Crews Part 2; From Author Ben Bryant’s Film Production Book
- Posted on 27th October 2015
- in Entertainment, entertainment books, Film Production, Hollywood books, Hollywood memoirs, TV Commercial Production, Video Production & Editing
- by Ben
As mentioned in part one of this list (read it here), in chapter 14 of my
film production
book Circumstances Beyond My Control I wrote descriptions of many of the crew categories one sees in the closing credits of a movie. These “departments”, as they are known, are delineated by skill-sets and very specific duties. Some categories are self defining like Hair and Makeup. Others, like the Property Department, are not in that they have sub-categories: set decorators, prop makers, prop buyers, inside prop, outside prop all have different functions yet are included within the same department. Here are some more crew categories.
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“The Production Sound Mixer is head of the sound department and is responsible for recording sound during filming. This involves the choice and deployment of microphones, operation of a sound recording device, and sometimes the mixing of audio signals in real time. The Boom Operator is an assistant to the Production Sound Mixer, responsible for microphone placement and movement during filming. The Boom Operator uses a boom, a long pole made of light aluminum or carbon fiber that allows precise positioning of the microphone above or below the actors, just out of the camera’s frame. The Boom Operator may also place radio microphones and hidden set mics.
“Also known as the continuity person, 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 from shot to shot and scene to scene. The Script Supervisor’s notes are given to the Editor to expedite the editing process. The Script Supervisor works very closely with the Director on set. In commercials the “Script” times dialogue which, due to their brevity, is critical. Often a half-second too long can render a take unusable.
“In feature movies the Art Department is huge, overseen by a Production Designer and a small army of subordinates. Not so in commercial production where she or he is replaced by a Set Designer who does what the title implies and works closely with the Construction, and when necessary the Scenic Artist crews to oversee the aesthetic and textural details of sets as they are realized.
“And in commercials Set Decorator, Set Dresser and the Buyer are replaced by the Outside and Inside Prop Masters. The Outside Prop locates and then buys or rents the set dressing. They sometimes also work with the Inside Prop to apply and remove the “dressing”, i.e., furniture, drapery, carpets – everything one would find in a set or location, even doorknobs and wall sockets. The Outside is also in charge of finding and managing all the props that appear in the film. The Inside Prop often has several assistants. When special items or rigs are required a Propmaker, as the name implies, builds them. Propmakers are often technicians skilled in construction, plastics casting, machining, and electronics. …
“Instead of a Costume Designer and their crew one sees in features, commercials have a Wardrobe Stylist who shops for the clothes and then works the shoot to make sure everything fits properly and looks good.
“The titles of Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists are self explanatory and on small shoots both jobs are often done by the same person.
“In addition to these standard categories there are many subcategories and specialties like stunt people, special effects of various types etc. On jobs I did where they were used I’ll explain their functions.”
Obviously all these disparate teams need to work together to make up a complete film production unit and one of the most valuable skills of a line producer is “casting” a crew. Based on my experience of over twenty years at this job, I believe that the Key Grip is the linchpin of every shooting unit. As I told you in part one of this piece, the grips – while primarily linked to the camera department – are generalists and support all the other departments so the key grip needs a fair degree of political skill. As a Casting Director needs to know a wide range of actors, their personalities and skill sets, so it is with a producer and film technicians. A crew is akin to a family and be it a one day commercial shoot or six months on a big movie, a compatible group who get along and enjoy one another’s company make the long hours and stressful work a lot more fun.
Tags: Boom Operator, Costume Designer, Hair Stylists, Key Grip, Makeup Artists, Production Designer, Production Sound Mixer, Scenic Artist, Script Supervisor, Set Decorator, Set Designer, Set Dresser and the Buyer are replaced by the Outside and Inside Prop Masters Propmakers, Wardrobe Stylist
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