Useful List of Film Jobs (for Credits)

Producer: The producer initiates, coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising funding, hiring and arranging distributors. The producer is normally involved throughout all phases of the film making process from development to completion of a project. An investor in the project is called an executive producer.

Production Coordinator: The information nexus of the production, responsible for organizing all the logistics from hiring crew, renting equipment, and booking talent. The PC is an integral part of film production. Choose the person who helped organize your group the most.

Director: The director oversees the creative aspects of a film, including controlling the content and flow of the film's plot, directing the performances of actors, organizing and selecting the locations in which the film will be shot, and managing technical details such as the positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the film's soundtrack. Though the director wields a great deal of power, he/she is ultimately subordinate to the film's producer or producers.

Assistant Director: Assists the director.

Script Supervisor: The person who keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes notes of any deviations between what was actually filmed and what appeared in the script. They make notes on every shot, and keep track of props, blocking, and other details to ensure continuity from shot to shot and scene to scene. The Script Supervisor's notes are given to the Editor to expedite the editing process.

Production Designer: A production designer is responsible for creating the physical, visual appearance of the film - settings, costumes, properties, character makeup, all taken as a unit.

Art Director: The art director reports to the production designer, and more directly oversees artists and craftspeople, such as the set designers, graphic artists, and illustrators who give form to the production design as it develops.

Assistant art director: The person who helps out the instructions of the art director.

Set Designer: The set designer is the draftsman, often an architect, who creates the structures or interior spaces called for by the production designer.

Set Decorator: The set decorator is in charge of the decorating of a film set, which includes the furnishings and all the other objects that will be seen in the film.

Set Dresser: The set dressers apply and remove the "dressing", i.e., furniture, drapery, carpets—everything one would find in a location, even doorknobs and wall sockets.

Props Master: The property master, or props master, is in charge of finding and managing all the props that appear in the film. The props master usually has several assistants, including: props builders, weapons masters, etc.

Make-up Artist: Make-up artists work with makeup, hair and special effects to create the characters look for anyone appearing on screen. Their role is to manipulate an actor's on-screen appearance whether it makes them look more youthful, larger, older, or in some cases monstrous. There are also body makeup artists who concentrate their abilities on the body rather than the head.

Costume designer: The costume designer is responsible for all the clothing and costumes worn by all the actors that appear on screen. They are also responsible for designing, planning, and organizing the construction of the garments down to the fabric, colors, and sizes. They are assisted by the costume supervisor and costume crews.

Cinematographer/Director of Photography (DP): The chief of the camera and lighting crew of the film. The DP makes decisions on lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film's director. Typically, the director tells the DP how they want a shot to look, and the DP chooses the correct aperture, filter, and lighting to achieve the desired effect.

Camera Operator: The camera operator uses the camera at the direction of the cinematographer, director of photography, or the film director to capture the scenes on film. Generally, a cinematographer or director of photography does not operate the camera, but sometimes these jobs may be combined. Various assistants are also named.

Production Sound Mixer: The head of the sound department on set, responsible for recording all sound during filming.

Grip: Grips are trained lighting and rigging technicians. Their main responsibility is to work closely with the electrical department to put in lighting set-ups required for a shot. On the sound stage, they move and adjust major set pieces when something needs to be moved to get a camera into position. They are divided further into Key Grip, Best Boy (assistant to the key grip), dolly grips.

Gaffer: The gaffer is the head of the electrical department, responsible for the design and execution of the lighting plan for a production. Sometimes the gaffer is credited as "Chief Lighting Technician". His/her assistant is referred to as the Best Boy.

Location Manager: Oversees the Locations Department and its staff, typically reporting directly to the Production Manager and/or Assistant Director (or even Director and/or Executive Producer). Location Manager is responsible for final clearing (or guaranteeing permission to use) a location for filming. Usually he/she has several assistants.

Transportation: Transports cast, crew and equipment back and forth between locations. These people are divided into: transportation coordinator, transportation captain, drivers, assistants, etc.

