Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video

Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video THIRD EDITION David K. Irving and Peter W. Rea ELSEVIER AMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY. TOKYO Focal Press is <:.In imprint of Eiseviser I

Contents Preface: Third Edition xv Efficio Cognosio (Learn by Doing) The Power of the Media xvi Acknowledgments xvii Introduction xix Craft versus Art xx Four Short Films xx Film and Video xxi Animation xxi Timeline xxii Chapter Breakdowns 1 Finance 1 xxiv xv PRODUCER RAISING THE CAPITAL Basic Fund-Raising Problems 1 How Much Money Will You Need? 2 Funding Options 2 Private Investors 2 Corporate Sponsorship 2 Public Foundation Grants 3 Private Foundation Grants 3 Bank Loans 3 Personal Savings 3 In-Kind Services and Donations 3 The Prospectus 3 Presentation Is Everything 7 Spending the Money Responsibly 8 DIRECTOR PITCHING THE PROJECT 8 General Fund-Raising Suggestions 8 Be Positive and Be Patient 8 Act Professionally 8 Be Informed 9 Sources for Students 9 Fund-Raising Strategies 9 KEY POINTS 10 2 Script 11 PRODUCER OVERSEEING REWRITES 11 Script Development 11 What Is a Script? 12 What Does a Script Look Like? 12 Where Do Scripts Come From? 13 Adaptation 14 Why Adapt? 15 Rights 15 What Is the Story About? 16 Find Your Plots and Characters 16 Make the Internal External 17 What Do You Do Now? 17 Some General Guidelines 18 True Stories and Events 18 How Are Scripts Developed? 18 Workshops 18 Working with a Writer 19 Legalities 19 Rights and Adaptations (Preexisting Material) 19 NoncommerciallFestival Rights 20 Original Material 20 Copyright 20 Expanding the Creative Team: The Director 20 How Do Scripts Affect Budgets? 20 DIRECTOR SUPERVISING OR PERFORMING REWRITES 21 Director as Storyteller 21 Working with the Writer 21 Basic Guidelines for the Short Form 22 Length 22 The Central Theme 22 Conflict 22 v

vi CONTENTS The Dramatic Arc 23 One Major Character 24 Follow Through 24 One Primary Event 25 Dramatic Expectations 25 Minimum Back Story 26 Internal Motives, External Actions 26 No Talking Heads 26 Rewriting 26 Readings 26 Images before Words 27 Story Questions 27 Story Analysis 27 The Shooting Script 27 Animation 28 Documentaries 28 KEY POINTS 29 part I Preproduction 31 3 Breakdowns 35 PRODUCER BREAKING DOWN THE SCRIPT 35 Production Book 35 Proper Script Format 36 Breaking Down the Script 36 Step I: Breakdown 36 Step 2: Schedule 42 Step 3: Budget 43 DIRECTOR STORYBOARDS AND FLOOR PLANS 43 Developing a Shooting Plan 43 Know the Script 45 Know the Theme 46 Know What Each Character Wants in the Story 46 Develop a History of the Main Characters 46 Break Down Each Scene into Dramatic Beats 46 Determine a Visual Style for the Story 48 Settle on Pacing and Tone 48 Create Floor Plans and Storyboards 48 Make a Shot List 51 Workshop ldeas on Video 52 The Final Word 52 KEY POINTS 52 4 Schedule 53 PRODUCER BUILDING A STRIPBOARD 53 General Guidelines 53 Fixed Dates 53 Locations 55 Cast 55 Exteriors 56 Night Shooting 56 Continuity of Sequences 56 Child Actors 57 Time of Year 57 Weather 57 Special Effects, Stunts, and Animals 57 Crowd Sequences 57 Special Equipment 58 Turnaround, Setup Time, and Swing Crews 58 Animation 58 Other Considerations 58 Beginning the Schedule 58 Creating the Schedule 59 Making the Day 59 Keep the Day under 12 Hours! 61 Shooting during Preproduction 61 Animation Lip-Sync 61 Locking the Schedule 61 Call Sheet 61 Scheduling Documentaries 63 Student Scheduling Tips 63 Computers and Production 64 DIRECTOR DETERMINING COVERAGE 64 Coverage =Time = Schedule 64 The First Day 65 Contingency Plan for Overages 65 Things Change 66 KEY POINTS 66 5 Budget 67 PRODUCER CREATING A BUDGET 67 The Budget Form 68 Above-the-Line Costs 68 Below-the-Line Costs 70 Postproduction 77 Beginning the Budget 79 The Budget Process 80 Information Is Power 80

