missy Elliott , Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg . In cockscomb ' arrangements , B.I.G. starts off most of the lead , and then the guest artist takes over [ sources : Vladimir Bogdanov , Chris Woodstra and Stephen Thomas Erlewine ] .
Musicjournalist Chris Charlesworth is credited as executive manufacturer for re - released versions of The Who ’s albums because he suggested that the grouping produce a retrospective loge solidification that lead to several more . Charlesworth had never bring about an album , but he wound up selecting additional lead , write text for line drive booklets , working on cover concepts and shepherding themusic productionprocess [ source : Richard James Burgess ] .
In contrast , Peter Grant was accredit as executive producer on every Led Zeppelin album , while he was actually the group ’s managing director and did n’t contribute to the song writing , arranging or producing .
As you could see from these examples , executive producer – even work in the same arena of theentertainmentindustry – do n’t of necessity deal the same responsibility . They may have overall responsibleness for nearly everything , handle a specific area of the task or have no not bad responsibleness than fund the project , render support or lending their name to boost packaging and sales .
So what is an executive producer ? How does amusic producerdiffer from a motion picture producer or a television manufacturer ? And how does someone become an executive manufacturer ? Keep reading to regain out .
Job Description of an Executive Producer
What is an executive producer ? As you ’ve already see , the term is difficult to define because the tariff vary so much . Add to that the differences between amusic producer , a motion picture producer or a television producer , and the definition gets even more complicated . We ’ll take a closer look at each of these types of executive producers in the pages to come , but first let ’s think the job description of an executive producer more generally .
The simplest way of looking at it may be to say that an executive producer is the executive director charged with producing the project , whether it ’s a picture show , an album or a TV serial . That may think taking charge of the entire task or providing some accomplishment or resourcefulness that is absolutely vital to the project ’s success .
For instance , an executive producer can be a " suit , " someone who watches where the money goes and keeps the project on track . Often executive producers work for the studio or therecord labelto make certain the company ’s investment pay off .
Or an executive producer can be a backer who bankrolls the majority of the projection or redact up a partial share and then bring in investors to fund the relief .
An executive manufacturer can roll up his sleeves and really get into the production process , as Puffy Combs did with " Born Again , " or take on a vital part of the labor , as Chris Charlesworth did for The Who . in particular in the independent medicine orfilmindustries , an executive manufacturer can wind up doing virtually everything not handled by artists and crew .
An executive manufacturer also can be a well - known producer ordirectorwho impart his name to a project to give it greater profile . Steven Spielberg , George Clooney and others have been heel as executive producers for picture show for name ’s sake – even without taking any active role in the production process .
And there ’s no grounds why a movement picture or phonograph record album needs to have only one executive producer . Several manufacturer often portion out the title on a film , reflecting their varied input . In the case of The Who ’s retro albums , Charlesworth shared manufacturer credit with John Astley , an experient medicine manufacturer who did the remastering , and Bill Curbishley , the band ’s handler [ source : Richard James Burgess ] .
Next , allow ’s wait at what an executive manufacturer does in the motion picture industry .
Motion Picture Executive Producer
Because picture show making is such a complicated process , the apparent movement pic executive producer ordinarily monitor and is wait on by others . Each of these less producer treat some aspect of product responsibilities . To get the full motion picture , get ’s look at the responsibleness of a hands - on producer who superintend the film , rather than a manufacturer who just provides financial backing or add a name to the project .
A movie executive manufacturer is often responsible for to the studio for piss certain a high - timber motion picture is fill in on time and on budget . The producer oversee the whole appendage from initial concept to distribution to theaters , while serving as affair to the studio and managing the work of hundreds of individuals [ source : Full Sail ] .
During preproduction , the executive manufacturer find the material that will become the picture taradiddle , gets the hand written and happen financing for the motion picture . Working alone or with the studio apartment , he also witness the director and cameraman , assists in cast off the lead actors and rent a yield team , including crew and manufacturer .
This is also the clock time to mold positioning and budget , recrudesce a shooting docket as well as a elaborate output design .
During production , the executive producer monitors the production timetable and budget , keeps the picture on its original creative track and may extend creative suggestion to the director . The executive producer also keeps the studio informed about the progress of motion-picture photography and acts as a affaire between the studio and the film ’s originative and proficient staff .
During postproduction , the executive manufacturer reviews the emended deletion of the celluloid and offer suggestion for retool the plastic film before the final swing . He also crop with amovie distributorto secure distribution and reviews the distributor ’s advertizement political campaign for the film [ source : World Book ] .
For the most part , as you could see , the executive manufacturer is involved more with the stage business than the nontextual matter of filmmaking . That ’s not so true for an executive manufacturer in the music diligence .
Keep reading to find out how the persona of amusic producerdiffers from that of an executive manufacturer in the film industriousness or a television manufacturer .
Music Executive Producer
While a motion image executive producer is in the main involved with the commercial enterprise side of the production appendage , amusic produceris often much more involved in the creative process . In fact , Richard James Burgess , generator of " The Art of Music Production , " suggests that a music producer ’s role may be more like that of amovie directorthan amovie producer , with more ascendancy over the creative person and his functioning .
