A grip on the stars behind the scenes

Barbara Baker's involvement with film-making was eight years of casting extras for films directed by the likes of Richard Attenborough and Steven Spielberg, and it is hard to think of a more appropriate background for the author of a book on the unsung heroes and heroines of film production.

The life of an extra is one of pathos and frustration - as movingly and amusingly portrayed in the late Jack Rosenthal's sublime Ready When You Are Mr McGill! Many are called, some are filmed and few remain in the final cut. Most of the subjects of this fascinating book are part of the supporting cast of crew members rather than major creative contributors to the products of cinema.

Even so, the interviewees are a mixed bunch in terms of status and experience. Some are certainly household names within the industry: Teddy Darvas, the editor, Stephen Warbeck, the composer, Angela Allen, the script supervisor and Dennis Fraser MBE, the renowned grip, have all made a name for themselves, partly by association with high-profile directors. Some very strong general impressions are conveyed in more than 30 interviews. In almost all cases, the commitment is to doing a job well rather than buying into a director's creative vision. This often seems like self-preservation when directors can vary from sensitive angels who value everyone's contribution to megalomaniac devils who blame anyone but themselves for the mistakes and failings of the work. Two particular examples emerge of directors who have been perceived as both angels and devils by members of their crew on different films: David Lean and Woody Allen.

The book starts with Darvas, who enjoyed working with Lean, although this seems coloured partly by the enjoyment, albeit vicariously, of the great man's insatiable sexual appetite - Darvas being particularly proud to have been a shoulder to cry on for more than one discarded lover. But he clearly learnt as much about editing as he did about how some men treat women from his experienced mentor.

But on the whole, the book is not about the nefarious activity behind the camera, although Salvatore Carino, a production auditor, is pretty frank on how to cook the books, and a number of those interviewed are honest about their early mistakes. Mostly we are simply made aware of the way in which each role functions and fits within the matrix of movie-making. Darvas admits that he walked away from films when non-linear revolutionised editing in the 1990s: "David Lean and all those used to love the feeling of the film running through their fingers; it was sort of sensual." Most of the others in the book either did not know the tactile world of working with film or have successfully made the transition to the digital domain.

In some ways, this book is a missed opportunity. The interviews are not organised in any logical way that I can discern, and it would have been a service to the uninitiated to have presented them by department. This, I realise, is no simple matter, because crewing for films depends on the budget and scale of the enterprise. Many roles do not exist or are combined on low-budget films, and I can imagine that this was a conundrum when Baker was deciding who to interview, because a person's experience determines his or her description of the role.

One of the factors affecting the clarity of the text is that the author talked to a mixture of British and American professionals, and the function of particular members of the crew can vary quite radically. Sadly, there is no reference to European cinema, where crewing and attitudes differ enormously. This gives the impression that there is an umbilical cord that links the UK and the US, which may be true politically but in terms of cinema is far less clear-cut.

The industry attitude is exemplified by statements such as: "I don't socialise a lot with the people I work with, and I never go to the cinema" (Stephen Barker, post-production supervisor), and I yearned sometimes to sense more of an all-consuming passion. It is true that being unit nurse on a big film is hardly as engaging or involving as being the production designer, so we should not expect the same commitment from those on the periphery. Being part of the crew of a multimillion-dollar blockbuster may be thrilling, but there is less likely to be a sense of family.

Angela Allen, who, among a host of credits, was script supervisor on 14 films directed by John Huston, including The African Queen , clearly was made to feel part of his film family. She is modest about her contribution while recognising that many important roles are unsung. "They probably call me the 'doyenne' now. Next month I believe I am getting the Women in Film Lifetime Achievement Award, and in a way think I have to say 'thank you' on behalf of all my fellow colleagues who I'm sure deserved it much more than I did. It is difficult to recognise everyone, and most awards are given because of the visual content: you can see the actor's performance, the art direction, the costumes, the photography."

This book goes a considerable way to making us aware of the myriad contributions that are invisible, and for that reason it deserves to be read by the general public and by those aspiring to join the industry.

Roger Crittenden is director of the full-time programme, National Film and Television School.