LO1: Job Roles

Job Roles in Film

In this report I will be focusing on the job roles required in a film production company, and what the people in those roles are responsible for. I will specifically be looking at the roles of the Director and Editor in a film's production. 

I will be looking at their input in to the production of a film, their responsibilities and the equipment they use and how this is all required to make a film successful.

Film Director

The Director is arguably the most important role in film production. They are involved in almost every part of the production process including casting, script editing, shot composition, shot selection and editing and are the key driving creating force. The decisions made by the Director help to visualise and define the style and structure of the film and many films can be identified by their Director's styles such as Wes Anderson's use of symmetry or Michael Bay's use of explosions. The Director's responsibilities involve making a creative idea reality. They overlook every aspect of film to ensure that the final result somewhat resembles their creative vision .

Film Editor

The Editor's main role comes in towards the end of the film's production, as it is their role to look through all of the shot footage and to piece it together and edit it. They work very closely with the Director and share some of the same roles such as the shot selection and choosing the final look of the film. Whilst the Director may choose the overall look of the film, it is the editor's job to craft that. Many films can be identified by their distinctive colour palettes, such as the Yellow/Blue tint used throughout Fight Club. The initial decision is often made by the Director because they want to the present their films in a particular way, the film's editor however spends time editing video sequences to match that colour grade. 

It is also the Editor's job to construct the narrative of the film. The way they cut the film finalises the film's narrative structure. This is very important because it ensures that, foremost, the film makes sense to the audience and flows in the right way.

Comparison of Roles

The jobs of the Director and Editor are similar in many ways, mainly due to the fact that it is the director's job to oversee all parts of the production process. However, once the completed film is handed over to the Editor and the Editor's team they will prepare an Editor's Assembly and the Director can only view the Assembly once it is completed. Once the Director sees this he is able to approve or disapprove it, if it is approved then it will be prepared for its cinematic release. After this it is the Director's job to prepare a Director's cut or extended version of the film, again the Editor and his team will prepare and finalise this version of this film before the Director sees it again.







Sources:
Creative Skillset © (2017) Director. Available at:
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director (Accessed: 5th March 2017)
Creative Skillset © (2017) Editor. Available at:
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/2940_editor (Accessed: 5th March 2017)