Okay, a quick note before we jump in. If you're familiar with traditional film roles, this section might be redundant for you so feel free to jump ahead. When you first start experimenting with 360 videos, you may be working alone, which is just fine. Operating as a crew of one can be an amazing practice when you're getting started. You'll learn how to capture your best shots as you develop more experience and knowledge of your camera over time. Creators who operate alone or in small teams learn more about the entire process of making 360 videos and in faster time frames. You'll learn your camera's strengths and weaknesses, seeing how it responds to different environments and circumstances. You might find that it doesn't offer an easy live preview option, or it drains the battery too fast. These are important things to know for future projects. Even high budget productions tend to work best with lean teams, which means you need collaborators, who are skilled enough to fill multiple different roles. By working as your own crew, you increase your chances of being a valuable crew member in future productions. If you're working solo, the next two sections include information that won't necessarily apply to your production, but they will help you understand how to set up a typical crew. Generally speaking, the three most important basic roles are director, director of photography, and sound engineer. Crews of two can split up these duties in a way that plays to each individual strengths. Ideal directors have experience in using and viewing VR content. They know what works and what doesn't for their project goals. They lead the creative vision and are responsible for the final output. Typically, they also determine the height of the camera, any movement, and the location of the camera for each scene. Directors of photography, or DPs, also known as cinematographers, are responsible for operating the camera and ensuring that the shots are captured in proper settings and quality. Ideally, the DP understands post-production workflows and can shoot in a way that makes life easier for stitchers, the effects artist, and editors. As an added note, if you have the resources, an assistant camera operator can help the DP stay on schedule. The assistant camera operator is simply the crew member in charge of making sure DPs get what they need, that the cameras are operating properly, and that the necessary shots are being captured on time. Your sound engineer is the crew member responsible for ensuring that audio is recorded as clearly as possible onset as well as throughout the editing process. VR commit great use of spatial audio to help users feel present in your experience. Bigger crews of three or more are useful for more complicated intensive shoots. These often involve multi-camera shoots, and they use a professional cameras over consumer cameras. They might be shot in busy locations that demand additional help to navigate capturing actor performances. If you have the resources and available team, consider including these roles in your crew. Producers and coordinators are the ones who make things happen. They work with the director to make sure locations are secured, sets are built, actors are cast, food gets there on time, basically everything the director needs done but doesn't directly apply to the creative aspect of the project. Grip and electric, or G&E, handle the lighting and power on set. Even in big cruise, a lean G&E team tends to work best. Gaffers need to know when and how to use practical lighting, meaning,,the naturally available light. Those who have stage lighting experience tend to be valuable here because they've had to learn how to light a full set to be perceived from many different angles. With so much going on in a 360-degree environment, it helps to have someone there to help keep track of blocking dialog and continuity, particularly if things have to change on the fly. For that, hire a trusty script supervisor or script sup to help keep everybody sane. VR has revolutionized so many things, but the role of the production assistant or PA is not one of them. These unsung heroes of the production are responsible for making sure that the ship stays afloat by filling in where and however they're needed by directors, producers, actors, and other crew members. And, yes, that often means getting coffee.
