The talented and delightful Brooklyn Rae Silzer joins as the enigmatic 10 year old protagonist Abby. Brooklyn is best known for her recurring role as Emma on General Hospital. She has also appeared on Criminal Minds, CSI Miami and CSI New York.

Constance Towers joins in the role of Rosemary. Constance is a Hollywood veteran who appeared in exceptionally strong ingénue roles in the movie dramas The Horse Soldiers (1959) starring John Wayne, and Sergeant Rutledge (1960) opposite Jeffrey Hunter. Director Samuel Fuller cast her against type in some of his highly offbeat dramas in the early 1960s, in which she played a stripper girlfriend in Shock Corridor (1963) and in The Naked Kiss (1964). Constance is also an acclaimed musical leading lady and has appeared on countless TV shows.

The wonderful spitfire Cassidy Mack will be playing the role of Jen. Cassidy is best known for her roles in Chilly Christmas and Zoey to the Max. Not only will Cassidy be performing on camera, she will also be recording original music for the film. A foster child herself, Cassidy is the founder of “Love Gives Chances” – a non-profit foundation empowering foster children.

Tony Award winner Levi Kreis has signed on for the role of John Griffin. Levi is a broadway actor, as well as an acclaimed musician out of Nashville with songs played on shows like Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and Better Half. Levi will be collaborating with us on original music for the film and performing the songs on screen.

Kristina Wagner joins in the role of Doctor Gordon. Kristina is a long-time regular on the shows General Hospital and When Calls the Heart, and also recently co-directed the Emmy nominated documentary Children of Internment with our director (and 20 Questions Film founder) Joe Crump.

Scottie Thompson will be taking on the role of Maggie Stevens. Scottie graduated from Harvard University, where she first discovered her love for acting. Scottie moved to New York after college and has since amassed an incredible body of work. She has worked on enumerable shows in guest and supporting roles including The Blacklist, Grey’s Anatomy, Graceland, Trauma and countless others.

Rounding out an already wonderful cast is Broadway star Eden Espinosa who will be portraying Carol. Eden is known for playing such iconic roles as Elphaba in Wicked and Maureen in Rent. She is also a thriving recording artist and film actress.

But what good is a talented cast, if not in good hands. Introducing the stellar crew of The Storyteller:

At the helm is writer/director Joe Crump. Joe was recently nominated for an Emmy for his documentary Children of Internment – co-directed with his sister Kristina Wagner. Joe also recently founded the production company Dancing Spirit Productions and the very film blog you’re currently reading this on.

As a woman of many talents, she wears many hats: Rachel Noll is the writer and producer. Rachel previously wrote and produced the award winning feature film Don’t Pass Me By and the award winning short Paramnesia. Along with The Storyteller, Rachel has three additional features currently in development.

Executive producer is Nancy Crump. Nancy was born in Maine and grew up in Los Angeles. She worked for years as a legal secretary and paralegal in a mid-size Los Angeles law firm specializing in civil litigation, criminal and entertainment law, the latter of which was Nancy’s focus. Nancy then took the position of assistant to the VP of Business Affairs at Empire Entertainment. While at Empire, she developed skills as a story consultant and worked with friends and colleagues in the industry to improve and polish their scripts and stories.

Shari Lynn Himes is on board as Unit Production Manager. An Indiana native, Shari has amassed years of experience on big Hollywood productions including the hit show Prison Break. Shari has extensive experience as a UPM and Production Coordinator, and has also produced and directed narrative content in Indiana.

Capturing it all on film (proverbially, at least) is the talented Dan Clarke – as cinematographer, of course. His talent and experience speaks for itself.

Sienna Beckman has signed on as 1st AD. Sienna is an experienced AD, producer, line producer and UPM, currently the content producer for a popular YouTube channel with a huge following. Along with her production work, Sienna is on the board of iWe, a group focusing on gender balance in the industry.

Sound Mixing will be handled by Bud Osborne. Bud has worked in the industry for years as a DP, Sound Mixer, Camera Operator, Gaffer and many other positions. His experience will be a tremendous asset.

Cara Indiano joins as Costume Designer. Her creativity and passion for bringing characters to life through her creations can be viewed in her online portfolio. In addition to her film work, Cara is involved in supporting handcrafted, artisanal fashion design, organic textiles and enjoys teaching pattern making and advanced sewing techniques.

5-time Emmy winning composing team TLA 18 will be providing the music. They will be working with production on the original music that is sung by the actors, as well as the film’s score.

Linda Rondinella joins the crew as key Makeup/Hair artist. Linda has a long resume of credits, including work on General Hospital with some of our leading cast.

You can follow the progress on The Storyteller‘s Facebook page – or here on the 20 Questions Film site where we’re writing articles related to every aspect of the filmmaking process, using The Storyteller as a case study.

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