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The Studio

Where pictures are made.

Two fresnels, a haze of atmosphere, and the slow conversation between light and lens — the everyday tools of motion-picture craft.

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01About
Production Studio Film · Video · Brand Reference · Practice

A working reference on how film and video productions are actually made.

Production.com is a studio and a study guide. We document the process, the people, and the tools that bring a script to a screen — and we use the same disciplines on every project we make.

From a single-camera interview to a multi-stage commercial build, every production passes through the same three phases: pre-production, production, and post. The pages below explain what happens in each, the facilities that support the work, and the crew positions that staff a typical shoot.

Read the production process →
02The Three Phases

Every production,
one structure.

Whether the deliverable is a 15-second spot or a feature, the work moves through the same three phases. The depth and duration vary; the order does not.

— 01

Pre-Production

Treatment, script, storyboards, location scouting, casting, scheduling, budgeting, permits, and call sheets. The phase where the film is decided on paper.

Pre-production process →
— 02

Production

Principal photography on stage or location. Camera, lighting, sound, art department, and talent operating against a daily call sheet to capture the planned shots.

Production process →
— 03

Post-Production

Editorial, sound design, ADR, Foley, music, color grading, VFX, mix, and final delivery. The phase where the captured footage is shaped into the finished picture.

Post-production process →
03Facilities

Sound stages, post bays,
and an underwater tank.

Tour the facility →
Sound Stage

Soundstages with full set-build capability
Underwater Studio

Filming tank with viewing windows
Post · Color

Color grading suite
Post · Mix

Mixing & sound design
Post · Foley

Foley stage
04Showcase

From the studio floor.

Full showcase →
Set Build · Lighting
Hair & Makeup
Camera Department
Direction · Lighting
Slate · Take 1
05Work With Us

Have a production in mind?
Tell us about it.

Start a conversation Tour the studio
PRThe Production Process

From script
to screen.

Every film and video moves through three phases. This page describes what actually happens in each — the deliverables, the disciplines, and the order of operations a working production follows.

Three phasesRead time · 6 minutes
01Pre-Production

Decisions made on paper.

Pre-production is the planning phase. By the time the camera rolls on day one, the producer should know what every department will do for every minute of every shooting day. The depth of pre-production determines the speed and cost of the shoot.

01

Concept & Treatment

The idea written down — sometimes a one-page treatment, sometimes a 90-page screenplay — describing tone, story, audience, and visual approach.

DeliverablesTreatment · Logline · Mood reference · First budget
02

Script & Storyboards

The script breaks the film into scenes; storyboards translate scenes into images. Together they tell every department what to plan for.

DeliverablesFinal script · Storyboards · Shot list · Animatic (optional)
03

Casting

Talent is auditioned, callbacks are held, and chemistry reads pair leading actors. For commercial work, this includes presenters, dancers, models, and on-camera experts.

DeliverablesCast list · Releases · Wardrobe sizes · Stand-ins
04

Locations & Permits

The location manager scouts and secures every place the film will shoot — interiors, exteriors, stage builds. Permits, insurance, and logistics follow.

DeliverablesLocation agreements · Permits · Tech-scout notes · Insurance
05

Department Prep

Camera tests, lighting plots, art-department builds, wardrobe fittings, hair and makeup tests, sound walkthroughs. Each department turns the script into a plan.

DeliverablesCamera test footage · Floor plans · Wardrobe lookbook · Sound plot
06

Schedule & Budget

The first AD strips the script and builds a shooting schedule; the line producer locks the budget. Every day is planned in 15-minute increments.

DeliverablesShooting schedule · Locked budget · Call sheets · Crew list
02Production

The shoot.

Production — also called principal photography — is when the planned shots are captured. A typical day runs 10 to 12 hours and follows a call sheet that breaks the work into setups, scenes, and meal breaks. Departments operate in parallel under the direction of the director and first assistant director.

01

Camera Department

Operates the camera, manages focus, swaps lenses, monitors exposure, and ensures every take is captured cleanly. Led by the director of photography.

RolesDP · Camera Operator · 1st AC · 2nd AC · DIT · Loader
02

Grip & Electric

Lighting and rigging. Electricians power and place lamps; grips shape, flag, and support the light. The "G&E" department is the physical infrastructure of the picture.

