“Lights, Camera, Action!” We’ve all had that image of being the Director on set: Sitting in the chair, bringing a brilliant shot to life while the actors say your words exactly the way you wanted them to. That’s the dream, but the reality is more of a puzzle… and being on set is where you build and connect your puzzle pieces.

Yesterday’s Prep Becomes Today’s Mission

Every production day has a goal for how much of the script is going to be filmed. Typically, big budget action/adventure movies are lucky if they get through an eighth to quarter of a page. This is because the camera and lighting set-ups take a vast amount of time. Additionally, if it’s a scene that requires special effects, that equals more setup time, leading to less actual filming time. Now you understand why it takes months – or even years – for our favorite super hero movies to get made.

On the other side, independent films, like The Storyteller, often have to get through multiple pages/scenes each day. This is because you generally have a limited amount of time in a location and your entire shooting schedule isn’t three months – it’s three weeks. Because the shooting pace on an independent film is so quick, prep work such as Tech Scouting, Rehearsals, and the director creating a shot list is vital. So let’s talk about the shot list for a minute. It is literally a list created by the director that describes every shot they want for a particular scene. If you type “How To Make A Film Shot List” into youtube, you will get a page of videos detailing how you can create your list in photoshop or use different programs. This is all well and good, but never underestimate a pen and a piece of paper. Here you can see an example: the shot list for my short Lucky Charm.

The capital letters in the linked example stand for the name of the characters, “C” is for Colin, “D” is for Danni. And I use abbreviations for the type of shot, “MS” is for Medium Shot, etc. Example: CU C = I want a close up of Colin.

An excerpt of the final, edited scene can be viewed here.

How Does The Day Begin?

It’s pretty much universal, that a filmmaker’s day starts with a meeting between him/herself, the DP and the AD. They compare the prep work against the specific mission of the day.

As we’ve discussed, the AD acts a liaison between the Director and all the other departments. So once the meeting is finished, they are responsible for making sure that the plan is executed in the given time you have for any location. Basically, while on set, it’s the AD’s job to make sure your train keeps moving down the tracks – even if you’re the one holding it up.

It’s ALWAYS a compromise.

There was a good amount of thinking on our feet. You have to be ready to roll with unexpected delays and curve balls. The location would sometimes change the initial plan, the light, the weather forecast… all kinds of things. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

The scope of any film (or any project for that matter) is made up of three factors: Time, Quality, and Expense. You want to make the best film in the quickest amount of time without spending an exorbitant amount of money.

There’s often this perception that (excluding Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott) there’s no creativity in big budget filmmaking and independent film is where an artist gets to really share a vision. But filmmaking, whether at a studio or on the independent level, is as much about creatively solving problems as it is about being creative.

For my money – time is your most valuable asset in filmmaking. This is because it gives you options. It lets you get coverage from a different camera angle, do another take. It’s because of this that sometimes the answer is not buying more time, but rather maximizing the time you do have.

This was the mindset used on the set of The Storyteller:

We did fall behind. That’s bound to happen, but in my eyes, it bred creative solutions. We started looking at the shot lists and deciding which shots we could lose, what was less important, and how to maximize the time we had left. We didn’t end up cutting any full scenes, but we would cut coverage. Joe and I would talk with Dan and the AD and figure out what shots weren’t essential to telling this part of the story, and we would make a game time decision. You really don’t know how well that kind of snap decision works out until you are editing it together, but on a tight budget and an even tighter schedule, sacrifices have to be made and you do the best you can to make it a creative choice. - Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Where Is Everyone?

After the initial meeting between the director, DP and AD, the next step becomes prepping the scene. Blocking is a technique used to help the DP decide how to light the scene. Blocking is essentially this: The actors along with the Director decide where they will be on set in a given scene. You’re planning out their actions. So why take the time to block when time is so crucial, you ask? Well, let’s ask the filmmakers on The Storyteller.

