Posted by Smalls at syru35-043.syr.edu on March 24, 1998 at 02:58:36:
In Reply to: Producer vs. Director posted by Vincent on March 24, 1998 at 02:45:07:
: Hmmmm, have to disagree somewhat on your interpretation of what a producer does- maybe on a Hollywood hack production the producer has the vision, hired the director, etc. but that certainly isn't always the case. Especially in the area of films that are written and directed by the same person. It's generally accepted that the DIRECTOR has the vision- the producer has the business sense and the knowhow to get the show going and tie up all the loose ends and deal with all the bullshit so that the director can do his job and bring his vision to life.
I think what's getting confused here is the TELEVISION and FILM definitions of producer/exec. producer/director... and, yeah, Vincent's got the film definitions down perfectly.
In TV, however, the director IS just sort of the guy who yells at the cast a little, angles the cameras a bit, tells them what shots to switch between and little things like that... while the producer is much more like a director/head writer, with the vision and an overall control of the project. An exec in TV is generally much more powerful and influencal, the highest bit of the totem, the orchestrator of the cash and people and elements and so on.
The problem is most people hear both versions of the hierarchy and meanings of the titles and get them muddled up.
peace
Smalls