Producing and directing the short film and video - Fourth Edition

Producing and Directing the

Short Film and Video

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Producing and Directing the

Short Film and Video

Fourth Edition

Peter W. Rea

David K. Irving

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD

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Notices

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understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Irving, David K.

Producing and directing the short film and video / David K. Irving, Peter W. Rea. – 4th ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-240-81174-1 (alk. paper)

1. Short films–Production and direction. 2. Video recordings–Production and direction. I. Rea, Peter W.

II. Title.

PN1995.9.P7I75 2010

791.43020

32–dc22

2009046285

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-0-240-81174-1

For information on all Focal Press publications

visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com

10 11 12 13 14 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Web Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Preface .................... xiii

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Introduction . . ................ xvii

Timeline .................... xxiii

Chapter 1: Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Creative Producer ....... 1

Developing the Script . . . . . . . 1

Do Your Homework . . . . . . . . 2

What Is a Script? . . . . . . . . . . 3

What Does a Script Look Like? . . 3

Where Do Scripts Come From? . . 4

How Are Scripts Developed? . . . 6

Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Legalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Basic Guidelines for the Short

Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . 14

What Do You Do Now? . . . . . 17

True Stories and Events . . . . . . 17

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Supervising or Performing

Rewrites . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Working with the Writer . . . . . 18

Director as Storyteller . . . . . . 18

Story Questions . . . . . . . . . . 19

Scene Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Shooting Script . . . . . . . . 19

How Do Scripts Affect Budgets? . 20

Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Documentaries . . . . . . . . . . 20

Developing a Web Presence . . . 21

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 2: Finance . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Raising the Capital . . . . . . . . 23

Basic Fundraising Problems . . . 23

Funding Options . . . . . . . . . 24

Do Your Research . . . . . . . . 26

The Prospectus . . . . . . . . . . 27

Spending the Money Responsibly . 32

The Digital Prospectus . . . . . . 32

General Fundraising Suggestions 32

Sources for Students . . . . . . . 33

Student Fundraising Strategies . . 33

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Pitching the Project . . . . . . . . 34

The Elevator Challenge . . . . . . 34

Steps to a Successful Pitch . . . . 34

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Part I

Preproduction

Chapter 3: Breakdowns . . . . . . . . . 45

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Breaking Down the Script . . . . 45

Production Book . . . . . . . . . 45

Proper Script Format . . . . . . . 46

Breaking Down the Script . . . . 46

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Storyboards and Floor Plans . . . 51

Developing a Shooting Plan . . . 52

The Final Word . . . . . . . . . . 60

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Chapter 4: Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Producer (as Production

Manager) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Building a Stripboard . . . . . . . 63

General Guidelines . . . . . . . . 63

Beginning the Schedule . . . . . 68

Creating the Schedule . . . . . . 69

The First Day . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Making the Day . . . . . . . . . . 69

Shooting During Preproduction . 71

Locking the Schedule . . . . . . . 71

Call Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Scheduling Documentaries . . . . 74

Student Scheduling Tips . . . . . 74

Web Presence for the Project . . 75

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Determining the Visual Plan . . . 75

Coverage ¼ Time ¼ Schedule ¼

Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Contingency Plans for Overages . 76

Things Change . . . . . . . . . . 76

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

v

Chapter 5: Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Creating a Budget . . . . . . . . . 77

Production Value . . . . . . . . . 77

Script and Budget . . . . . . . . . 78

Who Creates the Budget? . . . . 78

Budgeting Software . . . . . . . . 78

The Budget Form . . . . . . . . . 78

Beginning the Budget . . . . . . . 91

Learn by Doing . . . . . . . . . . 92

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Shooting for the Moon . . . . . . 93

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Chapter 6: Crewing . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Hiring the Crew . . . . . . . . . . 95

Who Hires the Crew? . . . . . . 95

When Do You Need a Crew? . . 95

How Big a Crew Do You Need? . 95

Selecting the Crew . . . . . . . . 96

Key Crew Members . . . . . . . . 98

Developing the Right Chemistry 107

Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 108

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Hiring the Crew . . . . . . . . . 108

