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58-396: The Over-the-Hill Gang is a 1969 American made-for-television Western comedy film about a group of aging Texas Rangers , starring Walter Brennan and Pat O'Brien . Chill Wills , Edgar Buchanan , Andy Devine , and Jack Elam play supporting roles. The film was written by Richard Carr and directed by Jean Yarbrough . The plot concerns a young newspaper editor who is conducting

116-527: A multiple-camera setup , but are written to be easily broken up into individual 30- or 60-minute episodes for syndication . Many such movies relocate the cast of the show to an exotic overseas setting. However, although they may be advertised as movies, they are really simply extended episodes of television shows, such as the pilots and the finales of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . Most of these are made and shown during sweeps period in order to attract

174-567: A Star World premiered to an audience of over 60 million people on September 17, 1978. The most-watched television movie of all time was ABC 's The Day After , which premiered on November 20, 1983, to an estimated audience of 100 million people. The film depicted America after a nuclear war with the Soviet Union , and was the subject of much controversy and discussion at the time of its release due to its graphic nature and subject matter. The BBC 's 1984 television film Threads earned

232-525: A campaign to unseat the town's "tinhorn" mayor. The mayor is backed by a "gun-happy sheriff" and a "whiskey-soaked judge". The editor's campaign receives a boost when he is joined by a former Texas Ranger and "three of the fightin'-est straight shooters around." The movie premiered on October 7, 1969, as the ABC Movie of the Week . It was one of the first films of that series. It was ABC's top-rated program of

290-451: A company that also deals with film distribution. Also, the cast and film crew often work at different times and places, and certain films even require a second unit . Even after shooting for a film is complete, the producers can still demand that additional scenes be filmed. In the case of a negative test screening , producers may even demand an alternative film ending. For example, when the audience reacted negatively to Rambo 's death in

348-417: A film which deals with abortion in three different decades (the 1950s, the 1970s and the 1990s) became a huge success, and was HBO 's highest rated film on record. If a network orders a two-hour television pilot for a proposed show, it will usually broadcast it as a television movie to recoup some of the costs even if the network chooses to not order the show to series. Often a successful series may spawn

406-419: A film's expenses would be lessened by filming using video , as the movies were contracted by television studios, these films were required to be shot on 35 mm film . Various techniques are often employed to "pad" television movies with low budgets and underdeveloped scripts, such as music video -style montages, flashbacks, or repeated footage, and extended periods of dramatic slow motion footage. However,

464-531: A large television audience and boost viewership for a show. Crossover episodes containing a number of episodes of the characters of individual series interacting with characters across different shows (as has been done with the CSI , NCIS and Chicago franchises, along with between Murder, She Wrote and Magnum, P.I. , Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder , and Ally McBeal and The Practice ) also play as films, encouraging tune-in among all

522-567: A multi-segment film or television production. A field producer helps the producer by overseeing all of the production outside the studio in specific film locations. Considered executive employees in regard to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in the United States, producers represent the management team of production and are charged by the studios to enforce the provisions of the union contracts negotiated by

580-505: A rape victim in the drama A Case of Rape (1974). My Sweet Charlie (1970) with Patty Duke and Al Freeman Jr. dealt with racial prejudice, and That Certain Summer (1972), starring Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen , although controversial, was considered the first television movie to approach the subject of homosexuality in a non-threatening manner. If These Walls Could Talk ,

638-475: A recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor – and the only (relatively inexpensive) method of recording a television program until the invention of videotape . Many television networks were against film programming, fearing that it would loosen the network's arrangements with sponsors and affiliates by encouraging station managers to make independent deals with advertisers and film producers . Conversely, beginning in

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696-503: A similar reputation in the United Kingdom as it followed two families and workers of Sheffield City Council in the run up and aftermath of a nuclear war. The two are often compared on aspects such as realism. Another popular and critically acclaimed television movie was 1971's Duel , written by Richard Matheson , directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Dennis Weaver . Such was the quality and popularity of Duel that it

