The scandal surrounding the film premiere: in the credits of the film "Give me Moonlight"The names of the director and the author of the script are missing. But the name of the producer is

After the premiere of the film "Give Me Moonlight", which took place on October 11 in the Moscow cinema "Art", the audience was in some confusion - the names of the director and screenwriter were missing in the credits. It turned out that the "parents" of the tape, shortly before the premiere, abandoned their "film child" due to creative differences with the film's producer, Igor Tolstunov.

The film was already difficult to be born: filming began back in 1998, and the tape was ready for distribution only in the spring of this year. Nevertheless, "Give me moonlight" even before the release of the screens caused real hype. After all, the film has become latest work in the cinema of Nikolai Eremenko. The tape contains almost mystical shots, in the style of "déjà vu": Eremenko grabs his heart and asks to bring validol. The movie ends well. In life, alas, no ...

But it was not the film itself that turned out to be much more interesting and significant, but the sharp conflict that arose between the director Dmitry Astrakhan and the producer of the tape Igor Tolstunov, as a result of which the credits were "cleared" from several names - an unprecedented case for our cinema. Despite this, the name of the director is guessed from the very first frames. Astrakhan did not betray himself and made the film according to his favorite recipe: a little humor, a little tears, a little hope. But if in his previous works ("Everything will be fine", "You are my only one") on-screen laughter and tears splashed out on the viewer in absolutely equal, as if mathematically calculated proportions, then in "Moonlight" the author's rhythm was broken - sometimes the viewer simply lost: cry for him or laugh. Who violated the author's style? Director Astrakhan believes that this is the work of producer Tolstunov, who remounted the tape to his taste.

Perhaps, for the first time, Russian cinema was faced with a question formulated in an absolutely Western way: who is the most main man on film set- the director who creates the film, or the producer who will subsequently have to sell this film on the film market?

Russia: list of victims

Conflicts, now and then arising on the set, will always exist. But with the arrival of domestic cinema private capital, when working on a film with enviable regularity, tension began to grow between the most important instigators of the film process - the director and producer.

In Soviet times, the functions of the producer were performed by the state. Arguing with him at that time was "unfashionable": the film could be put on the shelf, released for hire in a limited number of copies, deprived of the authors prestigious awards and the thirteenth salary. And to announce publicly that the director refuses his work was pure madness. After the collapse of the USSR, cinema became not only an art, but also a kind of business. Today, after so many years, many of our respected filmmakers have not been able to realize this, and even more so to accept that they are entirely in the power of the producers and that the edited and sounded film does not belong to them, not to the state, but specific individuals who financed its production.

Perhaps the most famous conflict between a producer and director in Russia is connected with the name of Yuri Kara, the author of the sensational films "Tomorrow was the war" and "Thieves in law". After Kara completed work on his version of The Master and Margarita, where he invited the actors beloved by the people to act, producer Vladimir Skory, a former major of the OBKhSS, "took" the picture from him. It turned out that the hard work of hundreds of people was in vain.

In numerous interviews, the director complained about the "treacherous" producer and appealed to the public. Did not help. Then Yuri Viktorovich went to court, but this step did not return the film to him. The producer was not satisfied with the editing of the film, and now he is trying to find a director who will completely recut the tape according to his wishes. Been looking for almost 10 years...

An even more interesting, one might even say mystical, story happened to the popular actress Vera Glagoleva. About ten years ago, Vera Vitalievna decided to try her hand at directing and made the film "Broken Light". But shortly after filming ended, her producers disappeared along with the picture. Movie not found yet...

Glagoleva at one time told reporters that the Edelweiss film company took over the work on "Broken Light" and the producers swore they promised not to interfere at all in creative process, which in itself is unique for cinema. And then the company allegedly broke up: at first the company changed its name, then completely disappeared into thin air, not leaving Glagoleva even a single copy for non-commercial shows. Why didn't the producers release the movie? There is no unequivocal answer to this question, one can only assume that the picture fell victim to commodity-money relations that are fundamentally new for Russia. Remember the 90s: the film could be left on bail, sold for debts, in the end, simply destroyed as unnecessary ...

