I always amaze myself the very thing I constantly preach, that NOTHING is implied and that everything needs to be explained.
After the last post, a message came to me in the inbox: It’s a great post, but can you be a little clearer about what the artistic, administrative and technical team means?
You asked, so here is the answer!
Part one – artistic team:
When we talk about theater and the artistic team, the story always starts with the director, who as a rule, in agreement with the producer, chooses his artistic team.
No, no, the story starts with the producer, hahaha, of course!
We have already said that the producer is the father and mother of every production.
It is the producer who makes the decision to start making a play / project.
After turning their idea into a plan, so when they stop dreaming and start working, the producer chooses a director who becomes the leader of the artistic team.
It is important to note that in different cultures and environments, the composition of an artistic team also differs.
It is common for the director, with producer’s consent, to select his collaborators. There are several reasons for such practice, and the most important is that team members share a similar aesthetic, but besides that – that there is mutual trust and respect. Exactly in that order: trust and respect.
(It’s a new topic, Vita, no digressions, please!). Producer should have a right to veto someone since the producer is the human resources manager as well and needs to take care of interpersonal relationships.
In the following, I will list the possible members of the artistic team – this will often depend on the genre we produce.
An important collaborator of the director is the playwright/dramaturg. Sometimes, especially in smaller and independent productions, the director also works as a dramaturg. For those who want to learn more about jobs related to dramaturgy, I suggest looking for the page of a professional association that brings together members of this profession.
Indispensable members of the artistic team are the set designer and costume designer.
The set designer (in collaboration with the director and producer) designs the set design, makes the model, selects the materials, supervises the stage production process and performs other tasks related to the set design. Sometimes, even in exceptional situations, they can be responsible for making (some parts) props.
It is also important that the set designer, in addition to the director, is, of course, in contact with the costume designer, so that the stage and the costume together form a meaningful whole.
The costume designer designs and makes sketches, selects materials and oversees the costumes for which he is responsible. He performs all the tasks within his scope in collaboration with the director and producer, and sometimes with the suggestions of the actor / singer / dancer.
Once the set designer and costume designer have designed their part of the work and the director has approved the sketches, the producer has to approve them as well. At this stage, the producer’s attention will be more focused on the cost of scenography and costumes, and less on the artistic side.
Both the set designer and the costume designer must have a good collaboration with the masters who make elements from their scope of work.
Often in productions we have music that can be a selection of already composed works or an original work composed specifically for a particular production. Of course, the composer is also part of the artistic team, and the work on securing copyright, as well as the organization of the technical side of making a sound carrier from which to play music – will be done by the producer.
If there is a need for a choreographer, a person who designs the movement or dance steps on the stage, an expert in the field will be hired. He will also become a member of the artistic team with which the producer will sign a contract and agree on all the necessary elements, and the director will coordinate the artistic side of the work.
Sometimes we need animations or video for production, and in that case we will strengthen the artistic team with these collaborators, of course, with the blessing of the producer.
The one without whom the production of the play, as well as many other projects, cannot go, is the person who will design the light.
Sometimes we need animations or video for production, and in that case we will strengthen the artistic team with these collaborators, of course, with the blessing of the producer.
The one without whom the production of the play, as well as many other projects, cannot go, is the person who will shape the light.
If necessary, we will invite a sound designer to the team as well.
Light and sound designers will necessarily work with masters, leaders and technicians of light and sound, and again the producer will be the one to connect them.
If we do music production, musicians, and often a conductor, will be indispensable members of the artistic team, all coordinated by the producer.
It is quite clear that cooperation with the producer, regardless of the fact that the director is directly superior to the artistic team and makes artistic decisions, is unavoidable in all segments of work on production, if for nothing else, but for negotiating and signing of the contracts.
A person who shapes the visual identity of a play / project may or may not be part of an art team. The poster, program booklet, video clips and other materials related to the promotion are all approved by the producer. It is good practice to do this in collaboration with the director, but it is not necessary.
And now, we come to the actors, singers, dancers, musicians and more.
In this part also different types of organizations and different cultures have different approaches.
Personally, I think that audition is the “healthiest” way to choose. Not only does the artist have the opportunity to show what he knows and can do, but also because by coming to the audition he shows interest in the project. In the public sector, where cast lists (like a restaurant menu) are “posted” on a bulletin board, this element is missing, which I consider important for any production.
In some cultures and areas, there are agents who find auditions for artists.
In other cultures, it is not the director who decides which artists will participate in the project / production, but the casting director.
It is already clear to you that the producer is involved in this part of the artistic selection. In some cultures and environments more, and in some less, but certainly, without a producer it is impossible to finalize the work of choosing an artist. The producer always has a say in choosing the artists since they are the ones who will work closely with them. They make sure that the artists are free to work on the project, they ask through their network about every artist to know about their habits and work ethics etc.
Um, you must be wondering – what about the producer, whom I mentioned countless times in this text? Where does the producer belong? Are they an artist or not?
It’s a big topic, and also material for a new text.
And I will end with the statement that the person who, through their (often invisible) work, connects all the jobs in the artistic team and without whom the team’s work would be much harder is precisely – the producer.
