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Poll: So you wanna work in pictures?

A poll by yrnej.
Which of the following "behind the scenes" movie jobs would you be best at?

Discuss the list here

* jobs other than the highest level positions, such as director, producer, writer

See results without voting »

Make Your Choice

  1. Vote!

    Danny Reeves

    ADR Recordist Automated Dialogue Replacement, also known as looping or dubbing. This is the critical process in film and TV whereby dialogue is recorded in a studio for any number of reasons: to replace existing production sound that is not usable either for technical considerations (usually due to a noisy location) or editorial ones (lines of dialogue have been changed); to add a voice-over to a film (often planned from the outset, but occasionally added at the last moment to help clarify a hazy plot); etc.
  2. Vote!

    Theresa A. Carroll

    Animal Trainer Someone who conditions animals to perform various behaviors on cue.
  3. Vote!

    Eli Enigenburg

    Animator Animation is the art of making images that appear to come to life on screen. It features in all kinds of media, from feature films to commercials, pop videos, computer games and websites. Animators use a range of techniques to make images appear to move, and most specialize in one of the following: 2D drawn animation, 2D computer animation, stop frame or stop motion animation, 3D computer generated (CG) animation, etc.
  4. Vote!

    Guy Hamilton

    Assistant Director The Assistant Director (AD) is the director's right hand person, taking responsibility for a number of important practicalities so that the director is free to concentrate on the creative process.
  5. Vote!

    Allie Nelson

    Associate Producer An Associate Producer position can often be an entry level one. Often referred to as the 'AP', an Associate Producer generally assists the producer in putting the TV program or film together. Duties may include writing, editing, organizing scripts, running the teleprompter in news casts, or helping the editor by making beat calls. An Associate Producer needs good writing and editing skills, and may often be called upon to make simple editorial decisions
  6. Vote!

    Ellen Chenoweth

    Casting Director Casting Directors organize and facilitate the casting of actors for all the roles in a film. This involves working closely with the director and producer to understand their requirements, and suggesting ideal artists for each role, as well as arranging and conducting interviews and auditions. Once the parts are cast, the Casting Director negotiates fees and contracts for the actors, and acts as a liaison between the director, the actors and their agents.
  7. Vote!

    Robert Lamkin

    Caterer Film crews work long hours and need to eat well. On sets or locations, the standard daily meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus coffee or snacks if the crew are required to work late into the evening. Catering is provided by specialized companies who drive catering trucks packed with food and a range of equipment including ovens, extraction fans, fridges, gas and water, to each unit base. On big films, these trucks can be 35 feet in length and weigh up to eight tons.
  8. Vote!

    Carter Burwell

    Composer A Composer will need to write music to suit the mood and action. They will need to compose, perform, arrange, and then work with producers to rearrange, and rearrange as they change and finalize the film. You will usually have to submit an initial pitch which is mostly unpaid. During the course of the program you will need to do lots of demos, some of which may not be followed up.
  9. Vote!

    Catherine Martin

    Costume Designer Costume Designers start working on films at the beginning of pre-production. They are in charge of designing, creating, acquiring and hiring all costumes for actors and extras. This must be achieved within strict budgets, and to tight schedules. Costume Designers' work is integral to defining the overall 'look' of films, and their role requires a great deal of expertise. Their creative work ranges from designing original costumes, to overseeing the purchase and adaptation of ready made outfits.
  10. Vote!

    Neville Page

    Creature Designer These artists create masks, body parts, and sometimes entire creatures.
  11. Vote!

    Emmanuel Lubezki

    Director of Photography/Cinematographer The Director of Photography is usually referred to as the DP and is responsible for selecting all camera equipment for the production and liaising with the technical director. The DP decides what lights and related camera equipment are needed and procures these. The DP is ultimately in charge of the photographic quality of the show and heads up a crew. They are responsible to the director.
  12. Vote!