It gives the DP and his team enough time to light and prep, while the actors are getting ready, to maximize our time. The actors would meet with Joe (the director) and block this scene, and then they would go into hair and makeup while the lighting team would set up. Joe would often join them in wardrobe/makeup to talk through the character beats of the scene at this time. - Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – All Happening At the Same Time

While the DP, Production Designer and Sound Department are all prepping the set for their respective needs, the Director and Producer can use the time to run through their plan from yesterday (yesterday meaning pre-production) and continue to prep tomorrow’s.

Joe would often be with the actors, or looking at his shot list to make sure he was clear on what he was doing and thinking the rest of the day. I would usually step off set and move back to my computer to deal with logistics with the locations, with payroll, with SAG… lots of paperwork and busy work to be done on my part that I tried to wrap up as efficiently as possible in between shots since it was important to me to be on set and with Joe at the monitor whenever we were shooting. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Everyone On Set

The DP has finished setting up, the actors are back from Hair & Make-Up, everyone’s ready for a take… is it finally time to start shooting? Well you can, or you can do a rehearsal. Different than you, the filmmaker, and the actors working privately in a room, a rehearsal on set is as much for the crew as it is the actors. (Actually, if you ask some actors, it can be exclusively for the crew).

This rehearsal allows your crew to practice their moves: dolly shot in, a focus pull. It solidifies the basic blocking. It’s more prep that increases the chance for a technically perfect shot. But again, it costs you time.

The compromise? You can always be like Danny Boyle and shoot the rehearsal – which was actually requested by an actor!

From Action to Cut

The time between action and cut is the time where the actors really get to contribute to your film. It’s when the magic comes alive. You have to respect that it’s that time between action and cut that everyone, not just the actors has been waiting for. Simply getting a take isn’t the mission, nor is getting the perfect take. Because frankly, unless you’re Kubrick, you won’t have the time. It’s about getting the take.

The take can be defined by many different things, but it ultimately comes down to satisfaction. Are you – the filmmaker – creatively satisfied? This isn’t a question I or anyone can answer for you. It’s a gut feeling that’s in a perpetual state of motion and develops every time you make a film.

Thank The Crew!

Whether you’re a PA on the next blockbuster or the director of your own independent short, you will discover that every set has an atmosphere unique to itself. Making a film is a team effort and you set the tone as the filmmaker. You have to be patient but strong with your crew, creating an atmosphere that allows everyone to do their best… not just for you but for them.

On an independent film, a filmmaker’s greatest asset is indeed their crew.

We had a lot of interns and crew members who had never worked on a feature before, given the limitations of Indiana local crew, and they surpassed my expectations far and away. It took us a few days to get into our groove, but everyone worked so hard and I was incredibly proud and impressed by the level of proficiency and passion they all displayed. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

On set is where where drive meets preparation meets sheer luck. You’re bringing a story to life and every day (and I do mean every day) will come with its own set of problems. But you have to make sure that your push to make a film doesn’t make you forget the magic of the story.

Here’s JJ Abrams talking about the magic of the “mystery box.”

Check out this list of crew titles for a better understanding of who’s who on set and why they’re all there. And don’t miss the upcoming Storyteller Series articles on utilizing dailies and how to shoot for editing.

It’s a subtle art and it’s something even the most skillful DPs can – and should – continue to explore throughout their careers. Here Sean McDaniel talks about what it means to him to ‘choose the right lighting’ and how you, as a DP, need to be aware of the effect your lighting choices has on the viewers experience.

Sean McDaniel has been working as a cinematographer for over a decade on narrative, documentary and experimental films. He furthered his studies as a cinematographer while acquiring his MFA in Film Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and his work has screened in numerous film festivals around the world including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Palm Springs Film Festival, LA Shorts Film Festival, HollyShorts, and the Vancouver International Film Festival, among others. He was a USC selection for the 2014 A.S.C. Heritage Award, which looks great on paper, sure, but more importantly speaks to his passion for telling powerful stories through his work behind the camera in support of his collaboration with talented directors.

You can watch Sean McDaniel’s reel here.

