Digital Filmmaking

Executive Producer

Prod. Department

• usually an investor in the project or someone who has facilitated the funding of the project.

• may be multiple executive producers on a project, depending on the financing arrangements.

Line Producer

Prod. Department

• manages the budget of a film production

• alternatively, or in addition, they may manage the day to day physical aspects of the film production.

Production Manager

Prod. Department

• supervises the physical aspects of the production including personnel, technology, budget, and scheduling

• their responsibility to make sure the filming stays on schedule and within its budget

• works under the supervision of a line producer and directly supervises the Production Coordinator.

Production Coordinator

Prod. Department

• the information nexus of the production, responsible for organising all the logistics from hiring crew, renting equipment, and booking talent

• an integral part of film production.

Production Secretary

Prod. Department

• provides administration assistance in the production office to the production co-ordinator and production manager

Production Accountant

Prod. Department

• responsible for managing finances and maintaining financial records during film production

• work closely with the Producer and the production office to manage the day-today accounting office functions, and report on the project’s financial progress against the budgets (cost reporting)

Post-production Supervisor

Prod. Department

• responsible for the post production process, during which they maintain clarity of information and good channels of communication between the Producer, Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, the Facilities Companies (such as film labs, CGI studios and negative cutters) and the Production Accountant

First Assistant Director

Prod. Department

• (1st AD) assists the production manager and director

• oversee day-to-day management of the cast and crew scheduling, equipment, script, and the set

• ensure the filming comes in on schedule while maintaining a working environment in which the director, principal artists (actors) and crew can be focused on their work.

Second Assistant Director

Prod. Department

• (2nd AD) is the chief assistant of the 1st AD and helps carry out those tasks delegated to the 1st AD

• works closely with the Production Coordinator to create the daily Call Sheets that let the crew know the schedule and important details about the shooting day

Third Assistant Director

Prod. Department

• (3rd AD) works on set with the "First" and may liaise with the "Second" to move actors from unit base, organise crowd scenes, and supervise one or more production assistants

Production Assistant/Production Runner

Prod. Department

• assists the first assistant director with on-set operations

• PAs also assist in the production office with general tasks

Script Supervisor

Prod. Department

• also known as "continuity"

• 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

Stunt Coordinator

Prod. Department

• Where the film requires a stunt, and involves the use of stunt performers, the stunt coordinator will arrange the casting and performance of the stunt, working closely with the Director

Director

• The director is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a film, including…

  • controlling the content and flow of the film's plot

  • directing the performances of actors

  • selecting the locations in which the film will be shot

  • managing technical details such as the positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the film's soundtrack.

Producer

• initiates, coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising funding, hiring key personnel, contracting and arranging for distributors

• involved throughout all phases of the process from development to completion of a project.

Screenwriter

• responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the screenplay, and delivering it, in the required format, to the Producers

• almost always freelancers who either pitch original ideas to Producers in the hope that they will be optioned or sold, or who are commissioned by a Producer to create a screenplay from a concept, true story, existing screenwork or literary work, such as a novel or short story

Director of Photography/Cinematographer

Cam. Department

• The director of photography is the head of the camera and lighting department of the film. The DoP makes decisions on lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film's director.

Camera Operator

Cam. Department

• operates the camera under the direction of the director of photography, or the film director, to capture the scenes on film. Depending on the camera format being used for filming (eg film or digital), a director of photography may not operate the camera, but sometimes these two roles are combined.

First Assistant Camera (Focus Puller)

Cam. Department

• The first assistant camera (1st AC) is responsible for keeping the camera in focus while it is shooting.

Second Assistant Camera (Clapper Loader)

Cam. Department

• The second assistant camera (2nd AC) operates the clapperboard at the beginning of each take and loads the raw film stock into the camera magazines between takes. Also oversees the log books that record when the film stock is received, used, and sent to the lab for processing.

Loader

Cam. Department

• The loader transfers the film from the manufacturer's light-tight canisters to the camera magazines for attachment to the camera by the 2nd AC. After filming, the loader then removes the film from the magazines and places it back into the light-tight cans for transport to the lab.

Camera Production Assistant

Cam. Department

• Usually a trainee in the camera department, the camera PA assists the crew with menial details while learning the trade of the camera assistant, operator or cinematographer.

Digital Imaging Technician (DIT)

Cam. Department

• On digital productions the digital imaging technician is responsible for the coordination of the internal workings of the digital camera. Under the direction of the director of photography, the DIT will make adjustments to the multitude of variables available in most professional digital cameras to manipulate the resulting image.