RolesGaffer · Best Boy Electric · Key Grip · Best Boy Grip · Dolly Grip
03

Sound Department

Captures dialogue and ambience on set. Production sound is essential — re-recording is expensive and rarely as good. Boom operators follow blocking; mixers ride levels.

RolesSound Mixer · Boom Operator · Utility Sound
04

Art Department

Designs and builds everything in front of the camera that isn't an actor — sets, props, dressing, signage, picture vehicles. Led by the production designer.

RolesProduction Designer · Art Director · Set Decorator · Props Master
05

Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup

Continuity-tracked costuming and on-set styling. Hair and makeup work first thing in the morning; wardrobe handles every change throughout the day.

RolesCostume Designer · Wardrobe Supervisor · HMU Department Head · Stylists
06

Production Office

Runs the day. Producer, line producer, first AD, second AD, and PAs coordinate movement, paperwork, talent wrangling, and the meal that keeps everyone working.

RolesProducer · Line Producer · 1st AD · 2nd AD · UPM · PAs
03Post-Production

Shaping the picture.

Post-production turns captured footage into a finished film. Editorial drives the schedule; sound, music, color, and VFX departments work in parallel against editorial's evolving cut. A well-organised post can take longer than the shoot itself.

01

Editorial

The editor assembles takes into scenes, scenes into reels, and reels into the picture. The first cut is rough; the locked cut is the foundation everything else is built on.

StagesAssembly · Rough cut · Fine cut · Picture lock
02

Sound Design & Foley

Designers build the soundscape from libraries and original recordings. Foley artists physically perform footsteps, cloth movement, and prop sounds in sync with picture.

SuitesSound design · Foley stage · Editorial bays
03

ADR & Voice

Automated Dialogue Replacement re-records lines that didn't capture cleanly on set. Voice-over and narration are recorded in the same kind of treated booth.

SuitesADR room · Booth · Voice recording
04

Music & Score

Composers write to picture; music supervisors license existing tracks. Both deliver stems that the mix can balance against dialogue and effects.

DeliverablesScore · Source music · Stems · Cue sheets
05

Color Grading

The colorist works with the director and DP to set the final look — exposure, contrast, hue, and skin tone — across every shot of the film.

SuitesGrading suite · Reference monitor · LUT export
06

VFX & Finishing

Compositing, clean-up, and any digital work the script requires. Finishing handles titles, lower-thirds, and the conform that prepares each delivery format.

OutputsVFX shots · Titles · Conform · Masters
07

Mix & Delivery

The re-recording mixer balances every audio element to the room's reference standard (often Dolby), and the studio outputs the masters: theatrical, broadcast, streaming, and social cuts.

StandardsDolby mix · Broadcast loudness · Streaming spec · Social cuts
FAFacilities & Equipment

Stages, suites, tools.

A working production depends on the spaces and equipment available to it. This page describes what a full-service production studio typically holds — and what each space is built to do.

01Production Stages

Where the picture is captured.

Sound Stage

Sound stages with full set-build capability
Set Construction

Carpentry & art department
Underwater Studio

Underwater tank with viewing windows
Tank Exterior

Built for controlled, lit underwater shoots

Sound stages are dedicated, soundproofed, climate-controlled spaces purpose-built for shooting. They allow full lighting control, set construction, and isolated audio capture — the essentials of repeatable, high-quality production. An underwater filming tank is a specialised stage with viewing windows for camera, lit from above and below, used for swimwear, fashion, narrative, and commercial work.

02Post-Production Suites

Where the picture is finished.

Editorial

Picture editing
Color

Grading suite
Mix

Dolby mixing
Foley

Foley stage
ADR

Dialogue re-recording
Studio Grounds

On-site facilities
03Equipment

What a production runs on.

Equipment categories vary by shoot, but most full-service studios maintain or have access to packages across the disciplines below. Specific brands and models change with each project; the categories don't.

