Movie Credit terms

Title Definitions
http://tms.ecol.net/movies/whoplain.htm

Executive Producer
A title often abused in the film industry. Ideally the executive
producer arranges for the film's financing and tries to keep the
project on budget. Increasingly the executive producer credit is given
as a perk to a powerful actor's agent or spouse, or some other person
who made the project possible.

Producer
The producer finds a script and develops it into a film project.
He or she oversees the hiring of the director, actors and technical
personnel. The producer also oversees script development and tracks
the movie's financial condition during filming.

Director
The director is responsible for all creative aspects of a movie.
The director usually helps hire actors, decides on locations and plans
the shots before filming begins. During filming the director oversees
the actors and crew, sets up shots and keeps the movie on schedule and
on budget. The director is usually hired by a producer, unless he or
she is also producing the film.

Cinematographer
The cinematographer, or director of photography (D.P.), helps
create the look of a movie. The D.P. directs the lighting for each
scene, helps frame shots, chooses lenses, selects film stock and
ensures that the visual look of the film conforms to the director's
vision. The cinematographer usually does not operate the camera on set
(this is the duty of the camera operator).

Editor
The editor works with the director in editing the film. The
director has the primary responsibility for editing decisions, but the
editor often has significant input in the creative decisions involved
in putting together a final cut of a movie. The editor often starts
work while the film is still being shot, by assembling preliminary
cuts from the daily footage. Increasingly, editors work on
computerized editing consoles without touching the actual film.

Associate Producer
In most cases an associate producer is the producer's top
assistant, though this job varies from production to production. He or
she is often a liaison between the production team (everyone helping
to shoot the film) and the post-production team (those who work on the
film after shooting). Sometimes this credit goes to the project's
financier, or the person who brought the project to the producer.

Production Manager
The production manager (P.M.) makes business deals with the crew
and arranges for the production's technical needs. This includes
everything from obtaining the right technical equipment to renting
accommodations for actors and crew.

Unit Production Manager
The unit production manager (U.P.M.) reports the daily financial
operation of a production to the production manager. Sometimes the
U.P.M. will scout for locations and help the production manager with
overall planning.

Line Producer
The line producer supervises the movie's budget. This includes
unique expenses like a star's salary as well as daily costs like
equipment rentals. The production manager reports his or her expenses
and needs to the line producer.

Assistant Director
The assistant director (A.D., or First A.D. in larger productions)
works to make the director more efficient. The A.D. plans a shooting
schedule by breaking the script into sections that can be filmed in a
single day and in the most efficient order. During filming the A.D.
manages the set, helps line up shots for the director, calls for quiet
on the set and coordinates the extras. The assistant director is often
a member of the Directors' Guild of America.

Continuity Person
The continuity person tries to prevent embarrassing gaffes in the
final film, such as an actor wearing a hat that mysteriously
disappears in one shot then reappears in another. The continuity
person logs how many times a scene was shot, how long the shot lasted,
which actors were in the scene, where they were standing and any other
intricate details -- like that disappearing hat!

Camera Operator
The camera operator is a member of the camera crew and runs the
camera as instructed by the director and the cinematographer. The
camera operator is responsible for keeping the action in frame, and
responding quickly to the action as it unfolds.

Visual Effects Director
The visual effects director's job varies according to the needs of
the production. Sometimes the visual effects director helps with
effects on the set. But he or she could also be called upon to
supervise separate teams of effects technicians working away from the
set.

FX Coordinator
FX is film shorthand for special effects. The job of the FX
coordinator differs from film to film. Special effects range from
complicated computer animation to helping Superman fly to simple
on-set logistics like making a shower work.

Make-up Artist
The make-up artist is usually a licensed professional who applies
any make-up to an actor above the breastbone to the top of the head
and from the tips of the fingers to the elbow. (Also see body make-up
artist.)

Production Assistant
Often called a gofer or a runner on the set, the production
assistant (P.A.) performs small but essential tasks for the cast and
crew.

Unit Publicist
The unit publicist makes sure the media are aware of a production
by sending out press releases, arranging for interviews of cast and
crew, setting up on-set visits and organizing media kits, which
include publicity pictures, video and audio clips and plot summaries.