The films you see, the film crew you don’t: Uncovering the unsung heroes of movie-making

Breathtaking views and camera angles, goosebumps-inducing and thought-provoking dialogues, foot-tapping and attention-grabbing songs and dance sequences, sets that seem real, memorable background score, innovative VFX - a film is made complete and successful with the amalgamation of all these elements and more. The actors who appear on screen and the director who is often credited as the maker end up becoming the face of the film. However, many others work tirelessly behind the camera to bring a filmmaking project to life.

If we ever focus on the opening credits and sit through the end credits while watching a movie, we'll realise just how many people are involved in making it. And yet, all film crew members don't always get the recognition (or even facilities) they deserve.

A few people recently raised their voices against the non-payment of dues by a leading production house in Bollywood. Bosco Martis, the choreographer of the hit song ‘Tauba Tauba', stressed on the role his team played in making the song what it is and emphasised that they deserve equal credit. Bollywood's counterpart in LA has seen its fair share of strikes by actors, screenwriters and crew members for better payment terms and treatment. At a time when filmmaking is evolving and the industry is growing with the entry of new talent and platforms, it becomes important to address these issues.

But before we talk about getting someone their dues and credits, we must know what their contributions are to the making of the films that we see on screens.

How many people are involved in creating a film?

Did you know there's a focus puller in the camera department? Or a boom operator in the sound department? Or a script supervisor in the continuity department?

Many such roles are hidden from the viewer's eyes.

"There are 50-60 different roles in a film crew - spotboys, light technicians, camera attendants, focus pullers, set construction workers, etc.," informs Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, Founder and President of All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA).

"Most of these technicians work 16-18 hours per day and sometimes, they even work continuously for 3-4 days. They eat and sleep on sets," he reveals.

We speak to professionals from some often-overlooked departments to understand their functioning.

Production design

Parichit Paralkar, a production designer who has worked on films like Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya, ABCD 2 and Raabta, explains, "Production design plays a very important role in making the film as it is the canvas, the ‘visual translation of a script'. Actors can play their roles better if the environment created by a production designer is at its best."

"It generally involves the director as he is the captain of the ship and we need to follow his vision. Rest everything is developed completely by the production design team and is then discussed with the cinematographer for further technicalities. The production design team includes the following: Art director, set decorator, designers (for technical drawings) and graphic designer," he further informs.

Continuity

A script supervisor who has worked on some critically acclaimed films, on request of anonymity, says, "A script supervisor, in the simplest terms, is somebody who makes sure that whatever is written in the script gets captured on screen. There is also something called continuity, which is slightly a technical term that binds the the writing and the editing. It's a bridge between the two. Continuity, especially is important when it comes to the edit. Suppose we set up the camera in a wide shot. After that, we will go for a close-up. So then whatever actions have happened in the wide shot have to match the actions in the close-up. My job is to ensure that it's done the same way."

"Script supervision is a lot more intense than that because it makes the story as real as possible. There's something called a script calendar which nobody cares about. If it's raining, then this month will be July. If you have a calendar in the background, it should match. Then there's something called emotional continuity as well, which mostly the director takes care of. Sometimes in the story, the audience knows what has happened, but the character doesn't know. So in case it seems like the actors are performing as if they already know, it has to be rectified," she further explains.

How many people are tasked with this crucial role in a film, we ask.

"Oh, there's just one. Script supervision, in fact, is sadly supposed to be a department. In Hollywood, it is a department. There is a script supervisor and sometimes they have their assistants as well," she reveals.

Editing (Post-production)

The final product that we see in theatres or on our screen is actually shaped by the post-production team.

Antara Lahiri, a film editor who has worked on movies like Shakuntala Devi, Mast Mein Rehne Ka, Yeh Ballet and Sharmajee Ki Beti, explains, "The people involved in the editing process vary as per the requirements of the project. But typically, it would be the editor and their team of assistants and associates, the post-production supervisor and their team, the sound designer and team, the VFX supervisor and team, the DI team, the music composer and team and title designer and team."

On being asked about the time it takes to edit a 2.5-hour-long feature film, she says, "This depends on how much has been filmed i.e., what the shooting ratio is. But usually, it takes between 6-8 months. This period would include the Editor's cut, then the Director's cut, then the studio or producer's cut, and inputs from any other stakeholders. Additionally, one would expect to adjust the picture edit a bit during the background music stage as well."

"Robert Bresson said a film is written thrice- at the writing table, during the shoot and at the edit table. The film, its performances, its narrative movement, everything is moulded and sometimes even salvaged in the edit. The illusion of this make-believe world your favourite characters inhabit is created largely in the edit. Editors are responsible for using rhythm and pace to keep audiences engaged, involved and invested in the film. A lot of what editors do is not visible to the untrained eye, since their work is intended to impact the audience subliminally. The best edits are edits where you're so drawn into the world of the film that you don't notice the cuts anymore," she expresses.