754-559: A spin-off from a TV series including The Incredible Hulk Returns , The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Death of the Incredible Hulk . Occasionally, television movies are used as sequels to successful theatrical films. For example, only the first film in The Parent Trap series was released theatrically. The Parent Trap II , III and Hawaiian Honeymoon were produced for television, and similarly,

812-424: A television movie sequel after ending its run. For example, Babylon 5: The Gathering launched the science fiction series Babylon 5 and is considered to be distinct from the show's regular run of one-hour episodes. Babylon 5 also has several made-for-TV movie sequels set within the same fictional continuity. The 2003 remake of Battlestar Galactica began as a two-part miniseries that later continued as

870-466: A television movie, Don Siegel 's The Hanged Man , was broadcast by NBC on November 18, 1964. These features originally filled a 90-minute programming time slot (including commercials ), later expanded to two hours, and were usually broadcast as a weekly anthology television series (for example, the ABC Movie of the Week ). Many early television movies featured major stars, and some were accorded higher budgets than standard television series of

928-499: A top-producing school is one of the most efficient ways a student can gain industry credibility. While education is one way to begin a career as a film producer, experience is also usually required to land a job. Internships are a way to gain experience while in school and give students a foundation to build a career. Many internships are paid, which enables students to earn money while gaining hands-on skills from industry professionals. Through internships, students can network within

986-593: A weekly television program. Another example is the Showtime movie Sabrina, the Teenage Witch , which launched the sitcom of the same name that originally aired on ABC, and used the same actress ( Melissa Joan Hart ) for the lead role in both. The term "TV movie" is also frequently used as vehicles for "reunions" of long-departed series, as in Return to Mayberry and A Very Brady Christmas . They can also be

1044-437: Is becoming more and more common to split this role into two for creative projects. These are the executive producer and the showrunner. A showrunner, in this context, is the most senior creative, working on writing and producing their vision; they are effectively the same as the producer; overseeing, arranging, managing, and beginning every aspect of production. Whereas the executive producer focuses more on budgeting and predicting

1102-407: Is responsible for finding and selecting promising material for development. Unless the film is based on an existing script, the producer hires a screenwriter and oversees the script's development . These activities culminate with the pitch , led by the producer, to secure the financial backing that enables production to begin. If all succeeds, the project is " greenlit ". The producer supervises

1160-585: Is the High School Musical series , which aired its first two films on the Disney Channel . The first television movie was so successful that a sequel was produced, High School Musical 2 , that debuted in August 2007 to 17.2 million viewers (this made it the highest-rated non-sports program in the history of basic cable and the highest-rated made-for-cable movie premiere on record). Due to

1218-622: The Midnight Run sequels have all been released as made-for-TV movies despite the first having a strong run in theaters. These types of films may be, and more commonly are, released direct-to-video ; there have been some films, such as The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (a prequel to the film version of The Dukes of Hazzard ) and James A. Michener's Texas , which have been released near simultaneously on DVD and on television, but have never been released in theatres. Made-for-TV movie musicals have also become popular. One prime example

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1276-655: The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) with the below-the-line employees. Founded in 1924 by the U.S. Trade Association as the Association of Motion Picture Producers, the AMPTP was initially responsible for negotiating labor contracts. Still, during the mid-1930s, it took over all contract negotiation responsibilities previously controlled by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Today,

1334-520: The Jesse Stone CBS television movies, "broadcast networks aren't investing in made-for-TV movies anymore". The slack has been taken up by cable networks such as Hallmark Channel , Syfy , Lifetime and HBO, with productions such as Temple Grandin and Recount , often utilizing top creative talent. High-calibre limited programming which would have been formerly scheduled solely as a two-hour film or miniseries also has been re-adapted to

1392-438: The film director , cinematographer , and production designer . Unless the film is to be based on an original script, the producer must find an appropriate screenwriter . If an existing script is considered flawed, the producer can order a new version or decide to hire a script doctor . The producer also gives final approval when hiring the film director , cast members, and other staff. In some cases, producers also have