    Thelma Schoonmaker

    Editor Film Editors assemble footage of feature films, television shows, documentaries, and industrials into a seamless end product. They manipulate plot, score, sound, and graphics to refine the overall story into a continuous and enjoyable whole. On some films, the film Editor is chosen before cast members and script doctors; people in Hollywood recognize that the skills of a good film Editor can save a middling film. In the same way directors use certain actors they appreciate over and over again.
  13. Vote!

    Richard Ross

    Foley Artist Foley Artists recreate the realistic ambient sounds that the film portrays. The props and sets of a film often do not react the same way acoustically as their real life counterparts. Foley sounds are used to enhance the auditory experience of the movie. Foley can also be used to cover up unwanted sounds captured on the set of a movie during filming, such as overflying airplanes or passing traffic.
  14. Vote!

    Jose del Carmen Martinez

    Gaffer/Best Boy/Grip A Gaffer is the head of the electrical department, responsible for the execution (and sometimes the design) of the lighting plan for a production. The term Best Boy refers to the best electrician in the team led by the gaffer. Grips' responsibility is to build and maintain all the equipment that supports cameras.
  15. Vote!

    Robert A. Pandini

    Hair Stylist Hairdressers work on feature films and on some commercials and pop promos. They liaise closely with colleagues in the hair, makeup and costume departments, as well as with directors, actors and extras. They prepare performers' scalp and skin and create hairstyles to suit production requirements. They also work with wigs, hairpieces, and hair extensions and may be required to use chemical solutions, and to administer hair and scalp treatments as necessary.
  16. Vote!

    Natasha Katz

    Lighting Design Often referred to as 'LD', this person works with producers, directors, set designers, and other essential crew members to create the 'look' of the show or film as it is interpreted through the writing.
  17. Vote!

    Alexander O'Neal

    Line Producer The Line Producer is one of the first people to be employed on a film's production by the producer and executive producers. A Line Producer is a key member of the production team for a motion picture. Typically, a Line Producer manages the budget of a motion picture. Alternatively, or in addition, they may manage the day to day physical aspects of the film production, serving a role similar to the unit production manager.
  18. Vote!

    Sian Sutherland

    Location Manager The Location Manager is the person who will be liaising directly with the film production company or advertising agency, and may be working closely with the film's director, taking decisions not only about the right location, but also the logistics of making that location work. The Location Manager will be closely involved with the rest of the production team dealing with many such logistical problems and their solutions.
  19. Vote!

    Rick Baker

    Makeup Artist Makeup Artists work on feature films and on some commercials and pop promos, working to the chief makeup artist. Makeup and hair are key elements in the overall design of films or television productions, creating a look for the characters in relation to social class, and time periods, and any other elements required to create the desired illusion. Makeup Artists should be experienced in using a wide variety of professional makeup products.
  20. Vote!

    Oren Aviv

    Marketing Executive A Marketing Executive will develop marketing campaigns that promote a company's product, service or idea. The role includes planning, advertising, public relations, organising events, product development, distribution, sponsorship and research.
  21. Vote!

    Robbie Robertson

    Music Supervisor Music Supervisors act as mediators between production teams and composers and their teams, which may include orchestrators, engineers, copyists, musician's contractors, etc. They also suggest ideas, and research and obtain rights to source music for films. Music Supervisors oversee spotting sessions (deciding on where the director wants music, and why), recruit and contract musicians, book recording studios and attend sessions, ensuring that delivery requirements are fulfilled.
  22. Vote!

    Kathleen Kennedy

    Production Assistant A 'PA' is a person responsible for various odd jobs, which could include such disparate tasks as running errands, stopping traffic, acting as couriers, fetching items from craft service, etc. Tasks and levels of responsibility can vary greatly, depending on the film, the needs of the rest of the team, and the skills of the individual PA themselves. Production Assistants are often attached to individual actors or filmmakers. A PA can work on set or in the office.
  23. Vote!