Director’s Disease . . . . . . . 109

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Chapter 7: Casting . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Auditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

The Casting Director . . . . . . 111

The Basic Casting Steps . . . . 112

Added Benefits of Casting . . . 115

Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 115

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Auditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Audition Guidelines . . . . . . 117

Casting the Documentary . . . 120

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Chapter 8: Art Direction . . . . . . . 123

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Assembling the Team . . . . . . 123

Production Design . . . . . . . 123

The Art Department . . . . . . 124

Images Can Tell a Story . . . . 124

Responsibilities of the Art

Department . . . . . . . . . . 125

Communication with the DP . . 126

Set Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

The Producer’s Role . . . . . . 134

Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 134

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Creating a Look . . . . . . . . . 135

Architect of Illusion . . . . . . . 135

How to Define the “Look” . . . 136

Breakdowns: Listen to the Script . 137

Defining the Space with Visual

Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Camera Tests . . . . . . . . . . 138

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Chapter 9: Location . . . . . . . . . . 139

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Securing Locations . . . . . . . 139

Where to Look for Locations . . 139

Scouting the Locations . . . . . 140

Securing the Location . . . . . 142

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Scouting Locations . . . . . . . 144

Aesthetic Concerns versus

Practical Limitations . . . . . 144

Be Flexible . . . . . . . . . . . 144

The Power of Illusion . . . . . . 145

Identifying the Location . . . . 146

Walk-throughs . . . . . . . . . 148

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Chapter 10: Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . 149

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Working on Scenes . . . . . . . 149

Before Rehearsals . . . . . . . . 149

Developing Mutual Trust . . . . 150

Researching the Character . . . 150

Back Story . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Shape the Scene . . . . . . . . 152

Communicating on the Set . . . 153

Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Rehearsal Schedule . . . . . . . 155

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Chapter 11: Camera . . . . . . . . . . 157

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Collaborate . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Keeping Up with Technology . 157

Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

vi Contents

Listen to the Material . . . . . . 158

Documentary . . . . . . . . . . 158

Do Your Homework . . . . . . 158

Consult with the Director of

Photography . . . . . . . . . 159

Camera Team . . . . . . . . . . 161

Basic Decisions . . . . . . . . . 161

Film Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Digital Video Format . . . . . . 163

Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

The Camera as Storyteller . . . 164

The Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Size of Shot . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Camera Movement . . . . . . . 173

Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Second Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Greenscreen . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Lighting Style . . . . . . . . . . 182

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Video Formats . . . . . . . . . 192

Other Equipment . . . . . . . . 198

Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Integrating Animation . . . . . 200

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Technical Considerations . . . . 201

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chapter 12: Sound . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Recording Clean Tracks . . . . 203

Why Getting Good Sound Is So

Important . . . . . . . . . . . 203

The Sound Team . . . . . . . . 204

The Equipment . . . . . . . . . 206

Responsibilities of the Sound

Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Approaches to Recording

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Variables for Placing

Microphones . . . . . . . . . 212

Recording Concerns . . . . . . 213

Video Sound . . . . . . . . . . 214

Documentary . . . . . . . . . . 215

Web Site Information . . . . . . 215

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Controlling the Environment . . 215

Equipment Needs for the Shoot 216

How Big of a Sound Package

and Crew Do You Need? . . 216

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Chapter 13: Art on Set . . . . . . . . . 219

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Final Walk-through . . . . . . . 219

Set Procedures . . . . . . . . . 219

Set Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Additional Crew . . . . . . . . 223

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Keeping Track . . . . . . . . . . 223

Cover Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Wrapping Up . . . . . . . . . . 224

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Part II

Production

Chapter 14: Set Procedures . . . . . . 229

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Inspires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Organized Chaos . . . . . . . . 229

Set Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . 229

A Typical Day . . . . . . . . . 230

Camera Moves . . . . . . . . . 234

Video Tap . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Digital Assistant . . . . . . . . . 235

Slates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Calling the Shot . . . . . . . . . 237

Script Supervision . . . . . . . . 238

Dailies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Coordinate . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