1450-444: The pre-production , principal photography and post-production stages of filmmaking . A producer hires a director for the film, as well as other key crew members. Whereas the director makes the creative decisions during the production, the producer typically manages logistics and business operations, though some directors also produce their own films. The producer must ensure the film is delivered on time and within budget, and in

1508-499: The 1950s episodes of American television series would be placed together and released as feature films in overseas cinemas. Television networks were in control of the most valuable prime time slots available for programming, so syndicators of independent television films had to settle for fewer television markets and less desirable time periods. This meant much smaller advertising revenues and license fees compared with network-supplied programming. The term "made-for-TV movie"

1566-470: The 1970s and 1980s before realizing that the proceeds from his first theatrical film, A Christmas Story (released in 1983), far exceeded anything he had ever done in television. Nonetheless, notable exceptions exist of high production quality and well-known casts and crews that even earned awards, such as The Diamond Fleece , a 1992 Canadian TV film directed by Al Waxman and starring Ben Cross , Kate Nelligan and Brian Dennehy . It earned Nelligan

1624-405: The 1970s were a source of controversy, such as Linda Blair 's 1974 film Born Innocent and 1975's Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic , as well as 1976's Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway and its 1977 sequel , Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn , which were vehicles for former Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb . Another significant film was Elizabeth Montgomery 's portrayal of

1682-407: The 1993 Gemini Award for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series". Occasionally, a long-running television series is used as the basis for television movies that air during the show's run (as opposed to the above-mentioned "reunion specials"). Typically, such movies employ a filmed single-camera setup even if the television series is videotaped using

1740-472: The AMPTP has been responsible for negotiating these union agreements and is now considered the official contract negotiation representative for everyone within the film and television industry. While individual producers are responsible for negotiating deals with the studios distributing their films, the Producers Guild of America offers guidance to protect and promote the interests of producers and

1798-662: The AMPTP negotiates with various industry associations when dealing with union contracts, including the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). In 2012, the AMPTP negotiated over eighty industry-wide union agreements on behalf of 350 studios and independent production companies. Since 1982,

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1856-558: The Candelabra (which featured established film actors Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in the lead roles) and a limited range of scene settings and camera setups. Even Spielberg's Duel , while having decent production values, features a very small cast (apart from Dennis Weaver, all other actors appearing in the film play smaller roles) and mostly outdoor shooting locations in the desert. The movies typically employ smaller crews, and rarely feature expensive special effects . Although

1914-457: The U.S. doubled between 1990 and 2000. In several respects, television films resemble B movies , the low-budget films issued by major studios from the 1930s through the 1950s for short-term showings in movie theaters, usually as a double bill alongside a major studio release. Like made-for-TV movies, B movies were designed as a disposable product, had low production costs and featured second-tier actors. ABC 's Battlestar Galactica: Saga of

1972-576: The Week] Night at the Movies showcases which led to a shortage of movie studio product. The first of these made-for-TV movies is generally acknowledged to be See How They Run , which debuted on NBC on October 7, 1964. A previous film, The Killers , starring Lee Marvin and Ronald Reagan , was filmed as a TV-movie, although NBC decided it was too violent for television and it was released theatrically instead. The second film to be considered

2030-563: The average annual salary for a producer in the U.S. is listed as $ 70,180 per year, with an estimated range from $ 43,000 to $ 150,000. When examining more than 15,000 producers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the average annual salary is $ 138,640. Producers can also have an agreement to take a percentage of a movie's sales. There is no average workday for film producers since their tasks change from day to day. A producer's work hours are often irregular and can consist of long days with

2088-428: The creative process of screenplay development and often aids in script rewrites. They can also fulfill the executive producer's role of overseeing other producers. Within the production process, a producer can oversee, arrange, manage, and begin every aspect of production. They are typically involved in every stage of the overall production process. A co-producer is a member of a team of producers that perform all of

