Romy Sommer's Blog, page 6

Behind the Scenes 8: The Lighting Department

What the heck is a Gaffer?

The Gaffer is the head of the Lighting department, also often known as the Electrical department. The quaint job title comes from the archaic English name for 'the old man'. (Lord of the Rings fans will remember that Sam Gamgee called his father the Old Gaffer).

Until quite recently film technicians were highly unionised and the only way to get a union card was to be invited in by an existing member. As a result, sons followed their fathers into the business and a lighting team could consist of an entire family, with the Old Man at its head! Check out modern movie credits and you'll still see the same surname feature quite frequently.

Another version has the name Gaffer deriving from ship's gaff poles and claims that the earliest lighting technicians on film sets were off-duty sailors, or that the first sound stages had canvas roofs that were opened and closed with large gaffing hooks (fishing hooks) to control the amount of light entering the stage. I prefer my explanation!

The Gaffer works closely with the Cinematographer and determines which lights to use to create certain effects or moods, the strength, size and position of each light, as well as making adjustments throughout the scene for cloud cover or the brightness of the sun.

He should be a certified electrician, since his responsibilities not only include designing pretty lighting effects, but also maintaining the electrical equipment and ensuring health and safety for everyone in the film unit.

The Best Boy is the second in command in the team, the Gaffer's right hand man (and on very rare occasions right hand woman). He's the foreman, in charge of the team's logistics, such as ordering equipment, scheduling the team, keeping time-sheets and liaising with Production, as well as over-seeing teh rigging of lights and cables.

Spark with Checkerboard reflectorThe majority of the team, the workers, are lighting electricians known by the nick-name of Sparks. These are the junior electricians who do the manual labour of carrying and rigging lights, laying cables, placing trace or gels over the lights, hanging black-out cloths etc.

The Generator Operator (most commonly called the Genny Op) does ... well, that's fairly self-explanatory, isn't it?

Generators are necessary no matter where the film unit is shooting, whether it be a game reserve with no access to power, or a surburban house. Since film lights require a huge amount of power, it would be hugely unfair to expect the location owner to foot the power bill - and might even blow the house power! The film lights also need to be matched to the generator (eg, single phase or double phase) and all the connectors and cables also need to match.

The Genny Op's duties also include ensuring the generator has enough fuel to keep running so the entire film unit isn't stranded in the middle of nowhere without power.

Finally, Rigging Electricians are the electricians who move ahead of the main film unit, laying cables and positioning lights for the next scene while the main unit is still shooting elsewhere. Not every shoot has (or can afford) this advance team, but they are certainly worth it when time is of the essence.

Next week .... the Grips Department. [Get your mind out the gutter, you erotica writers out there!]

Image courtesy of www.training728.com

Behind the Scenes 7: the Camera Department

If the Director is God on a film set, then his right hand henchman slash Archangel Gabriel is the Cinematographer or Director of Photography (abbreviated to DP or DoP, depending on which country you're in).

The DP heads up the Camera Department. While the men and women working below him might purely be technicians, who know stuff like focal lengths, lenses and filters, and more recently bits & bytes, the DP has to be an artist too. He designs the lighting, the angles and the overall look of the pictures we see. Ever admired a stunning sunset in a film, a sweeping shot that quite literally moved you to tears, or the gritty realism of a shot that made you completely forget you're watching a movie? That's the work of a great DP.

On larger shoots the DP might not actually operate the camera, but rather supervise the bigger picture. In which case, he'll also have a Camera Operator for each camera. This is a senior technician, who is in charge of an entire camera unit.

Beneath the DP / operator is the Focus Puller, often called by the far less interesting name of 1st AC (1st Assistant Camera). Apart from being the chief assistant to the DP, changing lenses, and occasionally even operating the camera while the DP or operator stands back to get the bigger picture, the Focus Puller's main job is to ensure that the relevant part of each shot is in focus when it needs to be. That's not as simple as it seems.

I remember a shoot once where the focus puller was crouched in the back of an open-topped convertible with the camera, and the focus had to shift from the approaching traffic light, to the redhead standing on the kerb, to the driver inside the car. And all this while the vehicle was in motion. No mean feat!

