Executive producer

One of the most important jobs involved in the production of a commercial entertainment product is that of the executive producer, or EP. The executive producer may be concerned with managerial accounting or associated with legal difficulties, depending on the medium (like copyrights or royalties). It is common practise for the executive producer of a film to make a financial contribution to the film's budget. The extent to which the executive producer is involved in the production of the film varies depending on the nature of the project; some executive producers simply secure funding, while others are actively involved in the production process.

In the film industry, executive producers may be responsible for the film's financing, take part in the creative process, or even work on the set. Their roles might range from providing financial support for the movie production or luring potential investors into the venture to working in legal, screenplay, marketing, consulting, or supervisory capacities.

The level of involvement, responsibility, and influence held by executive producers might vary. There are some executive producers who are active in the production on a hands-on level, others who supervise the producers of a project, and still others who are just involved in the project on paper.

In recent years, more weight has been given to the contributions of executive producers in the film business. In the middle to later part of the 1990s, the average number of executive producers working on a film was just under two. The figure increased to 2.5 in the year 2000. During the year 2013, there was an average of 4.4 executive producers working on each film.