A graphics coordinator (GC) or font assist is an individual who works, usually on a

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

show, as a producer of on-air

still A still is an apparatus used to distillation, distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively Boiling, boil and then cooling to Condensation, condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic Distillation#Laboratory_procedures, ...

and motion graphics. The graphics coordinator decides what content should be displayed on-air — such as on a fullpage (a full-screen graphic) or a

lower third In the television industry, a lower third is a graphic overlay placed in the title-safe lower area of the screen, though not necessarily the entire lower third of it, as the name suggests. In its simplest form, a lower third can just be tex ...

(a bar graphic appearing in the lower third of the screen). The GC should not be confused with the Operator, who usually operates a

character generator A character generator, often abbreviated as CG, is a device or software that produces static or animated text (such as news crawls and credits rolls) for keying into a video stream. Modern character generators are computer-based, and they can ...

(CG) and is part of a

television crew Television crew positions are derived from those of film crew, but with several differences. Pre-production : Work before shooting begins is called the pre-production stage. The crew in this stage include the casting director, costume de ...

, or a

broadcast designer A broadcast designer is a person involved with creating graphic designs and electronic media incorporated in television productions that are used by character generator (CG) Operator (profession), operators. A broadcast designer may have a degree ...

who physically creates the graphics. A CG (

3D computer graphics 3D computer graphics, sometimes called Computer-generated imagery, CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional Computer-generated imagery, computer graphics, are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian coor ...

) coordinator or supervisor plays an important role in

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and television productions. Their role is to supervise, manage, and administer the

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...

(CGI) digital production

computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...

workflow Workflow is a generic term for orchestrated and repeatable patterns of activity, enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. It can be depicted as a seque ...

for the film or

television show A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...

and attend client meetings and

conference call A conference call (sometimes called an audio teleconference or ATC) is a telephone call in which several people share a telephone line at the same time. The conference call may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the cal ...

s. The CG supervisor generally is in charge or has a senior input regarding artist management and resource planning, and also plays a senior role in digital productions. While it is a creative role, most supervisors possess a strong technical background and are capable of making informed decisions about the most efficient and effective techniques to employ in order to solve the problem at hand. Often, a supervisor will work in tandem with a visual effects producer,

VFX creative director The VFX creative director is a position common in films, television programs, and computer games using a large amount of visual effects (VFX). For films which are fully or partly computer generated, a VFX creative director works closely with th ...

and

visual effects supervisor In the context of film and television production, a visual effects supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the pr ...

. Specific responsibilities vary somewhat, depending on the nature of the production; however, most supervisors: * Handle a CG project from conception through to completion; * Manage and direct the technical, artistic, and production staff; * Possess a knowledge of various computer graphic techniques, with emphasis on technical aspects, pipelines, and general film knowledge; * Constantly improve workflow and artist training, with an eye on efficiency; * Collaborate on the bidding and negotiation processes. There is no union for CG supervisors; however, the Visual Effects Society is a prominent

trade organization A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...

representing the interests of visual effects

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

References

Broadcasting occupations Filmmaking occupations Graphic design Mass media occupations Special effects Visual effects {{filmmaking-stub

See also

References