Hollywood Credits

[With thanks to Danny Low, Mike Palmer, and others]

1. Who are all the people found on a movie set?

Producer:
   The boss in all matters save the creative efforts of the director.
   Key jobs are raising the millions necessary to make the movie, hiring 
   the key personnel, and distribution of the film.
Director:
   The principal creative artist on a film set, the supervisor of the
   work done by the actors, writers, and technicians.  On large-scale
   adventure epics, you may see a Second Unit Director who is in charge
   of large crowd scenes or battle sequences that did not involve the
   principle actors.  Many directors get their start this way; Nicholas
   Roeg was Second Unit Director for LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.
Continuity:
   Responsible for keeping track of the precise positions of actors and
   props so that no movement or change is detected between camera shots.
   If an actor has a cigarette in his/her mouth from one angle, it should
   be there in the next shot at the very same angle.
First assistant director:
   Director's "right-hand man," s/he handles various mundane matters and
   is usually the one to yell "Quiet on the set!"
Second assistant director:
   Handles even more mundane matters and oversees the comings and goings
   of the cast.
Third assistant director:
   See "gofer" (below).
Actors:
   They act (most of the time :-).

Electrical Department:
 Lighting crew:
   Technicians who operate the photographic lights on the set.
 Best boy:
   The second-in-command among set electricians (a sort of
   apprenticeship).  So called because s/he's the best boy in the eyes
   of the boss (the gaffer).  Many technical terms such as this come
   down from stage tradition, which, in turn, come from the English
   theater.  There apparently is also a tie to early sailing and
   whaling crews, because sailors were often employed to set up and
   work riggings in theaters.  (Women are also called "best boys";
   there are no "best girls.")

 Gaffer:
   Old English expression for "old man," the chief electrician.
   Often the gaffers must work closely with the grips (see below).

Sound Crew:
 Boom operator:
   Operates the long pole, or boom, which has a mike attached.
 Maintenance engineer:
   In charge of maintenance and repair.
 Sound mixer:
   Monitors and mixes dialogue, sound effects, music and other sounds.
 Sound assistant:
   Assists the maintenance engineer, mixer and others of the sound crew.
 Composer:
   Composes theme music and various musical motifs that support the
   story.  Usually done after the film is shot.
 Music supervisor:
   Works with the composer, editor and sound mixer.
 Foley [Operator]:
   The foley operators walk.  When you see people walking on wet
   cobblestones or running along the beach, you're hearing the foley
   operators walking and running in a (relatively) small pit on similar
   kinds of surfaces in time with the action that they're watching on
   the screen.  They also do other sound enhancements.

Camera Crew:
 Clapper-loader:
   Person who handles the clapboard that is loudly "clapped" at the
   beginning of every shot.  This serves two purposes: what was written
   on the slate serves as a label for the strip of film, and when the board
   claps, you can tell it on both the soundtrack and the visual track,
   hence the two can be perfectly synchronized.  Supposedly nowadays there
   are electronic devices to synchronize the sound and visual track so the
   clapper is less needed.  Also responsible for loading film magazines
   into the camera.

 Operator:
   Operates the camera to specifications dictated by the director of
   photography.
 Director of photography:
   Works with the director in determining camera placement, lighting
   and other photographic matters.
 Focus puller:
   Keeps the scene in focus despite changes in distances.
 Grip:
   A grip is a general purpose handyman on a set.  S/he does things like
   lay dolly tracks, builds scaffolding and platforms, cleans up, etc.
   Typically there will be ten or fifteen on a film.  The supervisor of
   this group, and the person the filmmakers deal with most directly, is
   called the key grip.  The term apparently derives from the fact that
   these employees must have a firm and steady grip on the items they're
   moving.  Often the grips must work closely with the gaffers.
 Key grip:
   The No. 1 grip on the set.  Doubles as both a construction manager
   and back-up to the camera crew.

Publicity Department:
 Publicity director:
   Promote the film.
 Publicity assistant:
   Ditto.
 Stills photographer:
   Take still photographs, often alongside the movie camera to be used
   in promotions.

Script Department:
 Writer:
   Create the script from which the film is made.
 Script editor:
   Work with the writer helping refine the screen play.
 Prompter:
   Feeds lines to actors if they forget dialogue.

Production Crew:
 Production manager:
   Oversees the practical matters of ordering equipment, getting
   near-location accommodations for cast and crew, etc.
 Gofer:
   The most menial individual on the set though s/he's often referred
   to as a third assistant director.
 Prop assistant:
   Responsible for various necessary props in a scene.

Art Department:
 Production designer:
   Oversees art department in the design and construction of sets.
 Production buyer:
   Orders the various supplies and equipment necessary.
 Special effects supervisor:
   Oversees the creation of a variety of special movie tricks.
 Draftsman:
   Creates the plans for set construction.
 Art director:
   Oversees the artists and craftsmen who are building sets.
 Set director:
   The art director's assistant in designing and constructing the sets.

2. What does the term "cameo" mean when an actor does a cameo role?

A cameo is a very small role that normally would be too small for the actor.
Check out THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER which has lots and lots of big name
actors in cameo roles.  The origin of the word is recent.  It appears to have
originally been used in TV episodes when a movie star would make a brief
appearance on a show as a favor to someone on the show.  This was when TV work
was very much looked down upon by movie actors.  The credits would list 'cameo
appearances' by the actors.  While there is a valid word 'cameo', the use of
this word with this meaning appears to be totally made up.

3. When was film X made?  Who starred in film Y?  Is film Z available
on videocassette?

See question 4.

4. Where can I find answers to questions like these?

Anyone who at least occasionally asks him/herself questions about film
should know about two basic, relatively cheap, reference books.

Leonard Maltin's annual TV MOVIES AND VIDEO GUIDE is available in almost all
bookstores.  It lists over 15,000 movies, giving year, length, a star
rating, the director, the case, and a short description of the film, all
for under $10.  There are similar books by others as well.

Ephraim Katz's THE FILM ENCYCLOPEDIA is a mammoth reference book available in
many bookstores as a trade paperback.  Barring that, Halliwell's FILMGOER'S
COMPANION is nearly as complete, but it costs a little more.