It takes an army to create a Film or TV show and this won’t really hit home until you first step foot on set.
There’s so many people moving, working and barking orders in what can feel like a foreign language to newcomers.
It’s an intimidating environment for the uninitiated. What’s important to remember is that each person belongs to a different department with their own responsibilities and concerns.
If we were to create a comprehensive glossary of every role, we’d be here all day. So below is a list of crew members, in order of significance to the Supporting Artiste, that you are most likely to encounter on a filming day.
Crowd 2nd Assistant Director
This is the crew member that books you. This Crowd 2nd AD works very closely with the agency to hire the supporting artists they need for each scene. A deep-dive into what a day in the life of a Crowd 2nd looks like can be read here.
They will likely be the crew member signing you in and signing you out on filming days. They often check in with their SAs throughout the day to make sure everyone’s okay and there’s no issues on set or regarding lunch.
Crowd 2nd ADs spend most of their day either in Crowd Holding or the production offices, but they may occasionally visit set to check on their artists and see how they’re being used.
They hire and manage the Crowd Team that looks after you throughout the day.
On very big days involving hundreds of background artists, many of their responsibilities may be delegated to their assistants and you may never personally see them. But rest assured they’re always busy behind the scenes, managing their team and looking ahead to the demands of future filming days.
The Crowd Team (Crowd PAs)
This Crowd Team will grow and shrink to meet the number of background artists booked each day.
In the morning, they will be checking that everyone has been fed breakfast and shepherding artists through hair, make-up and costume.
They will then lead groups to and from set, sometimes with the help of minibuses. They will supervise the crowd in holding and help direct artists on set based on the instructions of the 1st and 3rd Assistant Directors. They will help organise the Supporting Artists for line-ups, lunch and wrap. They will also be tracking continuity of the background action throughout the day, so help them out by committing your action to memory and performing it identically each take. They will try their best to ensure that you are comfortable and watered while on set.
These are the crew members that you will be most familiar with on filming days. These are the people to ask if you have any questions, and they will be able to help identify other crew members that are relevant to you.
Confusingly, there is a tendency amongst the SAs to refer to every member of the crowd team as an AD. More accurately, the crowd team is made up PAs (Production Assistants) that carry out the instructions of the Crowd 2nd AD and the 3rd AD.
3rd Assistant Director
Once you step on set, this is the crew member who is most likely to direct you and who the Crowd PAs will take their cues from. It’s common for this person to have introduced themselves in the morning, often making a speech in Crowd Holding at the start of the day so all the SAs are familiar with the scene and what the day demands of them.
Their full responsibilities are too long to list here, but they will direct the background action according to the requirements of the director and 1st AD. They have access to the live-feed monitors so will be able to see how the background action translates on screen. As such, they will also have the best idea as to how the background artists have been used and which ones are deserving of a Supplementary Fee such as a ‘Creative Reaction’. They will relay this information to the Crowd 2nd AD so your job review is filled out correctly.
1st Assistant Director
This person will be often mistaken by newcomers as the Director. They’re the loudest voice on set, giving out instructions to every department. They are the highest ranking AD on the production. They make sure everything is kept on schedule, and they work very closely with the Director, the Director or Photography (DOP - or ‘Cinematographer’ to the Americans) and each head of the department to ensure an efficient shoot. An easy identifier is that they’re often the person with the microphone telling everyone else to quieten down and hurry up.
They will occasionally interact with Supporting Artists if its a small shoot without a 3rd AD or they're trying to achieve something very specific for the director.
What about the Director?
The Director busies themselves mostly with the actors and their performances. It’s very uncommon for them to direct a Supporting Artiste unless it’s a small intimate scene or the Supporting Artiste is interacting with the main cast.
Costume and Hair & Make-Up
Your main interactions with these crew members will be at the beginning of the day, during line-ups and at wrap when you’re de-rigging. You would have been introduced to a few of them during your fitting if you had one.