Film Editor: The film editor is the person who assembles the various shots into a coherent film, with the help of the director. There are usually several assistant editors. Various technical responsibilities are referred to as editors such as dialogue editors (who work with dialogue), Sound editing, etc.

Visual Effects Supervisor: The visual effects supervisor is in charge of the visual effects department.

Film Project (Deadline for Shooting, Nearing); Golden Age: Genre Films

The Playwrights' Festival is tonight only! Students from this class get a free ticket. Please come and support your Creative Writing Department and the hard work of our actors and playwrights.

Today, please complete the following:
A. Upload any footage for your film. Complete your still shots (establishing shots) and titles, intertitles, and end credits. Meet and plan to complete the shooting of your film with your film group.

B. Unless you are editing (no more than 2 people should be doing this) or shooting your script today in class, please work on the Metropolis essay (see previous posts).

C. If you haven't yet watched the clips from last class, please do that. Take notes about what films you are seeing and why (see previous post)

D. Genre films came into their own in the 1930's. Now with talking and the use of dialogue, plots can be more complex, the acting more realistic because the actor doesn't need to contort their face and body to communicate ideas, and sound effects (such as music for a musical) are much more entertaining.

Check out some of these genre films:

Gangster Films:
The Public Enemy (1931)
Scarface (1932)

Westerns:
Cimarron (1930)
Stagecoach (1939) John Wayne (John Ford directing)

War Films:
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Musicals:
The Gay Divorcee (1934) Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire
Top Hat (1935) Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire
Swing Time (1936) Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire (again)
42 Street (1933)

Animation:
Flowers and Trees (1932) Walt Disney, but starring no one important
Disney's The Three Little Pigs (1933)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Disney
Another selection from Snow White.

Popeye the Sailor (1933) with Betty Boop (and Popeye, of course)

HOMEWORK: Complete the shooting of your film projects by Monday, April 4. Attend the Playwrights' Festival tonight at 7:00 in the Ensemble Theater (one night only!)

Film Project & The Golden Age of Film (clips & history)

The Playwrights' Festival is this Thursday, March 31 at 7:00. All students in this class get in free. Otherwise, tickets are available at the door. Please support your creative writing department.

After our quiz on the effect of sound on the film industry, please work on your film project. In the very least (even if you have no footage to edit), you may create your titles, intertitles, and end credits. Use this time allotted to you. All filming should be completed by Monday, April 4.

The 1930's is considered the Golden Age of Film. Please review and take notes on these following film clips. You should note who is starring in which roles and how certain actors and directors helped shape the genres we now recognize in film today. You will be tested on the material found here, so please watch attentively and make some observations about film in the 1930's.

As for camera work, there are few tricks being used with cameras. Angles are mostly eye-level, with medium, long, and close up shots being used with transitions such as the wipe, the iris, fade to black to indicate scene changes. There is still rear projection, tracking shots, dolly shots, and elaborate sets (particularly for war and epic films), but overall, the feel of 1930's film is like watching a play. With the invention of sound, movies rely on written dialogue to move the plot and develop character (as opposed to using solely a visual medium). Famous directors and writers such as Frank Capra, Walt Disney and writer George S. Kaufman to name only a few make their appearance in this era. Since sound is a new invention, the use of music is an important element. See what other details you can observe as you watch the clips:

Hell's Angels (1930) Premiere clip (not the film, but the hubbub about the film)
Hell's Angels (1930) clip with Jean Harlow

Anna Christie (1930) With Greta Garbo
Tarzan, The Ape Man (1932) Johnny Weissmuller

Morocco (1930) with Marlene Dietrich

Grand Hotel (1932) with Joan Crawford & John Barrymore

King Kong (1933) starring a large gorilla, Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray
King Kong (2nd clip)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Clark Gable & Charles Laughton

Captain Blood (1935) with Errol Flynn & Basil Rathbone (documentary clip)

HOMEWORK: Shoot your film. Bring in your film for editing.

