Directors Tell the Story
Page 14
A director going for less coverage as a means to save time (and therefore, money) might play a moment of a scene in a two-shot (one shot, thirty minutes) rather than getting the two-shot plus two singles (three shots, ninety minutes). But less coverage is potentially dicey because you’ll want as much film as possible in the editing room—more choices could mean better storytelling. We say “could,” because there is also a case to be made for spare, decisive directing, like that of Clint Eastwood. It’s a little like that old game show Name That Tune, in which a contestant would say, “I can name that tune in four notes.” Well, a director like Eastwood might tell the story in only four shots, but they are magnificently perfect ones. And he might print only two circled takes of each shot (which means that only two completed shots are forwarded to the editor), but he is confident that the performance is the best it can be and that no more takes are needed. As actor Matt Damon said of Eastwood, “He’s so prepared and expects everyone else to be, and so there’s nothing wasted, ever. It’s a real lesson in how to run a super-efficient set.”2
The other method of condensing your shot list so that you can make the day is to block the scene more efficiently. The way to do that is to try to make sure all of the movement by the actors in a scene is on the same axis, which allows you to shoot in two directions instead of four. And that means less lighting and fewer setups. In other words, in a two-person scene, both actors may move north and south, but not east and west. Another way to say it is that the actors can come closer to the camera or go farther away from the camera, but cannot go side-to-side in front of the camera. There is nothing to be gained by shooting all four directions, because as we know, every time the DP and his crew have to light in a different direction, it takes more of the director’s precious time. But sometimes it is necessary, given the scripted action or if there are multiple characters, to shoot in all four directions. All we’re saying here is that if you can block it on the same axis, it will serve you well. Playing all the action on the same axis will not dumb down the energy of the scene because it will still register with the audience as movement. The audience is not counting how many directions or shots it takes to tell the story. The audience is just caught up in performance, going along with the story.
Bethany directed a scene in Brothers & Sisters that is a good model for the work process in prep, both on the director’s part and the 1st AD’s part. The script called for a happy occasion (a charity event) to turn bad when one of the main characters punched someone—the wrong someone. Figure 8-6 shows a script page from this scene. The undulating marks on the left side of the page are made by the script supervisor during production to indicate which lines of dialog were covered in which shot.
FIGURE 8-6 The marked script supervisor’s page 41 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
FIGURE 8-7 The script supervisor’s facing page 41 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
The script supervisor kept all the data about the coverage, including the slate, the shot description, how many takes, and so on as a facing page at the beginning of both scenes. Figure 8-7 shows these facing pages for this scene.
With the script and floor plan (see Figure 8-8) in hand, Bethany sketched a small version of the floor plan on her shot list page and gave each of her characters a starting point, then imagined where each of them would go during the scene.
FIGURE 8-8 The floor plan for Café 429 and Kevin’s office of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
FIGURE 8-9 Bethany’s shot list for scenes 25 and 26 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
She then began shot listing the scene. Figure 8-9 shows Bethany’s shot list. By the time she was finished, she had 12 shots planned, which was extremely economical because several shots evolved to become multiple-use coverage. Figure 8-10 shows the actors’ starting points and some camera placement for scenes 25 and 26. Figure 8-11 shows how the scene evolved.
FIGURE 8-10 The starting points for all the principals in scene 25 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
FIGURE 8-11 The movement of the characters in scene 26 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
FIGURE 8-12 An excerpt from the 1st AD’s call sheet for scenes 25 and 26 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
Meanwhile, after the appropriate concept, department head, and production meetings, the 1st AD (Sally Sue Lander) initiated a shooting schedule and later the call sheet. Figure 8-12 shows part of the 1st AD’s call sheet. Figure 8-13 shows an excerpt of the 1st AD’s shooting schedule. So on the day, all of the elements were in place to shoot a terrific scene: and so it was!
Shot Listing
Using the scene you blocked in Chapter 7, shot list the scene, making sure (for purposes of practice) that you have planned at least six shots. List your shots by type (master, two shot, and so on) and in shooting (lighting) order, giving each shot a number. Finally, double-check your work by indicating on your script which shot (by its number) you anticipate using next to each line of dialog or stage direction to show editing order.
FIGURE 8-13 An excerpt from the 1st AD’s shooting schedule (page 2) for scenes 25 and 26 of the Brothers & Sisters script entitled “An Ideal Husband.” (Brothers & Sisters trademarks and copyrighted material have been used with the permission of ABC Studios.)