For me – being an actor, not a cinematographer – there’s always been something romantic, something magical, about the work of a truly talented DP. So when we got a chance to talk to one them (a truly talented DP, that is), we were excited to first of all know how one ends up calling oneself a cinematographer.

We got a whole basket of proverbial golden nuggets from Sean and will be passing them onto you over the coming weeks. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for instant notifications when new interviews are posted – and be sure to add yourself to our mailing list, too.

You can watch his reel here.

As an actor, I’m fully aware that when I’m on set, I’m usually the least important person there. There’s the director, of course. Maybe a couple of producers in video village. There’s the 2nd AD. The set costumer. The DP. 1st AC. Gaffer. Best-Boy Electric. And my head just exploded. Not only did I forget everyone’s names, I also have no clue what it means when someone tells me he’s the gaffer.

All of these people – and many more – are essential in making your shoot go off without a glitch. But what does it all mean – and more importantly, what do they all do? Take a few minutes to learn this. It’ll be invaluable on set or whenever you’re with crew and don’t want to feel like a complete idiot. Trust me, I’ve been there.

The following list is courtesy The PCC Cinema Program:

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

Producer
A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. The producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fundraising, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. The producer is involved throughout all phases of the filmmaking process from development to completion of a project.

Casting Director
Works closely with the director to cast the film. Specific duties will include:
• Assist in the organization and administration of casting calls and auditions
• Assist in the recruitment and hiring of cast

Unit Production Manager
The UPM, under the supervision of the Exec Producer, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the preparation of the production unit, including: all off-set logistics, day to day production decisions, locations, budget schedules and personnel. Specific duties will include:
• Prepare script breakdown and preliminary shooting schedule with the 1st AD
• Prepare and coordinate the budget
• Oversee search and survey of all locations and the completion of business arrangements for the same
• Assist in the preparation of the production with a mind towards efficiency collaboration
• Supervise completion of the production report for each day’s work, showing work covered and the status of the production, and arrange for distribution of that report to proper channels
• Coordinate arrangements for the transportation and housing of cast, crew, and staff
• Oversee the securing of releases and negotiations for locations and personnel
• Maintain a liaison with the local authorities regarding locations and the operation of the company

1st Assistant Director
During preproduction the 1st AD works in conjunction with the UPM in organizing the crew, securing equipment, script break down, stripboard (production board) prep, and shooting schedule. During production he/she assists the director with respect to on-set production details, coordinates and supervises crew and cast activities and facilitates an organized flow of production activity. Specific duties will include:
• Prepare script breakdown and preliminary shooting schedule with the UPM
• Aid in location business, as delegated by the UPM
• Check weather reports
• Prepare day-out-of-day schedules for talent employment and determine the cast and crew calls
• Supervise the preparation of the call sheet for cast and crew
• Direct background action and supervise crowd control
• Supervise the functioning of the shooting set and crew

2nd Assistant Director
The 2nd AD is the chief assistant to the 1st AD in conducting the business of the set or the location site. Specific duties will include:
• Prepare the call sheet, in conjunction with the 1st AD
• Prepare the daily production report, in conjunction with the UPM
• Distribute scripts, sides, changes, and call sheets to cast and crew
• Communicate advance scheduling to cast and crew
• Aid in location managing as required by the UPM, 1st AD, or Location Manager
• Facilitate transportation of equipment and personnel, under the supervision of the UPM
• Schedule food, lodging, and other facilities
• Supervise set and location wrap
• Maintain liaison between UPM and 1st AD
• Assist in the direction of background action and the supervision of crowd control

Script Supervisor
The script supervisor maintains a daily log of the shots covered and their relation to the script during the course of a production, acts as chief continuity person, and acts as an on-set liaison to the post-production staff. Specific duties will include:
• Maintain of log of all shots, including the following information: shot number(s) as seen on script, actual slated shot number(s), comments by director or DP, continuity information including digital stills references, tape/reel#, camera settings, date, time, production statistics, etc.
• Act as continuity person on set
• Daily cross-referencing with continuity stills photographer to ensure accessibility of continuity stills during production
• Maintain liaison with 2nd AD, provide information for daily production reports
• Provide editor, other postproduction staff with log of footage