Metropolis & Film Project

Metropolis assistance (when writing your paper)
--Metropolis (history & analysis)

Missed any of the film? Or need to study a certain scene? Look here! (Metropolis - Complete Film)

After watching Metropolis, please upload or begin working on your intertitles for your film project.

Before you leave today, make sure you have met with your group members and deciding on a filming schedule. Your film should be shot (completely) by Monday, April 4. Upload film files as soon as you can so that your chosen editor can begin working.

Extra Credit (until 5/06/2011): You may watch and analyze Fritz Lang's movie "M". Here's the film. Your paper should be 3-5 pages double-spaced and include appropriate film criticism (see how to do this from the links to your right).

HOMEWORK: Please read the chapter "The Movies Learn to Speak" and take notes about the beginning of sound in film.

Playwrights' festival, Hanah Tinti, Workshops, Film Project

The Playwrights' Festival is opening and closing on March 31 at 7:00 in the Ensemble Theater. All playwrights should be in attendance (that was the whole point of the project). All other students in this class are admitted free. Please come and support your colleagues.

Tomorrow you have a Masterclass Workshop with Hanah Tinti. Please think of some questions you may have about her book or being a professional author and magazine editor.

We could use your help tomorrow night (7:00 for the Panel Discussion. Students who have an interest in gaining community service can help out by babysitting and setting up.) In that case, plan on being here around 6:45.

Film your silent films. Most of this material is on your shoulders and the shoulders of your group. The deadline for the project is April 4. Not a lot of time. Go out and film!

Prep for your Silent Film Projects/Homework

Please turn in your homework assignment and upload any film shots or sequences you have completed on your silent film projects. We will take a few minutes during 1st period to complete these tasks.

Silent film projects are due April 4. Please shoot the films and begin work on them so that you can complete the projects by the deadline.

Fritz Lang & Metropolis

Fritz Lang born in Vienna, Germany, 1890 -- the son of an architect, he dropped out of college to fight in the Great War (WWI)

After the war, Lang met producer Erich Pommer who worked for the movie company Declar--
Later Declar becomes UFA (the largest film company in Europe)

1919 - Lang directs his first film “Halbblut” (the Half-Caste)
1920 - Meets writer Thea von Harbou, marries her in 1922

Thea von Harbou wrote all of Lang’s films (including Metropolis) until 1933 when they divorced.

1925-1926 - Lang makes the film Metropolis which is drastically cut and distributed over the world Lang forms his own production company; Thea is his main writer
1931 - Lang directs M (with actor Peter Lorre)
1932 - The Testimony of Dr. Mabuse (banned because it criticized the Nazi party)
1933 - Immigrated to the U.S.
1934 - Offered a contract by David Selznick, producer at MGM. He goes on to make several films (mixing styles), ends up going blind and dying in 1975.

MAJOR FILMS: Halbblut (Half Caste) (1919) Dr. Mabuse (1922) (serial) Die Niebelungen (Siegfried; Kriemhild's Revenge) (1924). Metropolis (1926) Spies (1928) M (1931) The Last Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1932) Fury (1936) You Only Live Once
(1937) Western Union (1941) Man Hunt (1941) The Ministry of Fear (1944) Cloak and Dagger (1946) Secret Beyond the Door (1948) The Big Heat (1953) Moonfleet (1955) While the City Sleeps (1956). Die Tausend Augend des Dr. Mabuse ("The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse") 1960

Film analysis:

1. Write about the effective use of special effects (including titles and music to affect tone); You may look here for further help in writing your paper.
2. Write about the effectiveness of the cinematography (the shots, angles, lighting, composition of the shots, mise-en-shot, mise-en-scene, etc.)
3. Pick a major character in the movie and analyze his/her acting, effective portrayal of the role, etc.
4. Write about the effectiveness of the plot, film script, and story elements of the film: Frequency, Narration, Story, Plot, Order, Narrative Format, Sequence, etc.
5. Write about the film as a historical vehicle. Answer: how is Metropolis the epitome and culmination of the Golden Age of silent film?
6. Write about the effective use of theme in the film. Why is the film still relevant today?

Your paper should be between 3-5 pages, double spaced.