Budget and studio involvement

Packaging means the combining of two or more elements, such as a writer, actor, or director into a single project, which is then presented to prospective financiers. When a package is brought in front of a prospective financier, it has a better chance of approval. This is because when a buyer is offered a script along with an actor and a director they can more easily make an intelligent decision on the creative and financial aspects of the film. A package deal can relieve some of the stress that stems from unknown aspects of the project. One of the many obstacles a director has to overcome if he is bringing a script to a producer or studio is convincing others that he can make a profitable picture. Sometimes the script may be very good, although studios will still have questions before giving their OK on a project. A perfect example of this is given in Martin Scorsese’s book Scorsese on Scorsese. Michael Powell (of Michael Powell Productions) wrote to Scorsese, “Dear Marty, RE: the script of Wise Guys (working title of Goodfellas). It is one of the best-constructed scripts that I have ever read. At the same time it is not academic, it is not a script just on paper. It is very much alive. The first question I would ask you: “Is it what is the tone of the director? Is it a take-it-or-leave-it tone? Is it a dispassionate tone?..” These, amongst other questions, are necessary elements that a director must deal with on day-to-day bases to survive in the industry.

Motion picture studios are the principal source today for obtaining the funds needed by a producer to produce and distribute their films. Some of the major studios today are Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, Fox, MGM and Paramount. Once the studio has settled on a project, the production process can begin. Paul Mazursky has found that “Once the director gets to work on the picture, he is always aware of the budget somewhere in his head. But once you start the actual work, I don't think you begin the morning by saying “I’m making an eleven million dollar picture. What am I going to do?” You say, “What am I going to do about this scene between this guy and that guy?” and “How am I going to photograph it?”

Throughout production the producer will be in constant contact with the studio. It is important for the producer to keep the studio informed of the progress of the film, and to keep them off the directors’ back. It is much easier for the director to do their job when they do not have to deal with the constant pressures of the studio. In this respect, if the producer can assure the studio that all is going as planned and within budget, the director will be able to keep their concentration on the film itself.

Bringing a script to life

There are several techniques a director may utilize in order to obtain a visualization of a script. One of the most common of these techniques is through the use of storyboards. These storyboards are hand drawn frames establishing exactly what it is that the camera will be shooting. The storyboard tells the story or the message in still pictures. Narration or dialogue, camera movements, sound effects and music are usually specified under or next to each frame. The storyboard suggests how images and sounds will be ordered, the placement of the camera and the design of the set. Some directors may choose to draw their own storyboards, if they have any sort of artistic ability. Directors may also choose to work closely with an artist who will draw up the storyboards for them. Storyboards may consist of anything from stick figures to fully rendered drawings. Some directors such as Ridley Scott (Alien) always use storyboards as a means of relaying their thoughts. Others, such as David Zucker (Naked Gun) rarely use storyboards, while still others feel that the use of storyboarding actually inhibits their creativity.  Other techniques directors may utilize are diagrams, sketches, mimeographs and/or cards. Similar to storyboards, these techniques are all ways a director can visualize the scenes before beginning the shoot. For instance, William Friedman will make sketches first, then, from these sketches, he will write out long hand a complete verbal description of the entire shot sequence. These are then mimeographed and duplicated for the entire cast and crew working on that particular part of the film. Although this process may seem very time-consuming and a bit tedious, it is a way for Friedman to get his exact thought across to everyone concerned.

“I see an entire picture in my head before I do it,” states Friedman, “and then, like a novelist I set out and write a visualization, instead of prose-narration and dialogue. I write out a visual novel of the movie”. Directors may also use such instruments as viewfinders or director finders to plot out their script. These pieces of equipment are helpful in that the director can look through it and visualize what the shot will pick up when filming. They can imagine a clearer picture of what the shot will look like at specific angles, in different lighting, etc. For the film Duel, director Stephen Spielberg had the entire picture planned out on IBM cards. The cards were mounted on a bulletin board in his hotel room, and rather than bringing along a script, each day he would choose a number of cards. On each card was the “gist” of the scene, how the scene was to be shot, and the setups for each sequence. Once the cards were gone, shooting for that day was complete.