Getting the coverage. Getting the coverage is essentially the most important thing that we're after in production. And that's any production. If you managed to get a job making a corporate film for a business, your job is to get the coverage that the business is looking to show. For example, let's say you're filming a short promotional video for a local coffee shop. Most likely, depending on what you and your client have decided you will be filming happy customers getting their coffee and hot muffin during working hours.

Depending on the goals of the video, and the business use for it, you will need to capture the materials in order to tell the story you want to tell. Let's say you're filming a documentary about the migration of birds in a certain location. You might want to get some shots of the birds as they migrate over that certain place and perhaps score a good interview of an exciting bird specialist just at the event. occuring with all the cast, crew and other elements surrounding you, you ultimately have to have one goal in mind, and that is getting the coverage that you have decided upon in your pre production stage. In this lecture, I'll quickly go over some key crew members that you will most likely meet in a medium to large scale production. Each of the following rules are your resources that have one goal in mind, and that is gathering the best possible footage to tell your story.

We'll start with the assistant director sometimes known as the ad. The assistant director's job is to maintain order on the set and to keep things on schedule. The assistant director or ad is in charge of the set. He or she is the liaison between the various departments and crew. For instance, the ad is the one that will ask the makeup of this. When in how long will it take To prepare the subject or the actor for a shoot, the makeup artist might update that it will take 10 more minutes, and the ad will let the lighting in some departments that they had about 10 minutes to light the set and prepare for the actors arrival on set.

The ad will also let the directors know that there are 10 free more minutes that can be used to rehearse with another actor for an upcoming scene or read the text with the script supervisor. The ad will then give a two minutes heads up to the director of photography, otherwise known as the DP that the set has to be ready before the actor arrives so that all the lights lenses and camera movements can be tested so that when the actor arrives on set, the ad can get back to the director to the monitor so that they can all block the scene together. Do a final rehearsal for final adjustment and focus the lens the ad will declare standby for shooting and Then everyone on set is alerted that the camera is going to roll and the next minute or so everyone takes their positions, and the ad prompts the DP to roll the camera, the sound guy to roll the sound, all in prep for the directors to call action.

Being an ad as a stressful job with a lot of responsibility, and ad must be assertive and well organized to keep things under control. In the midst of the chaos on set. The line producer is the production representative on the set. A solid and well managed production is not only a functioning set, there may be few locations and various units, as well as getting all sorts of materials, all while being on the go. In a production things change rapidly and adaptation must happen while the set continues to function. For example, when a major scene is being shot in a house and other unit might be getting visuals of the same neighborhood or perhaps somewhere outside of the house, a complex couch a sequence is being shot with stuntmen and professional drivers.

A good line producer will know how to manage and delegate these two sets separately, making sure that everyone is doing their own job in each unit, all while making sure that they break for lunch, and rupt. The day when sending each crew member home first, as he or she begins pre planning the following day in a new location. Sounds intense. I'm not saying the line producer does all of these tests alone, but a good line producer needs to successfully manage a production team, which includes production managers, production assistance coordinators, location managers and scouts. That brings me to the gaffer and electricians, the gaffer and his crew of professional electricians control the electric supply for the set and the lighting of a scene according to the director of photography needs a gift from us control the exposure of the image while balancing sharpening lights. The job is not only technical however, the gaffer also has some creative say, we're controlling the lights on set, the gaffer has the ability to modify the atmosphere and the overall look of a certain scene.

Even when a shot uses a natural light without official light, the gaffer is in charge of dissolving the light and making sure it bounces to where it needs to go. The gaffer also needs to be a manager and quite often a leader in his skillfully managing a large group of electricians doing multiple complex tests, and using heavy at times dangerous gear. Now we move on to the grip. The grip department is often misunderstood, as it may look like they're just a bunch of workers building tracks and pushing dollies and cranes. But there is much much more to this job than meets the eye. A key great friend of mine once told me that being a key group is more like being the DPW psychologist Key grip stands by the DP and camera operator 100% of the time, watching their backs and assisting them with their mission.

The key group is not only in charge of a complex task like carrying the camera to a car or a boat or a plane. responsibilities also include the safety on the set and the safety of the camera. I've heard numerous stories about grips actually saving the lives of a cameraman in extreme conditions. I can say for myself, that if I had a grip next to me, I probably wouldn't have injured myself and my shoulder on set few years ago. But the grips job doesn't end there. They're also in charge of delegate tasks such as pushing the dolly, where a really sensitive touch is required.

When I first tried to push a dolly I was surprised to see how every little movement can be felt on screen. This also goes for cranes and any other complex camera movements. Overall, the grid is in charge of giving support to both camera and lighting departments. We cover Lights Camera now sound. We discussed sound earlier in this course. But when talking about large scale production the sound department might include a sound recordist and several boom operators, while the sound recordist is delegating to the boom operators is also strategically mounting microphones on the actors and on the set to capture the best sound.

While the scene is being shot and recorded. The sound code is also tweaks the levels according to what actually happening on set, he might be getting rid of unwanted frequencies or mixing down an actor's voice. I've seen many sets in production where the directors and actors consult with the sound recordist about a specific take and performance when he or she is the only one that can hear on that level. The boom operator on the other end is the visuals. Moving the microphone from one side of the set to the other while being totally unnoticed. A good boom operator needs to have knowledge and understanding of the film process while avoiding shadows and getting good perspective of the frame or using certain lens.

Boom operators are usually the ones that connect lavalier microphone to the actors. So a basic understanding of clothing or certain noisy material is required. And of course a great social skills as the boom operator is usually right in the line of fire or Impact Zone have anything sensitive, intimate or stressful on set. The assistant camera or a seam is the one that needs to maintain the focus of the lens at all times. While setting up the camera and taking care of the footage. This role is usually split in two different jobs, the first AC and the second AC.

First AC is the one adjusting the focus of the lens and setting up the camera while the second AC is the one that loading and unloading the footage. Both job are complicated and sensitive. The main job of focus pooling is one of the hardest jobs on the set and requires being fully 11% And of course comprehensive knowledge of camera lenses and the technology that surrounds it, including monitors wireless system etc. The second AC usually loads and unloads the footage, and is also in charge of storing and in marking the shots using a Slater a clapper board. These are some key crew member jobs on set. Of course, there are many more jobs such as location manager, production assistant beauty department, our department and many more, which are contributing to the process of making film or a motion picture.

So in my opinion, this lecture is extremely important. And there are two ways you can use this information. First, if you're producing on your own and you need people to work with, you will know what to aim for. Let's say I'm producing a documentary in which I'm producing, shooting and directing however, I know that I'm shooting one night scene that will need a complex artificial lighting. With this basic info. I know that I'm in the market for a good GFI or at least lighting electrician.

If I have a serious dollar movement or intense camera mounting, I'll definitely be looking for a grip. Or if there is a shot where the focus is rapidly changing, I'll be looking to find an AC, you get the idea. The other pro to knowing this stuff is that you might want to get involved in production doing a specific remember job, just like the ones I mentioned. And who knows, perhaps you'll find yourself developing a career out of it. Working as a crew member is working in a dynamic and interesting environment. And you can certainly learn a lot.

I would advise you to get out there and try to get a crew member job, even if it's without pay this time, just to experience the set dynamic for yourself. Remember the famous quote by all sun waves perhaps the greatest filmmakers of all time, a writer needs a pen. An artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army. When making a film. Make sure that you surround yourself with the best team of people that will help you to achieve anything and especially get In your coverage. In the next lecture, I will introduce you to the post production and editing