Cameras
Cinema-class digital bodies (ARRI Alexa series, RED Komodo / V-Raptor, Sony Venice / FX series), broadcast cameras for live multi-camera, mirrorless bodies for stills/B-roll, and action cameras for specialty rigs.
Selected per-project against the deliverable spec — codec, dynamic range, sensor size, and resolution.
Lenses
Cinema prime sets, anamorphic packages, zoom lenses, macro and probe lenses, vintage rehoused glass for character looks. Adapter kits for cross-mount use.
Tested in pre-production for sharpness, flare, and breathing characteristics.
Lighting
HMI (daylight), tungsten, LED panels and fixtures, fresnels, space lights, practical bulbs, and large soft sources. Dimmer boards and DMX control.
Power planning is part of pre-production — lighting load determines generator size.
Grip
Stands, flags, nets, scrims, silks, frames, dolly track, jib arms, slider rigs, car mounts, vehicle process trailers, and steadicam rigs.
Grip carries every piece of metal between the lamp and the camera.
Sound
Boom microphones, lavalier wireless kits, multi-channel mixers and recorders, timecode systems, IFB monitoring, and headphone distribution.
Production sound is captured with redundancy — primary and backup recordings.
Camera Support
Tripods (sticks), high-hats, low-mode rigs, dollies, sliders, jibs, gimbals, drones, and underwater housings.
Camera support choice is driven by shot list, not by gear preference.
Post Hardware
Editorial bays with Avid / Premiere / Resolve workstations, color suites with reference-grade monitors, ADR booths, Foley stages, and Dolby-certified mix rooms.
Post hardware is matched to delivery spec — broadcast, theatrical, streaming.
Storage & Workflow
On-set offload stations, mirrored backups, LTO archival, asset management systems, and review-and-approval pipelines for client cuts.
No footage is ever on a single drive.
CRThe Production Crew

Who's on set.

A film or video production is the work of many specialists, each accountable for a specific outcome. The size of a crew scales with the complexity of the shoot — from a 4-person interview unit to a 100-plus department-stacked feature.

01Above-the-Line

Creative leadership.

The roles that shape what the film is — story, performance, and the producer's mandate to make it happen.

Executive Producer
EP
Holds final responsibility for the project, often through funding or studio mandate. Approves the script, the budget, and the locked cut.
Producer
PR
Drives the project day to day — from greenlight to delivery. Hires the director, manages the budget, and resolves the issues that don't fit any one department.
Director
DIR
Sets the creative vision and directs every department. On set, the director's word is the final answer on performance, framing, and tone.
Writer
WR
Writes the script. On long-form work, may be involved through production for rewrites; on commercial work, the script is typically locked before pre-production begins.
Line Producer
LP
Manages the budget at a granular level — approving every spend, tracking actuals, and reporting overages before they become problems.
Casting Director
CD
Sources, auditions, and recommends talent for principal and supporting roles. Negotiates with agents alongside the producer.
02Camera Department

The picture.

Everyone responsible for what the lens captures — from the DP setting the look down to the loader handling the media.

Director of Photography
DP · DOP
Designs the look of the film — exposure, color, lensing, lighting style. Leads the camera and lighting departments and sits next to the director on set.
Camera Operator
OP
Physically operates the camera on set, executing the framing the director and DP have agreed on. On smaller crews, the DP may also operate.
First Assistant Camera
1st AC · Focus Puller
Pulls focus during takes — a high-skill, high-pressure role. Maintains the camera, swaps lenses, and runs department logistics.
Second Assistant Camera
2nd AC · Loader
Operates the slate, marks talent positions, manages camera reports, and prepares lenses and accessories for each setup.
DIT
Digital Imaging Technician
Manages the digital workflow on set — color reference, exposure tools, on-set looks, and the handoff of media to post.
Steadicam / Specialty Op
SC
Operates a stabilised body-mounted rig (Steadicam, Trinity, etc.) for moving shots that aren't on dolly track or gimbal.
03Grip & Electric

Lighting & rigging.

Working in lock-step with the DP, the G&E departments build, power, and shape every fixture on the set.

Gaffer
Chief Lighting Technician
The DP's right hand. Designs the lighting setup, calls the load on each lamp, and runs the electric department.
Best Boy Electric
BBE
The gaffer's second-in-command. Handles crew, equipment orders, power planning, and the day's department logistics.
Electricians
Lamp Operators
Place, wire, and operate every lamp on set. Run cable, manage dimmers, and respond to gaffer's calls in real time.
Key Grip
KG
Leads the grip department. Plans rigging, dolly moves, camera support, and any lighting-shaping that doesn't draw power.
Best Boy Grip
BBG
The key grip's second. Manages crew, equipment orders, and rigging schedules.
Dolly Grip
DG
Operates the camera dolly during takes — pushing, pulling, and setting marks. The smoothness of a dolly move is a craft.
04Sound, Art, Wardrobe & HMU

Image and sound craft.