CONTENTS vii Production Value 80 Student Budgets 81 DIRECTOR SHOOTING FOR THE MOON 81 Learning by Doing 82 KEY POINTS 82 6 Crewing 83 PRODUCER HIRING THE CREW 83 Who Hires the Crew? 83 When Do You Need a Crew? 83 How Big a Crew Do You Need? 84 The 3-30 Rule 84 Selecting the Crew 85 Attracting the Right People 85 Evaluating Credits 85 Negotiating the Deal 86 Key Crew Members 86 Production Manager 86 Assistant Director 87 Director of Photography 88 Production Sound Mixer 91 Art Director 92 Hiring an Animator 93 Production Assistant 93 Interns 94 Specialty Crew 94 Video Shoots 94 Documentary Crews 94 Developing the Right Chemistry 95 DIRECTOR HIRING THE CREW 95 Director's Disease 96 KEY POINTS 96 7 Loca'tion 99 PRODUCER SECURING LOCATIONS 99 Where to Look for Locations 99 Scouting the Locations 101 Lighting 101 Power 101 Sound 101 Green Room and Other Special Areas 101 Safety and Security 102 Securing the Location 102 Location Contract 102 Location Fee 102 Permits 102 Insurance 103 Communication 103 Transportation 103 Catering 103 Company Moves 103 Parking 104 Proximity 104 Backups 104 DIRECTOR SCOUTING LOCATIONS 104 Aesthetic Concerns versus Practical Limitations 104 Be Flexible 105 The Power of Illusion 105 What Does the Script Require? 105 Identifying the Location 105 Interior and Exterior 106 Day or Night 106 Stage or Practical Location 106 Near or Distant 107 Walk-Throughs 108 KEY POINTS 108 8 Art Direction 109 PRODUCER ASSEMBLING THE TEAM 109 The Art Department 109 Images Can Tell a Story 110 Responsibilities of the Art Department 110 Sets and Locations 110 Set Dressing 111 Duplicate Set Items 111 Props 111 Wardrobe 112 Makeup 114 Hair 114 Animation 115 The Producer's Role 115 DIRECTOR CREATING A LOOK 116 How to Define the "Look" 116 Architect of Illusion 117 Black and White versus Color 117 Breakdowns-Listen to the Script 117 Defining the Space with Storyboards 118 Camera Tests 118 KEY POINTS 118

viii CONTENTS 9 Casting 119 PRODUCER AUDITIONS 119 The Casting Director 120 The Basic Casting Steps 120 Advertise Specific Roles 120 Scout Local Theater Companies 121 Scout Acting Schools 121 Organize Submitted Head Shots and Resumes 121 Arrange Casting Calls 121 Arrange Callbacks 122 Negotiate with Selected Actors 122 Deal with Rejected Actors 122 Added Benefits of Casting 123 DIRECTOR AUDITIONS 123 Casting 123 Casting Children 124 Audition Guidelines 124 KEY POINTS 127 10 Rehearsals 129 DIRECTOR WORKING ON SCENES 129 Before Rehearsals 129 Getting to Know the Actor 129 Developing Mutual Trust 130 Researching the Character 130 Rehearsals 130 Benefit of Rehearsal 130 Rehearsal Schedule 131 Read-Through 131 Develop the Theme 131 Keep Notes 131 Scene by Scene 131 Videotape the Rehearsals 132 Shaping the Scene 132 Communicating on the Set 134 Special Situations 134 PRODUCER PREPARING CAll SHEETS 135 SampIe Preproduction Schedule 135 Preproduction Planning Suggestions 136 Production Meeting Suggestions 136 Week 1 136 Week 2 136 Week 3 137 Week 4 137 Week 5 137 Week 6 137 Week 7 138 Shoot Date 138 KEY POINTS 138 pari 11 Production 11 Set Procedures DIRECTOR CONTROl 143 Running the Set 143 A Typical Day 144 Camera Moves 145 Video Tap 145 Slates 146 Slating Procedure 146 Slate Lights 147 Smart Slates 147 In-Camera Slates 147 Informal Slates 148 Tail Slates 148 Video Slates 148 Action! Cut! 148 Calling the Shot 148 Script Supervision 148 PRODUCER ORGANIZE 150 Guidelines 151 Keep Morale Up 151 Support the Director and the Creative Team 151 Watch the Budget 151 Act as Coordinator 151 Keep the Production Moving Ahead 151 Be a Troubleshooter 151 Safety on the Set 152 Proper Wrap-Out 152 Dailies 153 KEY POINTS 153 12 Camera 155 139 143 DIRECTOR COllABORATE 155 Keeping Up with Technology 155 Style 155 Collaboration with the Camera Department 156 Stock 156 Consult with the Director of Photography 157 Do Your Homework 157 Shot List 158 Introduce the Camera during Preproduction 158 The Camera as Storyteller 158 Composition of the Shot 159 Focus 162 Use of Color and Black and White 163

