Does a director have the right to re-assign duties in the crew?

[harmonica44]

Like for example, I found a steady-op, but I don't like his lighting style personally, so I got someone else for lighting, and the steadiop can stick to that duty. But the steady op was under the impression that he was to be credited for full DP since I knew him first, and he was a DP in other films. Or say how if the sound person doesn't show up, you want to assign someone else in the crew to do the audio?

Does a director have the right to re-assign duties, or is everyone suppose to do the duty they were picked for originally, and that's that? If it is out of line to do that, then that's fine, but I'm not sure.

Thanks.

 

[sfoster]

If he is capable of working in that position, and he will not be shocked or surprised in anyway...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFjmYcwjgV8

I loved that movie

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

I loved that movie

Same

 

[David.rhsc]

Similarly, if I have an actor who cannot swim, I like to throw them into the pool, fully clothed without diving support.

Sadly, this actually happens. A lot. Maybe not the "no support" part, but for whatever reason people cast actors who can't swim into roles where they will be tossed in the water.

No one ever seems to ask during casting, "Can you swim? Can you drive a manual transmission?" and so on.

 

[stef]

As DP, I actually recruited our MUA as a boom op when parts of our crew were missing and I suddenly found myself in the secondary position of sound mixer, and I very patiently gave her instructions. I also set and verified the settings during the shoot. On a difficult scene for sound, I took over booming and had the director operate the camera. Otherwise she really rocked it! And had a lot of fun, too.

And to address the original post, if the director tried to reassign any of my crew without consulting me first, I'd pull him aside and set things straight in very not-uncertain terms, possibly punctuated with profanity.