Do these departments get the credit they deserve?

"It's a very rare case where production design gets credit for a film. Of course, when I say credit, it doesn't mean the opening credits or end credits as that's always there. As this field is not yet appreciated, it's treated as a necessity and not as an art form. Sadly, it's hardly understood when it plays an important role in making a film look how it is," comments Paralkar.

"The effort to keep editing "invisible" has sadly resulted in editors themselves becoming invisible. Editing and editors are filmmaking's lethal weapons and yet also their best kept secret," says Lahiri.

Also Read: AI in filmmaking: How AI algorithms inform box office trends, film production and talent casting

Challenges faced by the film crew

Apart from not getting the recognition and credit they deserve, crew members face other challenges as well.

Payments and budgets

"People don't receive payments. Around 60 percent labourers, technicians and artists don't get their payments on time. This is because the film industry is an unorganised sector. No contract is signed between production houses and these technicians. This is how the industry has been functioning since the beginning. Out of those 60 percent, maybe 20 percent receive their payment after one or two years with a cut, with producers justifying it by saying the film has suffered a loss. Their wages have not increased for 20 years. They used to receive 1000 rupees per day. After Covid, that has also reduced to 500-600 rupees," informs Gupta.

The script supervisor also stresses on lack of punctuality for payments.

"Many people face delays in payments. There was a surge during lockdown for work because a lot of people were watching a lot of content. All of these OTT platforms were releasing a lot of stuff. So there was a lot of work. Since 2023, it has gone down. I know some people who didn't work at all the entire of 2023," she informs.

"Because of that, whenever they would get an offer, they would jump on it. They would charge much less than they used to or they would stay in projects, which are not that great. They don't quit because the job market is so bad. Getting the money on time is a problem. You have done the job, so you are entitled to ask for it. But it still feels like you're begging them to pay you what you are owed," she adds.

"There are daily wage labourers as well. At the end of the day, they have to get a bill signed by the production team and then they get their wages for that day. They don't have a contract, but they do have a union. So, if people are not getting paid, they usually approach the union," she further states.

Lahiri states, "There is a general lack of disrespect for editors and editing and this manifests itself in many ways, one of them being subpar pay that is completely disproportionate to the volume of work that is expected of the editor and team, and unfair one-sided contracts."

"Budgets are the main challenge that the art department faces most of the time. The experience helps to crack it but still nowadays budgets are becoming worse," comments Paralkar.

Working conditions and improper treatment

"Whether it is a movie, web series, or TV show - technicians work at least 14 hours a day on set. There is no safety on sets. There's wooden construction that can catch fire anytime. They are supposed to keep a fire safety officer but that doesn't happen. Many people die on sets annually," informs Gupta.

He adds, "There are no facilities like Provident Fund available for them. There's no job security. If someone is working for four or five months, they may not have work for the next year. If someone raises their voice for payments, they are boycotted. So, it's very rare to see someone raising their voice against these things, not only in Bollywood but the entire Indian film industry. Crew members are not respected, often even verbally abused."

The experience of not being treated properly is backed by others.

"There are discriminatory practices like not providing adequate downtime, basic hygienic food, or clean surroundings once the film is in post-production," says Lahiri.

Paralkar says, "It's been observed most of the time that the art team doesn't get proper treatment in pre-production as in when set construction happens like toilets for women or a hygienic place to sit with basic amenities."

"Sadly, most of our studios don't have proper make-up rooms or rooms with clean toilets and production refuses to call vanity vans for the art department during set construction time," he adds.

"Day offs are hard to get because you have a crunched timeline and you have the actors for a really short amount of time and the dates are very few and you have to work around that. That's how it's always been. It's nothing new. But there used to be a time when every seventh day was a day off. Most productions follow it, but some of them don't. I have even worked for 10 days with no break," informs the script supervisor.

"I have worked in good productions also, and they really take care of you. There is a separate washroom for women and they keep sanitary napkins. They give you good food and enough days off. However, just one incident can torture you for the rest of the entire duration of your contract. You are contractually bound now to work with them, so you cannot leave. And that hurts, because you expect to be treated a certain way, and you don't get services," she concludes.

What's the solution?

"The only solution is to bring the film industry into the organised sector," believes Gupta.

"Everyone should have proper contracts, and get benefits like PF, ESI and Gratuity. AICWA has been trying to make this happen for a long time," he adds.

"Women's safety is another major issue. There should be toll toll-free helpline number for them to report their grievances and their privacy should be a priority. The shoot happens in the forests at 2 am and they are left alone to travel back home. All this should be resolved and proper facilities should be provided," he concludes.

The world of filmmaking is huge and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people dream of becoming a part of this industry and then see their aspirations getting shattered once they enter the profession. We as viewers need to acknowledge the efforts of all crew members and for the industry to adopt best practices for their welfare.

We reached out to several production houses, but they remained unavailable for comment.