One of the most recent conflicts in this area occurred in the painting "In August 44th". Producer Vladimir Semago dismissed director Mikhail Ptashuk (Sign of Trouble, Politburo Cooperative, Imagination Game) and edited the film himself. as a director he is absolutely not satisfied. Interestingly, in this case, the producer was an ex-deputy of the State Duma, a successful businessman. But how objective can he be when making this or that decision regarding filming, editing, dubbing? .. One well-known cinematographer at the festival " Kinotavr "confessed to the author of these lines:" Purely humanly, Ptashuk, of course, is a pity. But he himself signed a contract with the producer. And this contract can no longer be changed. It remains only to advise other directors to be more prudent in the future ... "

And the most recent scandal. Producer Valery Todorovsky dismissed director Igor Apasyan, director of the TV series Maroseyka 12, which has sunk into oblivion. Todorovsky instructed Apasyan to prepare a pilot series new painting"Line of Destiny" After viewing the materials, Apasyan was fired, and director Dmitry Meskhiev was hired to work on the series ("Over dark water", "American", "Mechanical Suite").

By the way, against the background of such producers as Vladimir Skory and Vladimir Semago, Valery Todorovsky and Igor Tolstunov look like professionals, because they are engaged in cinema as a business, and not as a hobby. Todorovsky is a producer of RTR film projects (as a director he staged "Country of the Deaf"). With the direct participation of Igor Tolstunov, the head of the NTV-Profit film company, The Kazan Orphan, The Thief, Mama, Lunar Papa, East-West were released. These and many other tapes by Tolstunov the producer have received numerous awards both in Russia and abroad. From this we can at least draw the conclusion that they are accountable for their actions, and their claims to the directors, at least, cannot be ignored. For the good of the cause.

Abroad will not help us

You can often hear in the film crowd: "This is possible only in our country. In Hollywood, directors are insured against producer arbitrariness!" The facts say otherwise. Almost the entire century-old history of the "dream factory" can be seen as a permanent war between producers and directors. In America, with its age-old legal culture both sides of the film process pray only for a contract. If the director does not fulfill his obligations or violates the rules stipulated in the contract, the producer has the right to terminate the contract.

Even in Russia, they are well aware that Andrei Konchalovsky was suspended by the producers from working on the film "Tango and Cash" with the participation of Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. Why? Yes, because the opinion of the director Konchalovsky was fundamentally at odds with their opinion. As a result, another director finished the picture instead of Andrei Sergeevich, although Konchalovsky's name was kept in the credits, since it was he who shot most of it.

Another very typical example. The painting "Gone with the Wind" is rightfully considered a classic of world cinema. At the same time, few people know that as many as three directors had a hand in working on it. The first, George Cukor, was fired by the producer only because he was unhappy with the quality of the partial footage. The next director invited to the set, Victor Fleming, soon ended up in the hospital with nervous breakdown. Sam Wood was called in to replace him. After some time, the director's chair was again taken by Fleming, who had left the hospital.

It is possible that then in the local press, journalists presented the conflict on the set as an arbitrariness on the part of producer David Selznick. But history itself dotted the "i" - in the end it was the producer who was right, under whose strict guidance a film masterpiece was created that won the hearts of millions of viewers and brought millions of dollars to the creators.

When today's world famous actor and director Dennis Hopper pre-cut his film "Easy Rider", it turned out that it lasts about four hours. Then it was possible to reduce it by an hour, but this option did not suit the producers either. They almost forcibly sent Hopper to rest, while they themselves took up the cuts. The result was an hour and a half film, which did not prevent him from becoming a cult film.

If the director still wants to avoid the producer's "arbitrariness" and present to the audience exactly his hard-won creation, he has only one way: to invest his hard-earned money in the project or independently attract investors, thus combining producer and director functions.

