Film Crew Roles – Traditional v Mobile In traditional media making or filmmaking there are various production roles, for example:
- Camera person – shoot the footage
- Lighting technician – plan and set up lights to create desired look/feel
- Sound recordist – plan and record audio with mics e.g. boom, laplel mic, directional, etc.
- Technical person – back up footage and ensure all equipment is working/charged
- Interviewer – welcomes and preps interviewee(s), ask questions either on or off screen
- Runner – an extra pair of hands to assist all of the above, where needed
For Mobile Journalism (MoJo), sometimes one person will do all of the above roles! However, when working with young people and the MoJo kit, these roles can be condensed to:
- Camera/lighting/sound person using MoJo rig
- Technical manager using laptop to back up and chargers to keep everything running
- Interviewer (sometimes this will be the person on camera)
- Or one person doing all of the above!
When planning a filmmaking or MoJo shoot with young people it is important to decide on roles during the planning process. The group may decide to rotate roles during the shoot so that everyone experiences doing different jobs. This planning will ensure the shoot goes smoothly and everyone is clear on what their role is.
