FAQ About Film Production — 1 Action Movie Makers Training
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Action Movie makers training © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 1 Action Movie makers training FAQ About Film Production By Philippe Deseck July 2016 Content • About the Author • What is a Producer? • What is an Executive Producer? • What is a Line Producer? • What is a Supervising Producer? • What is a Co-Producer? • What is a Director? • What is a Unit Production Manager? • What is a 2nd Unit Director? • What is an Action Director? • What is an Assistant Director? • What is a Director of Photography? • What is a Script Supervisor? © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 2 Action Movie makers training • What is Sound Recordist? • What is a Video Split Operator? • What is a Key Grip? • What is a Gaffer? • What is a Safety Supervisor? • What is a Stunt Coordinator? • What is a Stunt Double? • What is a Stunt Rigger? • What is a Choreographer? • When is a Stunt Co-ordinator required on your Production? • An Example of all the Different Departments that work on a Feature Film © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 3 Action Movie makers training About the Author IMDB PROFILE: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3455222/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Since a very young age Philippe has had a love for movies, particularly action movies from Hong Kong. Since 1994 Philippe has been actively involved in film, TV and radio whilst living in Thailand. Philippe’s movie credits include Street Fighter - where he was first introduced to stunt man Ronnie Vreeken, Operation Dumbo Drop and The Quest - where he met stunt man Alex Kuzelicki. During the filming of these movies Philippe had the pleasure of working with the Thai stunt coordinator Kawee 'Seng' Sirikanerat, who’s work on The Beach and Rambo IV is highly regarded. Having lived in Thailand for over 5 years, Philippe has trained in Muay Thai, Tae kwon Do and Thai weapon training. After living in Thailand, Philippe moved to Belgium and the UK where he started his own Video Production Company. Having the urge to become an Action Director, Philippe moved to Australia in 2001 where he worked and trained with some of the © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 4 Action Movie makers training best stunt performers and coordinators in Australia. Some of his credits include The Great Raid, At World’s End, Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Iron Sky and The Killer Elite where he worked with Jason Statham and Robert Di Nero. Most recently he has doubled Todd Williams on San Andreas and worked on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales and Kong: Skull Island. His involvement in the film industry has also allowed Philippe to acquire camera and editing skills, essential for filmmaking and performing. Consequently, Philippe has filmed and edited well over one hundred action scenes. Philippe is graded as an Assistant Stunt Coordinator and has also been instructing Stunt Fighting and Stage Combat at the New York Film Academy Australia since it’s conception and has started his own company Action Movie Makers where he teaches actors and stunt performers the Art of Shooting and Performing Action. Philippe’s dream is to work with Donnie Yen, whose work he has admired from a very young age. © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 5 Action Movie makers training FAQ About Film Productions There is often a lot of confusion as to who is doing what on a film set. In order to shed some light on the matter, here are some definitions of job descriptions on a film pro- duction. What is a Producer? Film producers fill a variety of roles depending upon the type of producer. Either employed by a production company or independent, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting script, coordinating writing, di- recting and editing, and arranging financing. During the "discovery stage", the produc- er finds and acknowledges promising material. Then, unless the film is supposed to be based on an original script, the producer has to find an appropriate screenwriter. For various reasons, producers cannot always supervise all of the production. In this case, the main producer may appoint executive producers, line producers, or unit production managers who represent the main producer's interests. The producer has the last word on whether sounds or music have to be changed, including deciding if scenes have to be cut. They are in charge of selling the film or arranging distribution rights as well. The producer's role can vary significantly from project to project, based on the circumstances and funding. They generally are in charge of things like hiring staff, creating filming schedules, checking and approving locations, and much more. What is an Executive Producer? Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial en- tertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be con- cerned with management accounting or with associated legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In films, the executive producer generally contributes to the film's budget and usually does not work on set, in contrast to most other producers. In films, an executive producer finances the film or participates in the creative effort, but does not work on the set. His/her responsibilities vary from funding or attracting © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 6 Action Movie makers training investors into the movie project to legal, scripting, marketing, advisory and supervis- ing capacities. The crediting of executive producers in the film industry has risen over time. In the mid-to-late 1990s, there were an average of just under two executive producers per film. In 2000, the number jumped to 2.5 (more than the number of standard "produc- ers"). In 2013, there were an average of 4.4 executive producers per film, compared with 3.2 producers. What is a Line Producer? A line producer is a type of film producer who is the key manager during daily opera- tions of a feature film, advertisement film, television film, or an episode of a TV pro- gram. A line producer works on one film at a time. They are responsible for human resources and manages the staff and day-to-day operations, and the overseeing of each and every physical aspect that is involved in the making of a film or television program. The line producer can be credited as "produced by" in certain cases. What is a Supervising Producer? A supervising producer supervises the creative process of screenplay development and often aids in script re-writes. They can also serve in place of the Executive pro- ducers' role of overseeing other producers. What is a Co-Producer? A co-producer is a part of a team of producers that perform all of the functions and roles that a single producer would have in a single given project. What is a Director? A movie director is a storyteller who needs a lot of people, equipment, creativity and planning to bring his story to a movie audience. And in the process, the director has to hold on to the vision while dealing with temperamental artists, union contract re- © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 7 Action Movie makers training quirements, uncooperative weather, studio time, budget demands and a handful of other uncontrollable uncertainties. While directing a movie can lead to a shiny Oscar, it also means taking on a lot of re- sponsibility. Simply put, a director is responsible for a film's overall vision. He has final responsibility for the actors, the shots, the script, the props, the editing and much more. In addition to being in charge, taking many roles and turning the vision of the story into a movie, a director needs to be flexible enough to deal with unexpected chal- lenges and open to suggestions from cast and crew that could make the movie better. The rewards are great for directors who can manage movie-making chaos and tell their stories well. Directors are usually paid 10 percent of a film’s gross earnings, blockbusters that bring in $200 million or more can return a healthy cash reward for their directors. But the first step to fame and fortune, or at least a career as a movie director, is get- ting your foot in the door. And that takes education, experience and persistence. What is a Unit Production Manager? A unit production manager (UPM) is the DGA (Directors Guild of America) approved title for the top below-the-line staff position, responsible for the administration of a feature film or television production. Non-DGA productions might call it the produc- tion manager or production supervisor. They work closely with the line producer. Sometimes the line producer is the UPM. A senior producer may assign a UPM more than one production at a time. A UPM is usually hired by a film producer or television producer, and is responsible for managing the production and regulating the costs of delivering the expected film or television show on budget at the end of principal photography. Based on a shooting script, the UPM will create a working budget during pre-produc- tion, prior to the start of principal photography, thereby charting a recommended budgetary course. Typically, a producer will oversee all the cost-related decisions, in- cluding above-the-line expenditures (especially during pre-production). However, the UPM is responsible for the more detailed planning and execution of the below-the- line costs (primarily for physical production). © 2016 FAQ About Film Production — www.actionmoviemakerstraining.com 8 Action Movie makers training What is a 2nd Unit Director? While the director is in charge of his or her movie set, chances are he or she doesn't have a background in stunt work.