Sample Production Team & Crew

Production Team & Crew Glossary

Production

Producer
The chief of a movie production in all matters save the creative efforts of the Director.
A producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for
distributors

Production Accountant
The person responsible for managing finances during the production.

Production Coordinator
The person responsible for overseeing practical matters such as ordering equipment,
getting near-location accommodations for the cast and crew, etc.

Production Manager
Reporting to the film's producer, this person supervises the budget, hires the crew,
approves purchase orders & time cards, and generally makes sure all departments
are doing their respective jobs within the parameters of the budget.

Production Assistant
A person responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as
couriers, etc. Production Assistants are often attached to individual actors or
filmmakers.

Co-Producer
A producer who performs a substantial portion of a creative producing function, or
who is primarily responsible for one or more managerial producing functions. A co-
producer has less responsibility than a producer for the completion of a project. Note
that if a project has more than one producer, it doesn't mean that these individuals
are "co-producers" in the technical sense of that term.

Executive Producer
A producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking process,
but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer
handles business and legal issues.

Associate Producer
An individual who performs a limited number of producing functions delegated to
her/him by a producer, under the direct supervision and control of that producer.

1
 Sample Production Team & Crew

Director
The principal creative artist on a movie set. A Director is usually (but not always) the
driving artistic source behind the filming process, and communicates to actors the
way that he/she would like a particular scene played. A Director's duties might also
include casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and editing. Typically,
a Director has complete artistic control over all aspects of the movie, but it is not
uncommon for the Director to be bound by agreements with either a producer or a
studio. In some large productions, a Director will delegate less important scenes to a
second unit.

Script
Scriptwriter/Screenwriter
A writer who either adapts an existing work for production as a movie, or creates a
new screenplay
.

Script Supervisor
A person who tracks which parts have been filmed, how the filmed scenes deviated
from the script; they also make continuity notes, creating a lined script.

Casting
The process of hiring actors to play the characters in a script, typically done by a
Casting Director, but with some input from a Director, producer, or studio.

Music
Composer
Composes the original music score. Works in conjunction with the Sound Designer
to create a mood for the movie.

Film Crew
1st, 2nd Assistant Directors
An assistant Director's duties include tracking the progress of filming versus the
production schedule.

 The 1st AD also controls the crew, telling when cameras should roll, cut etc
and controlling crowd action.

 2nd AD is the assistant to the assistant Director. Duties include overseeing the
movements of the cast, and preparing call sheets

 Call Sheet……A listing of which actors, props, special effects, vehicles, dining
and toilet facilities etc will be required for which scenes, and when they will
be required.

Second Unit Director

Oversees the small, subordinate crew responsible for filming shots of less
importance, such as inserts, crowds, scenery, etc also Model Shots for Post-
Production if necessary.

2
 Sample Production Team & Crew

Continuity
The person on set who makes sure that interconnected scenes (that may be shot at
different times) have continuity. Makes full use of a Polaroid camera and carries
complete paperwork in order to make sure that no mistakes are made. In some US
productions, this job has been sidelined by that of Script Supervisor

Cinematography
Director Of Photography
A cinematographer who is ultimately responsible for the process of recording a scene
in the manner desired by the Director. The Director of Photography has a number of
possible duties: selection of film stock, cameras, and lenses; designing and selecting
lighting, directing the gaffer's placement of lighting; shot composition (in consultation
with the Director); film developing and film printing

Camera Operator
A job usually done by the DOP, but on occasions (e.g. second unit) a camera
operator will be brought in.

Focus Puller
Maintains the camera, makes sure shots are in focus

Clapper/Loader
Loads the camera and maintains film logs and canning of shot film. Also marks and
records each shot with the clapper board. Sometimes at the end of a shot, if the
board cannot be used at the beginning, the Callper/Loader with invert the board to
say “End of Shot”

Gaffer
Working under the DOP, the Gaffer is in charge of the lighting crew, including the
Sparks and the Riggers

Best Boy
The Gaffer’s first assistant

Sparks
In charge of lighting, and anything electrical

Key Grip
In charge of the dolly crew and supervises any track laying etc that may be required
from the Construction department or the Riggers

Rigging Crew
“Riggers” will build anything anywhere at any time

Actors
Also known as “The Artists”. Actors may be the main leads, or extras hired for walk-
on parts

3
 Sample Production Team & Crew

Sound Department
Sound Recordist
Records the sound while filming, and any ambient sound that may be requiredor
have been requested by the Sound Designer.

