Mark Ellis Rules  Noun, e.g., The Ellis Rules ended the practice of credits in exchange for cash. .

Definition: Guidelines co-drafted by and named for Mark E. Ellis, attorney for the Producers Guild of America, otherwise known as Credit Guidelines for Theatrical Motion Pictures.   

History:

The guidelines were drafted in 2001 by attorney , son of famous jurst and PGA attorney on behalf of the They were enacted to eliminate abuse by producers who included in the credits names of people who had no other connection to a film other than backing it financially.

The rules include:

PRODUCED BY

The Produced By credit shall be in the primary credit position among all PGA-sanctioned credits for theatrical motion pictures. Subject to the control of the Owner (see Rules of Arbitration, section 1.B), The individual receiving Produced By credit shall have final responsibility for all business and creative aspects of the production of the motion picture, with direct participation in making decisions concerning a majority of the producing functions (see PCOC Section 1 for comprehensive list).

CO-PRODUCER/LINE PRODUCER

The credit of Co-Producer / Line Producer is to be granted to the individual who reports directly to the individual(s) receiving "Produced By" credit on the theatrical motion picture. The Co-Producer / Line Producer is the single individual who has the primary responsibility for the logistics of the production, from pre-production through completion of production; all Department Heads report to the Co-Producer / Line Producer.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

The credit of Executive Producer shall only apply to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the motion picture and who additionally qualifies under one of two categories:

• Having secured an essential and proportionally significant part (no less than 25%) of the financing for the motion picture; and/or
• Having made a significant contribution to the development of the literary property, typically including the securement of the underlying rights to the material on which the motion picture is based.

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

The Production Supervisor/Manager reports directly and immediately to the person performing the Co-Producer/Line Producer or UPM functions. The Production Supervisor/Manager has the primary responsibility for the logistics of the production of the motion picture, from pre-production through the completion of production.

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
The Production Coordinator reports to the person(s) receiving the Produced By credit, the Co-Producer/Line Producer the Production Supervisor/Manager or UPM. The Coordinator interacts with various studio and production departments concerning any and all logistics of production and is responsible for facilitating production requirements including, but not limited to, equipment contracts, purchase orders, film inventory, insurance, day player contracts, crew deal memos, travel and shipping, call sheets, production reports, cast and crew lists, and compliance with various union report requirements.

 ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

The Associate Producer credit is granted solely on the decision of the individual receiving the Produced By credit, and is to be granted sparingly and only for those individuals who are delegated significant production functions. The Associate Producer is responsible for performing one or more producing functions delegated to him/her by the individual receiving the Produced By credit and the Co-Producer. This does not include persons whose primary function is as an assistant. 

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