Even simple camera moves can give your film a sophisticated feel, but if overused as a device, injecting movement into every shot, then the power of key dramatic moments can be diminished. If you are going to employ camera moves in your film, it is important to think about when you use them and what kind would be most effective.
Handheld
Handheld camera work can be an effective form of bringing movement to your shots. The rough jerky movements that can be obtained by putting the camera on your shoulder, or carrying it, is perfect for POV shots. The drawback to handheld camera moves is that they are generally not fluid or consistent enough for use in other circumstances. Unless they visually form part of the narrative, uncontrolled camera moves can be very distracting for an audience.
Pan and tilt
Panning and tilting are the most basic of controlled camera movements. Most tripods will be capable of swivelling left to right or up and down, but to combine the two and keep the movement constant, you will need a tripod with a fluid head (see grip). The speed at which you pan or tilt should be decided according to the shot. Matching up camera movements of different speeds can be difficult during editing so unless you are intending to create a fluctuation in pace then the speeds need to be relatively similar to cut with.
Tracking shots
Tracking shots are fluid camera moves that allow the camera to travel over a chosen distance and create the illusion that the camera is gliding. They can be achieved in a variety of ways, the most common being a track and dolly (see grip). The camera and operator are mounted on the dolly and the wheels of the dolly slot onto lengths of track that run in straight or curved sections. The dolly is then pushed or pulled along and can be brought to a halt within a section of track before continuing or reversing back the way it came. Tracking shots can often be complex to create. They rely on grips manoeuvring the dolly smoothly and will involve changes in framing and focus that will need to be carefully rehearsed. When performed well and under the right circumstances they can be very impressive. Tracking shots can also be produced with a steadicam (see steadicam) or on a super-tight budget by placing the cameraperson in a wheelchair and pushing them around!
Jib/boom
A jib is a swinging cantilever boom. The camera is attached to the jib at one end while the other is counterbalanced with weights. This then pivots on a central support, allowing the camera to produce smooth horizontal and vertical swoops from various heights. They can range in length and are normally designed for different weights of camera. Unlike a crane, which performs the same type of movement but with the camera operator attached, jibs only support the camera, so the camera needs to be operated remotely.
Steadicam
Steadicam is the trademark name for a camera support system that allows multi-axis camera moves. Steadicam allows the same freedom of movement that you can achieve with handheld camera work, but absorbs the shakes and supports the weight of the camera. This allows you to produce continuous fluid shots while the camera roams about.
Zooms
Zooms are not technically a camera move because the camera remains static. They do, however, produce an illusion of movement that is similar to the gliding in or out of a track and dolly move. With a zoom, the size of the frame is reduced so a wide shot will become a close up, and with a tracking shot the size of the frame remains the same. Controlled zoom moves cannot be produced by hand but by a zoom control unit who can create fluid zooms.
5. PRODUCER
The role of the producer is difficult to define; it’s a moniker used to describe many different roles and duties within the filmmaking world. The larger the film the more likely it is that there will be various producers onboard, each dealing with different elements of the production process so that financial, practical and managerial responsibilities are split between them. Short films, however, rarely have either the budget or scale to require or allow more than one producer. He or she will therefore deal with all the production elements.
The producer on a short film is normally the person responsible for coordinating the majority of the practical requirements that go into completing the film. They oversee every phase of the film, working closely with the director on all aspects of its production, from budgeting and script rewrites through to distribution.
As much as the producer will be involved in the creative decisions, their priority will be to keep the film on budget and on time, ensuring that the film actually gets completed. The producer achieves this by assembling a team of people that will work well together and also controlling the circumstances in which the film is made. A comprehensive overview of the entire project allows them to keep the production as efficient as possible and foresee potential troubles before they occur.
PRODUCING
The producer is really the key figure in making any film. The director may have the vision and the skill to create a great film given the means, but without a producer to provide those circumstances, the film would never materialise. If you are considering producing a short film, then it’s important to be realistic about what it will entail. Producing can be an enormously stressful task; the completion of the film hinges on your efforts, often right down to the last detail. Spending half a day making phone calls to scaffolding companies, for example, is often the reality of what sounds like a glamorous title. That said, the creativity and spirit of most short films can make all the hard work and stress very rewarding and will give you the opportunity to gain crucial experience of how films of any shape or form are made.
SELF-PRODUCING
It is of course possible to take on the role of both producer and director, but such a combination can be difficult. It is not uncommon for this to happen on short films, but usually due to lack of resources rather than a deliberate choice.
Producing and directing are both very demanding roles, and each requires their own type of focus and dedication. Quite apart from spreading yourself too thin psychologically, to do both is often physically impossible.
Aside from the practical considerations, having someone that knows the project as well if not better than you do will bring a sense of perspective to the production and help keep the energy of the project going.
FINDING A PRODUCER
A large proportion of producing a short is coordinating the right elements for the film’s specific needs. Whether it’s finding cast and crew or hiring equipment, someone who has previous experience as a producer is going to save huge amounts of time and resources.
Although all films have different production requirements, the producer’s is a role where experience really counts. An experienced producer will be able to look at the idea or script and immediately begin to assess the resources you will need to make it. They will have an informed view of what the budget might need to be, how long it would take to make and how many people would need to be involved in the process.
The film industry employs an enormous amount of people in a variety of production roles. Often small cogs in the huge commercial feature machine, they will have valuable knowledge and may be interested in taking on small creative projects. Using film crew databases and directly contacting production companies is your best chance of finding them.
If you can’t find a professional producer that is interested in your project, then try and find someone that is looking to get experience in that field; a novice with the right ability and attitude will be an enormous asset to the production.
PRODUCERS’ DUTIES
The duties of a producer will vary according to the scale of the film and the experience of the people involved. The following is a breakdown of the phases and duties of most producers on short films, but these are normally shared with the director and other key production members.
Pre-production
Fundraising
Organising auditions
Script development
Sourcing crew
Script breakdown
Booking equipment / Locations
Sch
eduling
Preparing call sheets
Creating a budget
Production
Organising call times
Overseeing all departments
Monitoring the quality of the footage
Ensuring the production stays on schedule
Post-production
Coordinating the workflow
Overseeing the editing
Ensuring finished film reaches screening formats
Coordinating distribution plan
INTERVIEW WITH ADRIAN STURGES (PRODUCER)
Adrian Sturges has a wealth of experience producing both successful feature films and award-winning shorts, having produced over 14 films, including Hotel Infinity. Adrian also has a whole slate of new films in pre-production.
How did you get involved in producing short films?
I started out assisting an established film producer – Simon Relph – and through him met a writer/director called Rupert Wyatt who had a short film script and some cash to make it. We got on and he asked me to get involved.
How many shorts have you produced?
Eight.
What does your role as producer generally entail on a short film?
It normally touches on pretty much every area – from finding the money to setting the budget to hiring the cast and crew with the director and looking for locations, line producing the shoot, sometimes cooking the lunch (!) and supervising all of the post-production. Then there’s the afterlife of the film – often a year or more of festivals to look after.
Do you always use the same methods in producing them, or do different projects require different approaches?
I guess there are certain tenets that are always the same but different projects bring different challenges – Hotel Infinity had a shoot in a foreign country, Get The Picture needed a war zone creating in East London.
How has your experience of working in the film industry influenced your approach to producing short films?
Working on feature films has given me a lot of incredibly useful contacts but really there is nothing like getting out there and making a short to give you a massive amount of experience.
What kind of skills do you think are essential to be a good producer?
You need to be OK with money and managing people and projects but most of all you need to have a nose for good material and that’s a skill you must develop yourself. You particularly need to watch lots of films and maintain a strong interest in what’s happening on the business side at all times.
Do you think that the more experience you have, the better you get at producing?
Yes, definitely. I sometimes think that if I knew what was needed to be a good producer at the very beginning I would never have started!
Have you seen a lot of different approaches to directing on the films you have produced?
Yes, although the one thing that unites all the directors I’ve worked with is a singular drive, an obsession with the details of their projects.
What was it about Hotel Infinity that made you want to produce it?
I loved the idea – it was so unusual compared to so many shorts I’d read or seen and I was immediately impressed by Amanda and how much work she’d done on preparing the piece.
How did you set about raising the finances for the film? Was it a long process?
Well, the film needed a certain amount of money (because of the foreign location, sizable cast etc) and we weren’t timed well for applying for Cinema Extreme, which was the only public scheme at the time that was funding films made on film at this kind of level. So we went about raising the finance privately through a development scheme. It was successful and we got the money we needed but was a massive amount of work for Amanda and I to tackle. Finally, once we made the film, we applied to the Film Council Completion Fund for money to finish it and the timing there was really good – we just had enough material to apply and then the money came through just when we needed it.
