FILM CREW 

# Cinematography tutorials  

Director                                Is considered God. He runs everything on the set. He tells everyone what to do, and everyone (theoretically) listens

Assistant Director (s)                Tarts out the desires of the director to everyone else. Basically enables the director to be in more than one place at the same time. Helps keep him from going crazy

Producer                                  Sometimes actually tells the director what to do, but from behind the scenes. Is in charge of getting the financing for the film

Line Producer                           Keeps the logistics of the show running on the set.

Associate Producer                   mean anything. Sometimes means nothing. Is often a credit given   for a favor. Or sometimes is an investor in the film

Screenwriter                             Writes the story. Makes up the cool words that you always attribute to some actor

Director of photography            Also called Cinematographer. The person who tells photography the cameraman what to do. Along with the director or DP and writer, the DP is probably the most important person in any film

Cameraman                              The eyes of the DP. On an independent shoot, the DP and the Cameraman are often the same person.

Editor                                       Puts everything together behind the scenes and makes it all work after all the film is shot.

Sound mixer                              Helps record the location sound on a shoot

Boom operator                         Holds the big stick with the microphone on it. Works with the sound mixer. Boom operator’s job is basically to hold the microphone as close to the actors’ mouths as possible without ever getting the microphone in the frame (shot) of the camera

Music supervisor                       Picks the background music for the film and decides how, when, and where it is used.

Gaffer                                       Head electrician. Tells the other lighting people what to do. Comes from the old Hollywood term Grandfather meaning the “big daddy” of the lighting and electrical team.

Best boy                                   Gaffer’s assistant

Lighting crew                            Works for the Gaffer. Sets up lights

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Grip                                          In charge of moving cameras, scenery, mike stands, sandbags, and    so forth.

Casting                                     Gets the people together to audition for all the parts, and may help    audition them

Script supervisor continuity        Makes sure that if the lead is wearing the watch on his / left hand when they shoot a scene, that it’s not on his continuity right hand the next day when they shoot coverage for that scene

Catering                                    Feed people

Makeup                                    Make people look good or spooky or whatever is needed, using makeup.

Property master                        In charge of props, the objects people hold or use to help tell the story

Production, designer                 Helps with the look of the movie. Picks out clothes buildings, scenes, locations, art, set design, and more.

Special effects                          Makes weird cool things happen. Can be “practical effects,” like blowing stuff up or making someone look like they’re bleeding to death. Or it can be computer effects done in the post-filming stage.

Actors                                     Oh yeah, them. They just bring the story to life and make it breathe.