PRODUCTION ROLES The Basics You Need to Know

PRODUCER person who arranges for and organizes team, responsible for final product delivery – whatever stage it is at, reflective of the teamwork – calls production meetings

DIRECTOR looks at script and thinks about storytelling, framing, shot composition, and order, relates order of shooting to team, determines “Blocking” for actors

CAMERA ensures all equipment is there and in good order, ready to go, reviews shot list and composition plans with director, shoots, checks audio levels (if not an extra audio person), reviews the shot setup on a monitor prior to actually taping, watches for technical ok

WRITER gives descriptive and specifying language to provide direction notes, tells a story with flow with a beginning, middle and end

COORDINATOR arranges setups and locations for team, permissions, props and materials, is direct assistant to helping the producer keep people together and moving ahead

ACTORS learn lines and movements “Blocking” and practice their activity and performance for the shots

EDITOR reviews all preparatory work and creates the edit plan – takes notes as shooting is going on, on what take was good from what timecode to what timecode – confirms all that is needed has been shot and is familiar with the look of the footage so that they can reference it when they edit

EVERYONE takes initiative to organize works like a professional ensures the work is divided evenly volunteers information, helps others learns other people’s jobs - fill in documents what goes on from their perspective for reporting