What Do They Do?

• Actor - May be theatrical (SAG), television (AFTRA), stage (Equity) or non-union. Most actors in SAG makes less than $8k per year acting. About a fourth of SAG actors make nothing from acting during a year. It's very competitive. Actors may submit their headshot/resume on Actor's Access or Now Casting. Actors pay about $1,300 to join SAG. About 73% of actors in SAG lack agent representation. Without an agent it can be very hard to find work.
• Casting Director - Hired by the producer to find the show's actors. The CD gets stars by knowing agents and being aware of what sort of projects (if any) that a star is looking for. The CD selects unknown or character actors based on type, that their headshot matches the look specified in the script breakdown. The CD and producer and director work together to decide who to cast. CDs are non-union and often work without benefits. There are efforts to unionize with The Teamsters. The Casting Society of America is a 350-member professional association, not a union.
• Breakdowns and Sides - The breakdown is the list of roles and physical descriptions of the actors. Sides are pages from the script that the CD may use during auditions.
• Agent - Solicits employment for writers or actors, is state licensed and bonded (commission of 10-15% typical). Agents may submit their actors to roles listed on Breakdown Services. For unknown actors, agents submit based on type, where an actor has the look that the casting director specified.
• Franchised Agent - Endorsed by WGA, SAG, or AFTRA. Franchise has limits on rates (10% typical)
• Manager - Manages career as a coach, not supposed to solicit work. Some managers are also licensed agents and may solicit work (15-20% typical)
• Entertainment Attorney - handles contracts, state licensed (bar), may be a literary agent who helps sell spec screenplays, but is not supposed to solicit employment (5% typical if also have agent, otherwise 15% or hip-pocket at $300/hr). An enterainment attorney is like a manager, not just any attorney.
• Publicist - Press releases, photos
• Photographer - Headshots and production photos. Photographers on the set use a special camera case called a blimp that muffles the sound of the shutter so they can shoot during filming without making noise. It's vital for actors to have accurate headshots because with unknowns the casting directors are looking for types, a specific look called for in the script.
• Writer - Creates the script, may be WGA. Writers may be paid based on guild minimums when working on assignment or a percentage of the film's budget (about 2.5%) for a spec script. A script may be optioned (typically for 18 months) or purchased outright. Info about sold scripts is at Done Deal. Writers working in reality television or horror are non-union and typically work long hours for low pay. There are competing efforts to unionize reality writers through WGA and MPEG. There are over 9,500 WGA members. Most make over $100k per year. Writers need to have an agent or manager because good producers will not accept unsolicited material. "Unsolicited" really means unrepresented, that the writer doesn't have an agent or manager. Writers who succeed at getting a producer to let them self-submit will have to sign a scary-looking release form and their script goes to the bottom of the pile of scripts to get coverage, after the scripts that have agents and personal recommendations. Self-submission isn't recommended.
• Reader or Story Analyst - Someone who reads scripts, books, short stories, etc. and writes coverage for a development exec. A reader may be a full-time development assistant (work for an exec or producer), a consultant paid per script ($50 to $150), or an unpaid intern. Readers may belong to MPEG, but few readers rise to union level because only the largest union studios hire them.
• Script Doctor - A writer who's paid to fix a script. Script doctors may fix format or story or character or dialog problems. They may be brought in to make a script funnier or more commercial. Script doctors don't get a writing credit. That would be a co-writer. Who is a script doctor and who is a co-writer can be decided unanimously or through WGA arbitration. WGA rules generally prohibit more than two writers taking credit.
• Producer - Spends the show's money
• Line Producer - Budgets the show's money
• Executive Producer - Raises the show's money
• Showrunner - Episodic television (series) writer who is also executive producer
• Exec - Studio suit who helps with development. Many development execs are looking for specific themes and are likely to see many similar scripts submitted. To avoid frivolous lawsuits from writers who are unrealistic about their originality, execs can only accept scripts that are "solicited", that is, an agent or sometimes a manager or entertainment lawyer must send it on the writer's behalf. Development execs may monitor script tracking boards such as Baseline.
• Director - Directs the actors and DP, may be DGA
• Cinematographer or Director of Photography - Joining ASC is by invitation only.
• Script Supervisor or Scriptie - Tracks the script during shooting, provides notes for the editor. No union or professional association. Shows without scripts may have a floor director.
• CG - Computer graphics. The machine or its operator who puts in graphics and titles in television.
• CGI - Computer generated Imagery. Visual effects.
• Editor - Avid or Final Cut Pro typical, may be MPEG
• Sound Editor - Typically using Avid Pro Tools. In scripts SFX stands for sound effects.
• Producer's Rep - An agent for completed films who tries to sell it to distributors.
• Distributor - A distributor for completed films. The buyer who takes the movie and markets it to theaters or TV or DVD.