1. The Production Team and Staff
The Complete Guide to Film & Digital Production: The People & The Process
Lorene M. Wales, Ph.D.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

2. UPM Pre-Production
Answers to directly to the producer and director, though mostly with the producer.
Contacts and works with film commission in the city or state to get assistance in locating local housing, crew and locations.
Hires production office coordinator (POC), which may include the rest of the production team, the location manager and script supervisor.
Based on recommendations and bids from departments, contacts vendors & secures equipment packages, including but not limited to sound, camera, lighting, and grip packages.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

3. UPM Pre-Production
Makes deals with crewmembers. Often, different department heads come with their own crews. It is still the job of the U.P.M. to give final approval to their rate and hiring.
Goes on location scouts.
Manages the budget (this continues through post-production). The U.P.M. is, as part of his/her responsibility to the producer, to keep the project from going over budget.
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4. UPM Production Approves all call sheets and production reports.
Continues to oversee all departmental budgets and spending.
Spends time on set to handle crew problems.
Approves purchase orders, check requests and cash advances for crewmembers.
Fires crew if necessary.
May attend dailies.
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5. UPM Wrap & Post Sometimes secures crew gifts for producer.
Returns to the studio (if it is a studio shoot) to arrange for completion of post-production.
Approves list of credits, which will then be handed over to producer.
Usually spends approximately one to two months in post-production, continuing to monitor the budget and post-production crew.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

6. UPM - Qualities Can handle thousands of detail at once.
Has a great memory for numbers (helps in dealing with the budget).
Has no difficulty dealing with constant problems that arise.
Can troubleshoot potential problems.
Can deal with problem personalities and their conflicts.
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7. Production Office Coordinator (POC) Pre-Production
Hires APOC and office assistants.
Oversees cast physicals if needed, and cast insurance.
Sets up production office.
Coordinates production meetings for crew.
Sets up production files.
Finishes deal memos and tax paperwork with crew after they are hired by the U.P.M..
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

8. Production Office Coordinator (POC) Pre-Production
Sometimes procures product placement.
May research equipment packages for the U.P.M..
Oversees creation, updates and distribution of the cast, contact and crew lists.
Oversees all paperwork distribution to the crew.
Sometimes coordinates cast and crew travel.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

9. POC - Production
Coordinates sending and receiving dailies to and from film lab.
Manages petty cash for production office.
Oversees script pages (changes) and their distribution.
Opens or closes production office in conjunction with APOC.
Troubleshoots everything having to do with coordination of the production office.
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10. POC - Wrap Wraps out the production office. Qualities of a good POC
Extremely organized.
Loves and can handle a lot of detail work.
Has a service-oriented personality.
Can handle stress well.
Is able to lead a team of assistants.
Excellent sense of follow through.
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11. Local Production Coordinator (LPC)
Hired by POC
Works at location the crew will be travelling to, to set up a temporary production office while crew is there.
Wraps out the office after crew leaves.
Lives locally, so knows local services.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

12. Assistant Production Office Coordinator (APOC)
May handle cast and crew travel.
Handles hotel reservations for cast and crew as they arrive and leave location.
Handles housing for lead actors in high budget projects.
Sets up laundry service for cast and crew while on location.
Locates and secures local services such as beauty salons, restaurants, entertainment, medical facilities.
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13. APOC Production
May type call sheets and production reports (sometimes done by DGA trainee) and is responsible for distribution.
Assists or may be responsible for distribution of paperwork.
Coordinates pre-production party, called the meet-and-greet.
Secures emergency forms for all crew and cast.
If required by studio, completes weekly reports.
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14. APOC Production
Opens or closes production office in conjunction with POC.
Keeps a running hotel log of cast and crew.
Receives the production calls; first shot, lunch and wrap.
Continues working on travel.
Oversees the office assistants.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

