Stupid question, but what's the difference between a producer and a director?

Question

Stupid question, but what's the difference between a producer and a director? And what exactly do they do?

I've found definitions but its never forward or clear enough for me to understand. Short, simple and forward please! =D

Answer 1

Not a stupid question at all, I have often wondered myself what the difference is....but, the director does just that, he or she directs the flow of the movie and is in charge. The producer I think is more in tune with the "business" of the movie, getting the needed publicity, funding, backing, etc.

Answer 2

The Producer of a show is generally the person responsible for financing and logistics. It would normally fall to the Producer to hire the director, for example. The Producer may have a fair amount of input into the artistic goals of the production, but, for the most part, this is the province of the Director, whose job it is to oversee ALL aspects of the rehearsal process. The Director (obviously) works with the actors on the creation of their performances, but he/she also has to collaborate with design personnel on the physical APPEARANCE of the production.

Answer 3

The director decides what he/she wants the show to be about and coaches and directs (sorry) the actors and actress to do it.

The producer works with the financial aspects of the show, and hiring and firing.

To get a slight sense of how this all works, you can watch the movie version of the musical "The Producers". It's hiliarious and also pretty educational.

Answer 4

a producer can have different functions linked to financing and distributing a movie.
an executive producer actually puts all the logistics together, so that the film is being made and supervises the shooting.
the director is the artistic leader of the project: he chooses the
location, camera angles, gives directions to the actors and supervises the cut.

Answer 5

A producer usually is the owner of the movie studio like MGM, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures. He is the financier of a movie like salary of actors and extras plus background or production design.
While a Director is besides the camera with the anchorman directing the movie saying "CUT" or "Camera Action!" . He instructs actors to act or say the lines in movie script.

Answer 6

The short answer is this: The Producer stumps up the cash, and liases with the Studio bigwigs, while the Director tells the actors what to do - that's over-simplifying, but you get the picture!

Answer 7

The producer handles the finances of the project and the director directs the quality of the acting.

Answer 8

in a nutshell, the producer does the production. hires the crew, handles the oversight of the project, budgets, etc. the director chooses where the camera is placed, what lens to use and directs the actors.

Answer 9

the producer creates the movie and the director give and tell people what their jobs are and directs the movie hes not just the guy who yells action

Answer 10

a producer is who give the money, a director is who make the movie