CONTENTS ix Type of Shot 163 Size of Shot 166 Lens 166 Shot Perspectives 166 Camera Movement 167 Coverage 172 Second UnitIB-Roll 172 Continuity 172 Specialty Shot 175 Lighting 175 Editing 178 Equipment 178 Film Camera 179 Film Formats 180 Aspect Ratio 181 Camera Terms 181 Tests 183 Video 183 Video Camera 183 Camcorder 183 Monitor 183 Interlaced Scanning 184 Component versus Composite Video 185 Digital Impact 186 Video Formats 188 Analog Formats 188 Digital Videotape Formats 189 DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO 190 HDTV 190 Tape Stock 194 Other Equipment 195 Grip Package 195 Lighting Package 195 Tricks 196 Poor Man's Process 196 Simple Mattes 196 Night for Day 196 Integrating Animation 196 PRODUCER SUPPORT 196 Responsibilities of the Producer 196 Laboratory 196 Equipment 197 Rental House 197 Technical Considerations 197 Power 197 Lights 197 Camera Noise 198 Fans 198 KEY POINTS 198 13 14 Sound 199 DIRECTOR RECORDING CLEAN TRACKS 199 Production Sound 199 Sound Preparation 200 Location Scout 201 Responsibilities of the Sound Team 201 Dialogue 202 Perspective 202 Sound Effects 202 Room Tone 202 Additional Sounds 203 Sound Reports 203 Consistency in Sound Recording 204 Playback/Music Video 204 Set Procedure 205 Basic Attitude on the Set 205 Communication with the Boom Operator 206 Approaches to Recording Sound 206 Boom 206 Plants/Stash 207 Lavaliere 207 Radio Microphones 207 Variables for Placing Microphones 207 Recording Concerns 208 Pickups 209 Keeping It Clean 209 Difficult Situations 209 Crowd Scenes 209 Video Sound 209 Documentary 211 PRODUCER CONTROlliNG THE ENVIRONMENT 211 Equipment Needs for the Shot 211 Film 211 Video 211 Microphones 212 Care of Equipment 212 DAT 212 Nagra Analog 212 KEY POINTS 212 Art 215 DIRECTOR GUIDE 215 Set Procedures 215 Set Dressing 216 Continuity 216 Duplicates 217

x CONTENTS Props 217 Continuity 217 Duplicates 217 Personal Effects 218 Improvisation 218 Wardrobe 218 Special Rigs 219 Makeup 219 Continuity 219 Positive Reinforcement 219 Special Effects 219 Hair 219 Continuity 219 Additional Crew 219 PRODUCER CONSTRUCTION 219 Sets 220 KEY POINTS 221 15 Cast 223 DIRECTOR DIRECT 223 The Process 223 Call Time 223 Makeup and Hair 224 Stand-ins 224 On Call 224 Final Staging 224 Technical Requirements 225 The Director as Audience 226 Directing Actors 227 The Director's Tools 227 Types of Characters 227 Continuity 229 Special Situations 230 Interviewing for Documentaries 231 Interview Ouestions 232 PRODUCER ACCOMMODATE 232 Socializing 232 Contracts and Deal Memos 232 Wrap Out 233 Firing Talent 233 KEY POINTS 233 pari 111 Postproduclion 235 16 Pix Postproduction DIRECTOR EDIT 239 The Director as Editor 239 239 The Editor 240 The Editing Process 240 The Creative Steps to Editing 240 What Is Editing? 240 Screening the Dailies (Working with an Editor) 240 Finding the Story 241 Analyzing the Rough Cut 242 Restructuring the Picture 242 Screening the Second Cut 243 Refining the Story 243 Editing Techniques 243 Cut with Sound in Mind 245 Evolution of the Edit 246 Shifts in Tone 247 Adding Reshoots and Stock Footage 247 Temporary Music 248 Screen for Story 248 Screen for Pacing 249 The Impact of Nonlinear Editing Systems 249 Locking the Picture 249 Technical Considerations When Editing Film on Video 249 Digital Basics 250 Key Terms 250 Analog versus Digital 251 Sampling Rate 252 Advantages of Digital 252 Broadcast Ouality 253 Resolution 253 Digital Compression 253 What Is Nonlinear? 255 Film-Style Editing 255 Random Access 255 Digital Nonlinear Editing 255 Basic Components of a Nonlinear Editing System 256 Capturing and Organizing Clips 257 Digitizing 257 Editing Sequences 258 Editing Interface and Time Line 258 Basic Sound Editing 260 Special Digital Video Effects 260 Types of Effects 260 Ending a Session 262 Animation 262 The HDV Revolution (In Post) 265 Film to Video 265 Telecine 265 Video Dailies 266 PRODUCER ADVISE 267 What Do You Want from a System? 268

