There are so many things that go into making films in the fast-paced, instant gratification world today. From the top billing stars in Hollywood to the streamlined budgets that could all be a draw for film investors and film financing companies.

Who really shapes the film finances in film productions today depends on how you view the film industry and if you are working with film finance companies. We have all seen the long list of names during the credits at the end of a movie, but who actually played a role from development of the screen play to pre-production, production and beyond?

The executive producer is probably the single most important element within the independent film financing realm. The executive producer is usually one of the first people involved in a film from either writing the screenplay or finding one that is to them good enough to make millions of dollars from its production.

What Executive Producers Do

An executive producer is involved from development, pre-production, production and beyond and has the foresight to see how the film will carry into the next decade. The producer is responsible for every aspect of the film finances from beginning to end and pitches to film financing companies for funding.

Executive producers are sometimes CEO’s from major film studios, or they could be an independent film financing producer and have the ability to pitch their ideas, budgets, and pleas to major film finance companies to obtain funding. They understand all the ins and outs of how to obtain funding in different ways such as studio or independent film financing and government grants.

Oversee Budgets

The executive producer oversee the producer and makes sure the film is moving along as it was intended to and that the budget is being adhered to. In a sense, the executive producer is protecting the film financing investors by making sure that the budget and business plan are being stuck to rigidly.

They may or may not have a say in cast and crew and who the director is, but their one source of input lies in the funding and is the film financier of every aspect of the development, pre-production, production and into the future, and it’s all about the cash flow.

The executive producer handles all sales pitches to film finance companies, marketing, distribution channels, and the entire financial plan. An executive producer may handle legal matters such as law suits and court issues, and they may also obtain copyrights and royalties and usually own the rights to the screenplay.

The executive producer handles everything from funding avenues, accounting issues, legal issues and even claiming the financial rights to the actual screenplay. They develop a sound marketing plan to get the film into production, understand the film production process and handle either the film financing companies or the independent film financing for the entire film from beginning to end.