Essentially everyone working on a movie production is hired by the day. The duration of involvement ranges from the background extra who works one day to the writer(s), producer(s), and director whose run exceeds two years or more. As a camera operator, I'm contracted for that day and can be fired at any time. It's a wacky business and people actually get fired the last week of a movie that's been in production for months.

The director is the final word on the set in regard to creative choices. Occasionally he can be overruled by a producer, but usually only on issues of time and money. The 1st assistant director is the time manager and expeditor who is always looking to the next shot, the next day, the next week. Second assistant directors help the first by paying particular attention to movement and scheduling of actors and crew. The director of photography works closest with the director to create the images. His camera operator helps design and execute shots, the camera assistants facilitate the technically detailed world of the camera equpipment and film inventory / processing. The gaffer and key grip head the two branches of the crew labor (grips and electricians) that build, move, improvise and operate the equipment that make cinematography possible. Makeup and hair put in some of the longest hours equalled only by costumers. Props and set dressers, script supervisor, craft service, production assistants all fill in the gaps and make the impossible possible.

Ultimately, everyone who works on a movie is there to service the project, even the Director. It’s not that some people on and off set have more responsibility than others, it’s that everyone has different responsibilities as they all work together to create a final product. There is a far more detailed description of what everyone on set actually does and how the departments interact in the book WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO: ON SET IN HOLLYWOOD, but here is a simplistic summary to start… While there is no specific hierarchy that carries directly from “top to bottom,” each department has a hierarchy that more or less follows from “entry level” to “department head.” The “set” departments can be categorized like this: TALENT SUPPORT TALENT Actor Studio Teacher STUNTS Stunt Coordinator Stunt Performer WARDROBE Costume Designer Costume Supervisor Costumer HAIR Hair Stylist MAKEUP Makeup Artist PROPERTY Property Master Props Assistant DIRECTOR'S UNIT Producer Unit Production Manager Director Script Supervisor First Assistant Director Second Assistant Director DGA Trainee Production Assistant CAMERA DEPARTMENT Director of Photography (Digital Imaging Technician) Camera Operator First Camera Assistant Second Camera Assistant Loader GRIP DEPARTMENT Key Grip Best Boy Grip Dolly Grip Grip ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT Gaffer Best Boy Electrician Electrician SOUND DEPARTMENT Sound Mixer Boom Operator Cable Puller SPECIAL EFFECTS Special Effects Technician SETS Production Designer Art Director Leadman On Set Dresser On Set Painter Greensman Location Manager PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT Unit Publicist Unit Still Photographer Behind-the-Scenes/EPK/DVD Producer Behind-the-Scenes/EPK/DVD Cameraman Behind-the-Scenes/EPK/DVD Audio CAST & CREW SUPPORT Transportation Transportation Coordinator Transportation Captain Driver Crafts Service On Set Medic Brian Dzyak Cameraman/Author IATSE Local 600, SOC http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com