2146-480: The distinction of moving from being one of the bad guys in the original to becoming one of the good guys in the quasi remake , which centers around the former Texas Rangers trying to capture an "over-the-hill" outlaw gang led by Willie Nelson . Television film Precursors of "television movies" include Talk Faster, Mister , which aired on WABD (now WNYW ) in New York City on December 18, 1944, and

2204-426: The entire project remains on track. They are also usually in charge of managing the film's finances and all other business aspects. On a television series an executive producer is often a writer and given credit in a creative capacity. In a feature film or movie, the executive producer is often the person directly funding the project or is directly responsible for bringing in investors for funding. In television, it

2262-464: The film industry, which is an important way to make necessary industry connections. Once an internship is over, the next step will typically be to land a junior position, such as a production assistant . Pay can vary based on the producer's role and the filming location. In the United States, the salary can start between $ 20,000 and $ 70,000, even doubling when working in Los Angeles. As of 2022,

2320-461: The functions and roles that a single producer would in a given project. A coordinating producer coordinates the work/role of multiple producers trying to achieve a shared result. The associate or assistant producer helps the producer during the production process. They can sometimes be involved in coordinating others' jobs, such as creating peoples' schedules and hiring the main talent. A segment producer produces one or more specific segments of

2378-896: The idea. In 1971, George Allen became the head coach of the Washington Redskins , and he began to acquire many veteran players to bolster the team's depleted roster. In reference to this movie, the Redskins were nicknamed " The Over-the-Hill Gang ". The main characters appeared nearly 20 years later in 1988 in writer/director Burt Kennedy 's Once Upon a Texas Train , with famous Western stars portraying them. Richard Widmark co-stars as Captain Oren Hayes (replacing Pat O'Brien), Chuck Connors as Nash Crawford (originally Walter Brennan's role), Jack Elam as Jason Fitch (initially portrayed by Edgar Buchanan) and Stuart Whitman as Gentleman George Asque (Chill Wills' part). Elam had

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2436-666: The industry attempted to recover lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The unions supporting the report make up over 20 million television, film, and arts workers worldwide. Many producers begin in a college, university, or film school . Film schools and many universities offer courses covering film production knowledge, with some courses specially designed for future film producers. These courses focus on key topics like pitching, script development , script assessment, shooting schedule design, and budgeting. Students can also expect practical training on post-production. Training at

2494-649: The last word when it comes to casting questions. A producer will also approve locations, the studio hire, the final shooting script , the production schedule , and the budget. Spending more time and money in pre-production can reduce budget waste and delays during the production stage. During production, the producer's job is to ensure the film remains on schedule and under budget. To this end, they must remain in constant contact with directors and other key creative team members. Producers cannot always personally supervise all parts of their production but will instead delegate tasks as needed. For example, some producers run

2552-416: The later stages before release, will oversee the marketing and distribution of the film. Producers cannot always supervise all of the production. In this case, the primary producer or executive producer may hire and delegate work to associate producers, assistant producers, line producers , or unit production managers . During this stage of the production process, producers bring together people like

2610-450: The less expensive digital 24p video format has made some quality improvements on the television movie market. Part of the reason for the lower budgets comes from the lack of revenue streams from them; whereas a theatrical film can make money from ticket sales, ancillary markets , and syndication, most television films lacked those revenue streams, and the films are seldom rerun . Raconteur Jean Shepherd produced several television films in

2668-562: The made-for-television movie". Network-made television movies in the United States have tended to be inexpensively-produced and perceived to be of low quality. Stylistically, these films often resemble single episodes of dramatic television series. Often, television films are made to "cash in" on the interest centering on stories currently prominent in the news, as the films based on the "Long Island Lolita" scandal involving Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher were in 1993. The stories are written to reach periodic semi- cliffhangers coinciding with