Alas, practice shows that a talented and world-renowned director often turns out to be completely untenable in the production business. Suffice it to recall how Kevin Costner lost millions of dollars on his own projects, for example, on the film "Water World" that failed at the box office. Or famous director Francis Ford Coppola, who invested a lot of his own money in the production of "Apocalypse Now". The film is rightfully considered a classic of world cinema, but it failed at the box office.

The conflict that happened between Dmitry Astrakhan and Igor Tolstunov is, in fact, a precedent that transfers the relationship between a producer and director in Russia to a fundamentally new commercial, creative and ethical plane. And yet, who will be right in the end: Dmitry Astrakhan, who decided to take such a drastic step, or Igor Tolstunov, who did not give up his positions? Only the viewer can give an unequivocal answer, because the success of a particular picture is indicated by only one criterion - box office receipts. If "Give Me Moonlight" pays for itself in film distribution, if the television business is interested in it, if it brings real profit, then all questions will automatically be removed - it will be Tolstunov who is right.

What if the movie doesn't pay for itself?

Andrey Tumarkin

PRODUCER

PRODUCER

We are responsible to the viewer

General Director of the NTV-Profit film company Igor Tolstunov:

The film "Give Me Moonlight" was very difficult for us in general. At least because of the default, which accounted for the main shooting in Minsk. In any case, it's hard to finish a picture if more than three years have passed since the first day of shooting. Now to the point. The production company is an intermediary between the director and the audience. We work according to the scheme: money - cinema - viewer - money. People who come to the cinema and pay 100 - 250 rubles for a ticket, thereby reimburse the costs of film production. "NTV-Profit" is responsible to the viewer for the quality of the product. This is where the problems arose. We invited Astrakhan to present us the picture in the montage in which he sees it. But after viewing the first assembly, we had complaints about it. The authors agreed with our comments and promised to change something in the film. But all this took a painfully long time, with long interruptions and persuasion, since in parallel Astrakhan was already engaged in other projects. Sometimes the situation reached the point of absurdity: Astrakhan was sitting in the next editing room, working on his new project, and he did not have time to go into our editing room or the recording room. It turned out that a group consisting of a sound engineer, composer, producer was sitting, trying to remake something in the picture, and then Astrakhan came and accepted the job. In my opinion, this is not entirely correct.

In short, one day we reached a dead end, met with Dima and offered him, in our opinion, a universal way to solve the problem. He is preparing his version of the picture, and we are preparing ours. Then we anonymously show both versions to the experts, and the one that collects the most positive comments will be released for rent. At first, Astrakhan agreed to this proposal, but then refused, saying at the same time: "If you do not agree with our version of the picture, Danilov and I will remove our names from the credits." Well, this is an inalienable right of any author.

- That is, the contract concluded between the director and the film company was not violated?

We have the following written in the contract: "The director submits the company for approval final version film, and the company accepts this editing. "That is, accordingly, the company may not accept this editing. Which happened in our case. And since we have the right to involve third parties in the work under the same contract, we attracted them and released film on screens.In fact, we always warn the director about this clause in the contract in order to avoid further mutual accusations. It must be said here that many creators read contracts very inattentively, and then scream as if they were deceived.

- Is this the first precedent of such a plan in your company?

No, creative conflicts with the authors we have more than enough. It always happens in the movies, it can't be otherwise. But before the situation with Astrakhan, there were no such precedents. It's good that we parted with Dima quite calmly, without tantrums. Will I invite Astrakhan for new work? I'll be honest: first I'll look at the pictures that he will shoot after working with us. And then, what if he himself does not want to cooperate with us? ..

Incision 1

DIRECTOR

Let's see what the audience has to say

Stage director Dmitry Astrakhan:

What to say now, apparently, I did not think very well when I signed the contract. Because I never concluded them, because I worked with private investors. We discussed how much and how long the picture should be taken. And they, as a rule, did not interfere in further work, they trusted their director.

- So why did you then sign a contract with Tolstunov?

