Definition of Above-the-line and its Role in Filmmaking
– Above-the-line refers to individuals who guide and influence the creative direction of a film.
– The roles include screenwriter, producer, director, and principal cast.
– These individuals shape the narrative and voice of the film.
Above-the-line Expenditures
– Above-the-line expenditures reflect compensation for official above-the-line members.
– These expenditures include securing material for the screenplay, production rights, and compensation for the screenwriter, producer, director, and principal actors.
– They also cover cost-related line items such as assistants for producers, directors, or actors.
– Above-the-line expenditures are usually determined before principal photography begins.
– The term originated from the early studio days when the budget top-sheet had a line separating above-the-line and below-the-line costs.
Related Concepts and Terminology
– Below-the-line (filmmaking)
– Billing (performing arts)
– Film budgeting
– Film crew
– Television crew
References
– Film & TV Production Roles and Departments (PDF). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
– A Film Directors Approach to Managing Creativity. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
– Pruner, Aaron (10 May 2022). Above-the-Line vs. Below-the-Line Jobs in Film. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
– Film Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
– Backstage. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
Categories
– Film and video terminology
– Film terminology stubs
– Articles needing additional references from October 2014
– All articles needing additional references
– All stub articles Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above-the-line_(filmmaking)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2014) |
"Above-the-line" refers to the list of individuals who guide and influence the creative direction, process, and voice of a given narrative in a film and related expenditures. These roles include but are not limited to the screenwriter, producer, director, and principal cast.
Often, the term is used for matters related to the film's production budget. Above-the-line expenditures reflect the expected line item compensation for an official above-the-line member's role in a given film project. These expenditures are usually set, negotiated, spent and/or promised before principal photography begins. They include rights to secure the material on which the screenplay is based, production rights to the screenplay, compensation for the screenwriter, producer, director, principal actors and other cost-related line items such as assistants for the producers, director or actors.
The distinction originates from the early studio days when the budget top-sheet would literally have a line separating the above-the-line and below-the-line costs.