It requires a fair amount of effort to stay focused and creative while deciding how to block and shot list every scene in a script. Some people might refer to it as the drudgery of the job, compared to the excitement of being on set, saying “action” and “cut,” being the boss, and making movies. But by blocking and shot listing ahead of time, during your prep period, you free yourself to live in the moment on set and allow the magic to happen. If you haven’t done this work, you’ll be all knotted up in anxiety, wondering how to shoot a scene, unsure whether you’ve really told the story. It’s hard to be a leader when you’re not sure where you’re going.
Insider Info
How Do the Director and the DP Interact During Prep?
For me, the best part of prep is the set walk with the director. Some already have detailed shot lists; others bring nothing more than notetaking materials. Either way, it provides me with the most productive time during prep.
Because there is no crew present, we are free to explore the scenes and their blocking without 40 pairs of eyes waiting for our directions. We are free to mull over as many variations as we wish and not worry about the ever-present time considerations of a production crew. I find the resulting notes and diagrams crucial in coordinating all the departments during a shoot and prerigging sets correctly for the scene, making my lighting setups better and more efficient. Tones and themes also get discussed, and those conversations tend to percolate through my mind after the walkthrough, leading to further lighting and blocking ideas.
Another benefit of set walks—less tangible than notes—is establishing a rapport with the director. Both the director and I get to communicate and collaborate on what is eventually a shared enterprise. We are able to walk onto the working set and quickly lead the crew because of our shared understanding of what we are trying to accomplish.
John Smith
Director of Photography
Brothers & Sisters, Cold Case, CSI: NY
Vocabulary
axis
block shoot
camera
circled takes
counter
coverage
crisp
dance floor
digital
directionally
dolly
dolly shot
dolly track
double-check
drop a scene
extender
eyeline
fish-eye lens
fixed (prime) lens
handheld
high-definition (HD)
high-hat
lateral dolly shot
objective
oner
pan
print
pull the plug
reverse
snap-zoom
Steadicam
subjective
take
tilt
tracking shot
turn around
walk ‘n’ talk
zoom
1. Feld, Rob, “Shot to Remember, Trouble in Mind,” DGA Quarterly, Summer 2010, p. 22.)
2. Blair, Iain, “Matt Damon: ‘Good Will Blessings,’” Daily Variety, March 26, 2010.
Chapter 9
Scouting Locations
Part of the director’s prep process is scouting for locations: looking for practical places to shoot that meet the needs of the script. It could be a stadium, a church, a street, a house, a skyscraper, or whatever suits the story. It could be for exterior scenes or interior scenes. It could be for night or day scenes. Sometimes it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. But the director is aided by the capable assistance of a specific department that focuses on finding that needle.
One of the department heads you will be working with is the location manager. His job is to find potential locations and—once you have chosen them—to negotiate the deal, then to oversee the interaction between the shooting crew and the site. Whether the dog is barking next door, the gardener down the street has a loud leaf blower, or the homeowner’s wall paint got nicked while furniture was being moved, the location manager has to deal with it. But first, he has to show you some options.
BEFORE THE SCOUT
On day one of your prep, as you know, there will be a concept meeting, in which department heads gather to discuss the script and get the director’s input. One of the things that will be discussed is whether sets will be built or practical (the real thing), which is generally the producer’s call, based on the budget. If the script calls for something big and complicated (a street, a stadium), it will probably be a practical location. If it’s a location that isn’t already a standing set (previously constructed and used) but it’s conceivable financially and logistically to build it (a living room, a jail cell), the choice might be to create that set on stage. If so, the production designer, with input from the director, will design a swing set that is specifically built for the needs of that individual script.
If the decision is to find a practical location, the first step is to discuss exactly what you will be looking for with the location manager. You will talk about size, style, and concept. Let’s say you’re looking for the exterior house that the Soldier comes home to in our previous chapters. What is the architecture? Is it mid-century modern, craftsman bungalow, brick Tudor? Is it small and cozy or big and expensive? Is it on a busy street or a quiet street? What does the reverse (across the street) need to look like? What script specifics are needed—a porch, a walkway, a garage? What overall feeling does the location need to impart—is this a happy place, a sad place, a haunted place? Most important, what does the location tell us about the characters?