I'm dating myself here when I say I still love the look of real film. Film has an incredible texture that somehow feels natural to the human eye. If a subject in the foreground is in focus, the background tends not to be, and vice versa. And this kind of mimics the way we see in everyday life, because even with 20/20 vision, our brain seldom focusses on absolutely everything at the same time. Talk about brain overload!

Modern digital cameras tend to have a 'flatter' look, meaning absolutely everything is in sharp focus, and personally I find that lacking in character. Luckily, as technology improves, digital cameras are starting to mimic film.

But I digress!

Below the Focus Puller (or Pullers if it's a multiple camera shoot, since each camera needs its own
focus puller) are the Clapper Loaders. And no, before you ask, (s)he doesn't clap any loads.

Unless there are trainees on set, the Loader is the junior of the team, and gets to do all the fetching and carrying of the heavy lens boxes, filling out of camera reports (eg. which lens or filter was used on which shot), and the making of tea and coffee for his superiors.


In the good old days of film, he (or she) loaded the film negative into the magazines that were attached to the top of the camera, and he operated the clapperboard. These days, with memory cards replacing film magazines, he doesn't do much loading anymore, but the name has stuck. And I think it sounds way more interesting than '2nd AC'.

What's the purpose for the clapperboard? Check back here when I cover the Sound Department.

The camera team also includes a VTO. (Aren't all these abbreviations cool? We film industry insiders can have whole conversations that no-one but us will understand!) VTO stands for Video Take-off Operator, and it's a fancy way of saying 'the guy with the monitors' (or gal). When we first started using VTOs on set, it was a trainee with a monitor and a VHS machine who hit record, stop and play. These days (I say that a lot, don't I?) the VTO has sophisticated computer equipment that not only plays back each take after it's shot so the powers-that-be can scrutinise what has just been filmed, but he can practically edit the entire show on set, adding in special effects and everything.

Another 'must have' member of the team is the DIT (Data Imaging Technician) or Data Wrangler. I won't go into the detail of the differences between the two job titles (though I could!) but suffice to say this person is a cross between a computer programmer and a camera technician. This individual ensures that the data coming off the memory card has not been corrupted, monitors image quality, keeps detailed logs of every shot, and hopefully is able to fix any technical glitches that occur on these new fandangled digital cameras.

There's a host of other camera team staff who are hired in on an 'only when needed' basis, like steadicam operators, aerial cameramen, underwater cameramen ... but this blog post is already thesis length, so I'm going to leave it at that!

Next week I'll be looking at the Lighting Department and answering Anonymous' question of 'What is a gaffer?'

Freebie Friday!

Blaze, our Minxy anthology, is FREE today and tomorrow on Amazon - our special Valentine's gift to you. It is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

Jennifer Shirk is also running a give-away of her latest Entangled book, A Little Bit Cupid, on the Minxes blog. Leave a comment and stand a chance to win.

Behind the Scenes 6: The AD Department

In the film set hierarchy, the Director is supported by a number of teams that we'll meet over the coming weeks: The ADs, Camera, Lighting, Grips, Art Department ... and a host of others.

The Assistant Director reports directly to the Director and Producers, and works closely with the Production team.

During pre-production his (or her) responsibilities include doing script breakdowns (literally breaking down the script into individual elements: how many cast are needed in each scene? is it day or night? any special technical requirements? how long will the scene take to shoot?) and then scheduling the shoot accordingly.

Scheduling a film shoot is very much like doing a massive jigsaw puzzle, fitting together a hundred different elements that have to be taken into account: location constraints, actor availability, the budget, and in the case of TV series, the deadline for delivery of each episode.

On set, the AD's main function is to manage the film unit, to make sure everyone knows what they need to do and when they need to do it, and to communicate the director's wishes to everyone else. He is effectively the coordinator between the many departments.

The AD also coordinates the background action, making sure the extras look natural and realistic and don't draw attention away from the main action, and he keeps track of the shoot's progress. Is the day's shoot running on time or behind schedule? Does he need to crack the whip to get the shoot back on schedule?

