There are several different positions in the entertainment industry that all carry the job title Script Supervisor. While there is some similarity in responsibilities between script supervisors working in film and different kind of narrative television shows, confusingly, there are also script supervisors in live television and events whose job responsibilities bear almost no similarity to script supervisors working on narrative sets.

Let’s take a look at the various types.

Script Supervisor for Film and TV

The most prominent type of Script Supervisor works in the production of narrative or story-telling filmmaking, whether that be film, television, or commercials. This type of script supervisor ensures continuity and creates a written record of what and how everything was shot.

Within this category of script supervising, there are several types:

“Single-camera” script supervising

This is the big daddy of script supervising, the famed “continuity supervisor,” whose primary objective is to ensure that the project cuts together when it gets to editorial. This is the type of script supervisor that is primarily dealt with on this website, although we do address other types of script supervising within special topics.

“Single-camera” refers to the style of filmmaking in which individual shots are planned for each camera, each scene is created through a series of shots of the same action from a variety of different angles, and multiple takes are shot of each of those angles. The scene is then later edited together from the various pieces of footage taken from all those individual camera setups. The term “single-cam” comes from the days when all this style of filmmaking was achieved with a single camera. These days, almost no show shoots with a single camera, but the shooting style of planning individual shots continues, and the name has persisted, even though those shots are now distributed between several cameras.

The responsibility of the script supervisor in these shooting conditions is to coordinate continuity between all the takes and angles, and to keep a series of detailed reports, including a lined script indicating what was shot for each scene, as wells as a variety of logs depicting the details of what was shot and how it was done.

In this style of script supervising the script supervisor and the director work closely together, and the script supervisor liaises with other department heads and the editorial department.

The work environment for this type of script supervisor is the most varied. Some scenes may be shot on sets built for the show on sound stages, but more and more shooting is done on actual locations, in real houses, buildings, and natural landscapes. The script supervisor is located directly on the shooting set with the director.

This craft is represented by IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees) union locals, and is most commonly what is meant when we use the term “script supervisor.”

“Multi-cam” or “sitcom” script supervising

This style of script supervising is performed in a traditional sitcom filming environment. These shows are filmed in front of a live audience, with (originally) three, four (now standard), or sometimes five cameras at set positions capturing all the action at once. A “live cut” of the performance is created during the actual shooting, which is afterwards refined in editing and additional materials (such as location scenes) added.

The work environment for this type of script supervisor is primarily a sound stage built for the show, with a series of sets lined up and open to the audience on one side of the cameras and production team, and the audience on the other. The script supervisor is located at their own station in the production area between the audience and the set. That’s right, in this job, the audience watches you work!

Since all the angles are shot simultaneously, continuity is a smaller responsibility, but keeping track of what was shot and where each bit footage starts at plays a larger roll. The script supervisor lines the script in a completely different style than single-cam script supervisors, indicating where and at what timecode the takes and pick-ups begin and generates a simple log of setups, scenes, and takes.

Even though many of the job responsibilities are different, this craft is also represented by IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees) union locals, and many script supervisors perform both single-cam and multi-cam style script supervising depending on the structure of the show.

Soap Opera Script Supervising (aka “Production Associate”)

This is a style of multi-cam shooting. As with sitcoms, in soap operas the action is captured with multiple cameras which run simultaneously, and a rough live cut is made during the performance and refined afterward. There is no live audience, however, and while the script supervisor does verify the dialogue accuracy and tracking continuity, the reporting requirements are different, as production completes an entire episode each day during the viewing season.

The work environment for this type of script supervisor is a sound stage built for the show which rather than facing an audience is like a warren of rooms that the production crew moves between as they shoot in each location. The script supervisor works next to the director at a shared station on or just outside the shooting set.

This position is not represented by Script Supervisors unions, is not called “Script Supervisor,” and is inching towards to script supervising for live events, which is an entire category in itself.

Script Supervisor for Live Events

This is a completely different job than the script supervisors described above. Although the job title is the same, this kind of script supervisor is more like a kind of producer, and is sometimes given one of a variety of titles like associate producer. These script supervisors work on shows that are performed live at the time that they are recorded (“live-to-tape.”) Award shows, dance and singing competitions, and a few select types of reality shows such as sports entertainment competitions utilize this kind of script supervisor. (Note: most “reality TV” shows do not employ script supervisors. The closest they have is “loggers.”)

Responsibilities for this position include creating a detailed outline of the show showing the sequence of events that will occur (a “rundown,”) – including the time an element of the production will occur, its duration, and the detail of the element, be it a music cue, a graphic overlay, a video package, or a live speaker or event – as well as an editorial log specific to this kind of script supervising.

The work environment for this type of script supervisor is primarily indoors in a stage or studio facility built for the production, and often in control rooms. There may be some variation for reality shows that take place in exterior locations, like sports entertainment competitions.

This position is not represented by Script Supervisors unions.