It seemed to me that there would be no disagreement between us. But when it came to mounting and musical arrangement, the position of the leadership of NTV-Profit has become completely biased, unshakable: "Only we know how to make the picture better!" You see, the choice of a producer is an extremely responsible issue. But the choice of the director is a serious matter. And if you have chosen a director, you must trust him. Only in this case you will achieve the desired result.

We hear this word almost every day, turning on the TV or reading the news, but not everyone can explain what the producer does. We will try to make it simple.

A producer is a person who organizes the entire filming process: from developing an idea for a film to finding money for filming, equipment, selecting a director, screenwriter, actors, other employees (cameraman, sound engineer, consultants, technical staff, etc.), as well as advertising and promotion rental works.

The profession of a producer is quite independent and requires, rather, the presence of a commercial vein than a creative one.

For these reasons, the director and producer often clash.

At the same time, some people can simultaneously perform all the functions of a producer and direct. Accordingly, there is no conflict of interest, but there are few such masters - Spielberg, Zemeckis and some others.

Separately, it should be said about the specialists who "unwind" actors, singers and others. artists. Such producers of "stars" (previously - entrepreneurs, impresario, etc.) perform approximately the same functions as in the cinema, that is, they are engaged in all commercial and technical questions, accompanying creative way ward.

Places of work

Usually the position of a producer is provided in film studios, on TV channels and production centers. However, many work on their own.

History of the profession

The profession of producer began in the 1910s in Hollywood, when cinema became a serious industry aimed at generating income. Accordingly, investments were required, and new technical capabilities, and more mass shooting, and much more. To organize all this, special specialists were needed: businessmen who understand something in art, or creative people savvy in business.

With the advent and development of television, the profession of a television producer also appeared - such workers perform the same functions as their colleagues from the world of cinema, but when creating television programs.

Today, with the development of the online industry, such organizational activities have also become in demand. Thus, another type of specialists appeared - Internet producers.

Producer Responsibilities

The job responsibilities of a producer may vary depending on the specific type of activity of the enterprise, but in general they are very similar:

• planning and implementation of projects;
• organization and control of project financing (including attracting advertisers, investors);
• development and organization of marketing research;
• coordination of activities of all interested parties;
• analysis of business indicators of the project, their improvement.

Producer Requirements

Approximate requirements for the producer look like this:

• higher specialized education;
• understanding technological processes project;
• ability to analyze business indicators and influence them;
• communication and management skills.

Often requires excellent knowledge foreign language, economic Education and knowledge of jurisprudence.

How to become a producer

To become a producer, you can get higher education in the field of television and cinema and get a job according to the profile (at the first stage, any initial position will do). In addition to education, you will need practical skills, some acquaintances and good knowledge internal "kitchen" of the world of TV and cinema.

Accomplished actors, directors and other participants in the film process sometimes start producing. It is important to understand that the producer is doing business, so he must understand what people are willing to pay for and be able to spin the business in such a way as to make good profits. It doesn’t matter what profile the specialist chooses - he will become a music producer (of a group or a singer), go to the cinema, promote writers, show ballet or something else.

Producer salary

Compared to other professions, the salary of a producer is very high: you can apply for an amount from 30,000 to 150,000 rubles per month (the average is about 60,000). Of course, the amount of income is influenced by work experience and the status of the company-employer.

However, most of all, how much a producer earns is influenced by the level of completed projects - the larger and more famous the cases, the more serious the income.

We hear about the profession of a producer every day: on TV, radio, in ordinary conversation. And we all know that a producer is such a job. Only a few people know exactly what this work implies.

And this is not surprising, because even he himself will not be able to list all the duties of a producer. This work is very complex and responsible. I think it's worth starting with the fact that there is a producer in the cinema, and there is a music producer.

The profession of a film producer appeared a long time ago, back in the early 20th century, when cinema became popular and accessible to many.

