Positions and Roles of the Crew

Written by Emma Taylor
(information taken from the Creative Skillset)

Director - Emma Taylor

Assistant Director – Tom Bailey
Director of Photography - Abi Ford

Sound Production and Designer - Tom Bailey
Arts Director and Production Design – Saquib Younis

Editor - Emma Taylor        

Makeup and hair - Abi Ford

Story board and animatics - Tom Bailey

Script – Saqib Younis

On set; the roles explained - What's in the Job?

Director

The director is the creative driving force in the production of the film and is the crucial link between the production, technical and creative teams. It's the director's job to successfully translate the script into motion pictures on the screen. Directors make the crucial decisions; selecting the cast, crew and location of the film. They direct rehearsals both off and on set throughout the film's production. They also manage all the technical sides of production; camera, sound, lighting, design and special effects. The director also works closely with the editor in post production. The director is the driving force for the cast and crew and is responsible for motivating the team, and they must incorportate the needs of the film's producers. Directors must have exceptional artistic vision and creative skills to develop an engaging film.

Assistant Director

The first assistant director is the director's right hand person, taking responsibility for a number of important practices so that the director is free to concentrate on the creative process. First ADs' main duties are assisting the Director, co-ordinating all production activity, and supervising the cast and crew.  They are also in charge of a department of other Assistant Directors and Runners.  Overall, they provide the key link between the Director, the cast and the crew, whilst also liaising with the production office, and providing regular progress reports about the shoot. Before the shoot, the Firsts' main task is to create the filming schedule, working in careful consultation with the Director in order to fulfil his or her creative ambitions.  When drawing up the shooting schedule, First ADs must also be aware of budgetary constraints, cast availability and script coverage.  Preparing the storyboard, overseeing the hiring of locations, props and equipment, and checking weather reports, are all key pre-production duties for Firsts.  During production, they must ensure that everyone is on standby and ready for the Director's cue for action.

Director of Photography

Directors of Photography (DoPs) are key Heads of Department on film productions, and theirs is one of the major creative roles. They are requested by the Director, and must be approved by the financiers, studio and/or completion bond company. DoPs work closely with the Director and Production Designer to give a film its visual signature. Lighting is one of the fundamental elements in filmmaking; the way in which light falls on an actor's face, reveals an interior space, or illuminates a landscape, can create mood, drama and excitement for the audience. The ability of cinema to entertain and emotionally move an audience is the result of a highly collaborative process which encompasses performance, editing and music. The role of the Director of Photography or Cinematographer is to provide a film with its unique visual identity, or look. Most DoPs work on commercials and promos as well as on feature films. Although the hours are long, and some foreign travel may be required, involving long periods spent away from base, the work is highly creative and very rewarding.

Sound Production and Designer

Usually the Sound producer and designer are two different people, however, due to constraints in the crew we have, their roles have been combined. Ensuring that the dialogue recorded during film shoots is suitably clear is a complex job; most film sets are challenging for the Sound Department as there are often unwanted noises to deal with, or the desired camera shots hamper the placing of microphones. 

Arts Director and Production Design
Art Directors act as project managers for the biggest department on any film – the Art Department. They facilitate the Production Designer's creative vision for all the locations and sets that eventually give the film its unique visual identity. Art Directors are responsible for the Art Department budget and schedule of work, and help the Production Designer to maximise the money allocated to the department. Art Directors are usually requested by the Production Designer, and are responsible for the Assistant Art Director, the Draughtsman* (as many as 20 Draughtsmen may be employed on big budget films), the Art Department Assistant(s) and all Construction personnel. As Art Directors must find practical solutions to creative problems while simultaneously monitoring the budget, this is highly skilled work.

Production Designers are major heads of department on film crews, and are responsible for the entire Art Department. They play a crucial role in helping Directors to achieve the film's visual requirements, and in providing Producers with carefully calculated schedules which offer viable ways of making films within agreed budgets and specified periods of time. Filming locations may range from an orderly Victorian parlour, to a late-night café, to the interior of an alien space ship. The look of a set or location is vital in drawing the audience into the story, and is an essential element in making a film convincing and evocative. A great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing an appropriate backdrop to any story, and into selecting or constructing appropriate locations and/or sets.

Editor

Editors work closely with the Director before shooting begins, deciding how to maximise the potential of the screenplay. On the first day of principal photography, Editors begin work in the cutting room (sometimes on location), looking at the previous day's rushes which are developed overnight at the Film Lab and synced-up (synchronised, the alignment of sound and image) by the Assistant Editor.