Data Wrangler

Cam. Department

• On digital productions the data wrangler is responsible for managing the transfer of data from the camera to a computer and/or hard drive

Steadicam Operator

Cam. Department

• The steadicam operator is someone who is skilled at operating a Steadicam (trademark for a camera stabilization rig).

Motion Control Technician/Operator

Cam. Department

• This technician operates a motion control rig, which essentially is a 'camera robot' able to consistently repeat camera moves for special effects use.

Video Split/Assist Operator

Cam. Department

• A video split is used by directors to watch a monitor during each take. This is captured by special recorders fitted to film cameras next to the eye piece.

Production Sound Mixer (Sound Recordist)

Sound Department

• The production sound mixer is head of the sound department on set, responsible for recording all sound during filming. This involves the choice of microphones, operation of a sound recording device, and sometimes the mixing of audio signals in real time.

Boom Operator (Boom Swinger)

Sound Department

• The boom operator is responsible for microphone placement and movement during filming. The boom operator uses a boom pole to position the microphone above or below the actors, just out of the camera's frame.

Film Editor (Offline Editor for video productions)

Post Production

• Assembles the various shots into a coherent film, working closely with the director.

Assistant Editor

Post Production

• Assists the editor by collecting and organising all the elements needed for the edit.

Online Editor (for video productions)

Post Production

• When the offline edit is complete, adds visual effects, titles, and applies color correction. Also ensures that the program meets the technical delivery specifications.

Colourist

Post Production

• Adjusts the colour of the film to achieve greater consistency.

Negative Cutter

Post Production

• Cuts and splices the film. Provides assembled negative reels to the lab for prints to be made.

Production Designer

Art Department

• Responsible for creating the physical, visual appearance of the film - settings, costumes, props, character makeup.

Art Director

Art Department

• Oversees the artists and craftspeople who give form to the production design as it develops.

Set Designer

Art Department

• The set designer is the draftsman, often an architect, who realizes the structures or interior spaces called for by the production designer.

Illustrator

Art Department

• The illustrator creates visual representations of the designs to communicate the ideas imagined by the production designer.

Set Decorator

Art Department

• The set decorator is in charge of decorating the set, including the furnishings and all the other objects that will be seen in the film.

Buyer

Art Department

• The buyer locates, and then purchases or rents the set dressing.

Set Dresser

Art Department

• 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

Art Department

• In charge of finding and managing all the props used in the film. Usually has several assistants.

Standby Props

Art Department

• Work on set during the filming of a scene, overseeing the use of props, and monitoring their continuity. They are able to respond quickly to requests for moving props and fixtures and to help position actors, crew and equipment.

Props Builder

Art Department

• Props builders are technicians skilled in construction, plastics casting, machining & electronics.

Armourer

Art Department

• The armourer is a specialized props technician who deals with firearms.

Construction Coordinator/ Construction Manager

Art Department

• Orders materials, schedules the work, and supervises the construction crew of carpenters, painters and labourers

Key Scenic

Art Department

• Responsible for the surface treatments of the sets, including special paint treatments such as aging and gilding, simulating the appearance of wood, stone, brick, metal, etc

Greensman

Art Department

• Deals with the artistic arrangement or landscape design of plant material.

Format Settings

Located in a camera's set-up menu, these include:

• Resolution (HD, UHD, 2K, 4K, 8K)

• Aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, 1.85:1)

• Frame rate (24p, 30p, 60p, etc.)

These settings rarely change during a project and form the foundation

of your technical workflow.

Image Control Settings

Used to alter the look of the video image:

• White balance

• Gain/ISO

• ND filters

• Shutter speed

• Picture settings/gamma presets

Some are set once, while others change frequently during shooting.

Focal Length

What is it?

A lens’ focal length determines the degree of magnification or de-magnification of the scene.

• measured in millimeters and is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the sensor plane when focused at infinity

Angle?

Focal length determines the lens' angle of view (AOV), which means how much of the scene a given lens takes in horizontally and vertically.

• The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view and the more magnified the subject appears.

Lens Classifications:

three broad focal length classifications:

• wide angle (short lenses)

• normal (medium lenses)

• telephoto (long lenses)

• A normal lens approximates the same perspective that the human eye would see.

