Matthew Signer On The Involvement Of An Studio Executive During Production

Photo Credit: Matthew Signer

Written In Partnership With Aggrandize

Matthew Signer is a seasoned studio executive and producer in Hollywood. He started as a temporary receptionist but soon showed skills in overseeing commercial, arthouse, and franchise-focused entertainment. Matt was the top executive and Executive Vice President of Production at Dimension Films. He was also the head of a Gen Z-focused studio, Awesomeness Films, where he produced three films in less than one year.  Later he went on to be a Senior Content Executive at Jeffrey Katzenberg’s startup Quibi overseeing high-profile, scripted projects for the company.

Matthew as a Studio Executive

There are usually two types of studio executives in this industry: ones with very little creative involvement in a film’s actual production and the others that get deeply involved in the creative during production from start to finish. He belongs to the first group of executives. 

Matt says, “I don’t usually interfere in production. It’s better to leave the creative part of the production of the film to the people who know their craft. I have complete confidence in the teams I work with, and I prefer to take a more passive approach once the film is in production.” 

“However, as an employee of the studio, I must ensure that the film adheres to the brand values and company’s image. It was my responsibility to make sure that the films represented  Dimension Films, Awesomeness, and Quibi well.  In addition, the commercial and business aspects of the film fall to the studio executives, so it is necessary to make sure that we are creating a film that can create a good return on our investment.”

“My goal is always to help the filmmaker realize his/her vision of that project we all set out to make.  I also need to make sure that the filmmaker is shooting the script that the studio approved and that this piece of art can reach the widest possible audience.”

Post-production responsibilities 

Post-production is a very intensive, long process, including editing the movie, dubbing, color grading, sound editing, creating visual effects, and many more processes. Matt believes that these are creative areas where a studio executive should have a light hand. “An EP’s role is quite limited in post-production. It’s not my responsibility to break down a film frame by frame. That is the director’s job. Of course, I watch the cuts and make suggestions, but it’s the director’s vision that is the most important factor.”

Matt’s seventeen years of experience in this field make him one of the veterans that know how to handle this high-pressure job.