A film producer is a person on whose shoulders the entire burden of responsibility for making a film falls. He participates in every process: he develops the idea of ​​a film, looks for money and sponsors who will help financially, he also looks for a director, cameramen, actors and, in general, creates a team.

The same person is doing film promotion when it's already taken. Advertising, rental and more. The main task of the producer is to create the right “climate”, the right atmosphere for the filming to take place as quickly, comfortably, and most importantly, with high quality. It is the producer chief on the set.

He is the initiator, he is the source of funding, and it depends on him what the film will be like. A producer on the set is like a captain on the deck of a ship. All processes flow like streams to it, as if into a big river. To be a producer, you need to have not only a creative streak, but also commercial.

The producer manages not only the creative process, but also the technical one. Therefore, it is important to be able to see not only beautiful picture, but also to make it convenient for the viewer, understandable. And also to have an iron will and be able to achieve the goal.

In order to get the profession of a producer in the future, it is necessary to finish university in film and television. And then for many more years to work, starting from the bottom, in order to experience the whole process and know all the pitfalls.

A music producer is a person who is responsible for the success of an artist. Everyone has popular artists have their own producers. Just like film producers, they work very hard and the scope of their activities is also wide, only directed in a slightly different direction.

Music producer monitors the development of new compositions, for the schedule of the artist's performances, for the promotion of a star, advertising, recording in the studio, concerts, musical accompaniment and many other issues are decided by the producer.

The most the main task music producer is the creation and maintenance of the image and popularity of the artist. And this concept, as you know, includes a huge number of questions: how to dress a star for an interview, what song to send to the radio, which director to choose for filming new clip and where to get the money for this very clip.

Financial questions, probably the most priority for the producer, since the success of the artist depends on good funding. There is a difference when new song comes out once a month or once every five years, when you are no longer known, and have long been forgotten.

By the way, there are two types of producers in the music industry: executive and musical. And their professional responsibilities are slightly different. Although, if desired, each of them can perform cross-functions.

Among other things, today you can meet such a profession as an Internet producer. Of course, nothing stands still and the Internet today is the most popular niche in which you can develop.

The work of an Internet producer is similar to the above. Like his fellow internet producer supervises a specific project and makes every effort for its dynamic development.

One way or another, but the work of a producer is connected with image promotion and creating comfortable conditions for the development of a particular project. Whether it's an artist, a film or a play. A producer can work anywhere. For example, to promote any events, organize performances in the theater.

The producer is the one who does everything. Generalist. He not only accompanies the project from beginning to end, but in the process also interacts with all employees who are at least a little bit related to this project.

If suddenly you decide to become a producer, then do not forget to take care and make sure that you have the right set of qualities. Such as: business acumen, perseverance, multitasking, assertiveness, sociability, ability to find mutual language With different people, and most importantly, be able to achieve your goal at all costs.

The job is definitely not easy. Not everyone has a penchant for both creativity and commerce. It will not be superfluous to understand the technology. However, the result of this work, for sure, inspires the creation and support of new projects.

Mumin Shakirov: Who is in charge Russian cinema- director or producer? IN Soviet times the state entrusted money for the production of the film through the studio to the director of the picture. It was this person who managed the budget of the film, which, depending on the scope of the production, ranged from half a million to a million Soviet rubles. A lot of money. The director of the picture made an estimate and was responsible for each loin spent. But he most often followed the instructions of the director, that is, the creator, who realized his plan according to the script.

With the appearance of a producer in Russian cinema, the status of a person who spends money on film production today has changed dramatically. The names of these people are well-known along with the names of successful directors. The viewer, of course, pays little attention to the leaders of the project, more following the actors, less often - the directors. But cinema today rests largely on producers who get money for a picture, risk capital and are responsible to sponsors or investors for the money spent. Sometimes producers and directors act as one person.

My interlocutor is Sabina Eremeeva, General Director of the Elephant Studio. She belongs to young generation producers who came to cinema in the early 2000s. Behind her shoulders are such projects as "Mars" directed by Anna Melikyan, "Manga" by Pyotr Khazizov, "You and I and you and me" by Alexander Veledinsky and "No one knows about sex" by Alexei Gordeev. Who is a producer in modern Russian cinema?