When it comes to working on set, these departments will only interact with you to complete “final checks” before the cameras roll and to take continuity photos.
We mention them here because the Lead Designers and Supervisors that head these departments have contributed to your booking during the selection process; they would have worked with the Crowd 2nd AD to review your photos and measurements. They may also decide during line-ups who amongst the Supporting Artists will be most prominent in the upcoming scene. Often line-ups won’t conclude until they personally have approved everyone.
The Prop Department
Yep, you guessed it. These guys handle the props that are disseminated out to the Supporting Artists, and they too will often take continuity photos of you. Always be sure to return props before leaving set so they don’t have to run after you.
Their remit includes food and drink in the scene, such as wine glasses and canapés. You will be told beforehand whether you are allowed to consume anything, although the answer is almost always no. Consuming food and drink quickly becomes tedious for them to replace for continuity and their supplies are not limitless. If you’re ever thirsty, grab the attention of a Crowd PA so they can fetch water.
Sometimes the distinction between costume and props can blur, such as with rucksacks and handbags. Just remember that if it wasn’t part of your costume before you stepped foot on set, it belongs to Props and needs to be handed back or left on set when you go.
If you're lucky enough to be given weapons then you will need to return these to the Armourer when you step off set.
The Sound Department
These are the crew members that demands silence from everyone except the principal actors so dialogue can be recorded cleanly. Always assume that you are to perform your action silently unless otherwise instructed.
These people will ensure you’re miming your conversation during takes. Whispering is not miming. The action you have been given will be changed if it causes too much noise and disruption. Their microphones are incredibly sensitive - so don’t trash talk the sound guys.
Security
Beyond the security that exist at every major studio to approve your day-pass and ensure you do not wander into unauthorised areas, you will encounter security for the really big-name productions that belong to major franchises.
For these productions, a security member will guard a locked phone box - it’s their job to supervise the crowd’s phone use and ensure that you never leave the Crowd Holding with your phone due to confidentiality reasons such as the prevention of spoilers and leaks.
There’s more reasons why your phone may be confiscated while you work, which we detail in this blog here. Unlike other crew members, Security won’t step foot on set and can be usually identified by a uniform or hi-vis jacket.
Stunt Performers
These aren’t crew members themselves, but you should always be aware of any stunt performers sharing the same space as you. They have been hired specifically to carry out an action that could be dangerous, so it’s wise to take precautions to not block or collide with them during the shoot. If a scene involves stunts, you will be given a health and safety briefing before filming by the Stunt Coordinator. If you’re ever unsure who the stunt performers are around you, do not hesitate to ask.
In the same vein, the Medic can be identified by their green uniform, and they can be retrieved by a Crowd PA if you are ever in pain or feeling unwell.
Obviously we’ve omitted many other departments that will be operating on the same set as you. The truth is that the Camera, Lighting & Grip, VFX, Locations and Art Departments rarely busy themselves with the Supporting Artists directly, although the set-designers will quickly appear to tell you to stop leaning on a fake wall or touching their decorations.
Always be aware of those operating around you and allow them the space to move equipment safely. Remain alert, be courteous and conduct yourself professionally. This is a people’s industry; the sooner you identify the crew members relevant to you, remember their names and build rapport, the easier the day will become.
It’s sensible to challenge yourself to identify the following on every job:
The Crowd 2nd AD
Every Crowd PA
The 3rd AD
The 1st AD
This hasn’t been an extensive breakdown of each crew member’s responsibilities, but merely how each role relates to the supporting artiste. Each production operates slightly differently, with different scripts and budgets dictating how responsibilities are shared amongst the crew. If you’re ever unsure who is who, don’t hesitate to ask when there’s a moment of downtime.
We’ll follow up this blog with another glossary for all that filmmaking lingo that can feel impenetrable at times. Ever encountered a phrase on set that continues to baffle you? Put some suggestions down in the comments below and we’ll explain them in the next blog!
Many Thanks,
The Extra People Team.
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