Key Production Assistant
The key PA is the chief on-set/on-location assistant of the 1st AD in terms of set operations. Specific duties will include:
• Management of walkie-talkies, traffic cones, and other production staff equipment
• Management of other production assistants
• Assist in the direction of background action and the supervision of crowd control
• Assist in set lock-downs
• Assist in the functioning of the shooting set and crew

Production Accountant
The production accountant works closely with the UPM to maintain the production’s budget. Specific duties will include:
• Preparation of the budget, in conjunction with UPM
• Maintenance of production accounts
• Facilitate release of expenditures
• Accounting for costs, filling out cost reports

Location Manager
The location manager works with the UPM and the 2nd AD to manage the discovery and securing of locations. The locations manager maintains a liaison between the production and the local authorities, and obtains the necessary clearance and release for use of locations.

Publicist
Working closely with the executive producer, director, art director, and publicity designer, the publicist works to publicize and promote the film during all phases of production. Specific duties will include:
• Securing permission for and supervising placement of posters, flyers, and other promo ads
• Supervising the generation and distribution of press releases
• Maintaining a liaison with the press
• Assisting in fundraising activities

ART DEPARTMENT

Production Designer
Working under the supervision of the director and in coordination with the Art Director, the Production Designer develops, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the overall design of the production, i.e. anything that will appear in front of the camera. The Production Designer acts as a supervisor to the makeup, hair, and wardrobe departments, and as a consultant to the camera, art director, special effects, and compositing departments. Specific duties will include:
• Early development of attitude boards for characters, locations, scenes, etc.
• Coordinate the work of the costume designer, production designer, and compositors with the DP and the director.
• Supervise the work of the publicity designer
• Supervise the creation of title sequences and credits

Art Director
Working under the supervision of the director and in coordination with the Production Designer, the Art Director develops, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the design of the sets, whether on stage or practical locations. The Art Director supervises the work of the construction crew, set decorating crew, and property department in conjunction with the director and DP. Specific duties will include:
• Participation in location scouting recces
• Design of sets
• Supervision of set construction and dressing
• Coordination, via the art director, with the make up, wardrobe, camera, property, and compositing departments

Publicity Designer
Working under the supervision of the director and in coordination with the art director and the publicist, the publicity designer develops, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the design of publicity materials including posters, promo shots, and the website. Specific duties will include:
• Design and implementation of production website
• Design of posters and other promotional materials
• Design of Electronic Press Kit materials
• Design of DVD

Key Makeup Person
The key makeup person applies and maintains the cast’s makeup. Specific duties will include:
• Applying makeup to cast members
• Maintaining actor’s makeup during shooting, in coordination with the script supervisor and the continuity stills photographer

Key Hairdresser
The key hairdresser dresses and maintains the cast’s hair. Specific duties will include:
• Dressing cast members hair
• Maintaining actor’s hair during shooting, in coordination with the script supervisor and the continuity stills photographer

Costumer Designer
The costume designer works under the supervision of the director and the art director to design, obtain, assemble, and maintain the costumes for a production. Specific duties will include:
• The development of costuming concepts and design of costumes
• Coordination with the art director, production designer, and DP
• The obtaining of all costume components
• The final assembly of all costumes
• The maintenance of all costumes

Set Costumer
The set costumer works as an assistant to the costume designer, helping to assemble and maintain the costumes, and also managing and facilitating the use of the costumes during production. Specific duties will include:
• Assist the costume design in design, obtaining, and assembly of costumes
• Organization, maintenance, and management of costumes
• Helping the actors change

Property Manager
The property manager works in coordination with the art director, production designer, and DP to gather, maintain, and manage all the props for a production. Specific duties will include:
• Seeking and obtaining props
• Maintenance and management of props

Set Decorator
The set decorator works closely with the art director, production designer, construction foreman, and DP to dress and decorate the sets. Specific duties will include:
• Painting, draping, arranging props
• Small-scale landscaping

