wall in, wall out Moving the set walls in and out to give more room to the camera
walla Murmur of the background crowd
walla group Same as loop group
What do you find out? A question to ask an actor to remind him that the character makes a discovery in the scene
What if your character has this secret … ? A question to ask an actor to help him find some colors in the scene by suggesting information that only the character would be privy to
What’s the new information? A question to ask an actor to remind him that his character makes a discovery in the scene
Who has the power? A question to ask an actor to help him play his intention more strongly by examining if he or his scene partner is in charge; makes an actor react more in the moment
Who is winning? A question to ask an actor to help him be aware if he is getting what he wants; makes an actor react more in the moment
wide lens A lens that allows the camera to capture a large amount of action; can hold a wide peripheral frame
wild Moveable pieces of the set
wild sounds Additional sounds recorded that are extraneous to the picture
wrap Finish the day
writers’ draft The first version of the script, usually distributed only among the writing staff and withheld from production
writer’s room The room where the showrunner organizes the writers who create the scripts
Z
zoom lens A lens that allows multiple focal lengths
zoom When the lens moves in or out without the camera moving
Index
A
Abby Singer (Abby) shot, 189–190
ABC television network, 222
Above the line, 59, 145
Accountant, 162
Accounting, 162. See also Production office
Acting, 29
Acting adjustment, 28
Acting for Young Actors, 129, 169
Act-in shots, 81–82
Action, 181–182
Actor availability, boarding and, 52
Actor(s)
character, questions related to, 129–132
costumes, 45
“difficult”, 24
directing, 129
and director, connection between, 132, 133f
movement, 78, 79–81
performance of, director and, 141–144
point of view for, 129
shaping performance on set, 132–136
turnaround, boarding and, 52–53
vulnerability of, 141
Actors’ deals, making, 27–29
Actor’s director, 24
Actors’ marks, 58
Act-out shots, 81–82
Acts, 81–82
in television script, 8–9
Additional labor, 163–166
Add to, 204
ADR. See Automated or Automatic Dialog Replacement (ADR)
AFI. See American Film Institute (AFI)
AFTRA. See American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
Aged, wardrobe, 188
Agent, for distribution, 233
Air, 204–205
Alice in Wonderland, 41
Allen, Woody, 142–144
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), 234
Ally McBeal, 202
Alts, 207–208
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), 25
American Film Institute (AFI), 7
AMPTP. See Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
An Actor Prepares, 132
Angle (shot), 203–204
Animals, working with, 167–170
Animal wranglers, 163
Annable, Dave, 132, 174f
Anne of Green Gables, 248
Anselmi, Dave A., 176–177
Antagonist, 9
Archetype, 17
Art department, 160–161
art director, 160
coordinator, 161
graphic designer, 161
production designer, 160
set designer, 160
Art director, 43–44, 160
Art/set decoration, decision making for, 72
Art vs. commerce, 43
A side, of cut, 204
Assistant director (AD). See also First assistant director (1st AD)
functions, 49–51
Assistants
casting, 159
catering, 162
locations, 162
production office, 162
properties, 161
“A” stories, 6–7, 11
identification of, 6–7
Atonement, 131
Auteur, 71
Automated or Automatic Dialog Replacement (ADR), 218–219
Avatar, 159–160, 176–177, 217
Axis, 104–105
B
Background casting, 159
coordinator, 159
wrangler, 159
Backlight, 117
Backstory, 28
Bailey, Rob
first job experience, 256
Baio, Scott, 248–249
Bakula, Scott, 22
Band-aid fixes, 70
Barbee, Carol, 67
Barclay, Paris
first job experience, 254–255
Base camp, 53–54
Basic plot, 6–7
identification of, 6–7
Bassett, Angela, 31
Baxter, Kirk, 202–203
Beeman, Greg L., 24
Bell, 184
Belli, Mary Lou, 7, 10–11, 15, 24, 231, 233–234
first job experience, 248–249
Below the line, 59, 145
classification of, 145
value of, 145
Berg, Richard, 42
