PRODUCTION
Part 6 (Chapters 28 through 37) covers the production period. For anyone using an untriedcrew, this should involve some trial shooting. The amount and expense of equipment and the degree of technology will vary greatly between those shooting their first works and a more seasonedgroup making a short or even independent feature, but the basic organization and procedures vary only in scale, not principle. The director should never lose sight of the preeminenceof the cast, engage a director of photography (DP) who can effectively lead the crew, and stay free to direct the action.
When you are ready to shoot, use the checklist at the end of this part. It can save you griefand expense and help you make a better film.
CHAPTER 28
Developing a Crew
On Crew and Actors
Using People with Experience
Developing Your Own Crew
Crew Members' Temperaments
Organize Areas of Responsibility Clearly
Crew Roles and Responsibilities
Direction
Director
Script Supervisor
Production Department
Producer
Production Manager
Assistant Director
Camera Department
Camera Crew Generalities
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Camera Assistants or Assistant Cinematographers
Gaffer and Grips
Sound Department
Sound Recordist and Boom Operator
Art Department
Art Director
Construction Specialists
Special Effects
Wardrobe and Props
Make-up and Hairdressing
Postproduction
CHAPTER 29
Mise en Scène
Purpose
Surveying the Film
Long-Take versus Short-Take Coverage
Fixed versus Mobile Camera
Subjective or Objective Camera Presence
Relatedness: Separating or Integrating by Shot
Have the Courage to Be Simple
The Camera as Observing Consciousness
The Storyteller's Point of View
Approaching a Single Scene
Script, Concept, and Scene Design
Point of View
Whose Point of View?
Point of View Can Change
Compromises: Space, Perception, and Lenses
Camera Eye and Human Eye Are Different
Aspect Ratio
Choosing Lens Type
Perspective and Normalcy
Perspective Changes Only When Camera-to-Subject Distance Changes
Manipulating Perspective
Zooming Versus Dollying into Close-Up
Lenses and Image Texture
Why There Is a Film Look and a Video Look
Lens Speed
Camera Height
Limit Camera Movements
Adapting to Location Exigencies
Backgrounds
Camera As Instrument of Revelation
Speed Compromises for the Camera
Work within Your Means
Study the Masters
CHAPTER 30
Breaking Down the Script
Diagnostic Questions
Planning Coverage
Cover Important Aspects in More Than One Way
The Floor Plan and the Storyboard
Script Breakdown
Camera Placement
Using Lines of Tension
Subjective and Objective
Sightlines and Lines of Tension
Show Relatedness
There Are No Rules, Only Awareness
Avoid Crossing the Scene Axis
Movements That Lead to Regrouping Must Be Shown
Planning Where to Edit
Editing in Movement
Editing As Refreshment
Contingency Planning
Crib Sheets
Scheduling the Shoot
Keeping Track
CHAPTER 31
Before the Camera Rolls
Rigging the Stage
First Setup and Lineup
Blocking and First Rehearsal
Placing Marks
Rehearsal
Lighting with Stand-Ins
First Walk-Through
Dress Rehearsal
CHAPTER 32
Roll Camera
Shot and Scene Identification
Clapper Board
Setup and Take Numbers
Shooting Logs
Double-System Recording
Film
Video
Logs in Action
The Countdown to Shooting
Crew Etiquette
Starting without a Clapper
Who Can Call “Cut”
Pickup Shots
Print That
Complementary Shots
Keeping Track of What's Shot
Blocking Changes
Director, Script Supervisor, and Continuity Reports
Continuity Sheets
It's a Wrap
CHAPTER 33
Location Sound
Monitor All Recorded Sound
Sound Theory
Sound Experts Should Scout Each Location
Unwanted Location Ambience
Sound Equipment
Recorders
Microphones
Boom
Mixing Desk
Recording Requirements
Direct and Reflected Sound
Sound Source to Microphone Distances
Ambient Sound and Presence Tracks
Sounds on the Set
Smart Slate
Effects and Wild Tracks
Automatic Dialogue Replacement
Atmosphere Loops
Soundscapes
CHAPTER 34
Continuity
Coordinating and Reporting
Script Breakdown
Chronology
Planning the Shoot
Types of Continuity
Wardrobe and Properties
Breakdown or Crossplot
Timing
Monitoring Dialogue
Physical Continuity
Coverage
Bracketing the Script
Script Supervisor's Positioning
CHAPTER 35
Directing the Actors
Sensory Overload
Actors Need Feedback
Delegate
Actors' Anxieties at the Beginning
Preproduction Party
Warn Actors That Shooting Is Slow
Before Shooting
Tension and Its Consequences
Getting into Stride
Directing
Dividing Yourself between Crew and Cast
Daily Organization
Run-Through
Before the Take
After the Take
For the New Shot
Demand More of Actors
When the Scene Sags
Side Coaching When a Scene Is Becalmed
Reaction Shots
Criticism and Feedback
From the Cast
From the Crew
Morale, Fatigue, and Intensity
Protect the Cast
You As Role Model
Using Social Times and Breaks
At Day's End
When Not to Let the Cast See Dailies
CHAPTER 36
Directing the Crew
Limit Your Responsibilities
Initiative
Communicating
Relations with Cast and the Public
Look through the Camera
Making Progress
When You and Your Crew Are Alone
Wrapping for the Day
Dailies
CHAPTER 37
Monitoring Progress
Cut to Seagulls
Monitoring Your Resources
Dramatic and Technical Quality
Fulfilling Your Authorship Intentions
Measuring Progress
Moving Beyond Realism
Ceding Control
Keep the Storyteller Alive
Cost Reports
At the End of the Production
CHECKLIST FOR PART 6:
PRODUCTION