    Felicity Abbott

    Production Designer Production Designers are major heads of department on film crews, and are responsible for the entire art department. They play a crucial role in helping directors to achieve the film's visual requirements, and in providing producers with carefully calculated schedules which offer viable ways of making films within agreed budgets and specified periods of time. Filming locations may range from an orderly Victorian parlor, to a late-night café, to the interior of an alien spaceship.
  24. Vote!

    Kirk Shaw

    Production Manager Production Managers organize the business, finance and employment issues in film and television productions. As a Production Manager, you would be in charge of how the production budget is spent and making sure that everything runs smoothly during filming.
  25. Vote!

    David L. Glazer

    Prop Master Prop Masters (i.e. Property Masters) control all aspects of property departments. They oversee, and are responsible for, the procurement or production, inventory, care and maintenance of all props associated with productions, ensuring that they are available on time, and within budgetary requirements. They also ensure that selected props suit the film's style and overall design, and that they accurately reflect the production's time period and culture.
  26. Vote!

    Valarie Barsky

    Rights & Clearances The person who gets rights and clearances for music, TV and movie footage, intellectual property rights, managed images, and celebrity images.
  27. Vote!

    Carol Banker

    Script Supervisor Script Supervisors in film and television work as part of the camera department to make sure that the production has continuous verbal and visual integrity. They must ensure that when different takes and scenes are finally edited the production does not contain distracting continuity errors. Script Supervisors observe every shot closely and take precise and detailed notes to provide directors and editors with an authoritative reference.
  28. Vote!

    Alexander Witt

    Second Unit Director The Director of the second unit. The second unit is a small, subordinate crew responsible for filming shots of less importance, such as inserts, crowds, scenery, etc.
  29. Vote!

    Gary Rydstrom

    Sound Designer Sound Designers are responsible for providing any required sounds to accompany screen action. They work closely with the production mixer, sound supervisor, the editor, and the director to create original sound elements. They may work with the director to create the entire soundtrack, or be hired just to create one kind of effect. Most Sound Designers are experienced sound editors who often carry out a managerial role.
  30. Vote!

    Stan Winston

    Special Effects Special Effects is an artificial effect used to create an illusion in a movie. It refers to effects produced on the set, as opposed to those created in post production. Most movie illusions are created in post production. These are called visual effects. Special Effects Supervisor is the chief of a production's special effects crew.
  31. Vote!

    Tim Hodge

    Storyboard Artist Storyboard Artists translate screenplays, or sequences from screenplays, into a series of illustrations in comic book form. These illustrations have two functions: to help directors clarify exactly what they want to achieve, and to illustrate to all other heads of department exactly what is required, e.g., prosthetics for makeup, computer generated Images (CGI) for visual effects, props for the art department, etc.
  32. Vote!

    Hal Needham

    Stunt Performer A Stunt Performer typically performs stunts intended for use in a motion picture or dramatized television. Stunts seen in films and television include car crashes, falls from great height, drags (for example, behind a horse), and explosions.
  33. Vote!

    Peter Graovac

    Transportation The Transport Department varies in size depending on the scale of the shoot. On big budget features, the department is run by the Transport Coordinator who oversees the entire transportation requirements for the film. He or she employs one or more Transport Managers to manage the use of the support vehicles, as well as the trucks and vans used to transport equipment. Transport Coordinators also appoint Transport Captains to take charge of the travel arrangements of cast and crew.
  34. Vote!

    Dusan Strugar

    VFX Supervisor In charge of the overall appearance and application of the various shots. He or she will almost always be on set to make sure that things are shot in the proper way. They will be the one consulting with the client about what is needed.
  35. Vote!

    Frank Welker

    Voiceover Artist The Voiceover Artist is the unseen person who does the speaking necessary to create a voiceover. Examples include animated, off-stage, off-screen or non-visible characters in various works, including feature films, dubbed foreign language films, animated short films, television programs, commercials, radio or audio dramas, comedy, video games, puppet shows, amusement rides, audiobooks and documentaries. Voice acting is also done for small handheld audio games.

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