Your Guide to Video Crew Positions

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Pre-Production Crew
• Production Crew
• Post-Production Crew
• Conclusion

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Introduction

Let’s face it: We all underestimated the work that goes into creating a video. All you need is a camera, right? Maybe that's all you need for a personal video, but a quality marketing video is a different story entirely. You need to consider budget, equipment, lighting, sound, continuity errors, on-camera talent, and so much more. That is a lot for one person to figure out all on their own! Luckily, video making is a collaborative effort among multiple people with multiple roles, so there are plenty of people to help you have a smooth filming process and a clean finished product.

But how can you tell who you really need to get the video you want? What do all these people even do?

There once was a time where I was new to the process as well, and all of these questions had unknown answers. I did not own my first video camera until I was 22 years old. It was a Canon 70 D, and I remember shooting anything and everything to figure out how to use it. I never thought I would build a career in the video production industry, but seven years later, here I am with a marketing agency that has a full-service video production department. Along that journey, I discovered the importance of each crew member.

Now, as Force Media’s founder with 10 years of marketing experience, I am here to explain each video crew position to help get your video the crew it needs to find results.

• Disclaimer: The info I share today is going to focus on creating videos in the marketing and commercial industry. These roles can also apply to movies or TV shows, but there are typically more people on set as they are larger productions.

Now, let’s dive into the crew members needed for each stage of production: pre-production, production, and post-production. For more information on these stages, be sure to check out our previous video blog post “How Much Will Videos Cost You?” 

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Pre-Production Crew

What is Pre-Production?

Pre-production stage of filming is where marketing video crew members figure out how to most effectively benefit your business through the video they are about to make. Everyone decides on video concept, look/feel and style, the script, location and set design, and all the other details involved with how the actual video is going to look, sound, and perform. Every role in this process is critical to keeping you on track to getting the finished product you want at the cost you need. 

Video Crew Positions for Pre-Production

Typically, the pre-production stage of video making requires the following crew members:

• Director
• Creative Director
• Director of Photography
• Producers
• Gaffers
• Sound Mixer
• Set Decorator
• Script Writer
• Assistant Director

What Do Video Crew Positions Do For Pre-Production?

The director is the person in charge of the entire video shoot. They work with all department heads to make sure each person is bringing the vision to life accurately. This entails constant communication between the team and the client.

The creative director is the person with an artistic and aesthetic vision for how the video should look. In the pre-production stage, this means communicating with the client and getting a general image in their head to plan for production.

The director of photography, also known as the DP, is the one who practically executes the director’s vision by directing the camera, lights, etc. In the pre-production stage, they are responsible for brainstorming with the other directors to create a shot list and working with the producers to determine what shots are possible within the budget. 

Producers create the budget of the production and ensure that production operates within this budget. In the pre-production stage, they assist in practical planning and create a schedule to follow during production.

‍Gaffers are those in charge of electrical equipment, namely lights. In the pre-production stage, they work with the directors and the producer to determine what lighting equipment is needed and how much it will cost.

The sound mixer is responsible for all sound department on set. In the pre-production stage, they are responsible for selecting the proper recording equipment and understanding the environment in which they will record to produce the highest quality sound possible.

The set decorator is responsible for any dressing or artistic requests for the video’s sets. In the pre-production stage, they are responsible for communicating with the director and client to see what is needed and planning accordingly.

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

The script writer is mostly responsible for coming up with what the on-screen talent will say. In the event of a more cinematic video, the script writer will also be responsible for determining the general story and plot.

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

The assistant director is responsible for making sure that production follows the producer’s schedule. For the pre-production stage, this means crafting call sheets that list when each crew and cast member needs to arrive on set. If cast and crew arrive too early, budget funds will be wasted paying people who have nothing to do yet. If they arrive too late, the schedule will be delayed, which will cost even more money!

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Production Crew

What is Production?