Did you manage to get substantial discounts on hiring gear etc?
Yes, we did.
Was this because it was for a short film rather than a commercial feature film?
As always, companies are really supportive of emerging filmmakers.
Were you involved in a lot of the creative decisions as well as the practical ones?
Amanda and I talked about everything but this was very much her screenplay and her vision and it was my job to be supportive of that.
How much time did you have to put into producing the film?
Really hard to quantify! Looking back at my emails, Amanda first contacted me in March 2003 and we delivered the film in time for Edinburgh (August) 2004. Amanda and I have been supporting the film ever since through its festival life (it’s still travelling around). I’ve worked on other projects at the same time, as all producers do, but it’s basically a year and a half’s work.
Was it difficult finding and obtaining permission to use such good locations?
Switzerland was surprisingly easy. We had a lead on the town Villars sur Ollon and got in touch with the tourist authority there who were incredibly helpful, as were the local residents. We did one recce and then the shoot. The hotel interior was harder to find, Amanda was after long corridors that could be extended in CGI. We looked at lots of places but ultimately went to Bethnal Green Town Hall, which is a favourite – if expensive – film location.
What did you learn from producing Hotel Infinity and in retrospect are there any things that you might have done differently?
I learnt a lot from Amanda and I’m particularly proud of how much we pushed ourselves in terms of getting the best people and companies to work on the project. I can’t honestly think of anything I would have done differently, although I’m sure there were mistakes I made that I regretted at the time!
How did Hotel Infinity compare to other films you have produced? Was it more or less demanding for you as producer?
They’re always different. This one was more demanding in terms of scale and intricacy of the production (things like CGI, subtitling, the foreign shoot). But then I’ve had other films with really tricky elements so I’m not sure a comparison is that meaningful.
What have you done since producing Hotel Infinity?
I’ve produced a couple of other shorts – Gabrielle Russell’s The Wrong Sea and Gareth Lewis’ Normal For Norfolk. I’ve post-supervised a major feature Merry Christmas that was nominated for an Oscar this year. I’ve co-produced two feature films – Only Human and The Front Line. And this year have produced a comedy pilot for Working Title called Cul De Sac and produced two feature films – The Baker, directed by Gareth Lewis, and Warriors, the new feature documentary from Marc Singer.
What are your plans for the future?
We have a slate of features in development of which Rupert Wyatt’s The Escapist is due to go into production in January.
What advice would you give to people considering producing a short film?
Prepare as much as you can. When you have no money the time spent preparing is absolutely crucial. Never feel bashful about asking advice from others with more experience. The industry is very supportive in that way.
What advice do you have for directors trying to find a producer for a short film? Where’s a good place to start?
Look at shorts programmes at your local art house cinema or a festival (Brief Encounters, Halloween, London and Edinburgh, for example) and see what takes you. It’s always best to approach a producer whose work you identify with.
What do you enjoy most about producing short films?
The enjoyment of working with a team of people who are all doing it for the same reason, to make something you believe in and with the knowledge that if it goes well that it will lead to other collaborations.
INTERVIEW WITH WENDY BEVAN-MOGG (PRODUCER)
Wendy Bevan-Mogg is an accomplished film producer and screenwriter. She has produced numerous short films, music videos and feature-length produc
tions and has recently formed the production company KUBISTA. She wrote and produced Rare Books and Manuscripts.
How did you get involved in producing short films?
I was working as a freelance script editor when I decided that I’d really like to produce my own piece. When I found the short story of Rare Books I just knew this was the film I wanted to make, so I just got on with it from there.
Roughly how many shorts have you produced?
Four or six, depending whether you count the Straight 8s.
Rare Books and Manuscripts
Evol
Dog Flap
The Space Between Us
Stiffy (Straight 8)
Space Man 8 (Straight 8)
I have also produced a music video.
What does your role as producer generally entail on a short film?
On short films, as with any project, my role as producer is to make sure the director has everything in place that he or she needs to make their film. I will either raise the finance or deal with any financial bodies involved in the film; then I’m location manager, production manager, line producer, post-production manager… you name it. Also, on my shorts I tend to have a strong creative input. Because of my background as a script editor, I work closely with the writer/director to ensure that the script is right before the film goes into preproduction.
Short Films Page 3