Sound design
The use of bespoke sound effects to help bring a film to life during post-production. Good sound design is often subliminal. It adds an extra dimension to your film. Vital in animation and motion graphics.
Sound Mixer
See Audio Recordist.
Sound Recordist
See Audio Recordist.
Sound Stage
A stage specifically designed to be able to record clean audio without ambient sound.
Sparks
Electricians who work with the gaffer and the DP. They do a lot of heavy lifting and cable wrangling to get the lights in place.
Special Effects
Visual or sound effects, introduced into a motion picture, video recording, or taped television production.
Specialty Electric Riggers
When a project calls for rigging, both the Electric Team and the Grip Team are often duplicated by people who know how to put lighting and grip up into rafters or truss. They may be used to set up lighting the night before a shoot because of weather or locations. Overnight rigging happens in big movie sets so that the set is ready for early morning shots. See Rigging.
Stand-in
A person who “stands in” in front of the camera for focus and lighting for the talent until they arrive.
Steadicam
A brand of camera stabilizer mounts for film and video cameras, invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It mechanically isolates the operator’s movement, allowing for a smooth shot, even when the camera moves over an irregular surface, whether handheld or on a camera dolly.
A balanced camera rig that lets the Camera Operator capture smooth tracking shots without any of the shake and wobble that comes with handheld filming.
Steadicam Camera Op / Steadicam Op
A person who operates a Steadicam.
