You are finally done with all your filming! So does this mean your ready to release your project to the world? Well unfortunately NO! You have completed the first 2 of the 3 steps necessary to take your work from script to screen. But, its not quite over yet and there is still plenty of work ahead.

Now that you have all your footage you are  entering into the Film Post Production process.

As you will recall the first two steps of filmmaking are: Pre-Production and Production.

In “post” is where all the editing takes place and all that footage is cut down into a compelling story that will hopefully resonate with your audience.

Overview of Post Production

• In Post-Production individual shots and cut scenes, called raw footage, are turned into a finished polished motion picture experience that hopefully the director is pleased with.
• By now, the Film Editor has assembled a rough Cut from the Dailies, which is the raw footage from each day’s shooting.
• The Director will oversee the Editor to splice all of the usable footage together into a coherent story line according to the script, including the Director’s style for the film.  After the allotted amount of time the Director will lock his/her cut of the film.  This is known as the “Director’s Cut”.
• The Director’s Cut of the film will be shown to the Studio or Network and notes will be given by executives.  The notes will be addressed and implemented.
• The film will be officially “Locked”.  From this point on, not a frame of film can or will be changed.

All the work on a film or a television program that takes place after shooting or videotaping is completed, occurs in post-production.

From this point on, all of the following will happen simultaneously; music, sound, the final mix, Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), color correction and timing, finishing on film vs. digital.

Music

Music Spotting

• The spotting session is when a director and composer get together to watch the film and decide where the music is going to be and what it’s going to do.  The Director discusses type, mood, tempo, characteristics, and positioning of music with the films composer.  This occurs before the composers starts writing the music.

Music will be Composed

• The Composer will write a musical score for the film based on the Director’s input and vision to create dramatic or comical effects in the background or to enhance the narrative. Although this is in the background it really impacts the mood of any scene.
• The music that is composed will either be digitally created or recorded with an orchestra.

Pre-existing Music will be Arranged

• The Music Supervisor will acquire and license music from other areas that will be used in the Film / TV Episode. It can be complicated to find out who owns the rights to music and how to go about acquiring those rights for the project. That is why a specialist like a Music Supervisor is used in these situations.

Sound

It is important that Soundtrack is very well done, with full sound effects and clean crisp dialogue.  Various departments will handle each aspect of sound with a list below of the typical groups.

Dialogue Editor

The Dialogue Editor cuts the Dialogue tracks and cleans up the dialogue. Examples of what they are looking to correct are overlaps and rough editing between words among other things.

Foley Editor

A Foley Editors job is to actually create “Sound-alikes.” Effects such Footsteps, the rustling of clothing, breaking glass, horses hooves, etc.  all make a scene seem real. This work is done in whats called a Foley room where sound effects are recorded and a Foley Artist records these sound effects live while they are watching the movie.

Sound Effects Editor

A Sound Effects Editor records sound effects and actual location along with taking effects from existing Sound Effects Libraries. They also record and edit the Walla, which is the indistinguishable sounds of people talking in the background (crowd murmur). The Sound Effects Editor also combines all the effects, including Foley, the recorded, and existing sounds on separate multiple tracks for use in the final Sound Mix

ADR – Automated Dialogue Replacement 

ADR is when the actors are brought in to Sound Studio to record specific Dialogue for the purpose of:

• Improving Performance
• Enhancing Performance
• Adding sound ( For ex: Grunts in fight, breathing)
• Adding Off-Screen Dialogue
• Clarifying and explaining story points
• Fixing a problem with a scene

All of above is cut into the film by Dialogue Editor.

The Final Mix

The final mix is possibly the most exciting time in the film making process.  It is where the film comes completely together.  This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the size and scope of the picture.

• All of the following are present in Sound Room with console and large screen:  Director, Producers, Editor, Sound Editors, Mixer and Crew, Composer, Music Supervisor.
• All of the component sound parts of the film are added step by step for the first time; Dialogue, Music, Special Effects, Walla.
• A “Mixer” starts and stops them at various points.  The Mixers work off of cue sheets and equalize all sound to get the best results.

