Movie terminology glossary

So, let us begin (or rather, I invite those of you who are already experts to lead the way, while I shall endeavor to contribute everything within my own knowledge) by demystifying some of the various terms used throughout the film industry! From specific job descriptions down to the lowly role of a best boy, we shall cover it all.

I am happy to kick things off myself!

To start, I find myself quite curious regarding the full scope of a producer's responsibilities—specifically, what exactly does one do beyond simply raising the capital?
What does it truly signify when someone declares, "I produced that film"?

Many thanks,

As far as I know, the producer's main job is providing the capital. That's their primary role... basically, they fund the movie, which naturally gives them the right to pick things like the director or the cast (if that's what they want to do).

What’s the actual difference between a producer and an executive producer?

I've always wondered what those "a.s.c." initials behind a cinematographer's name actually mean. I was always too embarrassed to ask 😁

A producer is basically just someone who hunts down the cash and handles the logistics... depending on where you are in the States, they might have some say in the creative side, but at the end of the day, they own the movie.
When it comes to co-productions, the heavy hitters are the ones actually calling the shots. The lead producers hold the majority stake, while everyone else is just,
well, another producer.

http://www.imdb.com/Glossary/

brightscout63 said:I’ve always wondered what that "a.s.c." thing actually means when you see it tucked right after a cinematographer's name or something similar. Honestly, I've always felt a little too embarrassed to just speak up and ask, so I figured I'd finally just go ahead and look into it! 😁

Check out the latest updates over at ASC. It’s pretty much the gold standard if you want to stay on top of everything happening in the world of cinematography and film production.

Seeing those subtitles actually reminded me of that final credits sequence from Airplane! where they list the 'best boy' and then suddenly drop Adolf Hitler right after as the 'worst boy.'

🤣

Chloe Walker78 said:http://www.imdb.com/Glossary/

YOU ARE COMPLETELY SABOTAGING MY THREAD!!!!
But honestly, don't you worry, because I have just the remedy for this—shall we simply pivot and discuss who everyone is and how they operate within the entire American film industry instead?

Carol Jackson45 said:So, what’s actually the difference between a producer and a truly great one?

I guess a standard producer is basically just someone who secures the funding and watches the budget to make sure the movie turns a profit—since the person cutting the checks can pretty much dictate whatever they want to the director and all that. But a great producer? They’re more like the backbone. They handle the logistics, the organization, making sure everything runs smoothly day-to-day, from the coffee and transportation to the shooting schedule and getting everyone to the set on time... they just make sure people are happy. I mean, they probably don't have much of an artistic say, though.

brightscout63 said:I’ve always wondered what those little abbreviations like a.s.c. mean when they show up after a cinematographer's name. I was always too embarrassed to ask.😁

I guess you might not realize we have something similar here in the States, too? Like the American Society of Cinematographers or something along those lines. In America, it's a really powerful organization that basically acts like a labor union, making sure its members get priority in the job market. So, people are actually pretty proud to be part of it.

Carol Jackson45 said:What’s actually the difference between producers and executive producers?

I’ve always found that producers tend to be much more hands-on with the actual creative magic of making a movie, whereas executive producers are usually the studio representatives overseeing the whole thing. They’re really more focused on the business side of the entire operation.

Take the trilogy as an example; the executive producers were:

Michael Lynne
Robert Shaye — they're both the owners of New Line Cinema (which, as part of the Time Warner conglomerate, has ties to CNN) that actually produced the films.

Mark Ordesky — an executive producer who was constantly right there on set helping out with all the organization.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein — (well, they aren't anymore!) the former heads of the Miramax mini-studio (under Disney) who initially got the ball rolling after Peter Jackson went looking for whoever held the rights to adapt the book—which turned out to be the producer Saul Zaentz, who had personally bought those rights from J.R.R. Tolkien.

Then you have the producers:

Barry M. Osbourne
Fran Walsh
Peter Jackson — this trio really had the lion's share of the creative input in bringing the movies to life. Jackson and Walsh actually own the Wing Nut production company that produced the films. As for Osbourne, he spent the entire production coordinating between all the different departments—special effects, miniatures, set design, sound, extra directing crews, and so on. If you watch the extras, there's actually a great scene where you can see him losing his cool during daily meetings with the department heads! Both Osbourne and Walsh even stepped in to direct a few scenes themselves.

Maria Peterson said:Honestly, I have just the cure for all that—let's just talk about who's doing what and how everyone operates within the American film industry!

Nobody is actually doing any real work, which is exactly why our movies turn out the way they do. 🤣

Well, from what I gather, a producer in this country is basically just someone tasked with rounding up the funding. I actually had the chance to meet one guy once, and he spent the whole time complaining about how he isn't allowed to have any actual creative input into the filmmaking process itself. 😬

And tell me, does the role of an executive producer actually exist here in the States? Furthermore, is it common practice for a single producer to handle both production and promotion as well?

Maria Peterson said:Look, I'm curious about what a producer actually does—besides just collecting a paycheck.
What does it actually mean when someone claims, "I produced this film."

Are you asking about how things work here in the States, or on a global scale?

It’s a bit of both, really! But wouldn't you agree that while a producer can easily look up their global standing on IMDb, there is absolutely nothing they can do to account for the unique quirks and local nuances of the American market?

What exactly is a 'boom boy'? 🙂 😕

Jose Chase2 said:What exactly is a 'boom boy'? 🙂 😕

I guess they're the ones making the "boom" sound? 🤣
Actually, no, no—a boom boy is just a kid (and yeah, there are girls too!) who holds the boom pole, you know, that long stick with the microphone hanging off it to catch the audio.

boom operator

Maria Peterson said:Both. But let's just say what a producer can learn on a global scale via IMDb, they won't find out regarding how things actually work in this neck of the woods.

In this environment, "producers" are really just the Department of the Interior and PBS—everyone else calling themselves a producer is merely an executive handling funds provided by those two. They pocket their cut first, kick back some under-the-table cash to the folks at the Department or PBS who greenlit the project, and then split whatever’s left among the crew. You might find outliers—like Joe Biden—but when you crunch the numbers, it always circles back to the same old pattern.