For my first 2 hour block I researched the differences between film Directors and Producers. I think I underestimated the amount I would need to write, hence incredibly small writing even for me.
After much time spent working with Google I created this map of the information I found.
If I was summaries my findings, the main point is that both jobs are what you make them. They are interacting and fluid roles that frequently overlap. Really these two people need to get on.
To start with I will quickly define both.
A Director
Employed by the Producer to create an artistic and dramatic vision and realize said vision.
A Producer
Finds the story then employs the director, cast and crew to create the story. Generally more concerned in budget and schedule etc. liaises with studio so that director can create vision. After the film is created works with the distribution of the film.
There are often a few different types of producer:
Executive Producer- Takes care of accounting and legal issues (e.g. copyright, royalties). Often contributes to budget and has some artistic control.
Line Producer- Works in human resources and logistics. Oversees all the departments to make sure they are working towards the director. Also work in admin. Often liaise between the crew and the main producer(s)
Unit Production Manager- Also admin. Creates the working budget, selects the key crew, breakdown of shooting scheduled. Looks at location, transport, equipment etc.
Once again there is a lot of overlap here. To simplify things we are going to look at it as if there is one overall producer, as there can be on smaller projects.
Each obviously holds many more roles. Many of these roles over lap. A Venn diagram may help here.
Producer Director
I didn't include every single job, just the main ones. As you can see, they work very closely. What needs to be remembered is that the producer is the directors boss, and is on the project longer, even though they are often payed less than the director. In fact when trying to finance a film, a producer's name is less likly to attract a studio. The director is really needed to get attention. If you imagine the production like this:
Pre-production Producer
Money harnessed Producer
Director, writer employed Producer, Director
More financing Producer (Director)
Casting and crew employed Producer, Director
Filming Director (Producer)
Editing Director (Producer)
Distribution Producer
As you may be able to see, the producer is there more, though when the film is actually being realized they are less present. You may notice the brackets. This is because the directors and producers personality really comes into play here. You may have heard of directors who produce their own film, or vica-versa. During filming a producer may or may not be present depending on how much they like to get involved on the creation of the vision. So as to what the roles are, it really depends who is producing and who is directing.
One thing is that the Producer will probably spend a lot more time being a middle man; between the director and the studio, between the star and the director during an argument. They are managing everyone, whereas the director is only managing the cast and crew in relation to the vision.
A final difference is that the producer, especially if they are independent, have a financial risk. Before the film gets picked up by a studio, they are often putting in their own money to get it noticed. Once the director is hired, they have normally already got some interest, therefore the director is risking less.
Overall, the two roles overlap, but in general the Producer is the overall manager while the director is just creating their vision
So That is my whistle stop tour of Film Direction and Production. Please do say if you notice any mistakes or think I have missed something massive out. I don't claim to be any expert, so it would be most appreciated.
I found finding information on Producers and Directors easier than I thought it would be at first, but then I found that much of the information was repeats, and then consolidating it into something that made sense took 22 minutes longer than I anticipated. I am not sure how reliable my sources were. It was a very interesting search though
Thanks for reading.
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