A film crew is made up of all the movie-making professionals outside of the Actors–often referred to as the cast–whose specific expertise and contributions result in the ideation, production, and ultimately distribution of a film.

While some sort of film crew is needed for a film production to run smoothly, the exact number can vary based on the needs of the project. A small indie production can have a scrappy film crew consisting of a couple of people wearing many hats. For a studio-backed blockbuster with a nine-figure budget, you may potentially have a thousand film crew members when counting them all the way from development to distribution. This is usually the case with movies with a strong VFX presence, as it often takes hundreds of people to complete them all.

First, it all depends on budget. For a super indie movie that is not considered a union project, the Producer can pretty much set any rates they want so long as the film crew members agree to them.

If it is a union production, that changes the rules quite a bit. Every single union has minimum rates that the Producers, production companies, and studios must abide by. Film crew members with more years in the industry and/or the expertise that usually comes with those years will typically earn more.

Second, it’s important to keep in mind that who gets paid what also depends on the nature of the role. For better or for worse, a Production Assistant who is part of a project for the entirety of principal photography, which can last from weeks to months, may earn less than a Foley Artist who is part of a project for only a day or two.

For larger productions, the highest paid member of the film crew is usually the Executive Producer.¹ In part, because they provide the initial funding for the film, this person often has the most control over the financial aspects of it. With that control can come lucrative rewards for their work should they strike a deal that includes payouts in the form of revenue sharing, licensing fees, and so on.

In some cases, other film crew members such as the Director, Screenwriter, or Cinematographer may also make a considerable amount of money from a project.

The film crew members who are actively working on a movie will depend on the stage in which the project is at any given moment.

Some film crew will stay on a project for essentially the entirety of its lifespan–from development through to distribution. But in most cases, the expertise of a particular crew member translates into them being an active part of the movie-making process for only a stage or two of it.

Below is a brief list of the major film crew roles that make up each of the five stages of filmmaking: development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution.

During this first stage of the filmmaking process when the script is created and refined, it may be a collaborative effort between the:

• Producer
• Director
• Screenwriter

It may also be a combination thereof or a solo effort on behalf of the Screenwriter.

When funds are acquired to produce a film, pre-production begins. On account of these funds, more film crew members are hired in preparation for the next stage of production–also known as principal photography.

The crew members involved in this stage may include:

• Producer
• Director
• Screenwriter
• Line Producer
• Cinematographer
• Casting Director
• Production Designer
• Costume Designer
• Storyboard Artist
• Location Scout

This stage of the filmmaking process often includes the greatest number of film crew members. In some cases, crew has carried over from the pre-production phase, while others are new to the project and onboard strictly for principal photography.

Crew at this stage includes:

• Producer
• Director
• Line Producer
• Cinematographer
• 1st Assistant Director (1st AD)
• Script Supervisor
• Camera Operator
• Gaffer
• Key Grip
• Production Designer
• Costume Designer
• Hair & Makeup Artist (HMU)
• Sound Recordist

As a movie moves into the post-production phase, many film crew members will fall off, only to be replaced by others whose expertise is required for this specific stage.

Post-production crew may include:

• Producer
• Director
• Line Producer
• Company Producer
• Cinematographer
• Post-Production Supervisor
• Editor
• Sound Editor
• Dialogue Editor
• Foley Artist
• Composer
• Sound Designer
• VFX Artist
• Colorist

During this final stage of the movie-making process, nearly all film crew members have concluded their time on the project. In many cases, only the Producer remains to see through the completion of the project to distribution.

You might occasionally hear someone refer to a person on a film as “above the line” or “below the line.” So what in the world does that mean?

Above-the-line film crew members consist of the Producer, Director, and Screenwriter. They are paid from what is allocated as the above-the-line budget, which also includes the salaries for the lead Actors. This is because these individuals typically have the most creative power on a production. On occasion, the Casting Director and Cinematographer may also be considered above the line.

The below-the-line film crew is pretty much any other professional on a project. Their creative input is not as influential on a project, as they are typically day-to-day crew members.

