[Nicolai P. Zwar]

I wonder sometimes what these producer credits mean. Does it mean, they just signed off, that they can produce this under the franchise label, did they just invest money or does it mean, the producers actually worked on the movie as consultant or supervisor?

It can really mean any, all, or none of those things. In Hollywood the “Producer” or “Produced By” credit is usually the “top dog”. The people with this credit are the ones who actually made the movie happen. In some way. From finding the script to attaching the director and stars, to securing financing or overseeing the production. Or maybe guiding the film through post production. The “producers” are the ones who get the film on the way, to keep it rolling. Often, producers works very closely with the director. While the director does the creative shooting of the movie, the producer takes care that the picture stays on track and budget, that everyone gets their check. The producer is the one who makes it all happen, and so the producer gets the Oscar if the film wins Best Picture. So the producers are the ones who “own” the movie, while the director is the one who “made” the movie.

Then there are “executive producers”, which is a very lose term, which can range from “was very involved and crucial to the production” to “gets credit because it’s good for the poster”. Executive producers can be anything from being actually involved like a producer (financing, rights, star, studio, whatever), to just signing as a “market value booster”, when it’s a famous name, or whatever. The role is not so specific. An Executive Producer can be “above” even the producer in that they provide the money and backing and write the checks… so the producer reports to the Executive Producer, but it can also be a creative consultant, or just a prestige or honorary title. Glen A. Larson was producer on the original Battlestar Galactica, it was “his” show, whereas he got an “Executive Producer” credit on the Battlestar Remake, even though he had (according to his own words) nothing to do with it… it was a “thanks for the name and here’s your check” credit.