Proper Wrap Out . . . . . . . . 241

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

Chapter 15: The Actor . . . . . . . . . 243

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

The Process . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Technical Requirements for

the Actor . . . . . . . . . . . 244

The Director’s Tools . . . . . . 246

Types of Characters . . . . . . . 246

Directing Actors . . . . . . . . 249

Interviewing for Documentaries 250

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Accommodating . . . . . . . . 251

Contents vii

Socializing . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Contracts and Deal Memos . . 251

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Part III

Postproduction

Chapter 16: Pix Postproduction . . . . 257

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

The “Final Draft” . . . . . . . . 257

The Director as Editor . . . . . 257

The Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

The Editor Speaks . . . . . . . . 258

The Documentary Editor . . . . 258

The Editing Process . . . . . . . 258

What Is Editing? . . . . . . . . . 258

Evolution of the Edit . . . . . . 264

Locking the Picture . . . . . . . 266

Technical Considerations When

Editing Film on Video . . . . 266

Digital Basics . . . . . . . . . . 267

Basic Workflow of a Nonlinear

Editing System . . . . . . . . 271

Editing Sequences . . . . . . . 273

Basic Sound Editing . . . . . . 274

Special Digital Video Effects . . 275

Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Film to Video . . . . . . . . . . 278

The P2 Workflow . . . . . . . . 280

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Advise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

What You Want from a System? . 280

What Is Available? . . . . . . . 280

Editing Room . . . . . . . . . . 281

Postproduction Schedule . . . . 281

Stepping Back and Looking

Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Chapter 17: Sound Postproduction . . 285

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Sound Design . . . . . . . . . . 285

What Is Sound Design? . . . . . 285

Respect for Sound . . . . . . . 286

What Is a Soundtrack? . . . . . 287

Post Flow Options . . . . . . . 287

Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Dialogue Tracks . . . . . . . . 290

Automatic Dialogue Replacement

(ADR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Walla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Voice-overs and Narration . . . 293

Sound Effects Tracks . . . . . . 294

Music Tracks . . . . . . . . . . 296

The Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

Different Formats . . . . . . . . 300

Music Tips for Students and

Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . 301

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Supervising Postproduction . . 305

...And Distributors . . . . . . . 306

The Moral . . . . . . . . . . . . 306

Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306

Chapter 18: Finishing/Online/

Laboratory . . . . . . . . 307

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

The Finished Look . . . . . . . 307

The Choices . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Film Workflow . . . . . . . . . 307

Opticals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Cutting the Negative . . . . . . 309

Film Matchback . . . . . . . . . 311

Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Types of Prints . . . . . . . . . 312

Traditional Linear Video

Online . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

Video-to-Film Transfer . . . . . 313

Nonlinear Online Edit . . . . . 314

Animation and CGI: Rendering

and Compositing . . . . . . . 316

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Keeping Track and Looking

Ahead (and Back If

Necessary) . . . . . . . . . . 317

Looking Ahead/Key Points . . . 317

Chapter 19: Distribution/Exhibition . 319

Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Launching the Film . . . . . . . 319

Start Early: Have A Plan from

the Beginning . . . . . . . . 320

The Markets . . . . . . . . . . . 320

Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

The Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 322

YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

iTunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . 323

Cell Phones . . . . . . . . . . . 324

DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Television . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Theatrical Markets . . . . . . . 324

Nontheatrical Markets . . . . . 324

Foreign Markets . . . . . . . . . 326

Distribution Options . . . . . . 327

viii Contents

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

The Academy Awards . . . . . 335

Appendix A A Short History of the Short Film . . . 337

Appendix B Genres and Animation . . . . . . . . . 339

Appendix C Script Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

Appendix D Screening List . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

Appendix E Safety Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Appendix F Music Clearance and Insurance . . . . 361

Appendix G State Film Commissions . . . . . . . . 365

Appendix H Film and Media Programs . . . . . . . 369

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

Contents ix

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Web Contents

Visit the companion site at

http://booksite.focalpress.com/companion/IrvingRea/

and use passcode IRV2UT98SW69 to login; on the

companion site, you will find:

