{"id":61099,"date":"2015-08-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=61099"},"modified":"2015-11-11T14:37:58","modified_gmt":"2015-11-11T20:37:58","slug":"camera-crew-breakdown-jobs-and-responsibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/camera-crew-breakdown-jobs-and-responsibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Camera Crew Breakdown: Jobs and Responsibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

A film production’s\u00a0camera crew is responsible for setting up and using the camera. Here are the responsibilities of each crew member.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The camera is the most important tool on set. Without a camera, there is no movie. The director<\/strong> is in charge of a film set. The senior creative crew member after the director<\/strong> is the director of photography<\/strong>, who will achieve the look of the film using the various departments they manage. Among those departments is\u00a0the camera crew.<\/p>\n

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Director of Photography<\/h3>\n

\"Camera<\/p>\n

Image: Director of Photography Roger Deakins<\/a> on set of Skyfall<\/a>,\u00a0via filmmakeriq.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The director of photography<\/strong> (DP<\/strong> or DoP<\/strong>)\u00a0manages the camera department, lighting department, electrical, and grips.<\/strong> \u00a0They are the chief of the camera crew. The film’s director<\/strong> will tell the DP<\/strong> how they want a shot to look. They will then work with these\u00a0departments to choose cameras, lenses, filters, shot composition, light design and\u00a0setup, and any necessary gear.<\/p>\n

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Camera Operator<\/h3>\n

\"Camera<\/p>\n

Image: Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki<\/a>,\u00a0via tasteofcinema.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The camera operator<\/strong>, or cameraman<\/strong>, is the person who actually operates<\/em>\u00a0the camera. They are the person behind the lens and controlling the camera. This position varies on every set and for every shot. A director<\/strong> may assume this position for certain shots, but the director of photography is typically the camera operator<\/strong>. When a DP<\/strong> is the cameraman<\/strong>, they are typically referred to as a cinematographer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cinematographer<\/strong> and director of photography <\/strong>are used interchangeably.\u00a0The director of photography in the credits is the chief cinematographer. The best DPs are invited to be part of the American Society of Cinematographers<\/a> (ASC).<\/span><\/p>\n

If the DP\u00a0has assigned\u00a0another person to run the camera, or if multiple cameras are being used at once, the other cameramen are simply called\u00a0camera operators<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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First Assistant Camera (1st AC, Focus Puller, Assistant Cameraman, B Camera)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Camera<\/p>\n

Image: 1st AC\u00a0Larry Nielsen<\/a> via NPR<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The first assistant camera<\/strong> is in charge of the camera department. During a shoot, the 1st AC\u00a0<\/strong>is responsible for keeping the camera in focus. This gave rise to the name focus puller<\/strong>. They are in charge of the maintenance and care of all cameras. During pre-production, the 1st AC will go to rental houses to test gear and make sure everything is ready on schedule.<\/p>\n

On-set, the 1st AC\u00a0<\/strong>will build the camera, swap lenses, and move it from shot to shot. They are also responsible for updating the dope sheet<\/strong>. The dope sheet is a camera report that lists scenes that have already been shot. If shooting on film stock, the list will also contain the contents of each exposed reel.<\/p>\n

Most notably, the 1st AC should not look through a lens<\/strong>. They must be able to keep focus by paying attention to the distance between a subject and the camera.<\/p>\n

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Second Assistant Camera (2nd AC, Camera Loader, Clapper Loader)<\/h3>\n