Post ten requires us to familiarize ourselves with job roles and responsibilities within a film production crew.
The first task we were assigned was to research how the; Direction, Camera, Lighting, Production Sound, and
This task is beneficial for us as the knowledge we will gather will aid in our teamwork skills as we have been assigned to produce a short films in teams of four. In order for a successful production, we need to know what department does what and how to make sure each department will work together, in cohesion.
http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/ - the website for which we base are research on.
Direction
The direction of a film or as the media term would be, the ‘Director’, of a film has the main role as he or she is usually the creator of the story and therefore has the vision and the overview of how the film should look. A director will almost always have assistant directors who work for them and their job is to assist the Director and to ensure that the idea is kept and the narrative is portrayed in the making of the film. There is also another main role within or under the direction role. This is known as ‘Script Supervisor’. This role involves an individual checking the continuity and edit ability of each scene. This is not carried out by the director as he would be focusing on other aspects of the film.
Within the filming industry and under each department there is always a ‘Trainee’, who is usually the least experienced as he/she would be there to learn and to keep people happy. This person would often be referred to as the tea boy, best boy, or trainee. Their role is to provide general support and to ‘Muck’ in where ever possible.
The job role of Producer would best be done by the script writer, as they know the story and they have the clearest picture of how they want each event too unfold. They need to be responsible and patient as I learned when creating my script as the information and the picture I had in my head was very clear but I found it annoying and frustrating when other people in my team did not understand my story as clear as I did. This lead to me adding as much detail as I could to the script and I was delighted to then see my team fully understand my narrative.
Camera
The Camera work in any film is one of the most important parts of a film. It is what the audience can see and the human race determines most things through sight. Visuals are so important and they can really make or break any film. In the film industry pictures can often describe a scene better then words, and choosing the type of camera work needed for each shot can play a significant role to how the audience will see each situation. The director of photography “DoP” chooses shot composition, the lighting of each shot and the movement of camera. So the DoP and the camera crew work hand in hand to creat the optimum conditions for filming. To be able to use the camera, you need to be highly qualified as the equipment is very delicate and expensive and there are many things to consider when filming.
Lighting
The lighting in any production is another key point as without it, films would not have that real feel, as every shot would be in shadow and dark. The correct use of lighting equipment can completely change the affects of a character.
For example this picture below;
Take a look at all four characters. It is very easy to tell who the main characters are just be how lit up they are. It is also easy to see that with the correct lighting and use of shadow as light and shadow go hand in hand, you can’t get one without the other.
This picture also tells its own story through light. It is very easy to see that these are gangsters (with help from props) as although the film was black and white, the use of grays and shadow give a very clear effect on the faces of each character and this is how lighting can effect the scene and the mood and getting this wrong could portray a completely different message.
Artificial lighting is frequently used throughout the media industry and can be added very easily and inexpensively. In some short films, the use of a torch can portray a completely different message.
Production of Sound
Underneath the title of Sound Production, there are many roles which all have to merge together in order for the correct sound effects and dialogue sound of each shot. These roles include; production sound mixer, boom operator, sound assistant and sound trainee. Debatably, sound is the most important part of a film as without it, modern day audiences would struggle to come to grips with and understand the narrative. A perfect example of how important sound is, would be a typical horror film like jaws. The sound is everything in this film, especially as the special effects of the shark are not that good, but the sound makes the film. If you were to watch the film and cover your ears, so you could not hear what was going on, the film would be rendered useless. Sound also shows emotion which can’t be heard from the script.
Positioning and continuity are extremely important factors when producing a film as any slip up or delay in the sound is instantly noticeable.
The sound team will also have to deal with problems such as unwanted noises and microphones interferences, although the microphone “POP SHIELD” or POPSTER has really helped in getting voices clearer without the nat
urally pop in a person’s voice.
Sound Production and lighting tend to go hand in hand. Taking this into consideration, when choosing a role that each one in my group will take, I will give sound and lighting to the same person.
Art Departments
In film, art is especially critical for the development of set design and making the film more aesthetically pleasing. Art, for example is very important for making things more realistic to enable the audience to become satisfied with what they are watching. The art department needs to have a large number of well qualified people in order to achieve the best and most convincing outcome. Sets are a very important area of the film, which immediately set the mood in films, if the art department were to get this wrong the film may not give the desired effect, therefore it is integral for them to assist the film the best they can by producing every minor detail possible.
If the art department does not complete their job to a satisfactory level then the film may not have the same effect as it would do if the job was done properly. Despite art needing to be creative and develop in order to resemble the film, the development of the art/ set/ costume etc has to be of a standard that is acceptable of the producer, to make sure that everything is fully compatible.
The art department is a very important and critical area as it has a link within all the departments, not only does it have to be compatible with the actors/ actresses, the film crew, and the script but most importantly the director. The director is the person who has an image of exactly what they want to achieve as a final outcome therefore if the art department does not coincide with the film then it will become obvious that it is not a correct resemblance to the film.
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