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Updating the Shooting Script

It’s very common to make script changes once you start shooting. Locations fall out, you realize a scene is redundant, and so on. After you number and distribute the script, you should “lock” the page numbers in your screenplay writing software. This means that the page numbers will stay the same, even if rewrites occur. So you can simply email any new or changed material, and the cast and crew can insert it into their scripts without having to reprint the entire script again. That way, the page numbers will stay the same, and you can all be on the same page— literally and figuratively. Traditional Hollywood productions use different colors of paper for each revision so that you can quickly tell if a script is up-to-date.

Script Changes

Script changes during the shoot can be the biggest cause of confusion on the set, so take care to make sure that everyone is kept up-to-date and give your actors time to learn any new lines.

Directing

The job of directing a movie is huge and in a way, this entire book encompasses the subject, because, after all the director is responsible for everything. On the set, everyone listens to what the director says, even if the director is making a bad choice. A typical film set is run like a military hierarchy, and no one is supposed to question the director. From time to time, someone may subtly suggest that there is an alternate way of doing something, but it is rare to be directly confronted by anyone except the highest ranking crew members unless you have a very inexperienced crew. In other words, as director, the successes are yours, but so are the failures.

To be a good director, you need to know everyone else’s job. It may not be feasible to know the gory details of each position on the crew, but you need to know what they do and why they do it and also what can go wrong. On low budget sets, everyone wears lots of hats because the crew is usually small. On big budget sets, each job has a very specific description and is often regulated by union rules. You cannot ask the grip to hand you a prop, for example.

With so much going on technically and with crew members, it’s easy to lose sight of the director’s primary focus: storytelling. Many directors set aside a few minutes or an hour at the beginning or end of the day to review the scenes for the next day’s shoot. If you are the director, this is the time to remind yourself what is important, what the key beats of the story are, and what you need to shoot to make sure the scene is successful. In other words, it is the time to really focus on what your vision for the scene/film is and make sure that you can articulate it to yourself and others.

For example, if you have a comedic scene where the lead character bursts into tears after losing a call on a cell phone, you’ll need to keep in mind that the comedy comes from the extreme over-reaction on the part of the main character to a mundane event. When your actor suggests that it would be funnier to get angry and throw the phone instead of crying, you’ll need to decide if this is a good suggestion or not. If you’ve clarified your vision of the scene in your head,

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it will be easier to know the best response. In addition, if you’ve successfully communicated your vision to the cast (and crew), it will be more likely that the suggestions you get from them are good ones.

Sometimes cast or crew members make brilliant suggestions, and those can often be the hardest to recognize as wrong. The more compelling the idea, the harder it is to not say yes. This is where your vision of the big picture of the project is key. Often, actors make suggestions with their own character in mind, directors of photography and production designers make suggestions with the visuals in mind, and so on. That doesn’t mean they are self-serving; it simply means they are doing their job and focusing on the part of the filmmaking process that they are responsible for. The director, however, is responsible for everything. Knowing your vision for the film and therefore the details of the film is invaluable. If there is a simple definition for directing, it is having a vision for the story and keeping everything in line with that vision. The stronger your vision is, the easier it is to direct.

Rehearsals

Film and video productions are notorious for scheduling little or no rehearsal time for actors. However, rehearsals can be a valuable experience for both actors and directors.

Many big budget Hollywood movies set aside two weeks to rehearse an entire feature film. Other directors, like John Cassavetes, are famous for rehearsing for months. How you decide to work with actors is up to you, but at the very least, plan on spending some time choreographing the movement of the actors—also known as blocking—for the camera. The more action you have in your scene, the more time you should spend blocking. Blocking a fight scene in a way that looks realistic, but also fits with the visual style of your film, can be a big challenge. If your film has an important fight scene, consider using a fight choreographer. If you have time, consider shooting the rehearsals to get a feel for the flow of the scene and for planning a shot list. If you can, avoid waiting until the day of the shoot to start blocking. Working out the blocking of a scene can reveal many unforeseen problems in advance of the shoot itself.

If your rehearsal will go beyond basic blocking, you should consider coming up with a plan for the rehearsal. Take some time to re-read the scenes you will be rehearsing and think about what is most important to you as a director in these scenes. Having this sort of clarity about what the scene is about can be invaluable in rehearsals and on the set as well. We highly recommend the book, Directing Actors by Judith Weston, for detailed information on rehearsal techniques and directing actors in general.

Sometimes, actors aren’t the only ones who need to rehearse. If you have complicated lighting effects or camera movements or challenging special effects scenes, schedule some time with the camera, lighting, and special effects crew members for a tech rehearsal.

Rehearsals aren’t necessary for documentary-style productions. However, commentators, oncamera hosts, and voice-over talent can benefit from a quick warm-up or read-through of the material. Seasoned producers often take a few minutes to speak with interview subjects before they shoot to break the ice and make sure everyone is on the same page before the interview begins.

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Stage a Table Reading

Before you shoot your project, gather a group of actors or friends to do a table reading of your script, which is the reading of a script from start to end using either actors or non-actors. It is called a “table reading” because usually the group reads while seated at a table, rather than standing or going through the motions of acting. Try to avoid having anyone play more than one character in the same scene, and cast a separate person as the narrator who will read the stage directions in the script—often the majority of the reading. Invite friends and colleagues to participate, and either hand out a questionnaire or initiate an informal discussion of the project afterward. Use this information to revise the shooting script.

Managing the Set

There are many things to keep track of during a shoot, no matter how big or small your production is. If you’re directing a small crew, you might find yourself performing many of the tasks that would normally be delegated to others on a bigger crew. If you have a large crew, then you’ll have crew members who can take care of some of your management concerns, but you may feel like you’re losing control of your own project. Whatever the size of the crew, good on-set management skills are always an asset. Part of good management includes setting a tone for the day. Is it going to be casual and relaxed or tightly scheduled and serious? It’s worth considering the tone of the material you are shooting on that day and taking cues from there to establish an appropriate mood for the actors. As the director or producer, the cast and crew will look at your attitude and act accordingly. If you spend 20 minutes chatting socially with a friend who is helping out on the set, you’ll give the impression that there’s plenty of time to get what you need, whether or not this is actually true.

When you first get to your set or location, you (or the person with the appropriate job— usually a producer or production manager) need to ensure that all crew and cast members have arrived with their gear. In addition, you need to check that you have all power, cables, lights, and other necessary pieces of hardware. Make certain that nothing unexpected has developed at your location—bad weather, noisy construction workers, and so forth. Finally, talk to the actors and key crew members to find out if they have any questions about what they’ll be doing in the scenes that you’ll be shooting.

Camera Crew Who’s Who

Lighting and shooting a feature film is a big job that requires many people. Here’s a list of the camera and lighting crew members you’ll find on a typical big-budget film set:

nDirector of photography (DP), a.k.a. cinematographer: This is the person in charge of all camera operations and lighting. With a skeleton crew, the DP might operate the camera. With a bigger crew, the DP will hire a camera operator.

nCamera operator: This is the person behind the camera, who works in tandem with the DP.

nFirst assistant camera (AC): The first AC is responsible for loading the camera, setting up the lenses and filters for each shot, and making sure the shot is in focus.