Production stage of filming is where our professional crew of directors, camera operators, talent, sound engineers, and gaffers do what they do best: film a great video. This is the fun part!

Video Crew Positions for Production

Typically, the production stage of video making requires the following crew members:

• Director
• Director of Photography
• Assistant Director
• Camera Operator
• Gaffers
• Sound Tech
• On-Camera Talent
• Extras
• Set Decorator
• Script Supervisor

What Do Video Crew Positions Do For Production?

During production, the director is responsible for ensuring the visual success of the video. Oftentimes, they are the ones who give the approval to each department that is needed to start rolling. They work directly with the on-camera talent and client.

During production, the director of photography brings the director’s vision to life by giving specific directions to those in charge of the lights, sound, camera, etc. They need to have a great understanding of the electrical equipment on set to efficiently perform this role. 

During production, the assistant director keeps everyone on the producer’s schedule, rounds up misplaced cast and crew, and ensures that everyone is there at their call time. Time is money!

The camera operator is responsible for, well, operating the camera. With knowledge of the proper settings and functions of the camera, they listen to the DP’s instructions and get everything filmed!

During production, gaffers ensure that the lighting is just right to match the director’s vision and handle expensive equipment with care. 

While the camera operator captures all of the sights, the sound tech is responsible for capturing any audio with the proper recording equipment.

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

On-camera talent include any “actors” that will be in the video, whether scripted or unscripted. The director works with them to ensure their line delivery is just right, especially if the video is scripted. 

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

Extras are any on-camera talent that either have no spoken lines or very few compared to others, like all of the people in crowd shots in films. They can be a great way to show satisfied customers or commercial success of the business being shown. 

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

During production, the set decorator is responsible for decorating the set as they planned in pre-production. This could be arranging props, hanging posters, etc. to make it look just like the kind of place customers want to do business with.

• Note: this role may not be necessary depending on the type of project you have.

Finally, the on-set notetaker! The script supervisor is responsible for marking whether a take was good or not and noting continuity errors to make editing easier in post-production. 

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Post-Production Crew

What is Post-Production?

The post-production stage of filming is where editors stitch together video and audio footage into a stunning finished product. Now that filming has wrapped, most of the previously-mentioned cast and crew are no longer needed on the project. At this point, it all comes down to the editors.

Video Crew Positions for Post-Production

The crew needed for this final stage is extremely condensed to where the only ones actively involved are the:

• Editors
• Director
• Creative Director
• Producers

See? We really weren't kidding!

What Do Video Crew Positions Do For Post-Production?

‍The editors are responsible for putting everything together. Using the script supervisor’s notes, the editors arrange the footage into a cohesive, completed product. This may also include final touches, such as color corrections, sound design, green screen replacements, or animations depending on the project.

The director, creative director, and producers work directly with the editors to ensure that the vision is still intact and the editing is being done in a timely manner.

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Conclusion

Key takeaways:

• Pre-production is the planning stage of filming where the directors, producers, gaffers, sound mixers, set decorators, and script writers construct the vision for the project.
• Production is where the directors, camera operator, gaffers, sound tech, on-camera talent, extras, set decorator, and script supervisor work together to bring the vision to life before the cameras.
• Post-production begins once the cameras stop rolling and the editors piece together the footage with the supervision of the directors and producers.

Depending on the size of the shoot, team members might have one specific job or multiple. For example, the director could also be a producer and help with the script writing. The DP can also be the camera operator and producer. A producer could also be on camera talent and a script supervisor! Regardless of who does what, though, every necessary role should be covered.

The good news is that it is not your job to hire every position on your own. If you hire a production company like Force Media, we have this crew all ready for you. All you would have to do is sit back and watch your vision come to life!

Interested in seeing what our team can offer? Please fill out this application link, and our team will review your application and get in touch with you within 24 hours. 

There you have it! Now you know all about what crew members are needed at each stage of the video-making process and why they are needed. Thank you for reading, and we look forward to introducing you to our crew!

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