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Originally Posted by The_wall
Quick question, what is the role of an executive producer?
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There is no set definition for what an Executive Producer does... also it vastly differs from film to television.
In film, the executive producer is, generally speaking, the person who pulls the financing together. This is nothing to sneeze at. That said, it is not unheard of for an executive producer to also take a direct hand in being the Producer of the film as well.
A producer can be thought of like a Contractor. They buy a property and then they hire a crew to make a house on the property. In film, a producer options or buys the rights to a script, or hires a writer to write a script. Works with the writer to fine tune the script. The producer hires the Director, the DP, the Editor, etc. (sometimes the Director has a say in some of these hires as well).
The producer runs all the financials and coordinates the various heads of department and makes sure that the money in in the accounts on payday (or is available for the accountant to put into the accounts).
Sometimes, the executive producer that is a bit more "hands on" will have a lot more say in how things are run or done... sometimes not. I have a feeling that Peter Jackson is more likely to be a bit more hands on than most Executive Producers. Also, from the trades I read, it looks like his wife and writing partner (both of whom worked on King Kong and LOTR) are on board as well. I'd say they are going to have a big hand in the writing of the script.
On Television, it is another world altogether. On Television the Executive Producer can be someone like Jerry Bruckheimer who finances and develops different series, but most often they are really the creator and head writer. Think Joss Wedon, Chris Carter, Devid E. Kelly and you have the right picture. They are much more in control of the creative look and feel and direction of their series than any weekly director for hire. They are often called "show runners" in the business.