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From the intial planning in pre-production to the final editing in the post, they are there running the show and managing everything. They make sure the film is in place, the director is on set (they usuially hire the director in pre-production), the cast is AOK (they find a casting director and assist in the casting), they ensure the art department has everything looking alright, they make sure that all the shooting locations are arranged correctly, they make sure everyone get to eat during the shoot, they ensure that everyone has someone where to sleep during production, they work with the studio and the studio's PR people to ensure that promotional material is in place, they work with the stupid to pay for things when needed, they ensure that insurance is in place for everything, and most importantly they take liability for just about everthing. Thus the PRODUCERS get the Oscar for best picture, because it is much more their film than anyone else involved on the project.

Executive Producer is just a nice title you give to people who helped your project and want their name somewhere on it. They usuially had a small but extremely vital role in the production and earned the title (most of the time the people who fund it or the studio execs who do the early pre-production work get this title). Thus a lot of Dreamworks pictures have Steven Spielberg as the Executive Producer, because he was usuially involved in the planning of the movie (he is named executive producer for non-dreamworks stuff too, just not as much).

Among the things they stumbled upon was a real, hard-working producer who complained that the title is too easily given out in Hollywood. For example, on a TV series you may see ten producers listed in the credits. That doesn't mean it takes ten people to hire casting directors or gaffers or directors. But perhaps if a writer carries the title "producer" then the Writer's Guild doesn't complain if the "producer" does a little extra work. And the "producer" doesn't mind doing a little extra writing in exchange for having the title.

What I've observed is that the Unit Production Manager (who may be listed in the credits as that or as a "Line Producer" or a "Producer") does the most day-to-day worrying about budgets and keeping the on-set crew working happily and efficiently. A good UPM or a bad UPM can make a world of difference on the set.

As for an Executive Producer, I see a person who (at least on a TV series) steers the creative ship, overseeing story development, rewrites and guest star participation... and dealing directly with "the network."