A greensman or greensperson or nurseryman or greenskeeper is any production personnel on a film set who is responsible for obtaining and taking care of anything "green" or natural used in the film production. This may include plants, grass, trees, flowers, and other various
landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following:
# Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...
materials like rocks, gravel, sand, etc. They are considered part of the
art department
Art department in filmmaking terms means the section of a production's crew concerned with visual artistry. Working under the supervision of the production designer and/or art director, the art department is responsible for arranging the overall ...
. The role includes the use of artificial materials such as simulated rocks, silk flowers and items representing greens, such as camouflage netting.
The greensperson functions as a participant in the
filmmaking
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...
process as an extension of the art department during set construction and in conjunction with the camera department during filming. In addition to set construction, greenspeople often work "on set" assisting the camera team and other departments in adjusting the set to the changing demands of different camera positions and lighting setups, as requested by the creative leaders.
The range of duties in this category ranges from tending to plant nursery operations (watering, fertilizing,
transplanting grass, flowers, bushes, etc.) through to the artful crafting of vines, trees, flowers and the like using cut living material and/or various simulated materials.
References
Filmmaking occupations
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