Longer lenses create shallower depth of field

Prime Lenses

A lens with one fixed focal length

• common in narrative production

• Many cinematographers favor prime lenses because:

  • Their simple design allows them to be made with few glass elements

  • they deliver maximum clarity with less chance for light loss

  • They are lighter than zoom lenses, making hand-holding easier

  • However, you need to physically change the lens every time you want a new focal length

Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses offer a continuous range of focal lengths in one lens housing

• They are constructed with a combination of fixed and movable lens elements

Zoom lenses are convenient, as they can offer a wide range of focal lengths in one lens.

However,

• they require many more glass elements compared to prime lenses

• more prone to light loss and optical aberrations

• generally heavier and bulkier

Focus

Focus occurs when light rays from a subject converge to form a sharply defined image on the camera's sensor plane. The focus ring precisely adjusts lens elements to achieve this sharp convergence

Rack Focus

• Rack focus means shifting the plane of critical focus between two static subjects along the z-axis.

• This technique is often used to direct the viewer's attention from one subject to another within the same shot.

  • For example, we might start with a character in the foreground in focus, then rack focus to reveal another character in the background, shifting the narrative emphasis.

Follow Focus

• Follow focus is used when your subject is moving along the z-axis either closer to or farther away from the camera, and you must adjust the plane of critical focus to follow your subject's progress.

• It's also used when the camera itself moves closer or further from a static subject, as with a dolly-in or dolly-out move. This requires setting precise markers for both the actor and focus puller.

• Follow focus should be done in one smooth movement, not in choppy adjustments, and can require a few rehearsals to get just right.

F-stop/ Aperture

The aperture is an adjustable opening inside the lens that controls how much light passes through to the sensor. It's measured in f-stops (like f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, etc.).

• Light Control

  • Each f-stop represents a doubling or halving of light. Opening up 1 stop (e.g., f/5.6 to f/4) allows in twice as much light. Closing down 1 stop (e.g., f/8 to f/11) cuts the light in half.

Depth of Field

When we set focus, there is always an area both in front of and behind the plane of focus that also appears to be in focus. This range of apparent focus along the z-axis is called the depth of field (DOF).

The relative depth or shallowness of this area is not fixed. It can be as shallow as a few inches or as deep as infinity depending on several variables:

Sensor size - Larger sensors create shallower depth of field

Aperture - Larger apertures (smaller f-numbers) create shallower depth

Focal length - Longer lenses create shallower depth of field

Focus distance - Closer focus creates shallower depth of field

White Balance

White balancing adjusts the sensor's color circuitry to match the color

temperature of the light source.

• you must white balance your camera each time you change location or lighting conditions

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed refers to the duration for which the camera's shutter remains open, allowing light to reach the sensor. Measured in fractions of a second (e.g., 1/1000s, 1/60s) or even full seconds, it directly controls the amount of time light is exposed to the film or sensor.

ND filters

Neutral density (ND) filters are gray filters that reduce the amount of light

passing through the lens when shooting in overly bright situations.

Key Benefits:

• Allows exposure control without changing f-stop

• Helps maintain narrow depth of field in bright conditions

• Prevents overexposure without affecting color

Shot Size

CU

• The Close Up Shot (CU) shows a detail of the overall subject or action (the head or hands if it is a person). Close ups of characters are a good way of engaging the audience into the character emotionally. As we get closer to the character, we begin to lose the background information, therefore emphasizing the subject, rather than the background.

MS

• The convention of the Medium Shot (MS),is (when framing a person) approximately half of their body is in shot, (from waist up). More subtle performances and detailed actions can be seen. The Medium Shot is a good framing for conversation scenes between characters, especially if hand movements are part of the performance.

LS

• The Long Shot (LS) shows the entire area where the action takes place. The whole subject is in frame.

Rule of Thirds

• the frame is divided into a (3 x 3) grid, placing subjects or key elements along the lines or at the four intersection points ("power points")

• This method creates a balanced, dynamic, and engaging shot, rather than simply centering the subject.

Depth of field

• controls the area of sharp focus within a frame, acting as a storytelling tool to direct viewer attention

• a shallow DOF (small f-stop) isolates subjects with a blurred background for intimacy

• a deep DOF (large f-stop) keeps the entire scene sharp, emphasizing environmental context

Lead Room

Lead room (or "nose room") is the cinematic composition technique of leaving empty space in front of a moving or stationary subject, providing visual "breathing room" in the direction they are looking or traveling. It guides the viewer’s eye, balances the frame, and creates a sense of anticipation or continuation of movement. [1, 2, 3]

Tilt

Camera Movements

• To pivot the camera vertically,

moving the lens up and down.

