PRODUCTION ROLES FEATURE FILM

PRODUCTION ROLES Feature film production requires a large number of people working on it, in order to make the film come to life.

FILM PRODUCER A producer is often the person who oversees the production of a film from original idea to finished product. This includes: raising funds, hiring key personnel (creative and admin) & arranging the distribution and sale of film.

SCREENWRITER The writer of a screenplay is called the screen writer. Generally, the screenwriter works independently to complete a screenplay, and then sells it to a production company. Professional screenwriters are usually represented by a talent agency.

FILM DIRECTOR The director is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a film. This includes: controlling the content and flow of the film's plot, directing the performances of actors, selecting the locations in which the film will be shot, and managing technical details such as the positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the film's soundtrack.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (DOP) The director of photography (DOP) is the person in charge of the camera department. They control camera framing and movement, and choose lens, filters and type of film. The DP can also be called the cinematographer and works very closely with the director and lighting department to achieve their vision.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER The production designer’s role is to create and maintain the visual style of the film, through everything seen on film. The production designer is in charge of the set and costume designer, hair and makeup, special effects director, set designer and location manager.

SPECIAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR The special effects supervisor is the person in charge of the special effects team. Special effects are anything that is manually or mechanically operated- mechanical props, SFX makeup, scale models, explosions or weather conditions, like rain.

COSTUME DESIGNER A costume designer is responsible for the developing of the clothing that will appear iin the film. The clothing needs to depict the character, the time period, the tone of the film, and fit with lighting and set.

PRODUCTION SOUND RECORDER The production sound recorder’s role is to record all required audio during filming. They may be in charge of a sound crew, such as the boom mike operator and sound technician.

GAFFER A gaffer is the person in charge of lighting and electrical design. Working with the DOP, the gaffer can use lighting to create atmosphere, time of day, colour, etc. The gaffer will usually have a team of electricians, their first assistant being called the ‘best boy’.

KEY GRIP The key grip’s role is to lead the grip crew, who are responsible for rigging lighting set ups. This will include camera dollies and cranes. The key grip is also responsible for the Dolly grip who set up and help operate dolly tracks.

FILM EDITOR The film editor is responsible for taking the film footage and selecting the best shots, and putting them into a sequence, creating the finished film. Today, this job is usually done using digital editing software and the film director usually sits in on this process adding their creative input.

SOUND MIXER The sound mixer is in charge of bringing all the sound elements of the film together. This will include recorded dialogue, sound effects, atmospheric tracks, Foley, ADR and music.

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