Movie making is the ultimate example of teamwork as several members carry out varied functions and play different roles to ensure that they deliver the film which is the final product. Although the team that makes the film attracts all attention, the film studios also play a vital role without which it would not have been possible to make films. The same applies to television productions that are equally dependent on film studios. Film and television production companies heavily depend on film studios to complete their productions regardless whether they shoot the film there or only use some of its other facilities related to film making. A film studio including Miami’s largest film studio just not only provide the facilities for shooting films but also carry out allied activities like sound recording, editing etc. that contribute in creating the complete movie.
Film making requires huge effort of the entire unit involved in film production and only when there is proper clarity about the roles of individual members that the team can deliver the goods. In this article we will briefly explain the various functions in film making, the designated roles of different functionaries and how their relations contribute in completing the process of film making smoothly.
Producer
The producer is the group leader of any film making unit because a movie or television program is the producer’s brain child. The producer is solely responsible for managing the show from the start to finish. From conceptualizing the idea to developing the project and then building a team by choosing other members to perform various roles in film making, the producer must do everything to see that the team is ready to help him or her in converting the ideas into reality. Arranging finance is also the responsibility of the producer as well as managing the production team responsible for making the film. The producer co-ordinates the activities of the team to ensure that they work towards the set goal, maintain timelines and operate within the budget.
Director
The director is the second man in the hierarchy and responsible for making the film by overseeing the shooting and assembling of the film. The director is like the author of a novel who is a visionary and foresees how the film making will progress and culminate in the desired ending. However, to implement the ideas and convert it into a film or movie the director must depend on other functionaries of film making comprising of artists and technicians. Except for being the primary visionary, there is no other similarity between the director and an author because the director cannot do everything. The director is at the center of activities and accomplishes the tasks by getting the jobs done by others.
Screen writer
Transforming the story depicted by the director into the format of a film or movie is the task of the screen writer. The screen writer adapts the story for film making by making suitable changes wherever necessary to suit the requirements of film making by arranging the scenes in sequence to stitch the story seamlessly and add dialogues that the characters would speak. Arranging the scenes is very important because it helps the story to progress logically that generates interest and keeps the audience hooked to it. The screen writer’s role often remains hidden to the public eye that cares little about knowing what goes behind the scenes or at best take interest to know who the director is.
Production Designer
It is the task of the Production Designer to create a visual translation of the scenes created by the screen writer. By creating several story boards, the production designer creates the first draft of the film. A story board consists of a series of sketches on panels that depict the visual progression of the story from one scene to the successive one. The sketches of the storyboard help to maintain visual continuity of the entire film and are the visual guide of the director.
Art Director
The sets that we see in films are the handiwork of the art director who can recreate almost anything and everything on the set of the film studio or even outdoor. From the landscapes, interiors and the buildings, the art director creates the set that the film needs. From decorating sets to acquiring props and making the set look as much realistic as possible, the art director does all.
Costume designer
Costumes help to catch the period in which the film is set and bring to life the characters who wear them. What kind of attitude the characters have about them; their economic condition and occupation everything reflects in what they wear. Costumes help characters to reveal their inner selves.
Cinematographer
What the actors enact in front of the camera becomes a timeless act because the cinematographer or director of photography captures it effectively. The cinematographer is an expert in handling the camera and use suitable lighting to capture the best images.
Editor
The editor deals with the films that have been shot (footage) and organizes it in sequence to maintain continuity of the shots. Several shots assembled from a few hundred feet of films may constitute a single scene. The editor chooses the shots and arranges it in sequence by using his or her experience about how it will look at the end.
Actors
Actors are the most talked about personalities of any film because they are most visible. They work closely with the director and cinematographer for portraying the characters they play. The job of actors is most difficult because they must inject life into the characters than just uttering dialogues.
Music director
For more than hundred years music has been an intrinsic part of films and the music director uses the choicest musical creations to make the process of story-telling more intense by stoking emotions that moves the audience.
The producer must oversee all the activities described above and only when there is perfect harmony that it results in a film worth presenting to the audience.
