Filmmaking

Who’s who on the set:

above-the-line
Jobs and qualities
required
by Michael Barmish
E
E
FR
Introduction
You’re looking to start a career in film
production. That’s great. There are a fantastic
variety of jobs for all types of personalities,
whether you prefer working on set or behind
your computer writing stories, editing the film,
organising, planning the production or even
juggling numbers.
In this collection of 4 guides, we will explain
who these key players are, what are their job
responsibilities and most importantly what
are the main qualities required to best fit that
position. Use these titles to help you decide in
which film department you’d like to study.
In this section we will focus on Above-the-line
jobs; those involved in the creative direction of
the project: producers, directors, screenwriters
and actors.

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Choosing your path
Working in the film industry brings many
rewards. But it takes hard work and discipline,
as well as the understanding that there is no
set routine. You’re always working on one of
several projects, knowing that you have to look
for the next one before the current one ends in
order to work consistently. Work is never steady
nor guaranteed. But you do it for the love and
excitement of a life in the film industry.
The wonderful aspect of a career in the artistic
film world is that two days are never the same.
You get to work with different people, produce
new stories, even travel to new locations.
But it also means long hours and serious
commitment. Things don’t often go smoothly
and you have to be prepared for anything, from
bad weather on a shoot, to equipment problems
or even the dreaded creative differences.
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 Production jobs are defined as Above-the-
Line and Below-the-Line. The terms refers
to the budget where a line was drawn to
separate key players on a film production.
Those who are above-the-line are involved
in the creative direction of the project and
have negotiated their pay prior to principal
shooting. Below-the-line comprises the crew
needed to complete the production once
principal shooting begins.

The Timeframes of Film Production:

Pre-Production (Prep) refers to the period
prior to the shoot. It begins when the budget
has been finalised and shooting dates are
locked. At this stage, teams are built and
preparation for the shoot begins. Depending
on the size of the production, the prep can last
between 8 weeks to a few months.
Production refers to the actual shooting period.
It lasts between 4 weeks to a few months,
depending on the complexity of the movie.
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 Post-Production refers to the period which
follows completion of the shoot. It includes
all the post-production elements, (editing,
VFX, grading, music score, sound mix, etc), as
well as the admin tasks, such as closing the
accounts, archiving files, etc.

Above-the-line roles
Producer
There are two types of producers: the Executive
Producer (EP) and the Producer. On smaller
productions, these two roles may be performed
by the same person. However, they do each
comprise different responsibilities. This is
important to know when it comes to factoring
in your education. Each takes a different path.
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 Executive Producer
The EP is most often the financier of the
project and is not involved in the day-to-day
creative process. They define the best financing
strategy for the movie and work closely with
the Producer, reaching out to the potential
distributors, sales agents, public funding bodies
or other partners.
Once financing is secured, the EP becomes
the liaison between the financial stakeholders
and the Producer. It’s vital that the EP have
extensive experience dealing with finances,
including budgets and expenses. Ultimately, it’s
the EP’s job to ensure that productions come
in on budget and on time. That means having
business acumen and negotiating skills.
And when the film is completed, the EP is
an important player in the marketing and
distribution of the film. Even in smaller
production companies, the EP may be working

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on several projects at one time. This means
they must be experts in hiring the right people
for the job.

To become an Executive Producer, education

should focus on business and economics
more so than attending film school. It’s better
to enroll in a business degree program and
minor in film or take film courses as electives
than to concentrate on applying to film
schools.

Key Qualities:
◼◼Good business and negotiation
skills - Financial expertise is important
to a successful production.
◼◼Legal acumen - Understanding laws
associated with filmmaking and specific
locations.
◼◼Ability to designate - EP’s don’t have time
to micromanage a production and need to
entrust experts in each area of production.
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 ◼◼Multi-tasking - Often, an EP will be working
on several projects at any one time.
◼◼Communication skills - The EP has to
properly communicate with both the
financiers on the business side and the
Producer on the production side.

The Producer
The Producer is at the heart of any movie. They
are the boss on the production, hiring the director
and the screenwriter(s) and are involved in every
stage of the script development.
The producer’s role begins with the story.
Either they have found a script they want to
produce or they have developed a story and
need a screenwriter to write the script. This may
come from a story meeting for an original idea
or from a property they wish to adapt into a
screenplay, like optioning a published book.
At some point during the story process, the
producer will hire key talent, such as the director
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and eventually actors. These hires usually come
after a solid draft of the script has been written
and are often used to build a package that will
be attractive to financiers.
Once the film is ready to start production, the
producer next hires the crew and manages the
day-to-day aspects of the production. If there
is a separate EP, the producer reports back to
him/her to keep them informed as to how the
production is running. This means ensuring the
production keeps within budget and allotted
shooting timeframe.
After principal shooting is completed, the
post-production process begins. The producer
oversees all aspects of “post”, including hiring
editorial and effects teams, and the editing of
trailers for marketing purposes.

A solid business education is important along

with some film-related courses. Like the EP,
attending business school while gaining

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 on-set experience is the best education for
becoming a producer.