Contents

Web Site Extras for Lunch Date

Web Site Extras for Citizen

Web Site Extras for A Nick in Time

Web Site Extras for Truman

Web Site Extras for Crazy Glue

Web Site Extras from Mirror Mirror

Information on Web Development

Associations

Distributors

Film and Video Festivals

Grants and Financing Sources

Important Internet Sites

Web Site Extras on Sound and Microphones

Traditional Film and Video Post Production

FORMS to download, save, and print, including:

Script Breakdown Sheet

Header and Stripboard

Call Sheet

Short Budget Top Sheet

Release Form

Location Contract

Short Budget-2

Short Budget-3

Short Budget-4

Short Budget-5

Animation Budget

xi

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Preface: Fourth Edition

Since the third edition, the range of options available for

the beginning filmmaker has multiplied tenfold. High def￾inition (HD) has integrated itself firmly into production,

distribution, and exhibition. A camera has been developed

that is essentially a lens mounted on a computer (The

RED). Professional postproduction software once linked

to an editing system that filled a room can now be loaded

onto a laptop. Essentially, anyone with a digital camera

and a laptop is able to create a film that has the look and

feel of a professional product.

Equally noteworthy, social networking channels such

as YouTube, MySpace, FaceBook, and Twitter have

altered the communication landscape. Broadband has

helped usher in a true “Convergence of Media.”

Insomuch as digital technology has transformed how

films are made and distributed, “film” is very much alive

as a professional capture format and still (for now) the

primary exhibition format for feature films. Implementation

of digital projection systems and satellite delivery are still

on the horizon.

Very few of these changes affect the text in this book.

Telling a story visually is juxtaposing one image with

another and then next to another, the sum of which makes

a narrative, documentary, animation, or experimental

piece. However one captures the image, manipulates it

editorially, or projects it for an audience, the basic steps

of visual storytelling have been the same for the hundred

plus years since film was invented. Technological

advances can aid the process, but not sidestep any of the

steps. The responsibilities of a producer and a director

are directly tied to their hearts and minds, not their toys.

No matter what the tools, art is created out of the heart.

In this age of multiple media sources competing for our

attention, it is important to understand that “content” is still

king. More and more festivals have been sprouting up yearly.

Making your presence felt in the expanding market for shorts

and a flooded Internet requires that you create a product that

rises above the thousands of daily entries. Having something

to say and saying it well never goes out of fashion.

To aid you in your quest, this edition boasts the addition

of two new narrative films, one filmed in Super 16mm and

one in 35mm. We have included a strategy for using a web

site designed for your project as an effective tool for prepro￾duction, production, and distribution that is woven in the text

and expanded on our web site with several case studies.

Our web site at www.focalpress.com/companions will

also include links for the short films, all the forms in this

book, plus much important information for the beginning

filmmaker. Besides updating the book to address new

technologies, we have been fortunate to receive comments

and suggestions from many of our readers since the book

was originally published. We are happy to make changes

to better explain a concept or illustrate a point.

EFFICIO COGNOSIO (LEARN BY DOING)

There is no substitute for experience. In this book,

we want to emphasize the importance of the School of

Hard Knocks. Whether you are in a film or media program

or making a project on your own, this is an excellent time

to be studying filmmaking.

There is no better way to learn how to make a film

than by actually doing it. Books and manuals can serve

as guides. Other films can act as inspiration, and talking

about and critiquing films can trigger ideas. However,

the two best teachers are failure and success. Experiencing

the process of putting together a project, building work

muscles, and understanding the craft and discipline of

the process are ultimately the best ways to develop

your skills.

THE POWER OF THE MEDIA

Finally, your short film has the potential to influence a

great many people. Both media have gained great expo￾sure in the past 20 years, and their potential is growing

rapidly. All indications are that by the year 2010,

products from the communications industry will be the

United States’ chief export commodity.

Coupled with the wide distribution of these media is

the issue of the power of their content to influence. We

are now grappling with crucial problems, from overpopu￾lation to racial discrimination, from management of the

earth’s resources to the management of human resources.

Film and video have a powerful voice in the dialogue

about these challenges. Our hope is that in expressing

yourself in this fashion, you will consider the world in

which it will be viewed and will use your talents wisely.

xiii

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