15. APOC - Wrap Qualities of a good APOC
May compile and type credits for the U.P.M..
Coordinates the wrap party
Assists the POC in wrapping out the production office.
May assist with procuring crew gifts.
Qualities of a good APOC
Extremely organized.
Loves and can handle a lot of detail work.
Has a service-oriented personality.
Can handle stress well.
·       Works with travel agency to secure air travel.
·       Works with transportation department to provide airport pickups and returns.
·       Completes a daily travel log (See Figure 3-6) showing who is traveling where and when.
·       Informs hotel of cast and crew arrivals and departures.
·       Works with cast agents to provide specific travel needs of stars.
·       Works with AD team to confirm cast arrivals and departures.
·       Works with U.P.M. to confirm crew arrivals and departures.
·       Works with the accounting department to process reimbursements to cast and crew who may not wish to use their travel allotment.
·       Keeps a list of ingoing and outgoing flights to and from the location on certain airlines that fly direct.
The process of providing travel on a typical basis is as follows.
·       Use the Day-Out-of-Days to find out when cast needs to travel.
·       Confirm cast travel with ADs.
·       Is contacted by the U.P.M. or POC for crew travel dates.
·       Contact the crew person, or cast, or cast persons agent and confirm travel arrangements such as, does the person want a window or aisle seat. Does the person need a special meal? Will the person need an allowance for extra baggage? As a rule, all SAG actors and DGA members fly first class.
·       Contact the travel agent to secure the flight booking.
·       Have tickets either issued and sent to the person, or held via an e-ticket at the airport.
·       If needed, inform the transportation department of any ground transportation needs via a transportation request form.
·       Inform the hotel of any arrivals or departures.
Greet the cast or crew at the hotel once they arrive.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

16. Office Production Assistants (P.A.’s)
May keep shipment logs.
Gets lunch for all office personnel.
Completes general office duties such as:
making copies
making coffee
faxing documents
answering telephones (if there is no receptionist to do so),
screening calls
running errands
distributing mail
dividing resumes and putting them in a notebook
distributing call sheets in the production office
copying call sheets for the crew
assists the POC and APOC in wrapping out the office.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

17. Receptionist Ability to handle stress well.
Has excellent typing skills.
Is organized, dependable and can follow orders well.
Knows how to work office machines such as a fax, and copier.
Can handle a multi-line telephone with a large volume of incoming calls.
Knows enough about production to properly screen phone calls and guests.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

18. Head Accountant Answers to U.P.M. and Producer.
Examines expense reports.
Produces cost reports.
Issues petty cash when needed.
Tracks budget.
Makes sure all vendors are paid.
May issue paychecks & payroll reports.
Submits credit reports to vendors as needed (to establish an account).
Wraps out all vendor accounts at the end of post-production.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

19. Qualities of a good Accounting staff
1st Assistant Accountant, 2nd Assistant Accountant, Accounting Apprentice
Checks expense reports for errors.
Delivers paychecks to crew.
Screens calls for head accountant.
Processes various paperwork for head accountant.
Completes general office duties such as copying, typing, and faxing.
Qualities of a good Accounting staff
Knowledgeable and has experience in general accounting procedures.
Knowledgeable in the running of a production.
Able to deal with the fast pace of a production.
Excels in dealing with numbers and paperwork all day.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

20. Technical Advisor
Reads script and advises writer of technical inaccuracies.
Meets with director and/or producer to discuss level of involvement.
May standby on set to answer technical questions.
May standby on set to give constructive criticism of technique.
May be needed to examine sets for technical accuracy.
Is expected to speak up if the director or actors are being inaccurate.
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21. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Executive Producer Script Supervisor
Unit Production Manager
Script Supervisor
Production Office Coordinator
LPC
APOC
Office P.A.'s
Runner
Receptionist
Safety Manager
Assistant to Producer
Associate Producer
Technical Advisor
Head Accountant
1st Assistant Accountant
2nd Assistant Accountant
Accounting Apprentice
© 2017 Taylor & Francis

22. Conclusion
The production team includes the executive producer, producer, associate producer, UPM, POC, local production coordinator, APOC, and assistants. Other personnel who work closely with the production team include the accountants, technical advisor, and safety manager.
The production team is there to ensure that pre-production adequately prepares the show to run smoothly and that the crew has sufficient support.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis