WHO’S WHO ON A MOVIE CREW

In the cinema of the United States, a unit production manager (UPM) is the Directors Guild of America–approved title for the top below-the-line staff position, responsible for the administration of a feature film or television production. Non-DGA productions might call it the production manager or production supervisor. They work closely with the line producer. Sometimes the line producer is the UPM. A senior producer may assign a UPM more than one production at a time.

The UPM, under the supervision of the employer, is required to coordinate, facilitate and oversee the preparation of the production unit or units assigned to him or her, all off-set logistics, day-to-day production decisions, locations, budget schedules and personnel. Without limitation, among the duties which the Employer must assign to the UPM or First Assistant are the supervision of or participation in the following:

• Prepare breakdown and preliminary shooting schedule.
• Prepare or coordinate the budget.
• Oversee preliminary search and survey of all locations and the completion of business arrangements for the same.
• Assist in the preparation of the production to ensure continuing efficiency.
• Supervise completion of the Production Report for each day’s work, showing work covered and the status of the production, and arrange for the distribution of that report in line with the company’s requirement.
• Coordinate arrangements for the transportation and housing of cast, crew and staff.
• Oversee the securing of releases and negotiate for locations and personnel.
• Maintain a liaison with local authorities regarding locations and the operation of the company.
• Setup the production office and systems in coordination with the Production Office Coordinator
• Work with various unions (DGA, SAG, WGA, IATSE and TEAMSTERS) to submit and finalize contracts.
• Handle ATL (Above the Line) issues ie.. (Cast person wanting a larger trailer)
• Work with Accounting team to make sure that the film is setup in a way that is eligible for tax credits or rebates (if in a certain state/region that allows this)

The line producer is the liaison between the studio or producer and the production manager, responsible for managing the production budget. The title is associated with the idea that they are the person who is “on the line” on a day-to-day basis, and responsible for lining up the resources needed.

The line producer functions like a chief operations officer in running the production company. During pre-production, responsibilities include supervising the assembly of the shooting company, recruitment of key personnel and services, and production organization for how to shoot the script and transform it into a movie. The line producer plans start dates for everyone and everything, and monitors the budget in the lead up to picture. Film production generally follows a rigorous schedule.

The line producer facilitates;

• casting,
• location scouting,
• set building and decorating,
• offices and stages,
• wardrobe,
• props,
• stunts,
• physical and visual effects,
• camera,
• lighting,
• rigging,
• transportation,
• cast, crew and union relations,
• travel,
• cast and crew accommodation,
• contracting of legal permissions and agreements, safety and risk management, prep and shooting schedule.

In short, the line producer oversees the joint planning, negotiations, implementation and accounting for production.

In the studio system, the line producer reports to the studio and typically liaises with key executives of production divisions inside the studio such as physical production, legal, labor relations, insurance, and finance.

While in production, the line producer oversees the execution of many decisions that must be made to deliver each day’s shoot. The administrative aspects, especially those that have any financial impact, are all crucial areas of the line producer’s work. These areas include but are not limited to negotiating compensation (usually during pre-production) of crew members (both for union and non-union productions) and resolving daily production issues (in conjunction with the first assistant director and possibly the unit production manager). Moreover, they provide demanded equipment. If required, they handle unanticipated scheduling changes and serve “as a liaison between the crew and the producer.”

A director is the person who directs the making of a film. The director most often has the highest authority on a film set. Generally, a director controls a film’s artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision.

The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking.

Under European Union law, the director is viewed as the author of the film.

The director gives direction to the cast and crew, and creates an overall vision through which a film eventually becomes realized or noticed. Directors need to be able to mediate differences in creative visions and stay within the boundaries of the film’s budget.

Directors use different approaches. Some outline a general plotline and let the actors improvise dialogue, while others control every aspect, and demand that the actors and crew follow instructions precisely. Some directors also write their own screenplays or collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners. Some directors edit or appear in their films, or compose the music score for their films.

There are many pathways to becoming a film director. Some directors started as screenwriters, cinematographers, film editors, or actors. Other directors have attended a film school.

The assistant director (A.D., or First A.D. in larger productions) is there to make the whole process more effective.