Computer Generated Imagery

CGI is the use of computer generated graphics in film or TV to create images that would be otherwise impossible or incredibly expensive to create in real life.  For ex: Monsters, Other Worlds, Natural Disasters and Aliens.  This widely used now in films such as, Avatar, Transformers, Matrix, Planet of the Apes, etc.

• During the Post Production, using powerful computers, animators and digital effects artists can construct fictional worlds and virtual characters that are so lifelike and convincingly real that the audience completely suspends its disbelief.

• All done in Post Production, CGI is combined with the use of Blue or Green Screen shots during production that allows the actors to interact with the computer animation.  Once completed, all CGI shots are inserted into the final cut of the film to blend in without notice.

Color Correction and Timing

• Adjust the color to an aesthetically pleasing look
• Matches color from shot to shot to keep consistency colors and color temperatures
• Usually works off of flesh tone that should be kept normal

 

Finishing on Film vs. Digital

Traditionally, Movies and TV shows have always been completed on film.  Within the last approximately 25 years though, digital completion has become the standard.  Here is a comparison between Film and Digital Video completion and how it works.

Film

• Movie / TV Series would be shot on Film, and Negative would kept in temperature controlled vault
• Editor would cut dailies on work print, which is rough copy on film of what was shot
• Cutting would be done on manual machine such as Upright Moviola or Steenbeck
• Film would be cut by Guillotine and a attached by Editing Tape
• Once film was completed, it would be matched back to original negative by a Negative Cutter
• Film would be manually Color Corrected and Opticals will be inserted
• Release Prints would be created and sent out to theaters

Digital

• Movie / TV Series is shot on film or Video, either to Tape, Digital Video Card, or Hard Drive
• Dailies will be uploaded or digitized by Assistant Editor and conformed to low-resolution to be ready for editing
• Editor will cut on Non-linear Digital Editing System such as Avid or Final Cut.  All opticals and transitions will be placed in film as it is cut
• Cutting of Film is completed and EDL, ( Edit Decision List) is generated for Online completion
• Like the Negative cut of Film, the Online Session in Digital will use the EDL to match back to the original High Resolution Masters
• Film will go through Telecine – Color – Correction
• Film will be completed for theaters or prepared for TV broadcast

Don’t forget the paperwork

Of course, everything that has been mentioned in this series must have an Agreement or no distributor will touch your project.

If you are an Independent Filmmaker I offer an affordable package that will give you the basic agreements you need for any film project. Film Agreement Package

It’s A Wrap!

Now that Post Production is done your project is ready to be released to the world and gain you millions of adoring fans (well let’s hope so, critics can be so harsh!)

I hope you enjoyed this 3 part series on TV/Filmmaking production as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. If there is enough interest I may turn the whole series into one free, easy to download Ebook. If you would be interested in that leave me a comment below.

Take care and see you soon.

 

 

This week we are jumping right into the thick of things with an article about Film Production. This is part 2 of my 3 part series on how films are made called ‘From Script to Screen – A Guide To The Film-making Process’. When your done reading it you will have  a very good idea how scripted television and film production works.  If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend you check out part one of this series from last week on Pre-Production. Pre-Production is key to the whole process and if you have done a good job there you will be ready to actually create your film. In part two we will be discussing Filmmaking Production.

Overview of Filmmaking Production

Also known as Principal Photography, or the Shooting Period, or  just ‘The Shoot‘.  Production is the time when the Film or TV series is actually being recorded on film or tape. The screenplay has been signed off on, the Pre-production plans have been meticulously planned out and now your ready for the performance! It is extremely important to execute well during the shoot because unnecessary mistakes costs everyone time and money. There are dozens of people waiting around during the shooting and they are all getting paid.

