Script Supervisor

The Script Supervisor documents the scenes of a film or television program to ensure continuity and assist in the editing process. This is an extremely detail oriented position, so if you are the kind of person who notices that the bullet holes in the windows of a bank after the robbery scene are miraculously absent in the next shot, you may be a natural born Script Supervisor.

If you’re a Script Supervisor, you start your job before filming begins, when you create a report, based on the script, that coordinates all departments on the same time-line. Once filming begins you must take meticulous notes on everything from position of the actors to the type of lens used: Your notes will include everything from what was said on vs. off camera, to which way an Actor turns to walk off the set. In this you’re kind of like the Court Reporter of a film set: You track exactly what happens when the camera is rolling—how many takes each scene has, how long each took, and the exact details in every scene.

Finally, you are responsible for keeping the cast and crew up to date on changes in the script, and your detailed daily reports for the production team are essential to keeping the film shooting on schedule.

All of this work is to ensure that the film will have a continuous and smooth flow—your attention makes sure that scenes will align correctly, and your notes get passed onto the Film Editors, as a cheat sheet of where they can find the exact shots they need.