Sabina Eremeeva

Sabina Eremeeva: This is the person who comes up with the project, is the initiator of everything, because basically he is looking for a script plus a director. Since we still have directorial cinema, and everyone relies primarily on the director, regardless of whether this is a debutant or an already well-known master of Russian cinema, nevertheless, this is a moment of choice. Short films are reviewed, works are reviewed, scripts are read and a bet is made on the script, choice of plot and director, and everything else is added in the process, when you already understand that the choice has been made. This is still a choice of topic, since each producer has such a super-task: how to anticipate the situation? Because filmmaking is a year until the film is released, while all this is being thought about - this is, relatively speaking, one and a half to two years. Anticipate the situation that will be in demand in two years. This is an analysis of the market today and its prospects. This is a certain risk.

I try not to follow the patterns, but at the same time I analyze the situation: what is being launched and according to what principle. Sometimes it confuses me when a successful film - and on it a similar movie is created on a similar topic, and so on. It's not even a sequel, it's just repetitions, at the same time. I do not understand the motivation, because, as a rule, only the first successful projects are collected. I want to come up with something new, even risky, but again, I come from personalities, I come from personalities, from an idea, from a script and from a director. For example, what I'm interested in is comedy melodramas. I feel like it could be in demand and it aligns with my personal interests - comedies and melodramas.

Mumin Shakirov: Producers often intervene in the creative process, participate in the development of the script, give advice on the set, and even sit in the editing room. Everyone has their own methods of working with directors, others completely trust the creators, limiting themselves to solving financial and production problems.

Sabina Eremeeva: I cannot say that I am interfering, because I am also a co-author of the project, not literally, but in a broader sense. I would call it cooperation – starting from the very beginning. For me the most milestone- this is a preparatory moment, and the most difficult is the editing and tinting, "post-production".

On the set, the producer is a completely useless creature, because the car is running, and you can do the best you can - watch the materials, somehow comment. But the producer cannot significantly influence the course of events, except to stop the shooting, because everything is decided “on the shore”. If you didn’t have time to do something before filming, then it means you didn’t have time or didn’t understand.

Then the difficulties begin on “post-production”, which is the most painful, because this is always the moment of the right approach and choice. When there is a certain working version, and you don't have a clear decision, positioning, you start collecting opinions - festival selectors, if it's an "art-house" film, and you understand that the film can be promoted through the festival. I made a conclusion for myself: until the film is as ready as possible, do not show it to anyone. Because, as a rule, they give a diagnosis, and the diagnosis is also obvious to the authors, but they do not give a prescription. And you kind of wait, counting on a frank opinion on what can be done about it. There is no recipe, everything is clear with a diagnosis, and any statement about an unfinished film when it comes out is always very painful for the film, because it is always very preliminary. When, for example, my friends show me a film and ask for comments, I always speak very carefully and only tell them, because I cannot speak publicly about a film that is not ready. I can only qualitatively discuss the finished and made film.

Mumin Shakirov: An important component of the director's work is the choice of actors.

Sabina Eremeeva: We speak initially, whom we would like. The first step is that the director makes the proposals. I always go from the director. It is foolish to invite a director in order to impose your point of view on him. I think this is wrong. I choose a certain director with a certain taste, and that is what makes him valuable to me. Therefore, I, first of all, listen to what the director wants. When I have some doubts, of course, I discuss it. But I can say from the little experience I've had that I've never had a conflict with a director in terms of casting. We somehow always found a common language, we thought, looked and did additional tests. From me, as a producer, there are no instructions about the actors, and there cannot be.

Mumin Shakirov: Sabina Eremeeva reserves the right to interfere with the film editing process.

