The Director is the most crucial member of the production, because they oversee every creative decision in the movie making process. They'll have to work closely with Actors, the camera/lighting crew, the Art department, and the technical departments to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the direction of the project.

This position will be a serious time commitment, and we are looking for people with demonstrable experience in filmmaking and leadership. However, the Director will get the greatest experience and portfolio boost out of anyone in the production.

There will be a longer selection process for this role than any other, but candidates who are passed over for the position will likely land a spot as an Assistant Director

An Assistant Director helps distribute the workload off of the Director, and they will act as a Director does in certain circumstances. The AD might direct a day of shooting when the Director is indisposed, or they might handle a single department during a large shoot. They are also heavily involved in the shotlisting and planning phase of pre-production.

If, for some reason, the Director can no longer perform their job, an AD will be selected to take over that position. ADs will be chosen from the pool of Director candidates.

The Writers are responsible for the most important aspect of the project: the story. Story makes or breaks a production, and ours is no exception. The Writers will convene to craft the setting, chraracters, and plot, and eventually produce a finalized script to guide the production.

Once again, there will be a selection process for this role, with demonstrable experience being a major deciding factor.

The Assistant Producer does exactly that: they assist the Producer. There's a lot of organization that goes into a production of this scale. The larger we get, the more people we will need to help coordinate the work. Assistant Producers manage schedules, coordinate between departments, and help keep track of all the various members within the club. They also act as Producer in the case of the chief Producer's absence.

The Talent Director is primarily in charge of casting and the audition process. This role requires an understanding of acting, and preferably acting experience, as you will be leading acting workshops, managing actor schedules, and organizing rehearsals. This role requires stellar people skills and a solid understanding of the art of acting. This role also supplies unique networking opportunities, as you will be working directly with the entire cast.

While a shotlist is crucial for organizing a shoot, the best way to prepare for shooting is with storyboards. A Storyboard Artist generates sketches of shots quickly but effectively, working closely with the Director, ADs, Cinematographer, and Writers to compose shots. The artist must be able to read and interpret shot descriptions to create

The Script Supervisor works on set to ensure that the scripts vision is being realized. They make sure lines are said correctly, watch out for continuity errors, and are the voice of the writing department on set. Strong organizational skills are needed for this role, as the notes they take on each shot will be used in post-production.

The Slate is in charge of tracking and marking each shot throughout filming. The markers they create help the editors to compile the best film possible. The Slate is an attention-heavy position, who needs to be on their A game throughout the shoot.

As a Production Assistant, you are the oil that keeps the machine running on set. When odd jobs need doing, it is you we turn to. It is a great introduction to the set environment for people with less experience who want to get some hands on learning. As a production assistant, you might be assisting any of the other departments, so it's a great opportunity to network and meet other people. We will need lots of these guys!

The VFX Coordinator represents the VFX team on set, helping the Director and Cinematographer coordinate with the VFX team to ease the post-production process later on. This role requires a deep understanding of both digital effects and how choices made on set can make the VFX process easier. The VFX Coordinator will also assist the Cinematographer in planning and executing complex shots incorporating VFX.

The Cinematographer is in charge of the lighting and camera crews; they are ultimately responsible for making sure each shot looks as good as possible. The Cinematographer should have a solid understanding of lighting and camera fundamentals, as well as a keen eye for composition. The Cinematographer will assist the Director in the shotlisting process and work closely with the Arts and Editing Departments.

A film could not exist without a camera. The Camera Operator is the force behind the camera, translating the Cinematographer's instructions into the manipulation of camera equipment. This position requires technical skills and camera experience. For this production, the Camera Operator will learn and be responsible for a Black Magic Pocket Cinema 4k camera.

The Assistant Camera is like a backup camera operator, who assists and sometimes fills in for the Camera Operator. The AC needs to be just as knowledgeable about the camera as the lead Camera Operator, and will typically look after auxiliary camera details like batteries, filters, and other accessories. If we have multiple shooting units, the AC may become a second Camera Operator.

The Lighting Director is in charge of lighting during shooting. Lighting requires precise positioning of lights, decisions about color and brightness, and a strong grasp of how lighting affects the tone of a film. Indoor shooting is a more controlled environment, where artificial lighting is common and easily maneuvered. Outdoor shooting requires different approaches, as natural lighting can be inconsistent and difficult. This role also requires a thorough understanding of the equipment in order to produce an image we can all be proud of.

Working under the Lighting Director and Cinematographer, the Grip handles hardware such as lighting stands, power cables, camera tripods, dollys, jibs, and rigs. This role requires attention to detail, as the safety of the production relies heavily on your management of set resources.

The Chief Editor oversees the digital assembly of the film. They are both artist and supervisor, crafting the story through editing and leading a team of editors, compositors, and other digital specialists. A good Editor knows how to arrange shots and scenes to tell the story effectively. Knowledge of digital tools and file management structures is essential here, as the whole film will be composed digitally. The Editor can expect to work closely with the Director and work between the script, shotlist, storyboard, and set-improvised story beats. Like other lead roles, applicants turned down for the role of Chief Editor may be selected for Assistant Editor instead.