Below is a brief explanation of what each film crew member is responsible for on a project.

Keep in mind, though, that the titles listed–nearly 30 in total–can represent only a fraction of the total crew members for a big-budget film. And for a small, low-budget movie, two or three or more of these roles might be carried out by a single person.

This is the person, or group of people, who see through a film from start to finish. They will supervise the budget and typically are tasked with bringing on board several of the other key crew members such as the Director and Screenwriter.

The Director is generally thought of as the guiding creative force behind a film. While primarily known for shaping the performances of their Actors, they often have a hand in the writing, shooting, and editing of a movie as well.

The Line Producer is the person who creates the budget breakdown for a film. They provide a cost for every single element associated with a movie and oversee how the production sticks to that budget throughout the filmmaking process.

The Screenwriter is responsible for the creation of the script that the rest of the film crew will realize during the rest of the filmmaking process.

The Cinematographer leads the camera team and decides how the film will be shot and movie will look in terms of lighting, angles, and other elements used to create a visually and emotionally compelling story.

The Casting Director makes the initial decisions about which Actors may suit the various roles that must be cast for a film.

The Production Designer leads the creative team responsible for the look of the locations and sets used for a film.

The Costume Designer provides the creative vision for what the Actors will wear in a given film and makes sure that their costumes both inform the characters and work in harmony with the rest of the movie’s visuals. They usually have a whole team of costume and wardrobe generalists, manufacturers, assistants, or specialists under them. This could include people like Specialty Jewelers who design the jewelry used on the set.

As the project is readied for production, the Storyboard Artist will help in the realization of the script’s scenes by drawing storyboards that represent future camera shots.

Unless a film is shot entirely on a sound stage, actual locations will be needed. The Location Scout is the person who seeks out locales that fit the descriptions used in the script and determines their viability for the shoot.

The 1st Assistant Director (1st AD) works alongside the Director. They help in making sure that the shoot is running on time from shot to shot and act as the coordinator between the Director and other figures on film set.

The Script Supervisor helps to ensure the consistency of a film in terms of dialogue, Actor blocking, and any other element that may disrupt the continuity of a movie from take to take.

Some Cinematographers act as their own Camera Operators, but on most sets, a dedicated individual–the Camera Operator–is the person who physically mans the camera during each shot.

The Gaffer is the head Electrician on a set and is responsible for all usability and safety issues related to the electricity during a shoot.

The Key Grip is the person in charge of the film crew members who position the camera and support equipment.

The Hair & Makeup Artist is tasked with making each Actor look both presentable on camera and believable as their character. Depending on the scope of a film, this position may be split between dedicated Hair Artists and dedicated Makeup Artists.

The Sound Recordist is the person on set who captures the dialogue spoken during each take and any diegetic sounds that help to enhance the audio qualities of the film. By the way, here you can find our comprehensive guide to dubbing in a movie!

As their name implies, the Post-Production Supervisor oversees the post-production stage of the filmmaking process, including the people and tasks related to it.

The Editor is the person responsible for how the film will unfold from shot to shot and scene to scene. This person determines the shots used, their order, and their duration to help in telling a cohesive and captivating story.

A Sound Editor is the person responsible for integrating the audio elements of a film and adjusting their volume to create an audio track that supports the visual elements of a film.

The Dialogue Editor is specifically responsible for how the dialogue is layered and used in a film.

Should a particular sound be needed for a film that cannot be captured in real-time on set or pulled from a computer library, a Foley Artist will be used to recreate that sound effect through other means in a studio.

The Composer is the person who creates an instrumental soundtrack or score that helps in conveying the emotional tone of the film from shot to shot and scene to scene.

A Sound Designer is someone who oversees the creative integration and impact of the audio elements in a film.

The VFX Artist is a person who helps in the creation of a shot that cannot be produced in its totality either on a sound stage or location. Using computer animation and design, they realize the required shot for the film.

The Colorist is the individual who alters the brightness, saturation, and other visual elements of the film either to correct errors made on set or to enhance the existing footage for added impact.