8
The Shooting Script

It may be that in the interpretation of the script, a plethora of angles will be necessary to create the desired effect of a scene. That’s why the initial writing of the script needs to be angle free but mood and effect specific, as we’ve already seen in Chapter 4. Because you may not be entirely aware of all the cinematic possibilities inherent in the scene until you talk with the cinematographer, it’s necessary to avoid including angles in the initial script to facilitate a better read for everyone involved in the production.

That literary read will make it easier to raise funds, cast actors, and inform other crew members. When you finally get down to pre-production planning, however, you’re going to need to know what cameras you’ll need; how you want to light; and what props, stunts, production design, and sound work you’ll need.

In order to do that you’ll need to create a shooting script that reveals those things to your crew. That’s why all sounds, significant props, and stunts need to be written in capital letters. If costumes are vital to a scene, you might want to write these in caps as well. And ultimately, you may want to include actual angles.

First, you’ll need to number the scenes. These numbers will help you communicate to your crew which scenes you’re talking about instead of referring to story points. These numbers will also help you when you create the shooting schedule. While we’re on that, here are a few points about creating a viable shooting schedule.

Take note of your day and night indicators. If these indicators are used in interior locations, you don’t have to worry about them because lighting (or lack of it) can cheat time of day. However, if your time-of-day indicators are in exterior locations, you’ll have to plan your shooting schedule accordingly. This is also true of location indicators. If your film includes a warehouse, for example, all those scenes will be shot in one day even though they may be scattered throughout the script. In these cases, because scripts are not shot in sequence, your scene numbers will help you arrange your shots together to accommodate night or day or locations.

Creating Shot Lists

If you are directing the film, you need to come up with lists of shots that you’ll use.

Now let’s get back to angles. Remember our chef scene in Chapter 4? Here’s part of it again:

We’ve already discussed how the way this is written indicates possible shots. Looking at this scene again, we can get more specific when we create our shot list because clear clues exist in the body of the description.

Here’s a sample initial shot list:

• Medium Wide on Tom (to include stove)
• Close as he cuts butter into frying pan.
• Widen as he picks up slice of bread.
• Wider as he drops it on the floor.
• Close on bread on floor.
• Widen as he stoops to pick it up.
• Closer as he drops butter.
• Widen as he slips on butter, falls, and hits his head.

Added coverage:

• Widen as he drops bread on floor and stoops to pick it up.
• Close on butter.
• Close on head hitting.
• Wide on entire sequence as he drops, picks up, and hits head.

This shot list is very detailed, provides lots of coverage, and will take a significant amount of time to shoot. You may not have the time or inclination to shoot this much. Discuss the list with your Director of Photography (DP) to come up with something that is workable for both of you.

The shot list will accompany the script—you can write your shots in the margin (that is, line the script with shots) initially as you make these decisions with your cinematographer. You can also write your preferred angles into your script and, just in case, keep your coverage angles separate. You may want to do both.

I don’t think all this rewriting is necessary. It’s so much easier to just insert the shots into the existing script. The places where the shots are inserted can act as editing points later. You probably have noticed how many shot options present themselves when shooting even this short snippet of a scene. If you’ve written it the way you’ve seen it in your mind, that’s not your worry (unless you’re directing the piece). If you are NOT directing the piece and the director wants you to generate a shooting script (not always the case with short films although it could happen), you simply need to follow the director’s instructions regarding angles to create the scene as written and work with that person to create an angle-inclusive shooting script if that is required.

Story Boards

Many short films just use story boards. These are drawings (can be crudely drawn) in sequence with some directions and dialogue playing out your entire film. You could draw these yourself or get a really good story board person to do that. These will help you visualize the movie in detail.

Pre-Production Script Changes

If you’re a screenwriter directing your script for the first time, you need to first learn as much as you can about the directing process. This is NOT a book about directing. To learn how to make that transition, you should read books, take courses, shadow other directors and, above all, ask for help and advice from people who’ve had experience. And that doesn’t just mean directing experience. You can benefit greatly from the advice of all sorts of talented people who have worked on other movies. DPs, production designers, gaffers, sound people, costumers, actors can all help you to make your movie better.

Taking that advice usually changes the shooting script–sometimes drastically. Don’t be daunted by this. These changes may be things you didn’t realize when you were writing the script even though you had production in mind. When it comes to the actual shooting script, things always change according to the exigencies of the film making process and these changes are necessary to make your movie great.

I learned that from the mistakes I made directing my first project. I’d been hired by a network to direct a film that would air as part of a series. In the crazy fog of youth, I didn’t imagine that any mistakes I made would appear on national television for everybody to notice. I foolishly believed I wouldn’t make any mistakes. Boy was I wrong.

Hard-headed as only a 23 year old can be, I spent a long time lining up a wide shot with my DP and insisting we use it as an establishing. I didn’t listen to him when he suggested that the shot was too wide and the details I was looking for wouldn’t be seen. He was right. On screen the effect I was going for was lost in the space. ARGH!

There were many more instances like that on this particular shoot and I won’t punish either of us by describing them, but I learned from that. Take the suggestions of your DP! That doesn’t mean the DP can take over the shoot (that happened to me once, where I yelled cut and the DP didn’t cut, so I fired him and got one that would listen). It does mean that you have to consider everything carefully and put your prima donna hat away.

Crew

Along with DPs, here are some other people on your crew that can help you.

Gaffers

Find people who really know lighting and can make your movie look great. And make sure that your gaffer and your DP work well together. These two people are essential to helping you get your vision across. Make sure you discuss the mood you are looking for and the effect you want your film to have with the person who can deliver those things. I know lots of first time film makers who’ve insisted on shooting with very low light against the advice of their DPs and Gaffers and ended up with something that could barely be seen on the big screen. Remember, just because you can see in an editing bay doesn’t mean that it will translate to a large size when you project.

Production Designers

Make sure that you find production designers who will tell you the truth about what’s possible. If you’re building sets, get people who know how to do that and will rein you in when you want to attempt the impossible. If you want to build a boxing ring on a sound stage (as one of my students did) make sure that your production designer lets you know the costs involved and the time it will take to build that set. One of our students actually built a pirate ship on the sound stage and spent many thousands of dollars doing that. They had the money but the final movie didn’t really justify the cost or the time and trouble. Make certain that your production designer knows how to cut corners and give you a look that will make your movie shine without costing you big bucks.

Actors

Input from actors is huge, particularly when it comes to dialogue. I always advise my students to use their most difficult and engaging scenes to audition actors. If they can do those well, you’re pretty certain they can do the easy ones too. And I recommend rehearsing with your actors to get the dialogue right.

When actors get dialogue they quickly find those places where the words just don’t work. Take their advice and change the dialogue to make it work! Woody Allen constantly tells his actors that if they don’t like the dialogue he’s written they can change it. An actor who is uncomfortable with what he’s saying won’t come across the way you want him too. Again, that doesn’t mean actors can take over the movie by throwing out the dialogue you wrote. Have reasonable discussions with them and help them to make their speeches more comfortable and you’ll strengthen your working relationship and also strengthen your script.

Making the transition from screenwriter to director isn’t easy. It takes guts and confidence. Learn as much as you can beforehand and take the plunge. Expect to make mistakes. But minimize them by surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do, are excited about your project and believe in you. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help in all things. They will respect you for it and feel that they have even more of a stake in the movie than if they just followed orders. Remember: Film-making is a collaborative art!