Pre-Production/Production

Skills and Etiquette to Practice

Taking things to the next level

•Continuity

•Creating our game plan in pre-production, and following that plan through post!

•Etiquette on set

•Staying on task

Continuity

•Is the consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, and places seen by the viewer over a period of time.

•“Maintaining consistency shot to shot, edit to edit.”

Creating Continuity

There is typically a person in charge of maintaining continuity on paper to make sure it is followed through correctly on set or location.

We call this person the “Script Supervisor”

Script Supervisor

•Pays attention to the details of the scene and story to make sure that components of the story match previous recorded components of the story.

•Works with all departments

•Camera, lighting, sound, wardrobe, makeup, props, sets, etc...

Script Supervisor• For the scene:

• Will note the duration of the take (usually with a stop watch)

• The action involved

• Position of the main actors

• Screen direction of actor movement

• Important actions done during the shot

• Type of lens used

• Notes the axis of the scene (in relation to position of the camera, and eye-lines)

Script Supervisor•For the script:

•Keeps the most current version of the script

•Notes changes that are made by the director, actors, or crew

•Notes a shot description and whether or not dialogue was used (for the editor)

Script Supervisor•For the Producer:

•Produces reports that log the actual shooting times, and when breaks started and stopped.

•Also includes, the pages, scenes, and minutes that were shot that day. What scenes are completed, and how many pages there are left to shoot.

Script Supervisor

Acts as the primary liaison between the director and the editor, because the editor is

not present during shooting.

So why am I telling you all this?

Clearly, there are a lot of tasks associated with being a Script Supervisor. The reason why this is important is to note the amount of dedication, and hard work that gets put

into maintaing the attention to detail needed to create a seamless film/video.

...and it’s all done by ONE person.

Take 2 Minutes

What do we notice is different?

Subtlety is not to be over looked!

But it often is!

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Pre-Production

•Two additional components to add to the mix.

•Treatment

•Shot List

Treatment

•Consist of a brief overview of your story from beginning to end, as well as a light description of your main characters.

•Used to “pitch” to studio heads after completion or in the midst of completing a script.

Treatment

• Consists of:

• A working Title

• Writers name and contact info

• Introduction to key characters

• Who, what, where, when, and why

• Act one in a paragraph

• Act two in 1-2 paragraphs

• Act three in 1-2 paragraphs

Shot List•Is a organization of

all the shots you intend to get, derived from your storyboard, outlined in a way that allows you to shoot more efficiently.

Shot List

•Films are rarely, IF EVER, shot in order.

•The shot list allows us to put shots in an order that makes sense from a production standpoint, not necessarily a story standpoint.

Seq. Location: Shot Type: Talent: Action/Dialogue

1 Raritan High School EXT Establishing None None

2 D- hallway MED. 2-shot. Tracking

John and Sue Walking“I’m really...

3 D- hallway CU John Walking“Me too...”

4 Media Center MED. 2-shot John and Sue Going through bags

5 Media Center CU John Shocked“Oh no...

6 D- Hallway LONG John Running

7 Main Lobby LONG John Running

8 John’s Car MED. John Looking

9 Media Center MED Sue Looking at watch

10 Main Lobby LONG John Running

11 Media Center MED Sue Getting angry

12 D- Hallway LONG John Running

13 Media Center MED Sue Getting up to leave

14 Media Center MED. John Looking for Sue

Scenario:John and Sue are walking to the Media Center to study. Once inside John realizes he forgot his book in his car. While he runs to go get it Sue gets tired of waiting, so she leaves.

Shot#

Seq. Location: Shot Type: Talent: Action/Dialogue

1 1 Raritan High School EXT Establishing None None

2 8 John’s Car MED. John Looking for book

3 7 Main Lobby LONG John Running out

4 10 Main Lobby LONG John Running in

5 6 D- Hallway LONG John Running out

6 12 D- Hallway LONG John Running in

7 2 D- Hallway MED. 2-shot. Tracking

John and Sue Walking“I’m really...

8 3 D- Hallway CU John Walking“Me too...”

9 4 Media Center MED. 2-shot John and Sue Going through bags

10 14 Media Center MED. John Looking for Sue

11 5 Media Center CU John Shocked“Oh no...

12 9 Media Center MED Sue Looking at watch

13 11 Media Center MED Sue Getting angry

14 13 Media Center MED Sue Getting up to leave

Notice how it makes more

sense to organize all

your scenes by location, and

shoot to complete a

specific local.

What if it starts raining?

Production Etiquette • Shoot out of order if it makes sense

• Get multiple takes

• Be aware of groups shooting around you (for noise)

• Call for action after you press record

• Rehearse before recording

• Take notes!

• Leave time at the end of class to Log and Transfer

• Shoot with an edit mentality