maxdebryn has a question that I receive often.
What is the deal with all the producers listed in the credits on many tee-wee shows ? In olden days (when I was a lad), you'd see one or two producers listed, but now there are usually more than a dozen or more. Executive producer/ associate producer/co-executive producer ?? Do these producers actually do anything, or is it just a vanity thing ? A lot of actors are now listed as producers on their own shows, too. Do that get paid extra for that ?
Most of those “producers” are writers. They move up in the hierarchy and in pay grade by going from co-producer to producer, supervising producer, co-executive producer, executive producer. Sometimes there’s a consulting producer thrown in there somewhere. As staffs grow, so grow the titles.
The exceptions: When you see “produced by” that means it’s the line producer who handles everything on the set. Associate producers usually deal with post-production.
Actors do take them for more money and vanity, and in some cases, more creative control. Most of the time they're "producers" in name only.
Derek asks:
On single-camera shows, there seems to be a lot of opportunity for the director to get creative with camera angles, long-shots, close ups, special effects, etc. Some shows (eg, Breaking Bad) do this a lot. But for multi-camera shows it appears there would be far less opportunity for the director to get creative in this way. Are there things that I haven't noticed that a multi-camera director can do to "show off" his or her talents? Do you sometimes watch a show and notice that the multi-cam director has done something novel that the average viewer might not appreciate? Thanks.
If the shot is too weird it might throw the audience off. But I do appreciate when others directors find interesting shots, and I experiment a little myself. Usually on the fly.
If I have a pick-up that I need from one camera, I’ll have all four running and I’ll go up to each cameraman and improvise. I’ll say, “Can you get me a raking master?” “Can you get me a shot of Kelsey with just the two big noses on either side of him?” “Can you get me a shot looking through the fishbowl?”
Most of the time those shots aren’t used, but every so often one sneaks through, and I imagine other directors going “How did he think of that shot?”
From Mike Bloodworth:
Had you ever considered writing an APRIL FOOLS episode for any of the series for which you wrote? I don't mean an episode where the characters play tricks on each other. I mean an episode, using "Frasier" as an example, where the characters are in a completely different situation. Working in a restaurant maybe. Or an entirely different cast at the radio station, etc. I suppose it wouldn't make much sense of the episodes didn't air on April Fools Day.
No. We’ve certainly done shows where characters play pranks on other characters but not on the audience.
As you said, the show has to air on April Fool’s Day. And any other time you air it it wouldn’t make sense. Since studios make their money on reruns and syndication, they don’t want you to do an episode that can only be run once.
And finally, from Ron Havens:
Who was your favorite cast addition to any show you wrote for?
That’s an easy one. David Ogden Stiers as Charles Winchester on MASH. Great actor, great character, and it added even more depth to the series.
I always loved writing Charles.
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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