Construction manager

Chargehand painters are responsible for all the work carried out by the painting team. They talk to production designers and construction managers to establish the amount of work required, how long it will take, what finishes are needed, colour schemes, textures, and any other special requirements. They calculate the number of painters a production needs and hire them. Once the painting team is in place, chargehand painters brief them and supervise their activities.

Scenic artists may be asked to paint cloud or city backdrops, murals or other on-set paintings. They are skilled painters capable of intricate detailing and painting techniques such as marbling, wood graining and ageing. They may create complex prop pieces. They are responsible for scheduling their own work and buying necessary supplies. 

Usually selected by chargehand painters or construction managers, standby painters must be present on-set during filming to deal with any painting problems or touch-ups. They are also responsible for resetting the environment to its original condition after each take to help maintain continuity.

Painters may be responsible for a range of artistry, from painting cars with a metallic finish, using a spray gun to cover a huge background surface, applying fine specialist finishes such as replica marbling and graining effects to sets, applying paint to pipes to make them look old and rusty, and hanging large wall coverings. They usually supply their own tools and specialised brushes.

Carpenters produce a variety of structures, from onscreen props like windows and furniture to replica spacecraft or medieval ships. They also do a great deal of off-screen building to create support structures for the crew. Chargehand carpenters are responsible for all the work carried out by the carpentry team. This includes all the wooden structures required by film production, from doors and windows to the raised platforms that may be required by the crew. They set up the workshop, ensuring that it provides a safe working environment, and once the team is in place they supervise the workshop. 

Most carpenters will employ trainees to learn how to interpret technical literature, to organise suitable resources such as timber and tools, ensure a safe working environment, assemble joineries such as doors, frames and stairs and to hone skills like measuring, sawing, panelling, chiselling, drilling, finishing, boring, fitting and securing. Wooden structures are struck at the end of shooting and safely disposed of. 

Plasterers' work involves the traditional job of applying wet finishes to walls, ceilings and floors. It also involves fibrous plastering, making moulds and model casts from solid plaster or fibreglass in workshops. Chargehand plasterers are responsible for all the work carried out by the plastering team. They liaise with the construction manager to look at production designer’s drawings and establish the amount of plastering work involved. Then they hire plasterers and supervise their work. The team may be responsible for reproducing numerous 'fake' items that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to get including cars, cobbled roads, castle walls or rock formations.

Rigging is the fastening or securing of items at height in a safe way. Head riggers are responsible for the work of the entire rigging department. They liaise with construction managers and other heads of departments to determine the project's rigging requirements and plan a schedule. Supervising riggers act as the eyes and ears of head riggers on set and ensure safe and smooth operations. They coordinate rigging gangs on different sound stages or location buildings and make sure the right crew are on the right rig at the right time. 

See case study: Rigger Ginger McCarthy

Model makers are responsible for building models and miniatures. They could work with clay, plaster of Paris, plastic or metal and a range of techniques. They include polystyrene carvers and sculptors who make lightweight and large sculptures, trees, rocks and other oversized complex items. They may use freehand drawings skills or computer-aided design (CAD) to create designs.