2726-569: The network-scheduled times for the insertion of commercials , and are further managed to fill, but not exceed, the fixed running times allotted by the network to each movie "series". In the case of films made for cable channels, they may rely on common, repetitive tropes (Hallmark Channel, for example, is notorious for its formulaic holiday romances, while Lifetime movies are well known for their common use of damsel in distress storylines). The movies tend to rely on smaller casts, one such exception being those produced for premium cable , such as Behind

2784-478: The newer "limited series" format over a period of weeks (rather than the consecutive days usually defined by a miniseries) where a conclusion is assured; an example of such would be The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story , and these are most often seen on cable networks and streaming services such as Netflix . In a 1991 New York Times article, television critic John J. O'Connor wrote that "few artifacts of popular culture invite more condescension than

2842-430: The popularity of the first two films, the second HSM sequel, High School Musical 3: Senior Year , was released as a theatrical film in 2008 instead of airing on Disney Channel; High School Musical 3 became one of the highest-grossing movie musicals. Television movies traditionally were often broadcast by the major networks during sweeps season. Such offerings now are very rare; as Ken Tucker noted while reviewing

2900-500: The production team in film, television, and new media, offering the framework to provide health insurance and pension benefits, and assists in establishing safe working conditions and vetting the validity of screen credits. In December 2021, global unions filed a report titled Demanding Dignity Behind the Scenes to attempt to end the "long hours culture" of the television and film industry, citing in part that abuses increased in 2021 as

2958-409: The same length, including the major dramatic anthology programs which they came to replace. In 1996, 264 made-for-TV movies were made by five of the six largest American television networks at the time (CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, and UPN ), averaging a 7.5 rating. By 2000, only 146 TV movies were made by those five networks, averaging a 5.4 rating, while the number of made-for-cable movies made annually in

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3016-456: The series crossed over to effectively create a multiple-hour plot that plays as a film when watched as a whole. Film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production . Either employed by a production company or working independently , producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script , coordinating writing, directing, editing, and arranging financing. The producer

3074-400: The test screening of the film First Blood , the producers requested a new ending be filmed. Producers also oversee the film's sales, marketing, and distribution rights, often working with third-party specialist firms. Different types of producers and their roles within the industry today include: An executive producer oversees all other producers under a specific project and ensures that

3132-527: The views of the higher authorities in the wider company; trying to ground the showrunner's vision to tangible limits. A co-executive producer is someone whose input is considered as valuable as that of the executive producer, despite having a junior or unofficial role. A line producer manages the staff and the day-to-day operations and oversees each physical aspect involved in making a film or television program. The line producer can be credited as "produced by" in certain cases. A supervising producer supervises

3190-422: The week - the first time that status had been achieved by a film made expressly for television. A sequel called The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again was produced the following year, with Brennan, Wills, Buchanan, Devine, and Burt Mustin reprising their roles, while Fred Astaire replaced O'Brien as the second lead. Both movies doubled as a pilot for a projected weekly TV series, but ABC ultimately passed on

3248-491: Was coined in the United States in the early 1960s as an incentive for movie audiences to stay home and watch what was promoted as the equivalent of a first-run theatrical film. Beginning in 1961 with NBC Saturday Night at the Movies , a prime time network showing of a television premiere of a major theatrical film release, the other networks soon copied the format, with each of the networks having several [Day of

3306-533: Was produced by RKO Pictures , and the 1957 The Pied Piper of Hamelin , based on the poem by Robert Browning , and starring Van Johnson , one of the first filmed "family musicals" made directly for television . That film was made in Technicolor , a first for television, which ordinarily used color processes originated by specific networks. Most "family musicals" of the time, such as Peter Pan , were not filmed but broadcast live and preserved on kinescope ,

3364-693: Was released to cinemas in Europe and Australia , and had a limited theatrical release to some venues in the United States and Canada. The 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song was also briefly released to theatres after its success on television, and was even remade in 2001. In some instances, television movies of the period had more explicit content included in the versions prepared to be exhibited theatrically in Europe. Examples of this include The Legend of Lizzie Borden , Helter Skelter , Prince of Bel Air and Spectre . Many television movies released in

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