Sabina Eremeeva: Yes, I can, and, in fact, I always reserve such a right. This, unfortunately, is a waste of time, because the picture always dictates and begins to live its own life. And it is always clear what is superfluous. Unfortunately, this is very close to the director and it is difficult to part with each frame. He may not always be objective - this is understandable. I'm just biding my time. Someone needs a week - I say: "Okay, a week." Someone needs a month - I say: "Okay, a month." Then, when I run out of patience, I say: "That's it!" For me, it is undesirable to remove the director from editing. Fortunately, I have always avoided this, we somehow agreed, but I reserve the right to edit.

Mumin Shakirov: Despite the huge influence of the producer on film production and on the fate of the picture, Russian cinema remains directorial. This point of view is shared by Sabina Eremeeva.

Sabina Eremeeva: First, we have certain traditions that cannot be destroyed in a few years. Moreover, doing each of my projects, I work mainly with debutant directors, with those who have a second film. There is a certain trend: I am for everyone new project I have a hard time finding money. Despite the fact that the directors with whom we worked, after the release of the film they have a lot of interesting proposals, financial proposals more profitable than I can offer them. And I also start from scratch, I also start applying for state support, I regularly use it and look for co-producers. And the director in this case made a film - he has more choice. Since I exist completely independently, it is always much more difficult for me to find a larger budget. All the glory in case of success and so on goes to the director. And thank God!

Mumin Shakirov: But times are changing - the position of the producer is being strengthened.

Sabina Eremeeva: The generation is changing, so it cannot but reflect all the trends. For example, young people come who have a different consciousness, who are already enslaved by the producer. They are all well informed, and they know what is happening in the West, what role the producer plays there, they already have little experience in television, where the dominant function, in general, the main person is the producer, and this is not even discussed. Therefore, when they come to film producers, they are already depressed, they are ready to agree to everything, they are a priori ready to make any compromises. Sometimes it annoys me, because I want a certain will, and when a young director comes to me, I say: “What are you interested in?” - he says: “What are you interested in?” I say: "I want to go from you, from your ideas." He says: “I can do anything! Is that what you need?" And in this case, it's not interesting, because all the same, those projects that I do, they are such author's projects, very individual, I'm interested in the director, his originality. I don't need to make any average films, I don't perceive what I do as a pure business, because for me it's not a business. It is clear that I earn some money, but this is not an end in itself.

Mumin Shakirov: There are many well-known and successful film producers in Russia. For Sabina Eremeeva personal experience It is an opportunity to learn and achieve new results.

Sabina Eremeeva: As a rule, these are Konstantin Ernst and Anatoly Maximov, and Alexander Rodnyansky with Igor Tolstunov. And this is not only due to the fact that they have television resources. I like their approach. Making a movie is half the battle, it's just one part of the process. How to promote it? And this is not only money, because there were examples when there was money, there was additional PR, but, nevertheless, the films did not receive that resonance. This is, first of all, creativity and concept. And a clear intuition of how to promote, what to promote and what to sell. And I think these producers succeed. For example, "Dozor", "9th company", "Piter-FM" - I think this is the most interesting.

And it's not just a resource. This is just an understanding of what can be pulled out of the project. For example, I saw the working version of Piter-FM and was at the premiere - I sincerely congratulated all the participants in this film, because they pulled out everything possible from this project, the film took shape, the film was a success. It was a very interesting advertisement. And in the end, the film raised money. I was very happy. Moreover, the producers all had concerns - could such a movie be in demand? And I am very glad that this movie is in demand, the audience went to see it. This means that you can do more risky projects and get your audience.

Mumin Shakirov: About who a producer in Russia is today, we talked with the general director of the Elephant studio Sabina Yeremeeva.

One blog reader asked the following question:

Do the producers influence how the film ends up? In general, when multiple producers are attached to a project, what is their role in the project? There is also an executive producer line producer. How do they interact? Are they responsible only for the project budget or not only?

Answer: If the producer is the head of the studio (read - the employer), the initiator and organizer of the filming, then his influence is practically unlimited, except for specially prescribed contracts, as well as the owners of the studio (if any). In Russia, if a producer is also the owner of a film company, then he can be called a general producer.

