Tuesday 30 October 2012

Roles in a Production company

Producer

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 film making process from development to completion of a project.

Line Producer
The Line Producer is the liaison between the Studio or Producer and the Production Manager.

Production Manager
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.

Unit Manager
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.

Production 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.

Production Assistant
Production Assistants, referred to as PAs, assist in the production office or in various departments with general tasks, such as assisting the First Assistant Director with set operations.

Screenwriter
The Screenwriter, or Scriptwriter, may pitch a finished script to potential Producers, or may write a script under contract to a Producer. A Writer may be involved, to varied degrees, with creative aspects of production.

Script Supervisor
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.

Stunt Coordinator
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.

Casting Director
The Casting Director chooses the Actors for the characters of the film. This usually involves by inviting potential Actors to read an excerpt from the script for an audition.

Director
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. (EXAMPLE: STEVEN SPIELBERG)

Location Manager
Oversees the Locations Department and its staff, typically reporting directly to the Production Manager and/or Assistant Director (or even Director and/or Executive Producer). Location Manager is responsible for final clearing (or guaranteeing permission to use) a location for filming and must often assist Production/Finance Dept(s) in maintaining budget management regarding actual location/permit fees as well as labor costs to production for himself and the Locations Department at large

Production Designer
Also known as the Creative Director, the Production Designer is responsible for creating the physical, visual appearance of the film - settings, costumes, 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 Director
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.

Set Designer
The Set Designer is the Draftsman, often an Architect, who realizes the structures or interior spaces called for by the Production Designer

Props Master
The Property Master is in charge of finding and managing all the props that appear in the film. The Props Maste

Costume designer
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. In large productions, the Costume Designer will usually have one or more Assistant Costume Designers usually has several assistants

Make-up Artist
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 Actor's 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.

Hairdresser
The Hairdresser, or Hair Stylist, is responsible for maintaining and styling the hair of anyone appearing on screen. They work in conjunction with the Makeup Artist.

Special Effects Supervisor
The Special Effects Supervisor instructs the Special effects crew on how to design moving set elements and props that will safely break, explode, burn, collapse and implode without destroying the film set. S/he is also responsible for reproducing weather conditions and other on-camera magic.

Cinematographer
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.

Director of Photography
The Director of Photography, DoP or DP, is the chief of the camera and lighting crew of the film. The DoP makes decisions on lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film's director. Typically, the Director tells the DoP how they want a shot to look, and the DoP chooses the correct aperture, filter, and lighting to achieve the desired effect as per the Directors requirements.

Camera Operator
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.

First Assistant Camera
The First Assistant Camera, 1st AC or Focus Puller, is responsible for keeping the camera in focus as it is shooting, as well as building the camera at the beginning of the day and taking it apart at the end. They also thread the film when a new magazine is loaded.

Second Assistant Camera
The Second Assistant Camera, 2nd AC or Clapper/Loader, 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.

Digital Imaging Technician
On digital photography productions the Digital Imaging Technician, or DIT, 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. It may also be the responsibility of the DIT to archive and manage the digital data, create compressed dailies from raw footage and prepare all digital images for post-production

Production Sound Mixer
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.

Boom Operator
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.

Utility Sound Technician
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 Puller or Python Wrangler

Key grip
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.

Best boy (Grip)
The Best Boy is chief assistant to the Key Grip. They are also responsible for organizing the grip truck throughout the day.

Dolly grip
The Grip in charge of operating the camera dollies and camera cranes 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.

Grips
Grips report to the Key Grip and are responsible for lifting heavy things and setting rigging points for lights

Gaffer
The gaffer is the head of the Electrical Department, responsible for the design and execution of the electrical distribution and lighting plan for a production. Sometimes the Gaffer is credited as Chief Lighting Technician.

Best boy (Electrical)
The Best Boy is the chief assistant to the Gaffer. He or she is not usually on set, but dealing with the electric truck, rentals, manpower, and other logistics.

Lighting Technician
Lighting Technicians are involved with setting up and controlling lighting equipment.

Film Editor
The Film Editor is the person who assembles the various shots into a coherent film, with the help of the Director. There are usually several Assistant Editors

Visual Effects Creative Director
VFX Creative Directors are very much like Production Designers, except they direct and supervise the creative side of the film's visual effects. The position is particularly in demand for films with massive amounts of computer generated imagery and scenes.

Visual Effects Supervisor
The Visual Effects Supervisor is in charge of the VFX crew, working with production and the film's Director to achieve the desired in-camera optical effects of the film.

Sound Designer
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.

Dialogue Editor
The Dialogue Editor is responsible for assembling and editing all the dialog in the soundtrack.

Sound Editor
The Sound Editor is responsible for assembling and editing all the sound effects in the soundtrack.

Re-recording Mixer
The Re-recording Mixer balances all of the sounds prepared by the dialogue, music and effects editors, and finalizes the films audio track.

Music Supervisor
The Music Supervisor, or Music Director, works with the 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.

Composer
The Composer is responsible for writing the musical score for a film.

Foley Artist
The Foley Artist is the person who creates many of the ambient or routine sound effects for a film.


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