Editing a film is a big undertaking, so the Chief Editor is going to need a significant amount of help, which is where the Assistant Editor comes in. An Assistant Editor might be responsible for one of the aspects of the entire cut, or they might be devoted to a specific scene or sequence. Either way, the Assistant Editor needs the same knowledge and intuition as the Chief Editor in order to make professional cuts.

Movie Magic Studios wouldn't be much without digital artists capable of conjuring movie magic. VFX artists combine a variety of digital materials, including footage shot by the production team and digital art created by our Art department, to create convincing shots that depict the impossible. Obviously, a lot of technical knowledge is needed for this position, and VFX artists are expected to have serious familiarity with the tools of the trade.

One often overlooked element of filmmaking is the importance of color science, because a good color grade on a film is often designed to go unnoticed. The Colorist applies digital fine-tuning to each shot in post-production, creating stylized looks or smoothing out differences between shots. The Colorist needs a firm grasp on color theory, digital color correction tools/methods, how digital systems handle color, gamuts, LUTs, and other elements.

Movie Magic Studios will focus on imaginative storytelling, so our stories will more often than not require a good deal of worldbuilding and production design. The Art Director's job is to oversee the design process of all the artwork which will eventually make it into the Film. The Art Director will establish and maintain a consistent art style for props, costumes, digital environments, and some special effects. This is perhaps the most important role for which we are looking beyond the Film and Digital Media department here at UCSC, as we want this department and especially this role to incorporate students from the Arts and other departments.

Imagination is one of the cornerstones of any art form, especially filmmaking. Movie Magic Studios focuses on imaginative and spectacular projects, both for the love of the craft and the unique problems solving skills it requires. Much of this imagination will be materialized by the concept artists, which assist the Art department in the design of costumes, props, settings and all other artwork needed for production. Concept artists may also lean towards the cinematography department, drafting cinematic visuals and ultimately

We love fantastical art design here at MMS, and what makes that possible is having talented artists who can bring those visions to life. Digital artists are responsible for crafting many of the visuals that could not be captured in camera, and will be added to shots in the post-production process. Digital 2D Artists may craft matte paintings and backgrounds, textures for 3d models, graphic designs, and more.

We love fantastical art design here at MMS, and what makes that possible is having talented artists who can bring those visions to life. Digital artists are responsible for crafting many of the visuals that could not be captured in camera, and will be added to shots in the post-production process. Digital 3D Artists may craft 3D models, arrange digital environments, or even work with animated digital characters and creatures.

The Costume Designer is tasked with outfitting actors on set. This work happens before shooting, and is overseen by the director. The aim of costume design is to make characters feel real and to ensure they fit in with each other and the setting. Costumes carry the bulk of the visual storytelling as it pertains to character.

As a Prop Designer you will be in charge of finding or crafting props for the film. Some scenes simply cannot be done without certain props. The Prop Designer ensures that the world feels real, fleshed out, and lived in. Financial responsibility for prop purchasing will be covered by the club, but finances will be limited and you are highly encouraged to make/find as much as possible. This role requires artistry, creativity, and resourcefulness.

Even the most visually stunning film would be unappealing without a well-crafted soundtrack to match. Sound is a crucial aspect in subconsciously selling both the visuals and the story of any movie to the audience, and the Sound Designer is responsible for supplying that sound. The Sound designer will lead a team of sound engineers, artists, recordists, and musicians to create a collage of vocals, sound FX, foley, and music that fits the film. The Sound Designer will craft the audial language of the film, and work closely with the Composer to deliver a professional score.

The soundtrack might be composed of 300 or more individual sound effects, which is why we need foley artists, recording specialists, mixers, and other audio engineers to find, create, and modify all of these sounds. The best Sound Engineer will be someone who knows all of these processes and can move fluidly between physical and digital sound production.

The Mic Operator is the on-set presence of the sound department. They handle the technically intricate process of capturing usable audio. A good Mic Operator understands the behavior of sound in a set environment, and can adapt their strategy and gear to capture the best audio possible under any given circumstances. Obviously, the Mic Operator must be very familiar with their equipment and audio fundamentals to achieve this.

For any self-respecting movie, a killer OST is essential. The Composer is the visionary behind this OST, crafting melodies and leitmotifs, selecting which instruments will be in the film's ensamble, and working with other musicians to create whatever music best fits the story. This job requires a good grasp of music theory, and experience with digital composing tools. At the end of the year, tracks from the OST may be released under the composer's name.

Once the Composer has their blueprint for the OST, the recording process can begin. In this phase, Recording Musicians add their various talents to the soundtrack, providing a superior tone and quality than synthesized music.

BTS Photographer is more of a community role than a film role. They are in charge of collecting videos and photographs of all stages of production to use for future advertisements and behind the scenes collections, so that cast and crew can show off their hard work. This role is unique in that it is privy to every part of production, so they will get to know the whole filmmaking process and everyone involved. This role requires a camera and a good eye for natural on-the-spot documentary photography.