Length of Principal Photography

Let’s take a look at the standard length for different types of projects.

Feature Film

• Low Budget:

A low budget feature is typically filmed for approx. 3-8 weeks. With an emphasis on controlling costs low budget features cannot afford to have meticulous directors filming shot after shot.

• Big Budget/Studio:

A big budget Studio Film is typically filmed for approximately 2-6 months, but this will vary heavily on complexity and the scale of the production. There are always exceptions, especially for great directors. Stanley Kubrick films were notorious for going way over schedule with Eyes Wide Shut taking 15 months to complete shooting.

Television

• The production period for each television Episode typically ranges between 7 – 11 days.  One episode is shooting while another show is in Pre-production, and another episode is in Post-production. This is a constant cycle during the season, of episodes being in one of these 3 different states.

This type of scheduling makes a big difference for the people working on a television series vs a feature film.

The Movie and Shots

What makes up a movie and what is a shot?

Scenes are a collection of shots and all the scenes edited together make up the movie.

Types Of Shots

There are two types of shots.

• Camera shots:

This is what goes on between the press of the camera start button, until the camera is shut off.

• Editing Shots:

The camera shots are edited in length and duration, and placed next to other shots to create a scene in the final film A shot varies in sizes composition, movement, action and lighting.

Coverage

What is Coverage?

Coverage is a film production term that refers to shooting a scene, utilizing a variety of shots from different angles and compositions. The amount of coverage you acquire is going to directly affect what the Film Editor is able to do in Post Production. The  editors main purpose is to use the coverage to weave the scenes together into a compelling, visual, and emotional experience for the audience while still pleasing the director. The more coverage that is captured of course the more footage the Film Editor will be able to work with in post production. Generally the more they have the happier they will be but this all has to be weighed against the realistic cost and time of capturing that coverage. The Director and the Director of Photography (also known as DP or Cinematographer) are responsible for getting the Coverage.

Anatomy of a Scene Shot

Let’s take a detailed look on the steps for how a scene is shot. This spells out in order what actions typically take place every time a scene is shot and who is responsible.

1. First Assistant Director brings actors on set.  Crew stands by as director rehearses and blocks scene with actors.
2. Final run-through of blocked scene as crew watches.
   • Camera Assistant takes measurements and puts tape marks on floor
   • Sound gets levels
   • Operator action with camera
3. Once Director is satisfied with blocking, the First Assistant Director sends actors back to wardrobe and make-up to prepare
4. Director and DP finalize shots to be taken and needed coverage
5. Director of Photography begins to light with lighting department.  (This usually takes a substantial amount of time)
6. Art Department makes final touch-ups to set
7. When the set is completely lit, and ready to go, the First Assistant Director signals to the Second Assistant Director to bring in Actors, extras, or whoever else is required on the floor
8. It’s finally time to shoot. The 1st AD will call for quiet, and then instruct the Sound Recorder, and camera to run
9. 1st AD says “Roll Sound” – Recordist responds by saying “Rolling”
10. 1st AD says, “Camera” – Camera Assistant responds by saying “Speed” (When Camera is at correct speed)
11. The Assistant Camera on slate announces scene, number, take and slates shot
12. Director calls “Action” and will carefully watch shot progress
13. Script Supervisor will take notes of action and dialogue on Continuity sheets.  He/she will note any alterations in the script, performance, or camera movement during shot.
14. Shot runs it’s duration.  At finish, Director says, “Cut”
15. Director makes judgment on performance, and checks to make sure if technical crew are satisfied with results
16. If Director or crew is not satisfied, the Director will make changes and necessary adjustments, and call for another take
17. If Director is satisfied, he/she will say “Print Take.” Script Supervisor will make note
18. 1st AD will state “Moving On” to the crew

About Shots

What are the necessary shots to get when shooting for coverage?

