This page is a class resource to help you understand the jobs that need to be performed to move a video/film project from script to edit suite to screen with a maximum amount of fun & quality.
Student productions often founder because job responsibilities are not clearly defined.
When you are in pre-production you should be writing up a crew list so that you know how many people to recruit for the project, and everyone on the team knows what their responsibilities are. Uncertainty about who is responsible for what can ruin a shoot.
Studio
Jobs (click for detail) >
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Field Production Jobs>
Director Script Supervisor/Continuity Director Camera Operator/ Videographer/ Cinematographer Camera Assistant Audio Mixer Boom Operator Lighting Director Gaffer Production Assistant |
Not every production needs all of these jobs, and a large professional production such as a feature length film would need many more. Often in a small production one person will do several of these jobs. For example, in Gavilan studio productions one person usually works the Character generator and operates the video recorders. Often the floor director &/or the audio mixer will also set up the lights.
Other Jobs:
Many other jobs may be required depending on the size of the project. These might include costumers, makeup artists, caterers, animal handlers, crowd control, drivers, crane and dolly grips, special effects experts, actor’s stand-ins, etc.
In film there will be 3 or 4 people involved in camera operation because film magazines must be reloaded carefully (in the dark) and the exposed film logged & labeled for the film processors, lenses must be changed, focus measured, camera film gate cleaned, etc. (Cinematographer, first assistant camera, second assistant camera, third assistant camera.)
On the other hand a small video crew might need only 2 people, such as when shooting news (a reporter and videographer) or when shooting video only. When shooting video with audio for production purposes 3 people is a minimum to be assured of getting quality video & sound, especially if you are going to be working for a period of hours -- everybody gets tired so it's good to have friends to help you out.The purpose of a crew list is to help plan what jobs will be needed to be filled so that you can know how many people you will need and assign them jobs. This is important even if it is only a 3 person crew.
Jobs in a TV station