CAMERA DEPARTMENT

Director of Photography
The DP, or Cinematographer, is the camera and lighting supervisor on the production. DP is in charge of the visual look and design of the entire movie. This means figuring out, with the Director during Preproduction, how to visually bring the script to life and how that should be photographed. DPs involvement is now pushing into postproduction as well to insure that the visual design is being executed or to help decide revisions to that design. Understanding the “workflow” of the imagery, and the creative and financial implications of that workflow from production through postproduction, is becoming increasingly crucial. Besides overseeing the work of the camera crew, the DP is also assisted by the grips and electricians in preparing the technical aspects of recording an image on film or CCD. Specific duties will include:
• Operation of cameras
• Coordination of lighting, angle, motion control, media, settings, etc.

Camera Operator
The camera operator assists the DP in camera operation. Specific duties will include:
• Operation of cameras
• Focus marking & pulling
• Maintenance and management of camera equipment

1st Assistant Cameraperson
The 1st AC assists the DP in camera operation and maintenance. Specific duties will include:
• Operation of cameras
• Slating & loading
• Focus marking and pulling
• Preparation, Maintenance and management of camera equipment

2nd Assistant Cameraperson
The 2nd AC assists the DP in camera operation and maintenance and works in coordination with the script supervisor in naming, slating, and logging shots and reels/tapes. Specific duties will include:
• Slating & loading
• Preparation, Maintenance and management of camera equipment
• Maintenance, labeling, logging, and safekeeping of reels/tapes

Continuity Stills Photographer
The continuity still photographer uses a digital still camera to establish continuity referents for each shot covered in a day of shooting. These shots are cross-referenced with the script supervisor’s log for accessibility on set. Specific duties will include:
• Taking pictures of each shot covered, with particular attention to in-point and out-point of a shot. This means a photograph should be taken before the director says “action,” and immediately after the director says “cut.” These photographs should not use a flash…
• Daily cross-referencing with script supervisor to ensure accessibility of continuity stills during production

Production Still Photographer
The still photographer documents the production by taking still photographs. These pictures are used for documentary and publicity purposes. Specific duties will include:
• Taking pictures of set operations, poster shots, portraits, etc

Documentary Videographer
The documentary videographer captures “behind the scenes” footage for the Electronic Press Kit and other documentary purposes. Specific duties will include:
• Filming set operations
• Filming interviews with cast and crew

ELECTRICAL

Gaffer
Also sometimes called the lighting designer, the gaffer is the chief electrician who supervises set lighting in accordance with the requirements of the DP. Specific duties will include:
• Lighting of sets and locations
• Maintenance and management of lights and lighting equipment
• Specialized electrical work such as generator operation

Best-Boy Electric
The best-boy electric is the chief assistant to the gaffer in the lighting of sets and the operation of electrical systems. Specific duties will include:
• Lighting of sets and locations
• Maintenance and management of lights and lighting equipment
• Specialized electrical work such as generator operation

Electrician
The electrician works under the direction of the Gaffer in the lighting of sets and the operation of electrical systems. Specific duties will include:
• Lighting of sets and locations
• Running electrical cabling and distributing all electrical power
• Maintenance and management of lights and lighting equipment
• Specialized electrical work such as generator operation

PRODUCTION SOUND

Mixer/Recordist
The mixer, aka recordist, is the on-set/on-location sound engineer responsible for the recording of production sound and any sync-related on-set sound mixing and playback. Specific duties will include:
• Supervising capture of audio onto various devices from various sources
• Maintenance and management of on-set sound equipment
• Assist in the recording of ADR, foley, & music during postproduction

Boom Operators
The boom operators work under the supervision of the mixer/recordist in the recording of production sound, holding mic booms, placing mics, holding cables, and operating various recording devices. Specific duties will include:
• Holding mic booms and cables
• Headphone monitoring of mics
• Mic placement, set-up, and tear-down
• Operation of recording devices

