Monday, August 27, 2012


WHILE SCREENWRITING:

Who wants what from whom?

What happens if they do not get it?

WHY now?

Screenplay has to have


1. PURPOSE

2. VISUAL INTENT

3. ADVANCE SCENE - character revealed

Advance the scene

Beginning - middle - end

What is the scene accomplishing?

At end of scene do reader want to read the next scene?

Something needs to happen between two people or more in scene (or it is a side or a shot, not a Scene)

WHERE TO START A SCENE:

Start with conflict

Do not be passive

Go to heart of a conflict

A. Whose scene is it? Who has more desire? Conflict? Need? And there is something in the way?

B. Inner conflict - want something but guilty to say it,

Start with impact, even if it means deleting the beginning, and just have the middle and the end.

Create atmosphere based on whose scene is it?

Let the viewer be in the scene, be more visceral then visual even.

IS THE SCENE OVER

Nowadays scene is not longer then 3 pages, attention span is shorter.

When curiosity has been raised and viewer wants to know what happens next?

Cinematic compelling conflict

Story – a unique character in cinematic conflict leading to an end related to the character.

Eg: a 52 yr. old grandmother going to Iraq in the war is more interesting then a soldier in the war

ELEVATING A SCENE

SURPRISE IS ALWAYS GOOD, BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT

Conceptual approach is: from outside coming inwards

Intuitive approach is “: inside to outside, that’s is to say, follow the character and see what develops.

A mix of both together makes it more interesting.

The intuitive approach is more interesting and has more organic a feel.

Withhold information, so curiosity is generated

Keep questions alive in the audience’s mind

Less in dialogue and more in action is better

Surprise by giving new information, e.g.- OH mom is a hooker, takes one by surprise.

DO NOT:

CONFUSE THE AUDIENCE

BE UNNATURAL

BE A BORE

Write material where the actors can be committed

Push emotions of characters.

LIKABILITY OF CHARACTER:

One likes when one can care for the character

It is an external judgment

Characters should want something badly

Signature scene early on of the character

CHARACTER QUALITIES: humor and/or best of bad lot, and/or needs something badly

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER DESIRING ? WHATS STOPPING THEM ? KEEP THIS IN MIND FOR EVERY SCENE .

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Greys anatomy Musings


Grey anatomy is still shot on 35 mm film, one of the last shows to be still shot on film.

Typically it takes 8 days to shoot an episode, cost 4 million $, and takes 6 weeks from start to finish.

Each day generates 2 hours of footage, and is 75 % time shot with 2 cameras.

As an editor: one looks for:

GEOGRAPHIC – where who is – wide shot
EMOTIONAL – reaction shots
STORY - information, what is conflict.

MUSIC and SOUND is a character treat it as such

As a director one tries to bring the best out of the entire crew.

The show needs 42 minutes 19 minutes and 10 frames to be exact.

Editor before editing is involved in TABLE READ
AND IN TONE MEETING (to understand what the scene is about)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

as a Line producer things to do as you start a project

Pre Production 20 % of budget

Production 60 %

Directors cut 10 %

Music and polishing – 10 %

While budgeting consider overtime for actors and crew.

When you get a script

Things to do as a Line Producer

1st step – buy insurance

Look out for errors and omissions

2nd step – Legal, who are the lawyers that will be drawing up the contracts,

Build relationship with director and studio / company, Bond company, if there are special person like a choreographer in case it is a musical

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Improvisational acting -7


Physical work

space work

information

use these to build rthym

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Line producing- in USA

Clearance report - they will go through your script and tell u what all rights you might have encroached on they will find all that needs clearance

When shooting

Stay at one place and shoot out that location,

You save on break and set up time,

It all also saves on transport.

Split shooting - part day and part night

Payroll Company provides workers compensation

Casting directors union is TEAMSTER.

One has to give lunch 6 hours from time of call time, and food has to be provided every 6 hours,

If that is missed then one has to pay meal penalty.

Turn around time is 12 hours for an actor between shoots

Example of shoot schedule :

7 am call time

1300 is lunch 1345 lunch ends

1745 is mealtime again, or meal penalty kicks in

Stunt adjustment - gets difficulty fee

Insurance:

1. Production policy covers

Equipment

Liability

Office content

2. Errors and Omissions – Rights issues

3. Cast Insurance - if cast member is incapacitated Insurance will pay for downtown and reshoot cost, or for replacement of cast.

Essential Elements - identify the essential element (cast) & the whole movie expense will be reimbursed to financier, for every bit of money that has been spend.

This insurance comes into play when a movie is shut down.

SUI – STATE UNEMPLOYMENT

FUI - FEDERAL UNEMPLOYENT

FICA – SOCIAL SECURITY

WC – WORKERS COMP

RESPONSIBILITY OF SCRIPT SUPERVISOR

1. Continuity

2. Feeding lines / script accuracy

3. Timing – they read the script and times how long the script is in preproduction stage itself

4. Timing – during shooting.

5. Notes for editor - Type of shot, if panning, all shot notes

Location Managers – are represented by - teamsters.

Except in NY, where DGA is the union.

Line producers take UPM credit to get benefits, which is a DGA position.