Film Jobs Key Terms

Learn about the different careers in film making.

By Michelle Cramer

Many people dream of being directors, executive producers, actors or screenplay writers, but few who want to have a career in the film industry consider the jobs on the less extravagant end of making a movie. It takes hundreds of people to make a movie and the majority of them are not directors or actors. This guide will help you explore other opportunities in film production.

First AD

First AD is one of the alternative terms for the first assistant director, also simply called "the first." The first AD assists the director by relaying messages and performing tasks, manages the cast and crew and helps to coordinate the production to be sure everything is on task.
Try: The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media Skillset website provides more details regarding the film position of first AD.

Cinematographer

Much to the surprise of most, cinematographers are not camera operators. Instead, their task is to coordinate the position, angle and composition of the shot in order to portray the mood the director feels the scene should convey.
Try: Visit ArtBistro for more information on the duties of cinematographers and how they coordinate with other people to get the movie on film.

PM

PM is short for property master or props master. These individuals read the script for the film and determine what props are necessary for production, set a budget for the props and obtain the props in time for each scene. PMs also make sure that the crew handles and stores props appropriately to minimize replacement costs.
Try: Access the University of Wisconsin Production website for more information on a prop master's job.

Production assistant

Production assistants handle the administrative and organizational tasks of the film process. They create reports regarding the production process, establish schedules for the cast and crew, book travel arrangements for shoot locations and perform other clerical-type duties.
Try: Find more information on a production assistant's duties and typical salary on College Crunch.

Grip

Grips mainly assist the camera crews and gaffers (chief lighting technicians) with menial tasks, such as pulling/pushing levers and cranks, making repairs to camera, lighting and sound equipment, and providing overall general assistance. Generally, grips are the laborers of film production.
Try: Discover a list of various grip duties on Career Planner.

Boom operator

If you've ever seen the large microphone at the end of a long pole that dangles just out of sight of the camera angle for a scene, then you know what a boom is. A boom operator is the person that holds this microphone in the correct position. Boom operators must maintain a steady hand and, to do so, need to have really strong arm muscles.
Try: Learn more about boom operators from Schools in the USA. Visit Filmmaking Careers or Matrixx Entertainment for more film job descriptions and key terms.