Movies: Script Supervisor

Moviegoers today are observant and very critical of films and TV that have errors and mistakes. They notice scenes that don’t flow, camera angles that are wrong, dialogue that is not correct, inconsistencies in costumes and lighting that is off. These types of mistakes can take away from the natural progression of a scene and can negatively affect a movie or TV show. There is one crew member on the set that is considered a superhero because they are responsible for keeping it all perfect.

A script supervisor is part of the production crew who, “is in charge of continuity… so that scenes and shots can be perfectly reproduced” (Tomaric 146). A script supervisor must have qualities of being super organized and detail oriented. It is also important to be able to multitask as there are many different departments that affect the continuity of a scene; including the camera department, art department, make-up, costume and prop department. Even though the script supervisor is not a part of these other departments, they are responsible for making sure each of these different departments keep their continuity.

A script supervisor must be a concise record keeper. They keep the logs of how many takes are completed, the different camera filters and lenses used and the dialogue and movement of the actors (Tomaric 146). Most script supervisors start out as a production assistant, where they learn a vast amount of knowledge on how each department is run. A script supervisor usually works up to greater responsibility of becoming a director or a producer.

The script supervisor is one of the hardest working crew members on a set. They are involved in many different departments and have many responsibilities, from ensuring the most up to date current script is being used all the way to the light in the background being the same. They are the hard-working superhero that helps moviegoers to have an excellent experience and get lost in a story instead of picking it apart.

If the Script Supervisor did the job right you can sit back and enjoy the movie.