One of the most consistent things in production is there are always changes. No matter how well you plan there will be things that come up on the day that no one could have anticipated and that is when having a set supervisor is a great resource. In my experience one of the misconceptions about the job of On-Set Online Supervisor (OS) is that they’re only there for post, when in fact a good OS is another bridge strengthening the link between production and post production. There can often be a disconnect between the two that causes issues both with creative and cost. Things can so easily get missed or lost in the fray of the set day, especially as timelines are shrinking. Things like product labels that need to be painted out, or crew members who step too close while helping create an effect and end up in frame. These are things a set supervisor can be the eyes for, so it’s not on the director or DP or anyone else who needs to be worrying about the talent. A set supervisor is also a great resource for last minute client requests. They are able to advise, on-the-spot, what plates or elements need to be captured to ensure that nothing is lost in translation between production and post, especially if they themselves are the artist doing the online work. And lastly the set supervisor is another person that can ensure that nothing is lost in translation from production to post, especially if they themselves are the artist doing the online work.

These were all things that were part of my experience working with Hans, we had a very wide shot that had wind and feathers so many crew close to set, and it was a huge help later in post to have removed as many crew as possible on the day out of the frame. In another shot, the director wanted a larger lens flare and the client was unsure how it would look over talent so we shot an element and were able to later place the flare in the exact location that the director and client liked. Another instance we were able to shoot elements for was the product itself. As often is the case, the lighting for talent was not the ideal lighting for the product and vice-versa. Instead of spending an extended period of time trying to get the lighting perfect for both we were able to come up with a plan to shoot them separately in a way that would blend together seamlessly. This could have been done without a supervisor, of course, but there would have been much more uncertainty in the elements compatibility. Moreover, while I was on set I was able to have conversations about the look and feel desired for specific shots in the post production process, so once the online began we were able to work with that knowledge and save the time of the director having to have those conversations again.

These are a few major examples, but there are many more minor ones, and I think that is the overarching takeaway. There are many many questions on a shooting day and having a set supervisor allows for those questions to be answered, which ultimately allows for breathing room throughout the process. It not only saves on cleanup costs, but it also allows for greater creative freedom for the director and DP to play and know that they will still get the product they want, while giving post confidence that the elements they are getting will all work together as flawlessly as time and budget will allow.