Film Production Crew Positions

Crew Positions

• Producer: Responsible for all aspects of a production, including script, casting, budget, personnel, and securing necessary elements.
• Director: Oversees the entire production from script to final product, manages the crew, and ensures the overall look, camera angles, stage movements, and special effects are executed according to plan.
• Assistant Director: Assists the Director with program timing, script placement, identifying lighting or shot issues, and other tasks as needed.
• Floor Manager/Floor Director: Takes direction from the Director and manages the studio environment, relaying information to talent and crew, providing hand signals to talent, ensuring quiet on set, and assisting with studio operations.
• Technical Director: Responsible for the technical look of the show, operating the switcher, and managing the Preview and Program busses for transitions and keys.
• Graphics Designer/Operator: Designs and loads graphics and CGs, and cues them up for live production.
• TelePrompter Operator: Loads script copy and runs the TelePrompter at the correct speed according to talent's pace.
• Video Tape Operator (VTO): Responds to Director's commands for recording and playback during the show.
• Camera Operator: Positions the camera according to the Director's instructions, understands commands and performs tasks accurately and quickly, and ensures proper cable wrapping and camera placement at the end of production.
• Audio Mixer: Manages overall sound elements and audio source mix, checks and adjusts mics and other sound sources for correct levels, and assigns faders for each audio element.
• Audio Assistant: Runs mic cables for studio mics, properly mics talent, works with the Audio Mixer, ensures proper and secure cable runs, and wraps cables at the end of the show.
• Talent: Performs the script professionally and takes cues from the Floor Director.
• Production Assistant I: Assists the Control Room crew with various tasks.
• Production Assistant II: Assists the Studio crew with various tasks.
• Lighting Director: Sets the lighting instruments for the production, understands three-point lighting and color temperature.
• Logger: Keeps a written log of all takes, including busts, writes notes for each take.
• Control Room Observer: Watches the Control Room crew and keeps a log of issues and good work done by crew members.
• Studio Observer: Watches the Studio crew and keeps a log of issues and good work done by crew members.

Common Production Commands

• Start of Show: "Stand By," "Quiet on the set," "Roll Record," "Ready to open mic," "Ready to cue talent," "Prepare to fade in One," "Open Mic," "Cue Talent," "Fade in One," "Etc."
• End of Show: "Ready Close Mic," "Prepare Fade to Black," "Close Mic," "Fade to Black," "Stop Recording."
• General Commands: "Prepare > Dissolve," "Ready > Take," "Fade in or up," "Fade out," "Cue," "Mic and Q," "Music up," "Music under," "Music out," "Roll (play or record)," "Standby," "Run-through," "Frame up," "Crop," "Pan," "Tilt," "Zoom," "Dolly," "Truck," "Pedestal."

Control Room

• The Control Room houses the equipment and crew responsible for the technical production of the show, typically located near or attached to the studio with a direct view.
• Master Control: The central recording and transmission center, responsible for the final output of the programming, including newscasts, shows, commercials, and handling incoming signals from satellites or other sources.

Studio

• The studio is the large space containing the sets and where live performances take place.
• Studios are designed and constructed to control light and sound, with a flat, clean floor for easy camera movement.

Studio Camera Operations

• Camera Moves:
  • Pan: Camera moves left or right without moving the pedestal.
  • Truck: Pedestal moves left or right without moving the camera.
  • Zoom: Zoom lens moves in or out to get closer or further away.
  • Dolly: Pedestal with camera moves forward or backward.
  • Tilt: Camera moves up or down while pedestal remains stationary.
  • Pedestal: Pedestal and camera move up or down.
  • Frame Up: Compose or correct the shot's composition.
  • Crop: Tighten or zoom in on a subject to lose a portion of the object.
• Shot Composition: Understand headroom, noseroom, and leadroom:
  • Headroom: The distance between the top of talent's head to the top of the video monitor.
  • Noseroom: Space in the direction talent is looking.
  • Leadroom: Visual distance in front of a moving object.
• Studio Cameras: Similar to field cameras, but output high quality video to CCUs in Master Control or other locations. The video signal is sent to the switcher, recorders, or other devices for simultaneous broadcast.

Camera Operator's Guide

• Pre-Production:
  • Ensure camera pan and tilt mechanisms are locked.
  • Uncoil the cable with enough slack for movement.
  • Move to the assigned position.
  • Put on your headset and listen to instructions.
  • Ask the Floor Director any questions.
  • Respond to the Director by moving the camera head for "no" or "yes."
  • Lock pan and tilt mechanisms when leaving your camera.
  • Unlock pan, tilt, and pedal mechanisms when ready to operate.
  • Adjust tension/friction for smoother movement.
  • Focus the camera by zooming in, focusing, then zooming out.
  • Re-focus if the distance changes.

This quiz focuses on the various positions within a film production crew, detailing the responsibilities and roles of each member, such as the Producer, Director, and Technical Director. Understanding these roles is essential for anyone interested in the filmmaking process.