The A.D. helps prepare for shooting by separating the script into sections that can be shot in a single day.

During filming, the A.D. helps to act as a sort of manager for the project. They help to line up the best shots and keep things quiet during filming, as well as handle the background actors that the film may call for.

The assistant director tends to be a part of the Directors’ Guild of America.

The second assistant director (2nd A.D.) works between the production manager and the first assistant director.

The second A.D. handles things like call sheets, paperwork, scheduling, and actors’ timesheets and production reports.

This person also helps the First A.D. with crowd control and background actors.

Sometimes other assistant directors are needed such as in Canadian and British functional structures the 3rd assistant director (3rd AD) and even trainee assistant directors (trainee AD). In the American system there are 2nd 2nd assistant director (2nd 2nd AD). 

The second unit director heads the second unit — this is another crew in production that is used to shoot scenes or sequences that don’t require the main actors. From shots at unique locations to special effects or scenes that don’t make a world of difference to the plot, the second unit director will make sure they’re done right.  

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 between shots and scenes.

An important part of a script supervisor’s job is to make sure that the actors’ movements, the directions they are looking in a shot, particularly when speaking to or responding to another actor, plus the positions of props they are using and every thing else matches from shot to shot. If there is an apparent mismatch, the director must be informed immediately so that it can be reshot before the lighting setup is changed or at least before the location is wrapped and the set is struck.

Not only does the job of script supervisor require a great deal of awareness and meticulous note-taking skills, it also requires much diplomacy to advise the director that they may have a problem editing something just recorded.

The script supervisor is also in charge of providing the “official” scene numbers and take numbers to the second camera assistant (clapper loader in some countries) for the slate, as well as to the sound mixer, and to clearly note which take the director has chosen to be used (as a “print,” in film terms) in the finished product. All of this information is then relayed to the editor every day after shooting has wrapped in the form of copies made of both the script supervisor’s notes as well as their matching script pages.

The cinematographer, or director of photography (D.P./D.O.P.), helps with the feel and look of the film. The D.P. takes care of the lighting for every scene, helps to frame shots, picks the lenses, selects film stock, and makes sure that the final look is in line with the director’s artistic perspective.

Typically, the director tells the DP how they want a shot to look, and the DP chooses the correct lens, filter, lighting and composition to achieve the desired aesthetic effect. The DP is the senior creative crew member after the director.

The term cinematographer 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.

The gaffer is the top electrician on a set and takes care of the lighting according to what the cinematographer needs.

The camera operator is a part of the actual camera crew and uses the camera as requested by the director and cinematographer. The camera operator gets the action in frame and responds to the action as it progresses.

Typically, there will be a first and second assistant cameraman. The first assistant cameraman stays on top of camera maintenance. He or she changes lenses, maintains focus during filming, spots where the actors should stand, and measures the distance between camera and subject. They also fill out reports and take care of loading and unloading of the camera magazines with film.

The film loader also helps with loading and unloading the camera’s film magazines. The film loader will also be responsible for the room where they’re kept to ensure quality and a clean environment.

A Steadicam is a frame that helps the Steadicam operator to hold the camera steady. It allows them to capture the action without shaky motion (typically what you’d see in a cheap film using hand-held cameras). They need top training and also need to be strong and energetic.

The production sound mixer (or recordist) captures sound during the shooting process. They’ll make sure to mix the soundtracks to the film’s composite soundtrack, which is then included in the film with magnetic or optical stripe.

The boom operator is a sound crew member who handles the microphone boom, a long pole that holds the microphone near the action but out of frame, allowing the microphone to follow the actors as they move.

The key grip is the chief grip during production. Grips can help with the creation of shadow effects and also use lights and operate camera cranes, dollies, and platforms as requested by the cinematographer.

The dolly grip controls the dolly track while using the dolly along that track. The dolly is a cart that the camera, and at times crew, sit on. It makes it easy to move the camera from spot to spot for smooth results.

A crew will have two best boy positions — the best boy/electric and the best boy/grip — who work under the gaffer and key grip. The best boy/grip works over the other grips and grip equipment. The best boy/electric supervises electricians and the electrical gear.