The departments that shape what's in front of the camera and what's captured by the microphone.

Production Sound Mixer
Sound Mixer
Captures dialogue and ambience on set. Manages microphones, levels, timecode, and the recorder. Production sound quality is critical to post.
Boom Operator
Boom Op
Holds the boom microphone above (or below) frame, following dialogue and blocking without entering the shot.
Production Designer
PD
Designs the visual world of the film — sets, locations, props, color palette. Leads the art department.
Art Director
AD (art)
Translates the production designer's vision into buildable sets and dressed locations. Manages set decorators, props, and construction.
Costume Designer
CDes
Designs and sources every wardrobe item. Leads fittings and works with hair & makeup on character looks.
Hair & Makeup Dept Head
HMU
Designs and applies on-camera hair and makeup. Continuity-tracks looks across days and scenes.
05Production Office & Set Operations

Running the day.

The roles that move a production through its schedule — talent, logistics, paperwork, and the meal at the right hour.

First Assistant Director
1st AD
Runs the set. Calls the roll, manages the schedule against the call sheet, and protects the director's time so creative decisions get made.
Second Assistant Director
2nd AD
Manages talent, paperwork, and call sheets. Coordinates with each department on the day's needs.
Unit Production Manager
UPM
The line producer's representative on set. Approves spend, tracks logistics, and resolves operational issues in real time.
Script Supervisor
Continuity
Tracks every take, slate, lens, and continuity detail across the production. Editorial relies on these notes through post.
Production Assistant
PA
The connective tissue of a working set. Talent wrangling, paperwork distribution, lockups, and whatever else the day requires.
Craft Service
Crafty
Keeps the crew fed and watered between meals. A well-stocked craft table keeps a 12-hour day moving.
06Post-Production

After the wrap.

Post-production is its own discipline — and its own crew. Each role works on a different piece of the picture in parallel.

Editor
EDT
Assembles the picture. Cuts the dailies into a rough, fines into a director's cut, and locks the picture for finishing.
Assistant Editor
AE
Manages the project file, syncs sound, organises media, and prepares cuts for review and conform.
Sound Designer
SD
Builds the soundscape — effects, ambience, atmospheres — that turns picture into a fully realised audio world.
Re-Recording Mixer
Mixer
Balances dialogue, music, and effects to a final mix that meets broadcast, theatrical, or streaming spec.
Colorist
CL
Sets the final look of the picture. Works with the director and DP through grading sessions to deliver the finished color.
VFX Supervisor
VFX Sup
Plans and oversees every visual-effects shot — from on-set witness cameras to final composite delivery.
SHShowcase

From the studio floor.

A working selection of behind-the-scenes images from across our production work — camera and lighting setups, crew at work, and the small moments that make up a shooting day.

Set Build · Lighting · Crew
Hair & Makeup
DP · Setting Key Light
Documentary Interview
Camera Department
Direction · Lighting
Slate · Take 1
Through the Viewfinder
Slate Detail
On Set
On Set
Behind the Scenes
Set Build
Studio Portrait
Crew at Work
Coming Soon

Articles, dispatches, and field notes
on the craft of production.

A growing library of contributor articles — written by working DPs, editors, sound mixers, producers, and post supervisors — on the practical realities of making film and video. Launching with our first cohort of contributors.

01
Inside a one-light interview setup
DP · Forthcoming
02
How a first AD actually plans a shooting day
1st AD · Forthcoming
03
Why production sound is the cheapest insurance in post
Sound Mixer · Forthcoming
04
Color grading for streaming versus theatrical
Colorist · Forthcoming
05
Underwater shoots: rigging, safety, and lighting through water
Underwater DP · Forthcoming
06
Reading a call sheet — every line, what it means
2nd AD · Forthcoming
Pitch an article →
CTContact

Get in touch.

Tell us about a production, request a tour of the facilities, or pitch an article for the contributor library. We respond within two business days.