In between all of this, the AD is also in constant communication with the Production team, preparing the call sheet for the next day.

The AD usually leads a team of assistants. In the comments section a few weeks back, Sally Clements asked how many ADs there are in the team.
The answer is that this depends entirely on the scale and nature of each production. The majority of the commercials I work on, the poor AD works alone with no assistants (and poor me gets to do half his work). On a big budget feature film, there'll probably be at least two 2nd ADs, and double that again in 3rd ADs, plus Set Runners. And that's just the main unit.

A second unit (another complete film crew, usually smaller in size than the main unit) might be required to film additional scenes while the main unit is filming elsewhere. So a second unit could be shooting aerial or underwater footage, stunts or SFX, while the director and actors are doing their thing on anotehr location.

The 2nd AD's main duty is to liaise with the cast, notifying them when they need to be ready, chasing them through hair & make-up and wardrobe so they're ready when needed, and notifying all cast of their call times. He (or she) distributes information, works with production to create the call sheet, and fills out paperwork such as the daily production report.

The 3rd ADs assist the team by passing on the ADs instructions to other teams, supervising extras, assisting with stopping passing traffic. They're a step above the Set Runners, who used to also be known as Gofers ("Go fer this, go fer that").

The team might also include Cast Coordinators, who do exactly what their title says. They manage everyone who appears in front of the camera, signing the cast in and out, checking they are where they need to be, and that they're wearing the right wardrobe. You won't believe how many times extras get lost, go wandering off, or how much time they spend around the craft table. Or how often they forget to return costumes after the shoot!

To become an AD, there's no formal training that can prepare you for the job, only experience. Most ADs start at the bottom as runners and work their way up. The most valued skills for any AD are leadership abilities, time-management and organisational skills, an ability to work well under pressure, a strong voice, and a great big dollop of people skills.

My long-time friend and one of my favourite ADs at work on a KFC commercial.

Behind the Scenes 5: The Director

Image courtesy of www.123rf.com
Forget that classic image of the film director with megaphone in hand. The person who rallies the troops on the film set is the Assistant Director - and ADs very seldom use megaphones. (We're a bit more high-tech these days; we use two-way radios with headsets).

The Director's role is to create the Vision for the movie. The responsibility for making the movie work, for translating the script into celluloid, falls entirely on his or her shoulders. During pre-production, he interprets the script, hires the crew and cast he thinks will best suit his vision, and gives direction to all the other departments.

The director usually has the final say on which locations are selected, which actors are cast, what types of lenses are used to create the look, how the actors will be dressed etc. (Though if the director's still quite junior and still proving himself, he may have his decisions vetoed by the people with the power.)

Many people liken the director to a general in the army. He gives the orders, but he still has to answer to and accept orders from the government.

Once principal photography (ie. actual filming) begins, he's usually the guy (or gal) sitting quietly behind the monitor, watching the action. He directs the actors, working with them on their performances, and provides leadership to the entire film unit.

Much like writers, the most special skill that directors bring to movie productions are themselves. Their vision is the filmic equivalent of a writer's 'voice'.

Each director works differently, depending on their temperament. Some will be more involved, more vocal, while others will be quiet and restrained. Some will shout and throw tantrums (yes, I've worked with a few of those), some believe they're gods, and others are really great people to work with (thank heavens, that's the majority I work with).

Supporting the director is a team of assistant directors, the subject of next week's post.

Behind the Scenes 4: The Production team

I landed up in Production completely by default, and though it's not the glamourous end of film-making, it's certainly made for an interesting career.

We're the office workers of the film unit, and our job description includes everything from communication, admin and budgeting, to logistical planning. The production team is built like a pyramid, with everyone working together to make things happen. The people at the top make the decisions, the people further down make sure those decisions happen.

How big the department is depends on how big the production is. The majority of the TV ads I work on these days, there are just three of us: a producer, a production manager and a coordinator (see more on those job descriptions below).

