You may be playing all, or at least most, of these roles, but it's good to become familiar with the various jobs anyway.

Director: Is in charge of the entire look/feel of the film. On set, the director's word is law. The director is the person who calls "Action" and "Cut". The director's line is: "It's my film!"

Producer: Is in charge of the budget and schedule of the film. The producer's job is to get the film made with the resources at hand. This will often require that the producer talk with the director who would rather not think about such "trivial" things as money and time. The producer thinks of just about nothing other than money and time. The producer's line is: "It's really my film, the director just thinks it's his." And, "We don't have money for that."

1st AD: The First Assistant Director is in charge of stressing. Seriously, that's the job of the 1st AD: Stress out. The 1st AD is responsible to make certain the film is on schedule. That means constantly prodding lazy people to get moving, and suggesting that the director just get the shot, even if it's not perfect. Remember, a shot is a shot. A shot without time to shoot it, is not. The 1st AD is the only other person who can yell "Cut". The 1st AD also yells, "Quite on the set!" The 1st AD's line is: "Time is money." And in your case, as I once said, "Money is time. We have neither, so let's make a movie."

DP: The Director of Photography is in charge of getting the shot the director wants. The DP must be on the exact same page as the director, and only get what the director wants. If the DP shoots what he wants instead, he is a not a good DP. The DP can, however, suggest shots to the director, and if the director is good, he will listen. The DP's line is: "Oh, that looks nice."

Camera Op: The camera operator, often the DP, actually points the camera and pushes the button to get footage onto the film (or tape stock, or whatever). The camera op's job is to get all the shots, keep the camera working and not run out of tape. The camera op's line is: "Rolling." Or, "It looks good, and I got it."

Sound: The sound person's job is to capture the audio needed for the scene, and keep out the audio that is not. In short: Actor's lines=Good. Sound of the refrigerator=Bad. The sound person's job is incredibly difficult, and often neglected. If you want a good movie, get good sound. The sound person does not have a line because they are listening, not talking.

Boom Operator: Holds the "boom pole" with a mic attached to the end of it, and points it at the actor's mouths. They also don't talk.

Slate Marker: Holds the Slate in front of the camrea just before "Action" is called. They do this so that the shot is clearly marked for the editor. They bring the Clapper down, giving the editor a visual cue for syncing up sound if he has too (which is unlikely if you are shooting digital). The Slate Marker's line is, "Maker."

Gaffer: Is responsible for power and lighting. This includes blown/tripped fuses when too many lights are plugged into the grid. The gaffer works with the DP to get the shot to look exactly like what the director wants. The gaffer's line is: "Run me that Stinger."

Grip: Moves stuff. Grips one job is to pick things up and put them down somewhere else when someone needs them to do so. The grip's line is: "How can I help?"

Hair/Makeup: The hair/makeup person's job is to get the actors to look like their character so they are ready for the shoot. This includes wounds, blood, death, moles, and that glamorous hairstyle. Your actors may do their own hair/makeup, but if you need special effect (e.g. scrapes, slashes, decaying skin), a good makeup person would be good. The hair/makeup person's line is: "What do you think? Good?"

Set Designer: Is responsible for the look and feel of the set. If you actually have the time and money to build or modify a set, you could really use a good Set Designer. This person finds and purchases (with your money, of course) the hats, posters, toaster and drapes that are "needed" to make the set look like the place in your movie. They give the director what he wants, even if he doesn't know the difference between drapes and blinds. The Set Designer's line is: "That plant needs to be over a bit more." Also known as the Art Director.

Script Supervisor: Also called Continuity. The Script Supervisor makes certain that what is in the script gets put on film. This means that if the director decides on set that the line should change from "You vicious, cold, bloodsucking monster!" to "You cold, pointless, bloodsucking monster!", the Script Supervisor makes a note of that change. The Script Supervisor also looks for continuity errors, such as when the actor had the limp in the right leg and is now limping on his left. The Script Supervisor's line is: "That bracelet was on the other wrist." Or, "We changed that line last time."

PA: A Production Assistant does everything from making coffee (buying if you have money) to helping build the set. They are typically go-fers and slave labor. They do not talk to the director, even if their idea will save the project from failing. The more skilled, the better because they will be used to do more. PAs are invaluable when they work hard with a good attitude. The PA's line is: "Right away!"