Above-the-line

Vision and Responsibility

Key creatives are the driving force of any screen-based project. The key creative roles are known as above-the-line. The term “above-the-line” comes from the production budget, where the key creative roles are budgeted separately from other stages of the production process.   The three key creative roles are screenwriter, director and producer, and these roles vary in each type and size of productions. 

Key creatives typically maintain creative control of the narrative and in that way, their choices affect and influence not just the production but society and culture too.

Storytelling can be purely entertaining and can also reflect and shape values and opinions, influence how we relate to others, and document our history by bringing to light things that need to be examined or recorded.

Explore an above-the-line creative pathways in B.C.

Did you know?

The term “Above-the-line” refers to the key creative roles that guide and influence the creative direction, process, and voice of the screen story. These roles are screenwriter, producer, director, and lead performer and compensation can vary widely.

The expression above-the-line originates from the production budget, where the costs of each phase of  filmmaking are broken down.  Above-the-line costs cover the development and production phases, below-the-line costs cover the physical production phase, post production covers picture editing and post and “others” cover some of the costs to support the sales and distribution phases of the project.