research into life on a film set

1. Life on a Film Set

2. The day starts early and everyone
makes their way to the set.
Depending on what a persons job is
on the set, everybody does their
own different things to get ready.
Jokes and comedy are very
common on sets because even
though they are trying to make a
film, these people are spending, on
average, 3 months together, all day
everyday, so everyone has to get
along with one another to make the
film successful.

3. DIFFERENT JOBS - DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Unit Production Manager, Production Coordinator, Production Secretary,
Office PA’s, Assistants to Directors & Producers - responsibilities include
organisation, preparation, wrap, taking care of actors, producers, director,
financiers.
Assistant Direct (1st AD, 2nd AD, 2nd 2nd AD, Key PA, Set PA’s)- breaking
down the script into an organized shooting schedule, communicating with all
departments on a daily basis to keep production moving forward, monitoring
and facilitating on set safety for all personnel.
Grip (Key Grip, Best Boy Grip, Dolly Grip, Rigging Grips) - responsibilities include
assembling and maintaining support equipment for camera including dollies,
dolly track, and jibs; setting stands for lights and placing light shaping
elements such as flags.
Electric (Gaffer, Best Boy Electric, Electricians, Generator Operator) -
responsibilities include (under instruction of the DP and Gaffer) setting all the
lights and running all electrical cable, including “work lights” and equipment
power for other departments.
Camera (Director of Photography, 1st Assistant Camera, 2nd Assistant Camera,
DIT/Media Management, Stills Photographer)- responsibilities include
preparing and operating the camera, setting up the monitors, tracking footage
and managing film or digital media.

4. Art (Production Designer, Art Director, Art Dept. Coordinator, Set Decorator,
Leadman, Set Dressers, Art Pas)- responsibilities: all the elements of
scenery including set decoration (furniture, window treatments, floor
coverings etc), scenic work (set painting and aging), and construction (set
building).
Costumes & Wardrobe (Costume Designer, Assistant Costume Designer,
Shoppers, Wardrobe Supervisor, Set Costumers, Seamstress)-
responsibilities include design & procurement of all costumes for principal
talent and background including aging, dying, and alterations. Wardrobe
Supervisors and Set Costumers are responsible for organizing costumes on
set as well as dressing actors and background on the day.
Script Supervisor- responsibilities include breaking down the script, managing
the continuity of blocking, props, makeup and costumes, tracking the
progress of the production through the pages of the script.
Hair/Makeup- responsibilities of these stylists of all on screen talent including
simple prosthetics, hair extensions, etc. If necessary, Special Effects Makeup
may be its own department.
Location Manager, Location Assistants, Location Scouts- responsibilities
include finding locations, liaises with the outside world, opens and closes
sets and holding areas.
Sound Mixer, Boom Operator, Sound Utility- responsibilities include capturing
and organizing the recorded sound of the film including dialogue,
background noise, room tone.

5. Special Effects (Special Effects Coordinator/Supervisor, Special Effects Foreman,
SFX Technicians)- responsibilities include preparing and executing all practical
on set effects including atmosphere (smoke, fog), wind effects, snow/rain, and
pyrotechnics.
Visual Effects (VFX Supervisor)- responsibilities include directing and overseeing
the creative and technical execution of non practical visual effects elements.
Transportation (Transportation Captain, Transportation Coordinator,
Transportation Co-Captain, Drivers, Picture Car Coordinator)- responsibilities
providing transportation to set for all film elements including cast, trucks, set
dressing etc.
Props (Property Master, Assistant Property Master, Prop Assistants (Tangential
departments: Food Stylists, Animal Wranglers))– responsibilities: everything that
actors touch besides costumes, set dressing, and HMU, including food,
weapons, cigarettes, fake drugs. Responsible for certain “video village” items
including moving directors chairs and, in certain union jurisdictions, heaters and
tents.

6. WORKING WITH CHILDREN ON A FILM SET
Timings- The Children (Performance) Regulations 1968 requires a licence
applicant to give notice of 21 days. Whenever possible you should apply for the
licence within this time frame and Local Authorities can insist on it. However, the
absolute minimum amount of notice is seven days.
In order to issue a short notice Child Performance Licence, the local authority will
require all documentation to be submitted seven days before filming is due to take
place.
Documentation required- There are two parts to the application
Part 1 needs to be completed by the production company or the producer of the
production
Part 2 is completed by the child's parent, carer or legal guardian
Other things you may need:
A letter authorising absence from school. This is only required if the child will be
absent from school. It needs to be obtained from the school by the child's parent,
carer or legal guardian
A doctor's or medical certificate- It is a legal requirement that the child be
supervised at all times by their parent/carer/legal guardian or a licensed chaperone.
You need to inform the Education Welfare team who will be supervising the child.
Chaperones can only take responsibility for up to 12 children.