In the US, there is also such a “confusion”, but usually producer is the initiator and leader of the film production process from A to Z. He, as a director at an enterprise, organizes, manages and directs, being responsible for everything and everyone. In his hands - control over the budget, technical and creative process. He approves the script, finds money for the project, chooses “stars”, sends pictures to festivals, and concludes contracts with distributors. Those. in his power to interfere both in the creative and technical side film production. (By the way, if the picture receives an Oscar in the nomination “ best movie”, then this award goes to the producer).

Since the producer is not able to do everything himself, then individual tasks fall on the shoulders of other members of the administrative group - the executive and line producers.

Executive producer(Executive Producer, IP). They say that this is not an entirely accurate translation into Russian, or rather, it is too literal, since in practice in the USA executive producer means general producer. I don't know if this is true. Because CEO or there is usually one manager, but there may be several executive producers. In addition, in the USA, a person standing on the Hollywood ladder, both above and below the producer, can receive an IP loan. This means that an American IP does not necessarily correspond to a Russian general producer. Moreover, an individual entrepreneur loan can be obtained at a completely different reasons.

For example, if a "star" finds a script, brings it to a studio or a particular producer, and then the studio starts shooting a movie, then that "star" actor or actress can get an executive producer position. The same is true when an actor/actress/director/screenwriter finds money for a project. (But it is not at all necessary that such a person will receive from the studio the right to control the film production process). In addition, the executive producer may be an investor or sponsor. Or even the author literary work on which the film is based. In this case, the position of the IP is also rather honorary than real, because. gives no real power. Those. the degree of involvement of the IP in the control over the filming will depend on:

1) From the degree of influence of a person in Hollywood;

2) Financial resources invested by him in the picture;

3) Personal desire, limited by the first two factors.

In the case of television, in the United States, executive producer credits can also be awarded to series authors or screenwriters who have made the greatest contribution to the creation of a particular television project. In this case, the executive producer is more of a creator than an administrator.

In addition, in Hollywood, the executive producer is often a representative of the studio or one of its owners. Then it is really close to our Russian understanding general producer. His task is overall control over the production process, the producer himself and the use of studio facilities, i.e. he is responsible for the overall operation, including the legal, financial, administrative and creative questions. Such an IP will have more influence than a “just producer” hired by the studio, as well as those executive producers who only nominally received this loan. However, neither, relatively speaking, "real" nor "formal" IPs are involved in the daily control and organization of filming. Does it line producer.

Only a real workaholic can be a line producer. After reading the script, he draws up a plan for the filming process, based on the plan he estimates the budget of the film, calculates the number of participants, their roles in the process, how much they will have to pay, how much to spend on shooting each scene, negotiates a purchase or lease necessary equipment or props, together with the director selects and hires creative team, monitors the expenditure of funds, the payment of royalties, controls the work of all employees involved in the process, and at each stage of film production.

Optionally, the line producer is personally involved in all technical processes. Part of the responsibilities are delegated to the Production Manager (Production Manager, responsible for the budget, plan, spending money and paying salaries) and the Production Coordinator (Production Coordinator, responsible for logistics, equipment, props, contacting and hiring members film crew; reports to the line producer and his immediate supervisor - Production Manager).

From the duties of the LP, it is clear that he does all the dirty work. At the same time, he has no right to interfere in the creative process and give advice to the screenwriter and director. This is the prerogative of the producer and executive producer (if this is not a formal position).

If the producer allows the LP to intervene in the creative process, then the line producer may receive a co-producer credit. (In Russia, a co-producer can be an investor or a sponsor).

Sometimes in the US, especially on successful TV projects, a line producer gets a "produced by" credit. This shows the difference between a screenwriter (creator, creator of a series), referred to in the credits as an “executive producer”, from a classic producer, i.e. administrator.

You can read more about the duties of a member of the film crew on the website.