COMMENTARY: Film Crew Positions And Why All Jobs on a Movie Set Matter1 min read
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You’ve heard it takes a village. Well, the village on a production is a film crew. Sometimes small crews, sometimes massive ones.
This is why the Academy Awards initial decision to present best cinematography, editing, hair and make-up off the air was so insulting to so many in the community. (Thankfully they reversed it.) The people who do that work deserve as much attention and acclaim as everyone else.
But awards and accolades are hardly an important part of what it takes to bring someone’s vision to life. That’s the hard work of a film crew.
Crews vary a great deal in size but usually depend on the same core film crew positions. It’s amazing how many people get through film school without recognising all of these different roles, and what they contribute to the process.
There is a ton of value in understanding all the jobs on a movie set. These are careers, and unions you can join. These are skills you can learn to make you a better storyteller and filmmaker, and whether you have the budget to hire a full production team or a skeleton crew, you should know what you’ll need and what to expect of each person. Because there is no faster way to derail a project than the disrespect everyone’s hard work.
Image credit: No Film School