The head honcho in the production department is the Executive Producer. This is usually the owner of the production company, the wheeler-dealer who put the whole shindig together, or on very rare occasions (if you're JK Rowling or Stephenie Meyer) the original author. In TV this person might also be the show's creator, often known as the Showrunner. This is essentially the person (or people) calling all the shots.

Beneath the Exec Producer, especially on feature films, is a batallion of Producers, whose job is to manage the finances, oversee the above-the-line costs (director and actor fees, scriptwriting costs, book options) and make the big decisions. The Producer(s) will often be assisted by Associate Producers and/or Co-Producers.


The Exec Producers and Producers might oversee several productions at once, and so they hire in a dedicated team for each project, which is headed up by the next down in the food chain, the Line Producer.
He or she is responsible for creating and managing the budget, hiring and managing the below-the-line staff (ie. everyone except the talent, writers, director and producers), negotiating with suppliers, and overseeing the day-to-day operations. Aside from juggling figures and bringing the show in on budget, their biggest task is to prepare for the worst and hope it never happens.

From the Line Producer down the pyramid, the production team members have no input on the creative aspects of the film. These are freelancers who move from project to project, work longer hours than almost any other department, and who work on location, travelling wherever the film unit goes. They're also the people most likely to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at their desks.

The Line Producer might also be known as the Unit Production Manager (UPM) or on larger productions, the team will have both a Line Producer and a UPM. In the latter case, the UPM works closely with the Line Producer and co-ordinates between the crew on set and desk-bound people in the production office.

Below the Producers are Production Managers (that's me!). We're the worker bees who oversee preparation of the call sheets, book flights, liaise with hotels, book film equipment, ensure the right crew are booked for the right days, that suppliers are paid on time by the Accounts department, arrange freighting, and pretty much anything else that might be delegated down from above.

We liaise closely with all the other departments, and ensure the crew has everything they need to get their jobs done (assuming the Line Producer signs off on the expense!).

A good Production Manager (PM) is able to juggle many balls, has an eye for detail, good communication skills, and excellent organisation skills. And loads of lengthy To Do lists.
But one of the most fun aspects of this job is that no two days are the same and you never know what you might be researching or organising on any given day.

The Production Manager is assisted by a Production Coordinator (or Coordinators) and Production Secretary, who have less responsibility and less fixed job descriptions, and who do pretty much whatever they're delegated.

The bottom-most level of the Production team is the Production Assistant. This is an entry-level position, the person who gets to run around making tea and coffee for everyone else, does the photocopying, runs messages, and does the all-important lunch pick-up. And if they work for me, they might get sent out to buy Magnum ice creams.

If a PA has an ego that can handle taking orders from everyone else, keeps smiling in the face of everyone else's grumpiness, and is still willing and eager to help out after working a 14 hour day, then they have a very promising career in Production ahead of them.

This is not a department for sissies!

Help: The Language of Flowers

I have Book Club tonight and this is the one novel in my pile that I haven't managed to read yet.

Has anyone else read it and have any thoughts to share on whether I should say 'mea culpa' and ask to keep it another month? Or should I give it back and take something new?

And the winner is....

The winner was selected by my completely impartial (since she can't yet read) five year old. And the winner of the Romance Madness give-away is:
Cassandra
I'll be emailing you direct, Cassandra. Well done!

Thank you very much to everyone who visited this blog during the Romance Madness Hop.

Romance Madness Hop: The Hunger Games

I'm taking part in the Romance Madness hop today on both my blogs. For Rae Summers' "Why I love this book" click here.

So I'm a bit behind the times. Most of you have probably not only read the book but watched the movie, and put the freebie poster inside your cupboard door. (Or maybe that's just me and my Twilight fixation).

I started the book last Friday, while waiting in an excrutiangly long queue to renew my driver's license. As anyone following me on Twitter that day will know, I had to stop on page 24 because I didn't think crying in public would go down too well.

Then I picked the book up again on the Sunday evening, and couldn't put it down again until I'd reached The End. At 4am. With my alarm set to go off at 6am Monday morning [Shhhh - don't tell my boss!]

