The Camera Assistant's Manual, 5th Edition

2

The Camera Department

Film Productions

The number of members in the film camera department depends on the kind of production being shot. Big-budget feature films usually have a larger crew than low-budget films, TV commercials, or music videos. It also depends on whether the production is union or nonunion. In the United States the typical camera department usually consists of the following crew members:

Director of Photography (DP)

Camera Operator

First Assistant Cameraman (1st AC or Focus Puller)

Second Assistant Cameraman (2nd AC or Clapper/Loader)

Loader (optional position on larger multicamera productions)

This list is based on a union feature film and includes the basic key crew positions. All of the following lists of camera department ...