A film crew splits into above the line (the producers, director, writer and lead cast, who shape and fund the project) and below the line (the departments who physically make it: assistant directors, camera, lighting, grip, sound, art, wardrobe, hair and make-up, and production assistants). As an actor, the people you deal with most on the day are the first AD, who runs the set, and the second AD, who looks after the cast. We asked 21 casting directors how actors should treat the crew, and they were close to unanimous.
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The terms come from the budget. Above the line covers the people who develop and lead the project and are usually locked in first: producers, the director, the writer and principal cast. Below the line covers the crew and costs of actually shooting it.
In Kym Jackson's Journey class on working on set, most heads of department report to the director, and other questions travel through the first assistant director. Crew size scales with budget: for a short film, filmmaker Melissa Center's minimum is about five people.
Producer Shaked Berenson told us there's no fixed definition: some producers mainly package a project in the office, while others are on set and involved in every budget line. A film can have one producer or twenty, depending on its financing and complexity.
The credits do mean different things. An executive producer has financial accountability or helped bring in the money, which is why they're rarely on set. A co-producer helped produce, sometimes as much as anyone. An associate producer usually works for the producer without decision-making power.
Kym's angle: producers are the business side, and they hire the casting director and the director, so they're powerful contacts. Always check the credits of anyone who says they're a producer.
The line producer runs physical production and the budget, line by line. In Kym's class, they're the on-set producer: they allocate money day to day and work with the first AD to keep things on time.
Shaked Berenson's candid take: it's often the production manager, given a producer credit.
The director heads the creative team, and every department takes creative decisions to them. Directors field hundreds of questions a day, so if they're busy, Kym's rule is to take your question to the first AD or a set PA, who will pass it on.
If a producer's note contradicts the director, Shaked Berenson suggests raising it on the spot without taking sides: you're getting conflicting direction, so which do they want?
For your first day, see what nobody tells you about your first day on set.
The director of photography (DP) is responsible for the image and lighting. On bigger shoots the camera operator runs the camera, the camera assistant changes lenses and batteries, and the focus puller keeps the right thing sharp.
Kym's tip: if the director is busy and your question is purely technical, the camera team can help. Ask how much room you have on your mark. They won't give you direction, though: that comes from the director. Director Kate Dennis told us actors don't need to know which lens is on, because it's the director's job to tell you how big the shot is.
Lighting and rigging are separate departments. The gaffer heads lighting and works with the DP to get the look. Grips are the on-set muscle: scaffolding, rigs, flags and heavy equipment, run by the key grip and best boy.
Kym's biggest warning: never mistake a grip or electrician for a PA and ask them for a coffee. If you do, apologise on the spot. Do ask the lighting team which light is your eye light, so your eyes stay lit and the take is usable.
The script supervisor tracks continuity, so shots match from take to take: which hand held the cup, when you took a sip. Kate Dennis, who did the job before directing, told us not to clog your brain with it, but matching your actions gives the editor more cutting options. Kym's point: more usable takes of you can mean more screen time.
If matching is throwing your performance, tell the director. The performance comes first.
The production sound mixer records dialogue on set, the boom operator holds the overhead microphone, and the team fits radio (lav) mics on actors. Melissa Center calls sound the department that can make or break a film. Assume your mic is live, and keep private conversations well away from set.
The production designer heads the look of the sets, with a set decorator who dresses them and a props team who keeps every prop ready and safe. Wardrobe is led by the costume designer or head of wardrobe. Hair and make-up has its own head of department, with special effects make-up handling blood, cuts and prosthetics.
Two more Kym flags: the intimacy coordinator keeps you safe in intimate scenes and is a good person to raise harassment with, and the stunt coordinator runs the stunts. Let the stunt performers do them.
PAs help every department and report to the ADs. Child acting expert Karen Workman says there's usually one assigned to you or your trailer: ask them about logistics, never the director. And almost every director and producer Kym has met started as a PA.
We asked 21 casting directors for their on-set tips, and most put kindness and respect for everyone near the top. They hear about it, too. Lisa Zambetti says people notice how you speak to PAs and wardrobe, and she has had the call from a second AD about an actor who was a nightmare. Deborah Barylski checks during a series whether anyone was unkind, writes those names down, and doesn't call those actors in again.
David Newman's version: everyone on set is as valuable as anyone else, from the runner to the director. Ricki Maslar's: do your job, not wardrobe's or make-up's, because they're working hard to make you look good. Risa Bramon Garcia adds: build a relationship with the ADs, and introduce yourself to the director and the lead.
Producers notice too: Shaked Berenson wants back the actors who learn the crew's names and pitch in.
Above the line covers the people who develop and lead a project and are usually hired first: producers, the director, the writer and principal cast. Below the line is the crew and costs of actually shooting it.
A line producer runs physical production and the budget line by line, allocating money day to day and working with the first AD to keep the shoot on schedule.
The first assistant director runs the set and keeps it on schedule as the voice of the director. The second AD looks after the cast and signs you in and out.
The gaffer heads the lighting department and works with the director of photography. Grips are the rigging and heavy-lifting crew, run by the key grip.
Talk to the director when they're free. Otherwise go to the first AD or a set PA, take logistics to the second AD or your assigned PA, and ask the camera team only technical questions.
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