I now completely understand why this book became the phenomenon it did. The writing is completely under-stated and the story so engaging that you hardly realise for a moment that you're reading words on a page and not living the adventure.

The Hunger Games, for those who have yet to read it, is a combination of Highlander , Logan's Run and Survivor in which the lone survivor of a barbaric futuristic reality show gets to live.

The heroine is Katniss Everdeen, a remarkably resourceful young woman who goes from underdog to show favourite thanks to a cast of delightful secondary characters, including her blind-drunk mentor, a savvy stylist, a whole horde of villains, and (for those who, like me, adore a good love triangle) two gorgeous heroes.

It's hard to point out what I loved most about this book, as there was just so much. But I think perhaps the aspect that comes up trumps is the book's pacing. Suoerbly crafted like the best TV dramas, the book sweeps us through highs and lows, catches us unawares, twists around, reveals tantalising glimpses, and never ever gets boring. Hence the lack of sleep.

Have you read Suzanne Collins' trilogy yet? What did you think? And am I in for a similar treat with book two (once I've caught up on some sleep)?

The Romance Madness Hop is organised by The Romance Reviews and runs from 25 to 29 January, and there are loads of prizes. To follow the Hop, or to sign up to win, click on the button below.

Behind the Scenes 3: The Call Sheet

The Call Sheet is the Bible of any film production. It's the document that tells everyone involved in the film shoot, from the director to the lowliest runner to the insurance company covering the shoot, what's being filmed on any given day.

The international websites I've visited state that the AD's department (assistant directors) are responsible for putting together the call sheet, but in my experience it's the Production Manager's job. (ie. mine!) I'm not sure if this is because South Africa works differently to every other country or because things have changed since I last worked on a movie, or because ADs like to take all the credit.

On commercials, we usually issue one call sheet for the entire shoot. It can run anywhere from 10 pages up to about 30, and includes the complete list of crew and cast, contact numbers for all our suppliers, the shooting schedule, lists of all the equipment required, travel and accommodation information, safety notes, as well as maps to all locations.

On bigger commercials we may supplement this with daily call sheets, a 1-2 pager with nothing more than location details, maps and call times.

Call times are the start times for the beginning of each shoot day, and may differ from team to team and actor to actor. Since film shoots are mobile and every day is different, every crew member has to check daily where they're working the next day and what time they need to be there. I bet that makes most of you glad you work 9-5 in the same place every day!

On feature films and TV series (what we call 'long form work') call sheets are issued daily and are  little different. Rather than listing every single crew member or piece of equipment, the daily call sheet only lists the elements that vary from day to day.

So, for example, it's a given that your main crew will be on the shoot every day, but a stunt team, extra riggers, auto detailers etc, will only be called when needed for a specific scene, so they'll be listed.

Each technical team will already have its truck packed full of the standard equipment, but the call sheet will tell them if they need to arrange something special for that day - for example, a special underwater housing, tracking vehicle or steadicam rig.

Without doubt, the most important part of any call sheet is the daily shooting schedule: which scenes will be shot that day, which script pages, which actors are required for those scenes, what sets, props and wardrobe will be required at what times, and transport arrangements to get everyone and everything to where they need to be.

If the shoot is exterior, the daily call sheet will also list the alternate scenes that might be shot in the event of bad weather halting exterior filming. This is so that the locations people, drivers, and props people can ensure they have everything they need on standby just in case.

Finally, the call sheet will also give advance notice of what scenes are planned for the next few days and will notify the crew of any changes to the schedule so they can plan ahead.

Film shoots are often compared to military units, and it's an accurate comparison. Not the crack SEAL teams that can get in and out of a contact with lightning speed, but those big, lumbering units that involve massive preparation, clumsy communication, and lots of people who don't really have a clue why they're doing what they're doing, but do it anyway. Yet somehow it all works.

Here's a sample call sheet I pulled off the internet. It's a little old, dating back a few years, but a great example:


Next week I'll start to introduce you to the people who make up a film crew, starting with my own team: the Production department.