The executive producer is a senior producer who secures financing and supervises the project. They are often the person who gets the film made. They find the script, attach the director and actors, raise the money, and oversee the production. They may be involved in the creative decisions, or they may focus on the business side. Their role varies by project and by industry.

In Hollywood, the executive producer is often a financier or a studio executive. They may have little involvement in the day-to-day production. Their name appears in the credits because they secured the funding or championed the project. In television, the executive producer is often the showrunner, the person who runs the writers' room and oversees the production. The title is used differently in different contexts.

The executive producer is not the same as the producer. The producer manages the day-to-day production: hiring crew, managing the budget, coordinating logistics. The executive producer supervises the producer and handles the bigger picture. The distinction is not always clear, and the titles are sometimes used interchangeably. In practice, the executive producer is the senior figure, and the producer is the operational one.

Executive producers can make or break a project. A well-connected executive producer can attract talent and financing. A hands-off executive producer can leave the creative team to work in peace. A meddling executive producer can ruin a film. The role is powerful, and it is often misunderstood.