What’s a Gaffer? - What people do in a film crew part 3

April 29, 2008

The last time we looked at the people who make the “look” of the film for you. This time, in the last part of this series, we will look at the people behind the camera making what you see and hear.

The Director of Photography is the chief of the camera and lighting crew of the film. The DoP makes decisions on lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film’s director. Typically, the director tells the DoP how he wants the film to look, and the DoP then chooses the correct aperture, filter, and lighting to achieve the desired effect.

The term Cinematographer has been a confusing term for some time now. It is usually an identical term for the “Director of Photography,” though some professionals insist that it only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person.

The Camera Operator uses the camera at the direction of the Cinematographer, Director of Photography, or the Film Director to capture the scenes on film. Generally, a Cinematographer or Director of Photography does not operate the camera, but sometimes these jobs may be combined.

The First Assistant Camera (1st AC) or Focus Puller is responsible for keeping the camera in focus as it is shooting.

The Second Assistant Camera (2nd AC) operates the clapper board at the beginning of each take and loads the raw film into the camera magazines between takes, if there is no additional specifically desiginated Film Loader. The 2nd AC is also in charge of overseeing the meticulously kept notebooks that records when the film stock is received, used, and sent to the lab for processing. Additionally, the 2nd AC oversees organization of camera equipment and transport of the equipment from one shooting location to another.

The Loader is the designated film loader. He transfers motion picture film from the manufacturer’s light-tight canisters to the camera magazines for attachment to the camera by the 2nd AC. After exposure during filming, the loader then removes the film from the magazines and places it back into the light-tight cans for transport to the laboratory. It is the responsibility of the loader to manage the inventory of film and communicate with the 1st AC on the film usage and remaining stock throughout the day. On small production crews, this job is often combined with the 2nd AC. With the prevalence of digital photography, this position is often eliminated.

Usually a volunteer or trainee in the camera department, the camera PA Camera Production Assistant (camera intern) assists the crew with menial details while learning the trade of the camera assistant, operator or cinematographer.

On digital photography productions the Digital Imaging echnician (DIT) is responsible for the coordination of the internal workings of the digital camera. Under the direction of the Cinematographer or Director of Photography, the DIT will make adjustments to the multitude of variables available in most professional digital cameras to manipulate the resulting image.

A Steadicam Operator is someone who is skilled at operating a “Steadicam” rig (the generic name for a camera stabilization rig).

The Motion Control Technician/Operator operates a motion control rig, which is essentially a ‘camera robot’ that is able to consistently repeat camera moves for special effects use. Motion control rigs are typically rented with an experienced operator.

The Production Sound Mixer is head of the Production Sound Department on set. He is also responsible for recording all sound during filming. This involves the choice and deployment of microphones, operation of a sound recording device, and sometimes the mixing of audio signals in real time.

The Boom Operator is an assistant to the Production Sound Mixer and is responsible for microphone placement and movement during filming. The Boom Operator uses a boom pole (a long, special piece of equipment made from light aluminum or carbon fiber) that allows precise positioning of the microphone above or below the actors, just out of the camera’s frame. In France the boom operator is known as the Perchman.

The Utility Sound Technician has a dynamic role in the sound department, most typically pulling cables, but often acting as an additional boom operator or mixer when required by complex filming circumstances. Not all films employ a utility sound technician, but the increasing complexities of location sound recording in modern films have made the job more common on film sets. This role is sometimes credited as “Cable Man” or “Python Wrangler.”

Grips are trained lighting and rigging technicians. The main responsibilities of a grip is to work closely with the electrical department to put in the lighting set-ups necessary for a shot. On the sound stage they are responsible for moving and adjusting major set pieces when something needs to be moved to get a camera into position. They may belong to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

The Key Grip is the Chief Grip on a set, and is the head of the Set Operations Department. The Key Grip works with the Director of Photography to help set up the set and to achieve the correct lighting and blocking.

The Best Boy Grip is the chief assistant to the Key Grip.

The Grip in charge of operating the camera dolly is called the Dolly Grip. He or she places, levels, and moves the dolly track, then pushes and pulls the dolly and usually a camera operator and camera assistant are on the dolly chairs as riders.

The Gaffer is the head of the Electrical Department and is responsible for the design and execution of the lighting plan for a production. Sometimes the Gaffer is credited as “Chief Lighting Technician”.

The Best Boy Electric is the chief assistant to the Gaffer.

Lighting Technicians are involved with setting up and controlling lighting equipment.

Once the film is “in the can,” another department starts to work:

The Film Editor is the person who assembles the various shots into a coherent film, with the help of the Director. Film Editors usually belong to to the American Cinema Editors (A.C.E) or the British Cinema Editors (B.C.E).

With a photochemical process called color grading, the Color Timer adjusts the color of the film via printer lights for greater consistency in the film’s colors. With a Digital Intermediate Process, the colorist can use digital tools in manipulating the image and has greater creative freedom in changing the aesthetic of a film.

The Negative Cutter cuts and splices the negatives (directed by the film editor) and then provides the assembled negative reels to the lab in order for prints (positives for projection) to be made.

The Visual Effects Supervisor is in charge of the Visual Effects Department. Visual effects refer to post-production alterations to the film’s images. They are not to be confused with Special Effects, which are done during production (on set).
A Compositor is a visual effects artist responsible for compositing images from different sources such as video, film, computer generated 3-D imagery, 2-D animations, matte paintings, photographs, and text.

These Inferno Flame artists operate an Discreet Inferno or Discreet Flame (Discreet Visual Effects System). These systems are manufactured by Discreet (now a division of Autodesk).

The Roto Paint artists may Rotoscope the footage, manually creating matte for use in compositing. They may also paint visual information into or out of a scene, such removing wires and rigs, logos, dust busting, scratch removal, etc.

Matte Painting artists draw/paint entire sets or extend portions of an existing set.

The Sound Designer, or “Supervising Sound Editor” is in charge of the post-production sound of a movie. Sometimes this may involve great creative license, and other times it may simply mean working with the Director and Editor to balance the sound to their liking.

Dialogue editor Responsible for assembling and editing all the dialog in the soundtrack.

The Sound Editor is responsible for assembling and editing all of the sound effects in the soundtrack.

The Re-Recording Mixer balances all of the sounds prepared by the Dialogue, Music and Effects Editors, and finalizes the film’s audio track.

The Music Supervisor, or “Music Director,” works with the Composer, Mixers and Editors to create and integrate the film’s music. In Hollywood a Music Supervisor’s primary responsibility is to act as liaison between the Film Production Company and the Recording Industry to negotiate the rights for all source music used in a film.

The Composer is responsible for writing the film score for a film.

The Foley Artist is the person who creates and records many of the natural sound effects for a film. They have to be very creative to achieve realistic sounds for the natural sounds in a film.

Well, there we have it. We have made it through the crew that creates your favorite films. The next time you hear someone ask “What in the world is a Gaffer?” you will be able to tell them! See you in the pictures!