Film Crew Positions and Responsibilities Part 1
"I have come close to producing films. But generally by the time they hit the screen, there's about 50 people with producer credits, so what's the point? I usually find scripts I like with no money attached and take them to producers that I know and try to raise finance." ---Tim Roth When the credits roll on a movie, you will notice that there are many names and many different jobs. Understand while there are union rules associated with movie titles and who gets what, there are no laws on the books about them. If you make the movie, you can be "Grand Poobah" of the movie if you want. The thing to remember about these titles in regard to your production is that giving out a title is FREE. So, if you need to placate an investor or get a restaurant owner to let him use your place, you can always give him a credit on the movie for something. There are, however, a few key credits that everyone in the industry knows are important and tell you who did the "real" work on the movie. Here's a list of a few: Executive Producer: This is a pretty amorphous credit. It's sometimes given to celebrities to make them feel more important or to give them more of a final say on the picture. Like the Queen of England, the title is mostly honorary. Sometimes it's given to the biggest investor on a picture to make him feel more important. Typically, the position doesn't hold any real responsibility. Producer: The producers raise the money for the movie, hire the talent and handle all the business. At a big movie studio, they are employees of the studio so they may be answering to bosses above them. Independent producers are pretty much kings of the castle. They fund the movie and they usually have the final say. Associate Producer: Another credit that can be applied to lots of different people. Usually it's applied to a producer that brought one important piece of the production puzzle. Maybe he raised, say, 25% of the budget. On some movies, the credit is tossed around like candy. Maybe one of the actors wants to move into producing and this is a credit that will help bridge that gap. Sometimes it's an actual assistant to the producer that does lots of work running back and forth between the set and the producer's office. Director: The director handles all the creative aspects of the movie. The producer will usually listen to his recommendations for hiring crew and actors, but sometimes financial pressures will out-weigh any creative concerns. Assistant Director: AD's do a lot of work. They coordinate for a director so he can direct. Think of him as a sergeant to the director's general. The director says, "We have to have those extras attack that hill." The assistant director tells the extras, "Okay, extras get ready to attack that hill when the director gives the order." The AD helps disseminate the director's orders and helps organizing him by getting a shooting schedule together. "Here's what we're shooting today, boss." Screenwriter: He writes the screenplay. (Duh.) He has little say when the director rewrites things. If you like being virtually powerless in the creative process, screenwriter is the way to go. Nice directors will actually work with a screenwriter and try to bring his vision to the screen. Sometimes a screenwriter will be on set to rewrite dialogue and scenes as needed. Director of Photography or Cinematographer: DOP's are usually the most "arty" guys in the film crew. They "paint" with light and are responsible for the look of your film. He will frame the shots, supervise the lighting and choose things like the film stock, lenses, lights and other equipment. Script Supervisor or Continuity Person: Since movies are shot out of order, it is the job of your Continuity Person to make sure that when the shots are place back in order the continuity works. In other words, you want shots to match, characters to be dressed appropriately in one shot to the next and props in their proper location from one shot to the next. Production Designer or Art Director: This is the person responsible for the design of the sets. He often works closely with the DOP. Production Manager: This is another job that can include lots of grueling, stressful work. Production Managers rent the equipment, handle the crew deals and arrange for accommodations for the cast and crew. Line Producer: Line Producers are responsible for the entire budget of a film. They are sort of like a movie's accountant. They don't usually get involved in the creative end. Unit Production Manager: This person will help the production manager and will account for the finances on a movie on a daily basis. Basically, this guy is in charge of making sure the movie doesn't go over budget with regard to production costs. He also reports his findings to the Line Producer. Second Assistant Director: A movie can have several assistant directors and they are numbered (first, second, third, etc.). The Second is a go-between between the AD and the Production Manager. He handles lots of paperwork and organizes people (especially actors) so they are on the set at the appropriate time. He'll help an AD do things like crowd control. Camera Operator: He operates the camera. (Duh.) Sounds like an easy job, but he has a whole little crew underneath him to assist. It's his job to get the shot the director wants and make sure there are no technical problems with the camera. Assistant Cameramen: Depending on the size the production, the Camera Operator may have one, two or even more assistants. They make sure the camera is operating correctly, the appropriate lenses are available and that the focus is correct for the shot. They may create "marks" on the ground for the actors to hit during their scene, especially in a moving shot. Film Loader: This is an extremely important job when you're shooting film. The Film Loader loads the film (which has to be done in a black back so it's not exposed) and he makes sure the film that gets shot is stored properly until it can be developed.
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