If the decision is to find a practical location, the first step is to discuss exactly what you will be looking for with the location manager. You will talk about size, style, and concept.
The location manager sends a team of assistants out to look for sites that meet the criteria. Then pictures of potential opportunities are presented to the director and producer, and if any of them look like they might work, then a trip (or scout) will be organized to see the place(s) in person. In the scout van will be the director, the production designer, the line producer, the 1st AD, and the location manager. You all ride together driven by a Teamster (union driver) who knows how to get there. The director generally sits in the front passenger seat next to the driver. (Bethany doesn’t because she gets carsick when she continually turns around to talk to those behind her.)
CHOOSING THE LOCATION (A.K.A. THE SMALL VAN)
The first thing to determine is whether a location has the right “feeling.” A location is a character, in the same way that an actor is a character.
The first thing to determine is whether a location has the right “feeling.” A location is a character, in the same way that an actor is a character. What does this location “say” about the script? Second, does this location provide everything the script dictates? Once those questions have been answered, then there are many nuts-and-bolts questions to answer as to whether this location is feasible financially and logistically.
Here is a list of questions to ask yourself about a location in order to determine whether it is right for you and your script:
1. Does this place have the right feeling?
2. Does it physically provide what I need?
3. Does it have the right style, colors, and impact?
4. Is the surrounding environment conducive to shooting? Or is the neighborhood unfriendly—too much traffic to control, an airport or railroad track nearby, or any other factors that make it difficult to shoot?
5. If it’s a day exterior, does the situation of the site allow for shooting the actors in backlight? (That is, is the sun behind them rather than in front of them?) We talk more about this in Chapter 11 because it is a critical factor in lighting well and quickly.
6. If it’s a night exterior, is the site conducive to bringing in large condors (electric high-rise platforms) in order to put brilliant lights up high to illuminate the surroundings?
7. Is there enough parking nearby for base camp (location hub) and crew and extra parking? Ten-ton (“forty-footers”) trucks carry the equipment of the crew, and there are usually at least four of those: camera, grip/electric, prop, wardrobe. Then there are actor trailers (portable dressing rooms), makeup/hair trailer, and honeywagons (bathrooms). Plus, you need parking for the cars of the cast and crew. Even if you are directing a smaller production, there will still be base camp requirements.
8. For commercial locations, like a restaurant or a store, can you disrupt their business hours in a way that works for production and for the site owner?
9. For public locations, like streets or stadiums, does the city allow filming there? Will you be able to get a permit and governmental/police support?
And here are some questions to ask yourself regarding interior locations:
1. Is it big enough? Remember that you need double the space because a camera and lights take up a lot of room. You can always make a room look smaller by photographing only a section of it. But you cannot make a small practical space larger than it is.
Keep in mind that you can always make a room look smaller by photographing only a section of it. But you cannot make a small practical space larger than it is.
2. Is it air-conditioned? (Lights get hot.) If it is not, the production will have to bring temporary air conditioners, unless you’re shooting somewhere like Minnesota in the winter, in which case they’ll have to bring heaters!
3. Is there space for video village (where the monitors are) and is there an additional space (a green room) for actors to wait? Is there a place for equipment (a staging area) to be kept while waiting to be used? Is there an additional space that can serve as a holding area for background artists?
4. Is there a way to run electrical cable to the generator so that it will not be seen on camera?
5. Are there enough entrances? With cast and crew coming and going from base camp and equipment trucks, you need extra access. If there’s only one door in and out of the place, it will be extremely frustrating.
Often, a practical location will provide good bones (the basic requirements) but will need augmenting by the art department. Such a case is to be expected, because after all, the location wasn’t built with your script in mind. You may need to remove furniture and replace it with pieces that will suit your story better, or paint some walls, or repurpose a room. So when you are scouting, it’s best to keep an open mind and see the potential that might be hiding under the current owner’s choices. And speaking of owners, be careful how you talk about a place, especially if they are graciously showing you their house. Be kind. It can only help if you ingratiate yourself with the owners rather than alienating them. The location may be logistically “almost” perfect, and you will need to find a creative way to make up for deficiencies. For example, if you are shooting in a house that doesn’t have extra space for a green room and video village, you could put tents up in the driveway and provide space that way.
The location may be logistically “almost” perfect, and you will need to find a creative way to make up for deficiencies.