All About Roles

In session, we were taught about what each role includes. This would allow us to understand our responsibilities better when it came to producing our exercise and 10-minute film later in the semester.

DIRECTOR - 'if you don't know the answer, who does?'

The director is the one person who should, at the very beginning of a project, have a clear vision of what they want and how they want the film to look at the end of post-production. This role includes having a creative overview in every stage of producing the film, in regards to offering advice and working with others.

The director also works with many different people throughout the pre/production/post, such as the actors (working through scripts and keeping control of them on set), cinematographer (with storyboards, to ensure the vision is working for both contributors, as well as on set to ensure the filming is going well), art director, producer & sound editors/recorder. Some of these responsibilities are taken up by AD (assistant directors) on bigger productions, but for our films, this will solely be the director's job.

The director brings everyone together on set, ensure that everything is clear from the beginning to the end. The mood/dialogue is an important aspect the director needs to know from beginning to end, to ensure the film progresses in the right direction for the creative vision being created.

During production, the director must always be available on set.

PRODUCER - 'the job is ensuring that the film is made.'

The producer has a lot of responsibility within the film crew. The producer is in charge of ensuring that everyone working within the production is happy and also that while on set (and everywhere else), everything runs smoothly throughout.

This role also involves going on location scouts with the art director (preferably) to find the best place to create the director's vision. After a location has been found, another responsibility is actually obtaining actors to play the roles created within the piece.

There are many documents the producer needs to create and fill out in regards to production: risk assessment (all locations - set and backstage), call sheets (to allow actors and crew to know when they are needed and what they need to bring with them), budget sheet (strong control is needed to ensure that the film crew don't go over the budget we are given or have - otherwise you may run into many problems with anyone - actors or crew - this isn't really a big problem as ours is a student film and doesn't involve much money, but it is still important to record the little things just in case.) The producer also needs to create a creative environment for the production to run on a more positive atmosphere.

The producer collaborates with the majority of those involved in the production, such as the Director (for creative purposes) as well as everyone else to ensure everything runs well and everyone is happy.

It's also the producers responsibility to solve problems that may occur, such as breakages, weather problems and location issues.

CINEMATOGRAPHER (OR DOP/CAMERA OPERATOR)

In pre-production, the DOP usually takes control of creating the storyboards with the Director, to create a vision they both can work with throughout the production. Also, the DOP can sometimes work with the producer in regards to schedules, to ensure they have enough time for set-up and shot taking throughout a session of filming.

The main responsibility of the camera operator is to operate the camera. Through the main part of production, the camera operator is in charge of setting up each individual shot, sorting out camera settings (such as frame rate and white balance) and also checking equipment (for us - when we collect it from the media stores - to ensure it works before taking it to the location, so we don't run into unnecessary problems later), but in general, all equipment should be double checked before production times begin.

Another responsibility is collaborating with the actors to ensure that the shots work in the way that the director and camera operator had envisioned within the pre-production stage, you want to capture the right features within each shot (whether it's emotion or subject).

Also, if it's cinematography, the person is responsible for organising and keeping control of lighting and the equipment during set.

SOUND RECORDIST/EDITOR

The sound recordist is responsible for organising all the sound within the piece (if editor - as in our production). The sound role requires the person to record all the sound (ambience/actor dialogue/voiceover) - everything. The sound role is responsible for the microphones, audio recorders and boom poles. Another key part is creating Foley sound within the work. 

The sound artist collaborates with the Director to create a sound design for the work. The artist is also responsible for getting rights to music (if used) from music companies - or find royalty free music - this also concerns to Producer. 

The sound artist must always use the music wisely and not go over the top.

ART DIRECTOR

In pre-production, the AD may sometimes work with the Director and Camera Operator/Cinematographer on the storyboards, to allow the person to understand the vision - so they can buy props and other materials needed that will match the vision being made. (Example - set in winter, finding winter clothing and darker/colder coloured sets).

The AD is responsible for finding/creating costumes for all the actors (including any extras), creating sketches of said costumes as well as set set-outs, write down ideas as well as gathering/creating props, as well as creating mood boards to allow themselves to understand the mood the director wants for this particular piece.

They are mainly responsible for dressing the set at the time of production - ensuring everything is ready for when the filming schedule is set. To ensure this works in production (after set design is finished), the AD works with the Cinematographer (in regards to colour and filters) and the Editor (grading).

(PICTURE) EDITOR - 'like the writer'

The Editor is responsible for bringing all the footage together. Being a main role in post-production, it allows the footage to be seen with a 'fresh-eye' in regards to both the characters and the narrative the piece is presenting. The editor needs to ensure that the sound and the image works together (in regard to both mood and sync), colour and grade footage where needed as well as log the footage given.