Bergan, Judith-Marie, 248
Bernstein, Robin, 246
Best boy
electrical department, 158
grip department, 158
Bigelow, Kathryn, 138
Billing, 25
Bins, 199–200
Black Hawk Down, 141–142
Blackman, Steve, 12
Blocking, 77, 93, 182
defined, 78–79
shot listing and, 78–79
Block shoot, 93–94
Blowing it up, 221–222
Blue/green screen, 159–160, 176–177
Boarding, 51–52
actor availability and, 52
actor turnaround and, 52–53
amount of work and, 54–55
company move and, 53–54
consideration factors, 52–56
day/night schedule requirements and, 55
intuitive scheduling and, 55–56
set/location availability and, 52
Boardwalk Empire, 72
Bochco, Steven, 31
Bogdanovich, Peter, 63
Bones, 118
Boom, 158
Boom operator, 158
Breakaway, 173
Break frame, 83–84
Breaking stories, 66–67
Breckman, David
first job experience, 254
Brothers & Sisters, 44f, 53–54, 105, 105f, 106f, 109f, 111f, 112f, 174f, 183f
call sheet for scenes, 111f
connection between actor and director, 132, 133f
crane on the location of, 119–121, 120f
floor plan for, 107f
movement of characters, 110f
script supervisor’s page, 105f, 106f
shot list, 108f
Brown, Yvette Nicole, 15
B side, of cut, 204
“B” stories, 7, 11
Building a Character, 129–130
Bumps, 206–207
Burn Notice, 205
Burton, Tim, 41
Buyer, properties, 161
C
Cable networks, 222
Cable operator, 158
Call sheet, 55, 59–61, 60f, 111f
Camera, 97
angle, 84–87
correct placement, 153f
digital, 97
high-definition (HD), 97
incorrect placement, 147–148, 150f
movement, 78, 101–103
Camera department, 157–158
camera operator, 157
digital technician, 157
loader, 157
2nd assistant camera, 157
1st assistant camera, 157
trainee, 157
Camera left, 80
Camera operator, 157
Camera right, 80
Cameron, James, 176–177
Captain, transportation, 162
Card, memory, 199–200
Carpenters, 163
Casting, 23, 159
assistants, 159
caution about, 31
choices, fighting for, 29–30
director(s), 159
fantasy, learning by, 30
learning by watching, 30
magic of, 32
other than series regulars, 24–27
process of, 27–29
stunt, 25–26
Casting concept, 25
Casting director, 25, 26–27
in casting process, 27–29
Castle, 94, 95f
Catering, 162–163
assistants, 162
chef, 162
Celebuzz, 25–26
Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, 233–234
CGI. See Computer-generated imagery (CGI)
Chan, Henry
first job experience, 252
Character
COW chart, 15–17, 16f
imagination, 18
intention, 18–19
movement, 79–81
obstacle, 20–21
point of view of, shooting, 96
questions related to, 129–132
script, breaking down, 15
Charles in Charge, 248–249
Cheat sheet, 7, 8f
Check the gate, 184–185
Chef, 162
Children, working with. See Kids
Choker shot, 87–88, 89f
Choreographer, 159, 177–180
Choreography, 159, 177–180
associate, 159
choreographer, 159
Chyron, 205
Circled takes, 104
Clean dialog, 219
The Cleaner, 31
Clean shot, 87–88
Clerks and assistants, production office, 162
Cliffhanger, 10
Climax, 4, 9–10
Closed-captioning, 221
Closed rehearsal, 132
Close-up (CU) shot, 83, 84f, 87–88, 89f
Cold Case, 7
Color, in production design, 39–41
Color corrected VAM, 217
Colorist, 217
Color timed master (CTM), 217
Comedy, 140–141
Commercials, 81–82
Communication, for directors, 232
Community, 15
Company move, 53–54
boarding and, 53–54
Complementary shots, 202
Complete bin, 199–200
Complications, 4
Compositing, images, 176
Compromisation, 244–246
Computer-generated imagery (CGI), 175, 176–177, 217
Concept meeting
communicating in, 36–38
Condors, 117
Conflict, 9
Construction, 163
carpenters, 163
coordinator, 163
foreman, 163
Continuity, 10
Cooper, Jackie, 229
Coordinator
art department, 161
background casting, 159
construction, 163
paint, 161
production office, 162
stunt department, 159
transportation, 162
Costar, 25
Costume department, 37–38, 45
Costume designer, 45
Costumers, 160
Costumes, 160
costumers, 160
decision making for, 72
designer, 160
seamstress/tailor, 160
supervisor, 160
Counter shots, 101
Courtesy screen, 171
Coverage, 103–104
Covering, 138
Cowboy shot, 87–88, 89f
COW chart, 129–130
making, 15–17, 16f
Crafts service, 162
head, 162
Crane, 119–121
Crane driver, 163
Crane shot, 89–90
