PLANNING: PRODUCTION ROLES- MISS BEGUM

What are the production roles? Why are they important?

Production roles are the jobs that are assigned to a member of the production and these are the people who take care of the area to which they have been placed into. In the industry often these people are professionals and each one is hired to complete the task in the field of their strength, because they specialize in it. These are the members that create the ‘film crew’ and build the film; allowing it to happen. However because there is only a limited number of members in our group we had to take more than one role. These are the roles that we had to be distributed between one another:

·         Director

·         Editor

·         Sound

·         Location Manager

·         Lighting Operator

·         Producer

·         Camera Operator

·         Storyboard Organizer

·         Costume, hair and make-up artist

These roles are important because without a clear organization of who is in charge of what we would be in chaos and mess, not knowing what to get on with. Production roles are very important because it can help to distribute roles equally, thus making sure that no one is overloaded with work as well as everyone works in their preferred field which they feel passionate about and can work to the best of their ability.

 

The Different Roles Available.

Director – a film director is in charge of the visualization of the script by guiding the filming crew as well as actors in order to complete his/hers vision. It is in fact the director’s role to choose the cast as well as other members which he then closely works with to complete the film and bring it to life. Directors need to look out for others and make sure to give constructive feedback in order to improve the work of the crew. On top of that they need to stay organized and within the film budged. A director has to be responsible and feel confident with his decisions and teamwork skills.

Producer- film producers take on a variety of roles no matter if they are independent or employed. Producers cooperate many aspects of the film such as selecting a script, which would then be given to the director, being in charge of the finance and budgeting. Producers cannot always personally supervise all of the production. Therefore they are entitled to hire executive or line producers who altogether with the director will help to finish the film making. However it is the producer who has the last word on music, editing and everything else within the production.

Editor- a film editor is part of the production. Their job is to work with the raw material of shots and frames and place them together in order to create a whole; according to the script and overall concept of this production. They add all the transitions as well as the edits in order to enhance the film. Often if the editing stage goes well it is not visible nor noticeable for the audience. Editor must work intensively by developing the footage as well as complementing it with sound, pace and acting for the film to make sense and look as realistic as possible. Editors play a massive role in the film industry because this is a time consuming and hard job which is often unrecognized by the spectators.

Sound Operator- they are responsible for recording as well as sometimes adjusting the sound during the filming. These usually include the dialogue, background sounds and music. Often sound operators work closely with editors because these two film aspects always complement one another to create a realistic footage. On top of that sound operators are in charge of adding soundtracks to the film. Usually the recordists will be asked to arrive with their own equipment. These include: microphones, mixing desks, cables, headphones and other technical apparatus.

Location Manager- a location manager is a crew member who is in charge of finding an appropriate location, accordingly to the director, and securing it for the filming. They need to gain permission from the authorities and let them know the exact situation and plans of how the crew wants to use the space. The location manager also has to emerge with the possible issues that could arise during the filming and if the authorities are convinced and know that no one’s safety will get violated they will allow to film. These members will work with the production designer and director to find the most appropriate place that will fit the director’s vision.

Lighting Operator- these are in charge of controlling artificial lights during the filming process. They work with the director and cinematographer/ story boarder to help pursue the vision.  Lighting operators are responsible for the movement and set up of lighting equipment to create shadow or necessary lighting in the scene or specific character.  They may also lay electrical cables, wire fixtures, install color effects or image patterns, focus the lights, and help out during the placement of additional effects during the editing stages. The role of light operators is risky because it involves hot and heavy objects therefore this role must be taken by someone responsible.

Camera Operator/ Camera Person- in the film production these members are often called the cinematographers. The camera operators are in charge of operating the camera and trying to use a variety of cinematography techniques to enhance the sequence as well as create a character representation. If done fluently, cinematography is often unnoticeable for the eye and comes naturally for the viewer. Throughout the production the cinematographer will work with the director and story boarder to help pursue the idea and vision. Often the camera person needs to be creative and have a talent for picking up naturalistic shots. They usually have many camera assistants in order to capture the best shots which then get send off to the editor.

Storyboard Organizer- the storyboard organizer has to make sure that the story drawn by the artist flows and has fluency to it as well as complements the script. They have to make sure that everything is right before submitting the idea to the director who needs to approve it before filming. The organizer works with the artists in order to make sure that no further amendments need to be made so the filming can begin as soon as possible. 

Costume, hair and make-up artist- the artists’ work closely with the actors as well as the director in order to pursue a believable and appropriate character that will suit the director’s vision. These artists apply prosthetics onto the actor to make them suitable for their role. They are in charge of picking the costume and hair styles which need to be approved by the director. This is an important job as they are in charge of creating character representations which need to be conveyed to the audience and if these are done inaccurately then the film would not attract the intended target audience.

 

The roles assigned and Why.

Director- Gulustan- as a group we have decided that Gulustan should take on the role of the director because she is capable of managing a group as well as giving constructive feedback and guiding others during their work. Additionally she has good leadership skills. Furthermore she has been the director in our Preliminary Task and did a good job directing hence we decided to nominate her. She is also hard working and will be able to supervise everything well.

Producer-Bibi- we decided that Bibi will be the producer of our opening thriller because she can cooperate well as well as has many skills which will enable her to make good decisions for our group and make sure that our production runs well and will be successful. Additionally Bibi is organized and will be able to help the rest of us stay on top of the task and complete this without many difficulties.

Editor- Natalia- I was nominated to do the editing because I am hard working and patient which are necessary skills during the long lasting and time consuming editing process. Moreover I found it interesting during the Preliminary Task therefore we decided that I will be able to widen and develop my knowledge by editing the final piece.

Sound Operator-Gulustan- our group has come to the conclusion that Gulustan will be in charge of sound. This is because she has a passion for music and is quite experienced with the program which will help her when creating our soundtrack to our opening. In addition Gulustan and I will gladly cooperate together in order to make sure that the edits match the soundtrack.

Location Manager- Bibi- in our team we have decided that Bibi will take care of the location management. This is because she knows a lot of possible settings that would fit our narrative and give us the right conditions to film. She is also polite and will be able to ask for permission to film in the intended location.

Lighting Operator- Natalia- I was nominated to be in charge of lighting. This is because I know a lot about the different lighting techniques and how to use it effectively in order to help create a character representation and cause an audience response. Additionally we have considered that this is a risky job but I am responsible enough to take care of my own and others safety.

Storyboard Organizer- Natalia- we decided that I will take care of the storyboard because I like to draw and will be able to visualize the narrative easily. This is important because without this the cinematographers will not be able to film the footage accurately. Therefore together with Gulustan we will work on creating her vision.

Camera Operator/ Camera Person- Bibi and Gulustan- as a group we decided that Bibi and Gulustan will take the role of the cinematographers. This is because Gulustan is the director too and will be able to pursue her vision clearly and accurately. Bibi will be in charge of other camera because she is able to work well with Gulustan who will direct her when necessary, and I will be in charge of lighting while they film.

Costume, Hair and Make- up Artist- Natalia- lastly we decided that I will be the costume, hair and make- up artist. This is because I am a creative person and will be able to pursue exact and accurate character representation which is necessary in a film so the viewers will know exactly who everyone is.

 

Conclusion.

To conclude, this task was highly beneficial and important in the preproduction stage. It has helped us to organize our roles and preferences as well as chose the roles for ourselves which will allow our group to stay coordinated. In addition we have found out about each ones preferences and strengths which is important because we want each one to feel comfortable and confident in what we’re doing. By completing this task our group is now much more likely to create a decent sequence because we are working in our favorite fields.