Job Roles and Hierarchy

What does the hierarchy on a production look like and what roles does it consist of?

Why is it important that you, the producer, should know and memorise this?

Know who you are talking to. Know who you should go to for each problem.

Be at the top. Be aware of what’s happening on set.

Why should the production assistant know who everyone is?

So you know who to go to.

Other types of producers and their job roles.

Executive producers:
Will typically contribute a considerable sum of their own money to a project, and thus earn
a top credit in the film. They may also secure additional financing and handle accounting
and legal issues.

Line Producers:
Line producers are the taskmasters of a film, making sure it stays on time and on budget.
They are responsible for breaking down the script to create line items in a budget, planning
a production timeline, coordinating the schedules and activates of various departments and
handling human resources.

Creative producers:
They partner closely with the director on artistic matters. They facilitate the hiring of talent,
supervise script revisions, communicate director notes, and coordinate a unified style and
approach between departments.

Showrunners:
They are television producers who have an overall creative vision for a series, and who have
authority and management responsibility over the various directors who have been hired
for specific episodes.

Impact producers:
Also known as engagement strategists, are producers of marketing and distribution (PMDs).
They focus on getting the word out, attracting press and media coverage, and finding a
distributor to get a film in front of as many audiences as possible.

The Hierarchy of a film production:

Above the line crew:

Above the line crew members are those who carry the most creative or financial
responsibility for a given project, and they’re usually working all the way from pre to post.

Executive producer
Producer(s)
Director
Principal Cast (Main actors e.g., Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks etc.)

Below the line crew:

Below the line crew positions make up the vast majority of any film crew hierarchy.

Assistant Director Department

Art department
Camera Department
Electric Department
Grip Department
Hair and Makeup Department
Wardrobe Department
Sound Department
Stunts Department
VFX Department
The craft services and catering Departments
Production Department

Electric Department
Grip Department
Hair and Makeup Department

What does your department do?

Who’s in charge of your department and what do they do?
What other roles are in your department and what do they do?