Personnel and Crew

It takes a small village of people to produce a film or television series. These are some of the key people employed by Hollywood studios to acquire and develop properties and oversee production. Actual titles may vary.

Actors: The people who play the characters in the filmed story. These include stars, actors so famous and popular that their very presence in a film helps attract audiences, along with many lesser-known performers.

Agent: A person who guides the career of a client, usually in return for 10-20% of all paychecks.

Assistant Camera Operator: Responsible for handling all camera equipment and the camera van, properly storing film, loading film into magazines and the camera, making sure the camera is in perfect working condition, filling out the slate with the correct information and transporting exposed film safely to the lab.

Assistant Director: In pre-production, the Assistant Director (AD) assists the Production Manager in organizing film crew, breaking down the script, and preparing the production board and shooting schedules. In production, the AD assists the Director with on-set production details and coordinates and supervises activities of cast and crew. ADs also run the Production Meetings.

Associate Producer: Vanity title for person the contributed to the production. Associate Producer credit can come from finding money, introducing Producer or Director to wealthy people/banks or bringing a property to the attention of the studio.

Business Affairs Executive: Negotiates contracts with talent; often the person holding this job is a lawyer.

Casting Director: Responsible for selecting the cast, in consultation with the producer and director

Composer: Creates the film’s musical score.

Costume Designer: Creates the actors’ wardrobe, in consultation with the production designer.

Creative Executive: Works on developing scripts, but at a lower level than the VP of Development; sometimes called a development executive or production executive.

Development Assistant: Entry-level assistant to a development executive or story department; reads scripts and does clerical work.

Director: The person hired by the producer to be in charge of creating the movie. During the production, he or she gives day-to-day directions to the cast and crew. During post production, he or she directs the efforts of editors, sound mixers, composers and others who put the final film together.

Director of Development: Studio or production company executive who is involved with reading scripts, coverage, giving notes, making writers and directors lists and meeting with agents. Shepherds ideas, books and scripts into better scripts ready for production.

Director of Photography: Creates the visual mood of the film. They are in charge of the camera department and give instructions to the grip and gaffer. In pre-production will break down the script with the Director and design individual scenes, including set-ups, lighting and camera requirements at the set or on location.

Editor: Selects and assembles pieces of footage into a finished film, in consultation with the director.

Executive in Charge of Production: Hired by the company funding the film and serves as an accountant. Writes checks on an as-needed basis as the production progresses.

Executive Producer: The executive who represents the finances, is the finances, or is the executive connected with the company that is financing production. Most often, an Executive Producer supplies the capital needed to produce a film. Rarely in the movie business does the writer or director put up his or her own money to create a film. Instead, they get one or more Executive Producers to supply their money in exchange for part of the profits earned by the movie.

Focus Puller: Responsible for keeping the camera’s focus during a shoot. Measures the distance between the camera and the main object and dissects the proper stops that require focus. Perhaps one of the most important positions on set because this extremely difficult job needs to be done precisely or else the film will be out of focus. Also known as 1st Assistant Camera.

Gaffer: In charge of all electrical equipment, the lights and the generator, as per the gaffer instructions of the Director of Photography. Once the scene is blocked, the Director of Photography instructs the Grip and Gaffer on how to set up their equipment to achieve the appropriate mood.

Grips: Work under the instructions of the Director of Photography, and under the supervision of the Key Grip. Responsible for the rigging, mounting and construction of all camera and lighting support equipment, including stands, boxes and flags. The Dolly Grip is in charge of the tracks, dolly and supporting equipment.

Line Producer: Organizes, budgets, schedules and prepares the entire film production for the film crew. Main responsibility is to blueprint the entire shoot by breaking down the shooting schedule, while coordinating the budget so that the goals of the Producer and Director fit within their means. Duty is to finish the production ‘on time’ and ‘on budget.’ Line Producers receive opening title credit on films.

Location Manager: Responsible for the finding and securing locations to be used and coordinating the logistics involved for the production to successfully complete its necessary work. They are also the face of the production to the community and responsible for addressing the issues that may arise due to the production’s impact on the community.

Manager: A person who managers a client’s financial affairs in return for a percentage. Managers can receive production credit, agents cannot.

Producer: The person most responsible for getting the movie made. As the liaison between the people financing the movie and the people filming it, he or she is concerned with getting it done on time and keeping it within budget, with a level of quality appropriate to its budget. The producer delegates many day-to-day duties to the production manager and line producer.

Production Accountant: All funds needed for rentals or purchases, once approved by the Production Manager, are processed by the Production Accountant, who is authorized to release funds or issue checks. Examines all expenses and evaluates their appropriateness. Is in charge of issuing the crew’s, and perhaps the actors’, paychecks. Each department is responsible for wrapping and properly returning rented equipment, props and wardrobe after production. The accountant pays outstanding balances, which are invoiced after completion of principal photography.

Production Coordinator: Assists the Production Manager in the organizational tasks of the production office. Facilitates the flow of production documents to the appropriate production teams. Main liaison for the entire film crew.

Production Designer: Responsible for the overall look of the film, in collaboration with the director. Creates the environment of the film. Works with the props, set builders, Location Manager, costume, makeup and hair stylists to make that happen.

Production Manager: Like the Line Producer, the Production Manager organizes, budgets, schedules and prepares the entire film production for the film crew. Unlike Line Producers however, Production Managers only receive end title credit. Since Line Producers and Production Managers perform the same function, there’s only one on a production.

Property Master: In charge of all props needed during each scene of production.

Talent: Generally refers to writers, directors and actors. Seen as an Above-the-Line cost.

Script Supervisor: Ensures that visual (and audio) continuity is maintained. This means advising the Director and key crew on everything from the props to wardrobe to dialogue to eyelines, and any of the other factors that will affect an edit. In pre-production they coordinate with all concerned departments in advance to plan for any potential continuity issues, and they work after wrap to create a detailed as-read lined script with notes for the editor. Their primary function in the larger sense is to save the production money and time through communication, organization and troubleshooting.

Sound Crew: Two on-set positions, the Sound Mixer/Recordist and the Boom Operator, are responsible for grabbing the on-set location sound for editing, including the surrounding area sounds and the actors’ dialogue.

Sound Editor/Sound Effects Editor: Responsible for the quality of the dialogue and sound effects tracks, and for creating many of the sound effects.

Sound Mixer: Blends all the recorded sound tracks, including dialogue, sound effects, and music, into a master sound track, which becomes part of the finished version, or release print.

Story Analyst: An entry-level person who supplies coverage, that is, who reads submissions and writes synopses, with comments about whether the property is recommended; also called a reader.

Story Editor: Head of the story department, which reviews the scripts (and books, plays, treatments, etc.) that agents and producers have submitted to the studio for consideration as possible projects; supervises story analysts

Studio Chief: The chief executive officer (CEO) or chairperson. Used to be someone

Vice President of Creative Affairs: Looks for and develops projects and oversees productions; may be called vice president of production

Vice President of Development: Works with writers to develop scripts

Visual Effects/Special Effects Supervisor: Creates effects to expensive or fantastic to achieve by normal means: everything from flying dragons to futuristic locations to battle wounds.

Wardrobe: Besides designing and sewing the wardrobe for cast members, the Wardrobe Person is in charge of all wardrobe rentals and purchases. Collaborates with the Production Designer on the overall costume design for each cast member.

Writer: The person who writes the screenplay, the text that is the basis for filming the movie. Several writers may work on a screenplay, but only three can get screen credit.