Who is Who in a Video Production Crew?

If you’re planning to work with a video production crew, being aware of the roles on the team beforehand will make the production process a lot smoother for you.

Each video crew operates differently and the responsibilities can change from project to project but there’s a typical structure you can see in every crew. In this post, we’ll the major roles based on the ones at Sublight.

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Pre-production

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Director

The director, or video director, leads the production and controls the vision.

They have expert knowledge of filming from camerawork to script writing. 

Whether it is a set of videos for an ad campaign or a short explainer video, the film director is responsible for the overall artistic and dramatic feel of the visual presentation. They instruct the technical crew and talent to produce the best video content possible.

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Creative director

Leading the advertising and marketing department of the agency, the creative director works closely with the creative team to build the strategic plan for delivering the vision of the client.

Their ultimate duty is to ensure that the messaging and the visual experience of the video are on point. 

They are instrumental in managing client relationships. Plus, it is their responsibility to establish budgets and timelines. 

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Art director

The art director is responsible for the visual elements of the video production. 

Their number one duty is to decide on what types of sets and settings will serve the production best.

They design props, sets, and color schemes while collaborating with the producer and film director to create the mood of the video according to the concept.

Moreover, they assign tasks to designers and other team members while making sure the team is holding an accurate visual image.

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Copywriter

The copywriter on the video team writes scripts and lines including headlines and catchphrases for the video. Their job is to ensure that the textual content is top-notch and complements the visual experience so well that it makes the viewer to take action.

Besides, as they are experts in marketing psychology and advertising, they help the producer and creative director with concept creation.

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Storyboard artist

Storyboard artists help create a visual representation of the video’s narrative.

Their number one role is to translate the script and the director’s vision into a visual form. They plan the shots while focusing on ensuring continuity between them. And they accomplish that by producing a series of panels of images.

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Location scout

There’s no live-action without the location scout. Their job is to find the best locations for the video and particular scenes before shooting would take place.

Location scouts review the script with the production manager, director, and copywriter, to make sure they are fully in line with the project’s vision. 

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Production

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Producer

The producer is the engine of the entire video project. They manage the production process from pre-production to post-production, making sure that the project objectives and the high expectations of the client are met. 

They put together the crew members who can execute the project best. 

Also, the concept creation process relies heavily on them. 

Being the initial contact for the video project, the producer is responsible for communicating with the client and translating their requests into doable tasks for the crew.

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Assistant director

The assistant director is responsible for running the set during production.

They are the point of contact between the director and other crew members. They make the shooting schedule and shot lists, coordinating with all departments. It is also their responsibility to break down each scene and establish the requirements for executing on that scene.

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Production assistant

Production assistants ensure things run smoothly on set.

You can find them doing all sorts of tasks, such as printing and distributing scripts, running errands for directors and producers, and getting snacks to team members.

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Director of photography

The director of photography is the heart of photographic production.

Working closely with the director, they discuss the look and feel of the film after reading the screenplay. They coordinate the crew, ensure the equipment is working, and test special lenses and filter.

These professionals are deeply knowledgeable about cameras, composition, lighting, and film history.

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Camera operator

Camera operators are responsible for physically controlling the camera equipment both in studio and on location.

Their equipment includes mobile mounts, cranes, portable cameras, remote-controlled cameras, and digital cameras. They closely work with the Director to bring the overall vision of the video project to life.

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Digital imaging technician

The duty of the digital imaging technician is to make sure that the production achieves the creative goals of the director of photography while optimizing digital image quality.

Data management from set to editorial suite is also their job, they’re the link between production and postproduction.  

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Gaffer

Gaffers are chief lighting technicians and head of the electrical department on set.

They are responsible for leading a team of lighting technicians to execute the lighting plan for a production.

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Sound engineer

It is the sound engineer’s responsibility to ensure that a video project has high-quality sound.

They mix, amplify, record, and reproduce sound, music, and voices to elevate the effect of actions and movements in the video by combining their acoustic knowledge with technical skills. 

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Audio technician

The audio technician is responsible for maintaining and assembling the technical equipment used to record and reproduce sound for the video. 

They also monitor and adjust audio levels during the recording session, while communicating directly with the film director.

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Talent

Talent is the people who are performing on screen. They can be actors or influencers the producer hires for the projects, but employees are also often featured in video content these days as more and more businesses want to emphasize the human side of their brand.

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Wardrobe stylists

The duty of a wardrobe stylist is more than simply choosing the best outfits for talent. These professionals play an important role in bringing the vision of the creative director and producer to life. They make sure that people on screen look according to the concept. 

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Hair and makeup artists

The hair and makeup artist applies theatrical makeup and create hair designs for talent based on the concept.

They are professionals with artistic skills in the beauty industry who can pull off a wide variety of looks. They work with the production crew on set and ensure that everyone’s face and hair look flawless on screen - it also involves doing makeup fixes during shooting.

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Post-production

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3D artist

The 3D artist creates photo-realistic 3D models of products or environments using their high level of skills and rich imagination.

They can literally bring to life anything you visualize, in the form of a rendered image or an aminated video.

B2B advertising often requires animation solutions as they allow you to showcase product details and processes that are invisible to the naked eye. And the 3D artist can make it happen.

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Compositor

Video production involves special effects, video editing, graphic design - and more. And bringing all these areas together to deliver the project's message can be challenging. That’s where the compositor steps in.

The compositor makes sure that the visual elements of the video are in perfect harmony.

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Colorist

The colorist’s job begins in the post-production phase. After the video is recorded, the footage is sent to these professionals to design the video’s color scheme, which is a deal-breaker in evoking a specific mood or style. In other words, the visual experience you want to achieve.

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Composer

What else could reflect emotions and communicate atmosphere better than music – besides visual signs, of course?

Composers are key members to production. They compose unique music for the video after the storyboard is edited and soundtrack are created, making the video content look and sound original. They know how to navigate the preferences of the various genres in the video sector.

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Sound designer

Sound designers collect, edit, and create sound effects, ambient effects, and even music for the video. Being on the sound hunt, they do a ton of search through audio libraries. And when there’s no sound that fits the goal of the project, they create the sound they are looking for.

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Ready to add video to your promotions? We can’t wait to hear your ideas for your campaign. Book a call with us to discuss how we can help you turn your vision into a winning video!

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