Programa de control del motor paso a paso (Arduino):

Reporters are sent out with a small camcorder to cover a story. Today, it’s expected that a reporter can write, report, shoot, and edit a story. People who can do this type of one-person reporting are referred to as “back- pack journalists.”

As market size or the demand for quality in- creases, a news crew can have a staff that is similar in

size to a major EFP shoot. This is especially true in the area of documentary shooting. While technically a news-style product, documentaries are often done more like production work, sometimes having large crews and several layers of creative and financial con- trol. In the sections below, the major crew members and their responsibilities are discussed.

116 Chapter 6: Part One: Preproduction

Executive Producer

The production crew begins with the executive pro- ducer, who acts as a general supervisor of the project and often serves in this capacity on more than one project at a time. The executive producer initiates se- lection of the production crew after deciding on project feasibility given all the financial, equipment, personnel, and time constraints. Very often, the execu- tive producer finds the money that funds the project.

A scriptwriter or project creator often seeks for the executive producer position someone who is able to find a funding source as well as the personnel and equipment to produce the script. Once the funding is located, the executive producer often decides generally how the money will be spent. Acting as a liaison be- tween a client and the EFP team, the executive pro- ducer frequently selects (or at least suggests) the major members of the production team: the producer, direc- tor, and talent. The executive producer may also seek outlets for the exhibition of the project, if appropriate. After initiating the project and selecting a producer, the executive producer often plays a minor role in the day-to-day operation of the project, which is by then delegated to the producer.

Producer

Usually selected by the executive producer, the pro- ducer is involved from the very beginning of an EFP project as the overall coordinator and schedule-maker. Although the specifics of scheduling are often the re- sponsibility of others on the team, the producer sets the parameters for the project (for example, the completion date). Having the best overall picture of the specific needs of the current production, the producer also knows the requirements for other projects that involve the production facility. The pivotal person on the video production team, the producer makes the decisions re- garding money, personnel selection, and schedule.

For many projects done in-house at TV stations, production companies, or corporations, the team may already be assembled and on staff, simply moving from project to project. Larger companies may have many people in pools of job categories selected on the basis of availability, not ability. While this system works most of the time, it can lead to disaster. It is always

better to hand-pick the production team to get the best working relationships and the best end product.

Director

The director takes a script for a video project and trans- lates it into a visual reality. The director is, therefore, an interpreter of the scriptwriter’s words, a translator who takes written communication and transforms it into vi- sual communication, or makes a storyboard come to life. The director must coordinate activities just before and during production, as well as coordinate the activi- ties of the camera operator, talent, and lighting director during rehearsals to create the effect called for by the script or storyboard.

Once the desired aesthetic effect is achieved, the di- rector can begin the actual recording. Because most EFP productions differ from studio TV in that EFP usually involves one portable camera rather than sev- eral studio cameras, a good EFP director should know the film style of shooting a scene. The film style of di- rection does not require one-take production with lit- tle or no postproduction editing. Instead, in film style, the director uses one camera to retake the scene from different camera angles and focal lengths to allow se- lection during postproduction and the freedom to shoot scenes out of sequence for efficiency.

The director must also be able to work with peo- ple effectively. This may involve coaching, cajoling, coercing, or otherwise persuading actors and other performers to get the desired performance from them. The director must accomplish this without alienating or demeaning the talent. One disgruntled actor can easily sour the efforts of an entire crew. Since field production involves smaller crews than studio work, each crew member’s performance is es- sential to the success of the shoot. The director is re- sponsible for getting the best possible work from the entire crew.

Production Manager

The production manager is responsible for making sure that the equipment is available and is scheduled properly for shoots. Often, the production manager is the person who understands the needs of the script and translates those needs into specific pieces of equipment

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