Sound Assistant
The sound assistant acts mainly as a liaison between the mixer/recordist and the script supervisor, managing and logging media assets. Specific duties include:
• Labeling, Maintenance and management of tapes and media.
• Report of tape/shot info to script supervisor for log
• Maintenance of tape logging forms

SET OPERATIONS

Key Grip
The key grip works with the gaffer in setting and cutting lights to creating shadow effects for the set lighting and supervises camera cranes, dollies, platforms, and “wild wall” movements according to the DP. Specific duties will include:
• Creating shadow, reflection, reduction, and diffusion effects
• Supervising dollie, crane, and other camera movement
• Maintenance and management of grip equipment

Best-Boy Grip
The best-boy grip is the chief assistant to the key grip, aiding him/her in rigging, cutting light, and carrying out camera movements. Specific duties will include:
• Assisting the key grip in light cutting, reflection, and diffusion
• Assisting in the various technical set operations required by the DP

Set Ops Grips
The set ops grips are assistants to the key grip, aiding him/her in rigging, cutting light, and carrying out camera movements. Specific duties will include:
• Assisting the key grip in light cutting
• Holding flags and bounces
• Laying dolly track
• Assisting in the various technical set operations required by the DP

Dolly Grip
The dolly grip is the chief grip responsible for operating the camera dolly, usually in conjunction with the best-boy grip. Specific duties will include:
• Operating the camera dolly

Construction Foreman
The construction foreman works in coordination with the art director, production designer, DP, and set dressers, overseeing the construction and demolition of sets, special equipment, car mounts and platforms. Specific duties will include:
• Coordination and collaboration with the production designer on the design of sets
• Supervision of the construction of sets
• The construction and implementation of special equipment such as camera jibs, dollies, or car-mounts
• The demolition of sets and equipment

Construction Grips
The construction grips aid the construction foreman in set construction and demolition. Specific duties will include:
• The construction of sets
• The demolition of sets

EDITORIAL

Editor
The editor works under the supervision of the director and executive producer to assemble the film. Specific duties will include:
• The assembly of the footage into successive cuts until a final cut is reached
• Assist the DP with color correction and other post-production effects
• The output of the final cut to several formats

Assistant Editor
The assistant editor works as an assistant to the editor, helping him/her with by logging and capturing footage, organizing and managing media in coordination with the script supervisor’s log. Specific duties will include:
• Logging and capture media
• Preparing offline edit timelines for the director
• Managing media in coordination with the script supervisor’s log
• Maintaining a system of backups
• Assisting with compression and multi-format output

COMPOSITING

Lead Compositor/Visual Effects Supervisor
The lead compositor works under the supervision of the director, DP, and art director and in coordination with the editor to design and implement compositing effects. Specific duties will include:
• Supervision of all compositing work
• Assist the art director and DP in the creative and technical design of composite shots
• Implementation of composite shots

Compositors
The compositors work under the supervision of the lead compositor and the art director to implement compositing effects. Specific duties will include:
• Digital scrubbing and cleaning
• Implementation of composite shots

POSTPRODUCTION SOUND & MUSIC

Sound Designer, a.k.a. Sound Editor
The sound designer, working in conjunction with the director, is responsible for the ideation and creation of the overall soundtrack of the film. The sound designer supervises the mix of music, dialogue, ADR, foley, and sound effects. Specific duties will include:
• Sonic mis-en-scene
• Realization of sound effects, textures, and landscapes
• Supervision of the mix for various output formats

Composer
The composer writes original music to be heard in the film, both diagetic and nondiagetic. Specific duties will include:
• Writing music as demanded in both pre and postproduction
• Supervising the recording of the music

Mixing Engineer
The mixing engineer, under the supervision of the sound designer, mixes the overall soundtrackinto its final mixes for a variety of output formats. Specific duties will include:
• Mixing sound in stereo and/or multi-channel formats, for home system and theatrical release
• Preparing final mixes for mastering
• Mastering audio

Foley Artist
The foley artist creates sound effects to accompany specific visual objects, movements, and sound sources, such as footsteps or punches. Specific duties will include:
• Generating and recording sounds to accompany specific on-screen sound sources