Key Qualities :
◼◼Problem solving - Proactivity and critical
thinking. No production runs without a
hitch at some point. Being able to think on
one’s feet and solve problems is vital.
◼◼Decision-making - With so many people
to hire and so many creative aspects to
production, the producer needs to make
fast decisions,
◼◼Time Management and Organization -
Running a production is much like
running a business project. This requires
organizational skills and attention to detail.
◼◼Good listener - The producer will be
working with many personalities and must
placate them. It’s a bit like being a therapist.
◼◼Positive attitude - Success starts at the
top. A leader with the right attitude sets the
tone for the entire production.
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Director
The leader of any film production is without
question, the Director. When we think of great
films, it’s the director that first comes to mind:
Scorsese, Hitchcock, Spielberg, Coppola. The
director is responsible for the creative vision
of the film, making sure the story comes to
life. They rehearse and work with the actors
to get the best performance out of them,
determine shooting locations, create shot lists
and manage technical details like camera and
lighting positions.
While some great directors, like Woody Allen
and Quentin Tarantino, are also screenwriters,
most directors are not. However, they must
have an extensive knowledge of how to
structure, write and convey stories. This means
that often, especially in independent films, the
director is involved at an early stage of the
script’s development. In larger productions

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or television, directors may not be involved
with the script at an early stage, but they are
considered the master creative technician and
will have input on the final draft of a script.

Film school with a director’s track that

allows you to ultimately produce a short
is a good option. But gaining experience
through working with actors on productions,
learning writing skills and working on sets
will be invaluable. Also, consider writing and
directing your own short film.

Key Qualities:
◼◼Leadership - The ability to take a
leadership role on the set is most
important. Maintaining an air of authority is
key to “winning over” the set.
◼◼Creativity and vision - More than anyone,
you will be responsible for the final product.
◼◼Passion - Your passion for the project will
permeate the entire cast and crew. If you
don’t show passion, no one else will.
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 ◼◼Ability to develop a thick skin - You’ll be
working with a number of egos. Being able
to juggle different personalities to keep
things cohesive is vital.
◼◼Work well under pressure - Discipline is
key. Things will go wrong. It’s up to you to
make sure they go right.

Screenwriter
The story starts with the writer. Without
the screenwriter, there is no production.
Screenwriters develop the story’s narrative and
tone, then write the screenplay. This could be
from an original idea or being commissioned to
adapt a previously written work, such as a novel
or an earlier draft of a screenplay written by
someone else.
Becoming a screenwriter is not an easy task. It
requires discipline as you, and possibly a writing
partner, work alone during the actual writing
process. Yes, there are production meetings

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to attend but that’s often to receive notes and
feedback on your latest draft.
Screenwriters can become emotionally
attached to their scripts. New writers often take
criticism of their project personally and must
learn to overcome this. Don’t be so precious
about your writing that you’re not willing to
accept feedback. Successful writers have
developed the confidence to deal with criticism
and make something positive out of it.

While some screenwriters go to film school,

you may find going for a literature degree
more beneficial. After all, what’s better than
learning from the classics. But the best
education is writing scripts and writing more
scripts.

Key Qualities:
◼◼Creative vision - It’s not just about writing
scenes to get through a plot. It’s about
writing a story that an audience will love.
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 ◼◼Passion for storytelling - You have to love
telling stories and tell stories about what
you love.
◼◼Work well alone and collaborate in a
group - Writing is solitary but collaboration
with producer and director is the key to a
successful project.
◼◼Ability to compromise - Learning to “pick
your battles” by compromising on some
elements of your script while fighting for
others will make you more professional.
◼◼Work under pressure - Script rewrites
never end until shooting is completed.
And sometimes not even then. Being
able to make changes under a deadline is
important.

Actors
These are the talents who bring the words
on the page to life. Actors are first auditioned
for various roles, then selected, usually by the
director, to be cast in particular roles. Note that

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this does not include Extras. Extras can easily
be replaced without disrupting the creative flow
of the production and do not negotiate their pay.
Education: More so than film school, acting
classes and workshops offer the best formal
training in the craft of acting. If you’re not sure
that acting is the right career choice, a short
2-3 day acting class is a good way to get a feel
for the craft. Also, if you’re not located where
reputable classes are offered, there are many
online classes available for beginners.

The best education, of course, is practical

experience. This can be accomplished doing
small projects and student films. You may not
get paid, but you’ll get invaluable credits for
your CV and scenes for your demo reel.

Key Qualities:
◼◼Charisma - Not just when the camera lights
go on, but also in person when you meet

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 agents and casting directors. Developing
relationships with key decision makers will
get you more work.
◼◼Creativity - Having the ability to read
a script and bring your own voice to a
character shows your creative insight and
intelligence.
◼◼Confidence - When you walk into an
audition, have the belief that there is no one
better than you for the role.
◼◼Persistence - Most likely, you’ll face more
rejection than success when you first start
your career. Accept this and you’ve cleared
a huge hurdle.
◼◼Physicality - Understanding your body and
its movements are important as you use
it as much as you use your mind when
performing.

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Conclusion
What an audience sees on screen is the result of
a great deal of collaboration behind the scenes.
The Above-the-line jobs are, by far, considered,
the glamour jobs of the industry. But they take
a great deal of hard work, perseverance and
creative talent. But, of course, that’s true of all
film careers. Perhaps there are others that you
haven’t considered yet. For more on the Below-
the-line careers, check out our guide, Who’s Who
on the Set: Below the Line.

Vidatech Ltd, 2020

ISBN : 978-1-913580-02-5

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