Credits, 217–218
Crew, 157–166
additional labor, 163–166
art department, 160–161
background casting, 159
camera department, 157–158
casting, 159
catering, 162–163
choreography, 159
construction, 163
costumes/wardrobe, 160
crafts service, 162
electrical department, 158
first aid, 162
greens, 161
grip department, 158
hair artist, 160
locations, 161–162
makeup artist, 160
paint, 161
production office/accounting, 162
properties, 161
set decoration, 161
sound department, 158–159
special effects, 159
stunt department, 159
transportation, 162
visual effects, 159–160
Crew call, 52–53
Crisp, 99–100
Critical decision making
for art/set decoration, 72
for costumes, 72
for production design, 71
for props, 72
Cross camera, 148–149
Crossover casting, 25–26
Cross the lens, 149–152
Cross the line, 146, 150f, 151f. See also Line
“C” stories, 7, 11
CTM. See Color timed master (CTM) CU. See Close-up (CU) shot
Cue, 188–189
Cues (music), 208–209
Cut, defined, 181–182
Cuts together, 149–152
Cutting
for story, 206–207
for time, 207–208
Cutting pattern, 201–202
D
Dailies, 56
Daily call sheet, 155, 156f
Dance floor, 98
Dawson’s Creek, 208–209
Daybreaks, 56
Day/night schedule
requirements, boarding and, 55
Day-out-of-days (DOOD), 56
Decision making. See also Critical decision making
art/set decoration, 72
for costumes, 72
for production design for, 71
for props, 72
Decorator, 161
Dénouement, 4, 10–12
Department heads, collaborating creatively with, 36
Designers
costumes/wardrobe, 45, 160
hair, 37–38, 45
makeup, 37–38, 45
production, 36, 39
Determination, for directors, 232
The Devil Wears Prada, 39–40
DGA. See Directors Guild of America (DGA)
DGA Quarterly, 55–56, 141–142
“difficult” actors, 24
Digital camera, 97
Digital technician, 157
Dinner for Schmucks, 138
Directionally, 93–94
Director of photography (DP), 40, 182
as creative partner, 154
direction of shoot, 93–94
interaction with, 154
screen direction, 152–154
Director(s)
and actor, connection between, 132, 133f
<
br /> actor’s performance assessment, 141–144
being, 227, 229
casting, 159
compromisation, 244–246
demands of, 237
earning of, 234–235
inner sense of, 230–231
interaction with 1st AD/AD, 62
job of, 35, 186–191
judgment, 184–186
leadership qualities of, 232–233
personality in process, 191–192
during post, 197
during preparation, 1
problem solving ability, 240–242
reading and, 4, 5–6
responsibility, 191
role during shoot, 127
storyteller, requirements for, 230
storytelling ability, 229–230
stress, dealing with, 238–240
success, tips for, 242–244
synergy with AD, 50–51
vision sharing, 65
women, 233–234
Director’s cut
creating, 205–206
Directors Guild of America (DGA), 26, 59, 234
Discovery, 138
Dogs, working with, 167–168
Dolly, 97
Dolly back, 83–84, 85f
Dolly grip, 158
Dolly shots, 101
lateral, 101
Dolly track, 98
Domestic Life, 248
DOOD. See Day-out-of-days (DOOD) Double-check, 93–94
Doubles, 173–175
Dougherty, Charles, 219
Downstage, 80
DP. See Director of photography (DP) Dressers, 161
Drivers, 162
Drop a scene, 103
Drop Dead Diva, 176
Dry runs, 172
Dub, 220
assembling, 221
Dubbing, 221–222
Dugally, Denny, 43–44, 47
Duggins, Shauna, 174f
Durance, Erica, 24
E
Eclipse, 17
Edit decision list (EDL), 216
Editing, 93–94
classic rules of, 201–205
rules, breaking, 205
Editor, 145–146
working with, 199
Editor’s assembly, 199–200
defined, 199
EDL. See Edit decision list (EDL)
Ego, 243
Electrical department, 158
best boy, 158
gaffer, 158
genny (generator) operator, 158
lamp operator, 158
rigging crew, 158
Ellis, Scott
first job experience, 252
Emancipation, 169–170
Emotional scene, actors in, 170–171
Entertainment Weekly, 17
Enthusiasm, for directors, 232
Essence, of character, 17
Establishing shot, 84–87
Eureka, 200
Exit frame, 83–84
Exposition, 20
Extender, 99
Extras, 159
Extreme shot, 87–88, 89f
Eyeline, 96, 97f
F
Fantasy casting, learning by, 30
Fearless, 55–56
Feed, 140
Field of Dreams, 241
50/50 shots, 83–84, 85f, 87
Fill, background, 204
Final air master, 221
Final touches, 184
Fincher, David, 202–203
Find more colors, 137
Directors Tell the Story Page 34