Foley Artist
Designs and records the sound effects for editing into the final cut
Sound Editor
Edits the sound effects, supervises ADR
 ADR means Automatic Dialogue Replacement; required when the on-set
recording of dialogue is poor and needs to be replaced in Post-Production.
The Actor is brought in to a recording studio and speaks the lines to match
the footage being played back on a large screen

Dialogue Editor
A sound editor who specializes in editing dialogue

Art Department

Production Designer
An specialist artist/designer responsible for designing the overall visual appearance
of a movie.

Storyboard Artist
The person responsible for drawing the storyboards and anything else that needs to
be drawn during the production of the movie.

Art Director
A term used to define either the job of Production Design or as an assistant to the
Production Designer

Draftsperson
Makes the drawings for the Construction Team to work to

Props Buyer
In collaboration with the Stand-by props, buys all the necessary props for the
production.

Stand-By Props
The person in charge of on-set props; works with the set dresser to populate the shot
with the required properties, furniture etc. “Props” will work through the script and
make sure that every item required is available on the day. Specialist props will be
itemised in the Call Sheet.

Set Dresser
Dresses the set according to the wishes of the Production Deigner

Construction Manager
Supervises the Construction Crew, making the sets based on the Production
Designer’s designs and the Draughtsman’s drawings.

4
 Sample Production Team & Crew

Production Buyer
A person who purchases supplies, equipment, and property necessary for a
production.

Construction Crew
An assortment of scaffolders, carpenters, welders, plasterers, fibre-glass experts who
create the sets either on the Sound Stage or on location, to the Production
Designer’s designs.

Special Effects Coordinater

Designs and supervises on set the special effects required for the movie.

Special Effects Technicians

Experienced and qualified technicians who operate all special effects.

Special Effect Vehicles

All vehicles, stunt vehicles etc required by the production.

Movie Poster Artist

Designs and create the advertising art for the movie.

Model Unit
In conjunction with the art department, will construct miniatures, some props, some
specialist items for SPFX etc.

Stunts
Stunt Coordinator
Works in liaison with the SPFX Coordinator to create stunts either as extras or as a
body-double for the main actor.

Stunt team
Men and women experienced in carrying out the stunts.

Costume
Costume Designer
Designs, in conjunction with the Production Designer, the costumes for the
production. Coordinates with Costume Hire companies to supply extra costumes.

Seamstress
Makes any new costumes, mends or adapts costumes on set.

Wardrobe
Coordinates and logs all costumes, carries out dressing the actors on set.

Make Up
Make up artist
On-set control of the artist’s make-up

Hair Stylist
On-set control of the artist’s hair

5
 Sample Production Team & Crew

Film Editing
Film Editor
The creative person who assembles the shot footage, and fits it to the script in order
to tell the story the way the Director wishes

Post-Production Supervisor
The person overseeing the entire post-production of a project. Reports directly to the
producer and/or the studio in charge of the feature. Working side by side with the
Director and Editor, the Supervisor has the responsibility of finishing the film on time
and on budget while satisfying the wants of the Director. Post-production Supervisors
have authority over post-production co-ordinators. Typical duties include: Controlling
all activities with vendors such as optical houses, sound facilities, inserts, ADR,
reshooting, CGI, score, delivery requirements to domestic and international
distributors, legal clearances, preview screenings, color timing, video mastering and
budgeting the movie through the completion and delivery.

Post-Production
Use of computers to add title sequences and CGI. Before the use of computers,
Rostrum Cameras were used (and still used occasionally) to create Visual Optical
Effects and titles.

 CGI - Computer Generated Imagery

The use of computer graphics to create or enhance special effects e.g. blue
and green screen, image replacement, matte paintings, restoration, titles etc