CONTEI'lTS xi What Is Available? 268 Editing Room 268 Postproduction Schedule 268 Finding an Editor 268 Evaluating Prospective Editors 269 Stepping Back and Looking Ahead 269 KEY POINTS 270 17 Sound Postproduction 271 DIRECTOR BUILDING TRACKS 271 Sound in the Digital Age 272 The Digital Audio Workstation 272 Basic Steps 272 Projects Shot on Video 272 Projects Shot on Film 272 Respect for Sound 273 How We Perceive Sound versus Picture 273 Sound Equals Space 274 Sound Equals Production Value 274 The Design of Sound 274 Do You Need a Sound Designer? 275 Preparing for the Mix 276 Spotting 276 Dialogue Tracks 277 Cutting Dialogue 277 Automatie Dialogue Replacement (ADR) 278 Walla 279 Voice-overs and Narration 279 Sound Effects Tracks 280 Unique or Enhanced Sounds 281 Cue Sheets 281 Music Tracks 283 The Music Team 284 The Original Score 2284 Preexisting Music 286 The Mix 286 Rhythm of the Mix 288 Preparing for a Mix: Nonlinear 288 Digital Mix 289 Different Formats 289 PRODUCER SEHING UP THE MIX 289 The Moral 290 KEY POII'lTS 290 18 Laboratory/Online 293 DIRECTOR TIME 293 Opticals 294 Animation and CGI 296 Rendering and Compositing 296 Cutting the Negative 296 Film Matchback 297 24/30 Frame Issues 298 Timing 299 Types of Prints 299 Mute Print 299 First Trial 300 Answer Print 300 Release Print 300 Video Copy 300 Traditional Linear Video Online 300 Nonlinear Online Edit 300 Video-to-Film Transfer 301 Systems 301 DigitalIntermediate 303 PRODUCER MAKING PRINTS 303 Looking Ahead 303 KEY POINTS 304 19 Distribution 305 PRODUCER MAKING A DEAL 305 Start Early 306 The Markets 306 Theatrical Markets 306 Nontheatrical Markets 306 Exhibition 309 Television 310 Video 311 The Internet 311 Foreign Markets 312 Distribution Options 312 Self-Distribution 312 Distributor 313 Approaching a Distributor 313 General Distribution 313 Foreign Distribution 314 Contracts 314 Marketing Your Short Film or Video 314 Deliverables 314 The Press Kit 315 DIRECTOR PUBLICITY 315 Truman 316 Mirrar Mirrar 316 Crazy Glue 317 The Lunch Date 317 Cannes 317 The Academy Awards 319

xii CONTENTS Appendices A Genres 321 Experimental or Alternative 321 Corporate 321 Commercials 322 Music Videos 322 B Screening List 325 Short Films and Videos 325 C Case Study Scripts 331 The Lunch Date 331 Pitch 331 Synopsis 331 Truman 336 Pitch 336 Synopsis 336 Crazy Glue 344 Pitch 344 Synopsis 344 Mirror Mirror 347 Pitch 347 Synopsis 347 D Insurance and Legal Matters 353 Insurance 353 Comprehensive Liability 353 Miscellaneous Equipment 353 Third-Party Property Damage Liability 353 Errors and Omissions 354 Cast Insurance 354 Negative Film and Videotape 354 Faulty Stock, Camera, and Processing 354 Props, Sets, and Wardrobe 354 Extra Expense 354 Workers' Compensation 354 Hired, Loaned, or Donated Auto Liability 354 Hired, Loaned, or Donated Auto Physical Damage 354 Guild/Union Travel Accident 355 Office Contents 355 Animal Mortality 355 Legal 355 Music Rights 355 Public Domain 355 E Film Schools 357 Programs 357 References 358 United States and Canada 358 International 360 F A Short History of the Short Film 363 Glossary 365 Bibliography/Software/ Internet 385 Index 393