And here it is! The Ultimate Film Credits Glossary. Since Hajiku_Flip has created a glossary detailing film terminology (
Here), Mellifluous and I have decided to create another glossary with all the terms you will find in a movie's credits.
Post with anything we've missed and it will be added.
(Version 1.5)
A
Art director - The person who oversees the artists and craftspeople who build the sets.
Assistant art director - An assistant to the art director.
Assistant director - (AKA:
AD, First Assistant Director) An assistant director's duties include tracking the progress of filming versus the production schedule, and preparing call sheets.
Assistant editor - Editing room crewmember responsible for providing any and all required logistical assistance to the editor(s).
B
Best boy - The chief assistant, usually of the gaffer, but more often lately used as a general term for the second in command of a group.
Body double - For some shots, a director may consider that a particular actor's body may not be suitible for the impression desired. In these situations, the actor is "doubled" (replaced) by a person whose body is more suitible. Typically, body doubles are used for shots requiring nudity or depictions of physical fitness.
C
Clapper board loader - Writes scene notes and operates the Clapper Board, which is used to sync sound.
Costume designer - See
Wardrobe.
Cinematographer – Produces the images requested by the director. They must collaborate with the director about the overall style and effect they want the film to possess.
D
Director – Has to decide on the overall effect of the film, and how to achieve it. They plan which shots will be taken, how they will be shot, what order they are shot in, and what the shots will contain. Ultimately, the nature of the film (genre and period) will be influential in the way the film is shot. The director is the authority on set, and as such must make the decisions required of him. Importantly, the director must draw performances out of his actors, telling them what is required of them but giving them room for improvisation and inspiration.
Director of photography - (AKA:
DOP) Maintains and checks scene exposure levels, film speeds and lenses. Works in conjunction with First assistant camera to achieve the aesthetic vision of the Director.
E
Editor – Arranges the shots in sequence as the director has instructed, and also adds sound. Hopefully, the combination of the two gives the film a unique rhythm and structure. The editing style will be influenced by the film, moreover the cinematographer and director have to consider the editing process before and during the filming.
F
First assistant camera - See
Focus puller and
Clapper board loader.
Focus puller - A member of the camera crew who adjusts the focus of the camera during filming.
Foam technician - The lead technician in charge of foam latex (Prosthetic) appliances and masks.
Foley artist - The person in charge of adding in sound effects such as the sounds a prop would make etc.
G
Gaffer - Chief lighting technician.
Greensman - Person in charge of maintaining any foliage or greenery on set.
K
Key grip - The chief of a group of grips, often doubling for a construction co-ordinator and a backup for the camera crew. Key grips work closely with the gaffer.
L
Leadman - Member of the art department who is in charge of swing gangs and/or set dressers and reports to the set decorator.
Lighting crew - A group of technicians who install, operate, and maintain lighting.
Lighting department - The section of a production's crew responsible for lighting and other electrical matters during filming. Individual positions within in this department include: electrician, lighting crew and genny operator.
Chief/Lighting technician - (AKA:
Gaffer) A member of the electrical department that is responsible for operating lights and lighting equipment on a set.
Line producer - A producer who is responsible for managing every person and issue during the making of a film. Line producers only work on one film at a time. See also: unit production manager, associate producer, co-producer, executive producer.
M
Maintenance engineer - A person responsible for general maintenance and repair.
Matte painter - A person who creates artwork (usually for the background of a shot) which is included in the movie either via a matte shot or optical printing.
Music arranger - Someone who adapts a musical composition for voices, instruments, and/or performance styles other than those for which the music was originally written.
Music editor - A person who performs editing on the score of a movie.
Music supervisor - (AKA:
Musical Director, Musical Direction, Music Director, Music Direction) A person who coordinates the work of the composer, the editor, and sound mixers. Alternately, a person who researches, obtains rights to, and supplies songs for a production.
O
Opaquer - An artist who colours in the individual cells of an animated film.
P
Post production co-ordinator - A production assistant working for the post-production supervisor.
Post production supervisor - A person overseeing the entire post-production of a project. They report directly to the producer and/or the studio in charge of the feature. Working side by side with the director and editor, the supervisor has the responsibility of finishing the film on time and on budget while satisfying the wants of the director. Post-production supervisors have authority over post-production co-ordinators. Typical duties include: Controlling all activities with vendors such as optical houses, sound facilities, inserts, ADR, reshooting, CGI, score, delivery requirements to domestic and international distributors, legal clearances, preview screenings, color timing, video mastering and budgeting the movie through the completion and delivery.
Producer - The chief of a movie production in all matters save the creative efforts of the director. A producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. See also associate producer, co-producer, executive producer, line producer, Producer's Guild of America.
Production assistant - (AKA:
Set Production Assistant, PA, Gopher, Personal Assistant, Assistant To, Assistant To Producer) A person responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as couriers, fetching items from craft service, etc. Production Assistants are often attached to individual actors or filmmakers.
Production co-ordinator - The person responsible for overseeing practical matters such as ordering equipment, getting near-location accommodations for the cast and crew, etc.
Production designer - An artist responsible for designing the overall visual appearance of a movie.
Production illustrator - A person responsible for drawing the storyboards and anything else that needs to be drawn during the production of the movie.
Production assistant - A person responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as couriers, fetching items from craft service, etc. Production Assistants are often attached to individual actors or filmmakers.
Pyrotechnician – Expert who deals with explosive requirements of a film. Must deliver what the director asks, and must consider safety when preparing for shots – the crew and actors’ safety, and any members of the public.
R
Runner - All purpose crewmember who carries equipment, make cups of tea, moan and generally help or hinder production.
S
Stunt co-ordinator - A person who arranges and plans stunts.
Seamstress - A person who produces the costumes for a picture. See
Wardrobe.
Script Supervisor – Ensures continuity is maintained in the film, regarding clothes, art, makeup, actors, camera angles, dialogue and scene coverage. They ensure that scenes shot weeks apart maintain continuity so they gel together visually. They take detailed notes on all parts of a scene, such as what prop an actor was carrying when they said a certain line, and what picture was on the wall in a certain scene. The script supervisor may also be asked by the editor for advice on how to edit a scene, and the script supervisor may organise minor shooting, such as a close-upshot of a character’s hand opening a draw, so that the editing is easier.
Script writer - The script writer pens the original storyline and action that takes place during the picture. Often, the Director and Script writer are one and the same.
T
Technician - A generalised term used to describe anyone who works with and are skilled in a certain profession.
U
V
W
Wardrobe – Examine the costume requirements of a film, looking at the need for portraying accuracy and style of the period in which the film is set. They design, manufacture or adapt existing clothes fitting a film’s needs. Communication is needed with other departments such as makeup to ensure they don’t infringe on other departments’ concepts, and with actors to make sure the costumes fit them! See
Seamstress.
Wrangler - A highly skilled member of the crew who herd or organise certain groups. Most often seen are Horse wranglers, who maintain and organise any mounts which are used. Some B-movie zombie pictures have adopted the term 'Zombie wrangler,' during their schools for teaching zombie movement.
X
Y
Z
Last edited by Obi on Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:55 pm; edited 9 times in total(Super8 rules your dog) Its not the size of the CCD that counts, its what you do with it!