Burgess quotes George Martin , the Beatles ' executive producer , as saying that amusic produceris like a movie producer and director roll into one : " A record producer is the designer – not in the sense of make the actual workplace itself , but he stages the show and introduce it to the world . It ’s his taste that makes it what it is – undecomposed or bad . "
And while movie executive producer are part of a large production team , record producer often crop as someone and go their own modest labels . Unless they are administrator for a large book recording label , they may center mostly on the originative and leave the bargain making to music agents .
But the financial aspects of yield ca n’t be ignore . Deanna Schwartz , who has her own record label , Revenge Records , point out that whenever she does a project for her recording label , she ’s the executive producer because she ’s paying the expenses . That , she says , means get the final say over when a project is finished , as well as a hand in choosing the session musicians and the engineer for the mix .
With a lowly label or as an independent manufacturer , amusic producermay handle many aspects of production , include song written material , orchestration , phone engineering and vocal arrangement . He also may approve liner content and cover up graphics , as well as working onmusic distributionand marketing programme .
Producers also often decide when and where to record , pick out the player and technician need to make that bump and make do the production timetable and budget . But often the good role may be plainly doing the least and helping the recording creative person to fine - tune their carrying into action . Schwartz take note that " every projection needs objectivity , and it ’s hard to be unprejudiced about your own music . "
Go to the next Thomas Nelson Page to get a line about the dissimilar character of executive producers in the television set industry .
Television Executive Producer
An executive producer in thetelevisionindustry is someone who has to work quickly and make snap decision in a fast - paced industriousness . While a motion picture producer ormusic producermay have month to complete a film or an record album , a video producer working on a serial has to make out a show every week or around 22 shows for a season .
Perhaps even more than in other entertainment industries , executive producer can have different meanings in television . The Producers Guild of America , the professional association for moving-picture show and television producer , differentiates between executive producer for long - form television ( TV motion picture ) and television series . But individual networks and goggle box station also have executive producer to handle news and other types of computer programming .
The responsibility of an executive manufacturer for long - contour television are similar to those for a feature film :
idiot box series are often writer driven , but the executive producer has last responsibility for the creative and business scene of producing the series and is creditworthy to the internet or company financing the serial . The executive manufacturer may also be the writer but with added duties , such as :
[ source : Producers Guild of America ]
Does executive manufacturer sound like the right career for you ? Keep reading to find out the preparation and have you ’ll need for dissimilar entertainment industries .
Becoming an Executive Producer
Starting at the top is almost impossible in any career – and that ’s what you ’d be doing if you started work in thefilm , musicortelevisionindustry as an executive producer . As with any other calling , you need the correct experience and training to move up .
Some of the skill you need to assume are the same for any type of executive manufacturer . For example , you need to be able to manage the logistics , timetables and disbursement of a project , as well as the creative talent , technical and production staff equipment , plus the equipment and materials involved .
Of course , you ’re not likely to do all that yourself , but you ’ll require training in projection management and hand - on experience in some of these area . After all , if you ’re going to make certain other people are doing their jobs , you need to know those jobs . And if you ’re charge with managing the project budget and protecting a studio orrecord label’sinvestments , you ’ll involve a college degree in finance or a related field .
Each entertainment manufacture also call for some specialised skills and training :
movement picture producer– produce a movie would be impossible if you did n’t understand how moving picture are made . Executive producers of picture show often rivet on a special filmmaking skill – acting , authorship , direct , editing or cinematography – before becoming an executive producer . And they initiate small , usually first with a college stage and then working on low - level jobs in the industry . Steven Spielberg and Spike Lee both started produce and directing short films while they were in college .
euphony producer– Perhaps more than in picture show , an executive manufacturer in the medicine industry ask a background as a writer or performing artist and satisfying knowledge of an legal document . But you also need to know the patronage , including the process and the equipment . That probably mean capture a college degree with an stress on music yield , medicine business orsound technology . After that , it ’s a matter of start at the bottom and do work up . Many executive producers , like Puffy Combs or Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads , begin as performing player .
TV producer– As with movies and music , being a television executive director producer ask knowledge of the specific industry as well as an understanding of filmmaking or entertainment . Usually this start with a college degree in communications or media , with specialization in broadcast medium . After that , it ’s a topic of strike up through video or radiocommunication .
For exemplar , Paula Apsell , an executive producer with the " Nova " science , goggle box series , started out typing a Boston TV station ’s daily television logs . She moved to the station ’s radio affiliate and became a news manufacturer before producing a few episodes for Nova and then link up the stave [ source : PBS ] .
David Shore , executive manufacturer of the TV show " House , " was a lawyer who changed careers to write for television receiver . Before he created " House , " he worked on many other shows , including writing episodes for " NYPD Blue " and " The Practice , " and solve as supervising producer on " Law & Order " [ source : House ] .
As with any entertainment vocation , your winner in moving up depends on your luck , contact and continuity , as well as your talent , attainment and experience . Networking can serve you move up the ladder from adjunct manufacturer to associate manufacturer , manufacturer and finally executive producer .
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