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Television Production & Broadcast Journalism
production team:
Everyone involved in the
production, both staff
and talent.
staff: Production
personnel that work
behind the scenes
and generally includes
management and
designers.
crew: Production
personnel that are
normally not seen by
the camera, which
generally includes
equipment operators.
talent: Anyone seen by
the camera, whether
or not they have a
speaking or any other
signifi cant role in the
program, as well as
individuals who provide
only their vocal skills to
the production.
Dividing Up the Work
All television production organizations, from the largest to smallest,
divide the production workload among the company’s employees. In large
production companies, a different individual may be assigned to each job
title. In smaller production companies, however, it is not unusual for a
single person to fi ll multiple jobs on the same production. Some jobs are
easier to combine than others. For example, it is difficult to imagine acting
in front of a camera when you must also fi ll the role of camera operator. On
the other hand, the person who painted the set could certainly be an actor
because these two jobs do not take place at the same time.
The following sections address many of the main jobs included in the
collective term production team, also called production staff. All production
personnel can be divided into three categories:
• The staff works behind the scenes. These individuals work in the
more creative levels of production management.
• The crew are generally equipment operators. They are not normally
seen by the camera, but are integral to the production.
• Anyone seen by the camera, whether or not they have a speaking or
any other significant role in the program, is talent.
Figure 2-1. In order to
do your job properly, you
must know the jobs of
others on your production
staff. This illustration
depicts the spider web of
interrelationships between
jobs on the production
staff.
Director
Set Designer
Lighting
Designer
Music & Sound
Effects Designer
Audio
Engineer
Video
Engineer
Graphic
Designer
Technical
Director
Gaffer
Grip
Set
Dresser
Props
Master
Editor
Performer
Producer
Executive
Producer
Makeup
Artist
Costume
Designer
Camera
Operator