Task 3

Pre-Production

Job Title: Screenwriter

Job description: Screenwriters write and develop screenplays for film or

TV drama. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an
existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project.

Job Responsibilities: Screenwriters are responsible for writing the script

and working with the producer, director and actors to add to or adjust the
script as needed.

Job Title: Casting Directors

Job description: Casting directors find the stars to bring the characters in
a film or TV drama to life. They are hired by the production company to
match actors to roles.

Job Responsibilities: Casting directors are responsible for reading the

script and discussing actor requirements with the director and producers,
they then have to find the right people to play the characters, taking
information such as their talent, price, and availability into account.

Job Title: Development Producer

Job Description: Development Producers find stories and scripts and get
them into good enough shape to be commissioned by a TV channel or
made into a feature film.

Job Responsibilities: Development Producers are responsible for

pitching or developing scripts alongside the screenwriters, their
responsibilities vary from job to job but always include looking for new
projects and talent.
Job Title: Casting Assistant
Job Descriptions: Casting assistants offer general help with finding
actors to star in a film or TV drama. They are generally employed as
freelancers by casting directors, although they can also be hired on a
permanent contract within busier casting offices.

Job Responsibilities: They read the script and help the casting director
draw up a list of possible actors for the main role. The casting assistant
will call agents to check actors’ availability. They help out with screen
tests, operating the camera and offering general support in casting
sessions. They also assist with general office duties. They answer the
phone and make tea and coffee. General office admin and excellent
computer skills are also a large part of their job. This includes editing
and uploading footage from casting sessions for the producer and
director to watch.

Production

Job Title: Director

Job Descriptions: Directors are the creative leads of the film. They hold
the creative vision throughout the whole process, from pre-production
through to the final edit.

Job Responsibilities: It is the job of a director to imagine the script in a

visual form. As soon as a production has raised the cash it needs, either
through being funded or commissioned, they work closely with the
producers to appoint the heads of department, such as the director of
photography, assistant director and production designer.

Job Title: Production coordinator

Job Descriptions: Production coordinators run the production office.

When the line producer and production manager are on set, production
coordinators are in charge of what goes on with the phones, photocopier
and paperwork.

Job Responsibilities: During production, production coordinators are

responsible for preparing, updating and distributing crew lists, daily
progress reports and script changes. They also deal with call sheets and
transport requirements. They let the transport captain know what is
needed and organise couriers and shipping companies

Job Title: Cashier

Job Descriptions: Cashiers help assistant accountants and production

accountants keep accurate records of how the money on a film or TV
drama is spent.

Job Responsibilities: Cashiers primarily deal with expense claims,

comparing what people have claimed with the receipts they have
submitted, and making sure VAT is claimed where appropriate. They
also track money that’s been given to crew (floats), and make sure this
money is available to the relevant crew members (and returned at the
end of a shoot).

Job Title: Assistant director

Job Descriptions: The first assistant director (AD) is the director’s right
hand. First ADs plan the filming schedule, working with the director,
director of photography and other heads of department to ensure an
efficient shoot.

Job Responsibilities: During filming first ADs manage the set, which
leaves the directors free to focus on the actors and framing the shots.

Post-Production

Job Title: Editor

Job Descriptions: The editor puts together (cuts) the pictures (rushes) as
they come in from the set (or lab, if the drama is being shot in celluloid).
Films tend not to be shot in the order in which the story unfolds, so
editors might be working on scenes from the end of the film before the
beginning. Their job is to take scenes in non-story order and edit them
bit-by-bit into a whole.

Job Responsibilities: During post-production, the editor and director will

work closely to refine the assembly edit into a director’s cut, which must
be approved by producers, until they achieve picture lock (known as final
cut). After that, the music and sound are added to the mix, a process
that editors will oversee.

Job Title: Colourist

Job Descriptions: Colourists contribute to the mood and look of a film by

defining its colours. They work with the director and director of
photography to decide the palette; whether it’s restrained or hyper-
coloured, whether it uses milky colours or primary ones. Colourists are
able to contribute to these looks by changing the luminance levels
(brightness) and chroma (colour).

Job Responsibilities: When colourists receive the files in the edit, they
stylise the colour in line with the vision of the director and director of
photography. They match the shots, balancing colour saturation and
luminance so no one shot stands out in the sequence. They also offer
creative solutions to picture-related problems. They might know what to
do with under or over exposed images, or provide day for night
corrections, for example. Colourists are also responsible for ensuring the
film complies with the law around luminance levels and chroma.

Job Title: Subtitler

Job Descriptions: Subtitlers make it possible for films to be enjoyed by
audiences all over the world and by the deaf and hard of hearing. They
translate all the dialogue, music and sound effects of a film into two-line
written captions that appear on the screen, either in the language in
which the film is made or in a foreign language.

Job Responsibilities: After carefully watching and listening to the whole

film, they write captions with accurate time codes that describe music
and sound effects as well as the dialogue and voice-overs. The captions
have to be punctuated and spelt correctly and should be on the screen
long enough to be read easily. Translating subtitlers translate the
dialogue and write subtitles in the language for a particular audience.

Job Title: Music editor

Job Descriptions: Music editors intensify the emotional impact of a film

by creating the soundtrack. They contribute mood, atmosphere and the
occasional catchy theme tune.

Job Responsibilities: Music editors then work closely with a composer,

who is usually appointed by the director, and who composes the music
using the temp score as a template. The temp score is also used by the
film editors to achieve the right tempo with the cut. Music editors often
act as a bridge between the sound and picture teams. They attend all
recording sessions, helping with any revisions and design a 'click track'
which is used to help the musicians achieve synchronisation with the
movie. Working with a specialist music mixer, they create different
mixes, lay down the tracks and fit them exactly to the picture, ready for
the final mix or dub.