• Camera does not move from its

position on the tripod

Pan

Camera Movements

• To pivot the camera horizontally,

  moving the lens to the left (pan left) or to

  the right (pan right).

• camera does not move from its position on

  the tripod

Dolly/Truck

Camera Movements

• DOLLY: To move the camera and its dolly toward the subject (dolly in) or away from thetoward the subject (dolly in) or away from the subject (dolly out.)subject (dolly out.)

• TRUCK: To move the camera and its dolly to theTRUCK: To move the camera and its dolly to the left (truck left) or to the right (truck right).(truck left) or to the right (truck right).

• NOTE: The camera (and its tripod) is beingNOTE: The camera (and its tripod) is being

Track

Camera Movements

• a cinematic technique where the camera physically moves alongside, behind, or ahead of a subject, creating a fluid, immersive perspective

• example: the shot following Danny in The Shining while he rides his little scooter around the halls

Zoom

Camera Movements

Angled Up

• The camera is positioned above the subject looking down

• makes subject seem smaller

Angled Down

• the camera is positioned below the subject, looking up

• makes the subject seem larger

Angled Eye Level

• the camera is positioned at the same height as the subject's eyes, simulating a natural human perspective

• makes the subject seem natural/realistic

Condenser Mic

highly sensitive, detailed microphones used for studio-quality vocals, podcasting, and acoustic instruments, featuring a fast transient response and wide frequency range.

Dynamic Mic

rugged, versatile microphones that use a moving coil mechanism to capture sound, making them ideal for high-volume sources like live vocals, drums, and electric guitar amps.

Handheld Mic

a portable device designed to be held by hand or placed on a stand for capturing audio, most commonly used for live vocals, public speaking, and interviews

Lavalier Mic

miniature, wearable microphones used for hands-free audio recording in film, television, interviews, and public speaking

Boom Mic

a specialized microphone mounted on a pole (or boom arm) positioned just out of the camera's frame, designed to capture clear audio from a distance in film, TV, and broadcasting

Directional Light

has a precise beam that causes harsh shadows, such as the light produced by the Sun, flashlights, and the headlights of a car

Diffused Light

The beam spreads out quickly, illuminating a large area because these lights seem to come from all directions, it has no clearly defined shadows. Such is the lighting produced by the sun on an overcast day or a foggy day, which is similar to fluorescent lighting. This light is used to minimize harsh shadows on the face.

Light Intensity

• Light intensity is how much light falls on an object.

• Baselight refers to the overall light intensity in a room. It is the minimum light level needed to capture an image.

• The intensity of the light is measured in foot-candles: Light of 1 candle - 1 sq. foot area at 1 foot away

Contrast

is the difference between the brightest and darkest spots in a video picture.

Light: Dark

150:1 indicates that the brightest part is 150 times brighter than the darkest one

Attached Shadow

They are affixed to the object.

Attached shadows help us perceive the form and texture of an object.

Cast Shadow

They are independent of the object causing them.

Cast shadows tell us where things are and when the event took place.

Spotlight

It produces a sharp, directional light beam.

They cause a fast falloff

Floodlights

Produce general, nondirectional illumination.

They cause a slow falloff.

Shadow Falloff

Falloff: indicates the degree of change from light to shadow. It refers to the “speed” with which light

areas turn into shadow areas.

Fast falloff: indicates a sharp edge or corner. It can also indicate a high contrast.

Slow falloff shows a more continuous change, implying a curved object.

Three Point Lighting

• Key light: Main source of

light. Motivational light.

• Fill light: Its purpose is to

fill in the shadows.

• Backlight: Separates the

figure from the background. Often creates a rim of light around the subject.

Script

• Blueprint for Filmmaking

  • A script is to filmmaking as a blueprint is to shipbuilding. It tells each production team member exactly how to fulfill their job, depicting the moment-to-moment progression of events.

• Score for Performance

  • Like a musical score tells musicians what, when, and how loudly to play, a script dictates what the audience will see and hear throughout the film.

• Unfinished Work

  • Unlike a novel or poem, the script is only part of the media-making process. It has no inherent literary value other than as a guide from which a film is created.

Elements of the script

• Fade In

• Scene Heading

  • general location

  • specific location

  • time of day

• Subheaders

• Action Lines

• Speaking Character

• Dialogue

Three-Act Formula

Beginning (Setup)

• Someone wants something and takes action

Middle (Development)

• Meets with obstacles that create conflict and lead to a climax

End (Resolution)

• Conflict is resolved and the story concludes