creatiThere are an abundance of self-explanatory jobs in the entertainment industry. Actors act, managers manage, directors direct, producers produce…

Produce what, though?

The answer to that question is usually found in the word preceding producer, like executive or segment. However, with so many different types of producers present on set or in the credits, remembering who does what can be a little dizzying. These distinctions are important information for actors to know. Even if you aren’t getting quizzed on your knowledge, having this information on hand comes in handy because you’ll know who to approach when issues arise, and how to properly credit someone if you’re at the helm.

Line Producer

This job title isn’t a straightforward one (then again, none of these really are), but it can sound especially confusing to someone who has little to no experience with the business of filmmaking. The ‘line’ in line producer refers to the line that was used in budgets in the early days of filmmaking to distinguish between two different groups of expenses. Everyone and everything above the line is related to the major creative talent on a project including writers, directors, producers, and the top actors. Anything below the line was quite literally everyone and everything else. The terms ‘above the line’ and ‘below the line’ are commonly used outside the context of finances, so there’s a chance you’ve probably heard it before but had no idea what the heck this mysterious ‘line’ is that everyone is talking about.

The line producer can’t get started until these expenses have been established, so one of their many responsibilities is to read the script and break it down to develop a budget. And when I say many, I mean many. They oversee the majority of daily operations and logistics. Scheduling, casting, location scouting, risk management, wardrobe, visual effects, travel, accommodations for the cast and crew…These are just a handful of the different things that a line producer directly handles themselves, facilitates for others, and negotiates for to make the production possible.

It shouldn’t be at all surprising that a line producer is one of the first people to get hired for a project, and that they usually work on only one film at a time.

Executive Producer

Let’s go back to the topic of budgeting and finances. Executive producers are tasked with acquiring the funds for a film, and they’re usually brought on board to help pitch the project.

This role can be given as an honorary credit too. Since executive producers are responsible for funding, the credit can technically be given to anyone who has had a significant impact on getting a project funded. It can be direct or indirect. If a person introduces a producer and/or director to someone who funds the project, for example, the person who made that introduction could technically be given an honorary executive producer credit.

In the filmmaking world the executive producer has little to do with the project itself, but the opposite is true of a TV show. One of the executive producers of a show is usually the showrunner, overseeing the execution of the production – that’s where the name comes from. 

Co-producer and Assistant Producer

Like executive producer, co-producer and assistant producer can be given as an honorary credit, and they typically are. A co-producer can act as a second to the producer, but the credit can also mean someone was important to the production. Co-producers on TV shows, on the other hand, are often the writers.

An assistant producer is exactly what it sounds like. This is a below the line job, and it’s often performed by someone who’s being supervised by an above the line producer. It can also be a way of thanking someone for a contribution they made to the film. It’s not unheard of to offer this credit in lieu of financial compensation.

Associate Producer

It can be easy to mix this one up with ‘assistant producer’ because they start with the same three letters and are just vague enough to sound interchangeable. The difference is that associate producer truly is vague and generic, whereas the assistant producer has a slightly more defined purpose.

An associate producer might be an assistant to the director, but it could also be someone who handled the office work and similar tasks. It says absolutely nothing about what they actually contributed to the production, only that they were ‘associated’ with it in some way, you could say.

Field Producers

A field producer oversees all of the work done ‘out in the field’. They make sure all the props and other assets are right where they need to be for when the cameras are rolling outside of the studio, and make arrangements so sites can be used for filming.   

You’ll often see them working on reality TV, documentaries, and news reporting. A field producer who works on news reporting will coordinate with the newsroom staff and reporters to find leads and other intel. They’re also active in the last night talk show scene. All of those bits interviewing random people out on the street? The field producer makes it possible.

Segment Producer

Probably the most straightforward producer credit, though the bar is pretty low there, a segment producer is someone in charge of a specific segment in a film or TV show which has multiple segments. Think of shows like Saturday Night Live and movies like The ABCs of Death; the sequel, The ABCs of Death 2 had a total of sixteen segment producers. Like field reporters, they’re also active in news media.

Creative Producer

This is a title that you’re more likely to see in an ad agency than in the entertainment industry, but it can be used in TV and film. While extremely open-ended, it can be used specifically to refer to a producer who is involved in the creative process, as opposed to a producer who hires a director and trusts them to bring their vision to life.

No, That’s Not All of Them

This only scratches the surface of what these different credits mean and the people who bear them. They can overlap, and the exact responsibilities can vary by production. There can be multiples of each type of producer involved in one project, as noted with the segment producers in The ABC’s of Death 2. 

Are you eager to learn more about how films are funded and produced? Join my advanced actor program and learn to produce your own creative content to advance your acting career!