Roll Credits

I thought I would start a new feature here on 'Down In Front' to help explain all those crew roles you see listed in a film's credits. One of the many things I enjoy about watching movies is watching the credits themselves. First of all, the music is often very significant to the end of the film and I find it provides an all-encompassing feeling of what the film was about. When Shauna and I used to go to the theatre, we almost always sat through the entire credits. Usually because we wanted to see who played such-and-such a role or which composer scored the film. But often it was simply to listen to the wonderful music. Sometimes there is so much happening on the screen that we miss the subtle musical cues that can really bring a film to life.

I am also fascinated by the filmmaking process. I love learning about all the tricks and techniques used to create a feature length film. I'm amazed at how much I've learned in the last several years, especially since movie studios started including comprehensive special features as part of the DVD releases.

But I think we would all agree that there are usually just way too many names scrolling by in the credits to bother reading them all. And often the crew title itself is confusing. What the heck is a clapper loader?

Well, in an effort to encourage my readers to sit through the credits more often, I present 'Roll Credits' - a regular feature where I'll define a few of those confusing credit titles. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of what's going on during the film making process, and ultimately give you a greater appreciation of what's involved in creating those movies we all love so much.

Gaffer - The Gaffer is the head electrician on set and reports to the Director of Photography. They arrange the lighting and electrical requirements on set as needed, and supervise the other electricians.

Grip - A grip is a person who works on set with all of the camera support equipment. They organise camera mounts when the director wants the camera on the side of a moving car, they move dollies, cranes, lay tracks and generally make it possible for the director to put the camera in more places than just on a tripod. A Key Grip is the person in charge of the grip crew and reports to the Director of Photography.

Director of Photography - A.k.a. Cinematographer. The Director of Photography is the person who is responsible for the cinematic look of the film, which includes selecting the right film stock, lighting each scene to achieve the director's requirements, choosing cameras and lenses, supervising the grips and electricians, and the other members of the camera department (camera operator, clapper/loader, focus puller, and camera assistants). Together with the Director and the Production Designer, the Director of Photography holds a key responsibility for the final look of the film on screen. In the USA and Canada, Director of Photography is often abbreviated to "DP"; in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, it is normally "DOP".

Cinematographers who have achieved a certain level of recognition amongst their peers are normally invited to join one or more of the national cinematographer societies. Members are identified in the film's credits with a series of letters after their name:

A.S.C. - The American Society of Cinematographers
C.S.C. - The Canadian Society of Cinematographers
A.C.S. - The Australian Cinematographers Society
B.S.C. - The British Society of Cinematographers (not to be confused with the Society for British Cinematographers...splitters!)