Establish Shot

The Establish Shot is meant to immediately let the audience know where the scene is happening. It is important because it shows the general environment that the scene is taking place in; for example the city, street, beach, etc.. It also shows a character in relation to the environment. For example: man walking down the street or standing by the bar etc..

Master Shot

The Master shot is a shot or series of shots that encompasses the entire scene from start to finish. It is shot in a way that keeps all the players in view. Imagine it as if you were watching it from a seat in an audience in a staged play.  This may serve as a blueprint for the complete scene, with blocking included.

Medium Shot (MS)

In a medium shot the actor is the center of attention – usually show on film from waist up. The Medium shot has the following variations; Two or more, Over – the – Shoulder Shot.

Close Up (CU)

The close up tightly frames a person or object and is usually the head and face of the actor.

Extreme Close Up (ECU)

Very close tight shots that emphasize an actor’s facial detail. With the rise of popularity in HD this can be extremely detailed which isn’t always fun for the actors!

Wide Shot or Long Shot (LS)

• This shot shows the full body shot of actor and is usually intended to show their surroundings as well so you know the context.

High Angle

• The camera is positioned higher than the actors.  This shot often demeans characters, and diminishes their importance in scene.

Low Angle Shot

• The camera looks up the actor, from somewhere between waist level and ground level.  This serves to makes actors look very powerful and in control. It can be used to convey a subconscious message to the audience on how they should perceive a character.

Point of View (POV)

• A POV shot represents the physical viewpoint of a character in the scene.  This shot illustrates what the character sees through his her own eyes.

Other Types of Coverage Multi-Camera coverage is used on specific types of shows, often in front of a live audience.

• Multiple cameras can take different shots of a live situation as the action unfolds chronologically.
• Productions can be filmed or taped faster than single camera.
• Most often shot on stage.  Director usually works from a booth.

Lighting

Let’s discuss Lighting in a film. Lighting in is extremely important in making actors and everything else on film look good and convey the right mood for scenes.

• Illuminates the action and characters
• Sets up a mood
• Accentuates specific aspects of a scene
• Embellishes the style of the film
• Instills a specific feeling in the mind of the viewer

What is the basic lighting setup?

Below is a diagram of the basic lighting setup. This setup applies to interior and exterior shots and serves countless variations on the Long, Medium, and Close-Up. Keylight

• Keylights supply the main light for a scene
• Usually keylights are set up in front or above a subject
• Depending on the scene to be filmed, keylights may be hard or soft
  • Soft: With diffusion – accentuates romantic or ethereal quality of scene
  • Hard: Accentuates realistic, hard edge quality of scene

Backlight

• Separates a character from his/her background
• Gives form to hair and clothing (which might blend into background under different circumstances)
• Usually Backlights are set up at a 45 degree angle from backgound

Fill Light

• Extremely important in balancing the keylight that has been placed on the side
• Used to pick up background detail
• Fill light serves to adjust shadowy areas

Call Sheet

The call sheet is a sheet of paper normally created by the Assistant Director that informs everyone working on the film where they need to be and what they need to do a particular day of shooting.

Here are some more details about Call Sheets.

• Given out after wrap every day to inform Cast and Crew exactly what is expected the next day
• Includes all departments and all requirements
• Includes anticipated weather
• Includes locations
• Corresponds with Shooting Schedule
• Includes amount of shooting time in a given day: Sun-up time / Sundown time

 

Well that’s a wrap on the production portion of the filmmaking process! Next week I hope you will join me as we go through a step by step rundown of post production. If you want to learn the business side of Entertainment, click here to download my Free Ebook teaching you what you need to know!

Very excited to bring you my 3 part series on how films are made. It’s called ‘From Script to Screen – A Guide To The Film-making Process’.

When your done reading it you will have  a very good idea how scripted television and film production works. 

If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend you check out last weeks post all about screenplays. As pointed out in that post you need the screenplay before you even get to step 1 of creating the film.

So after the screenplay is set and ready to go, films can basically be broken down into three parts. Pre-Production, Production and Post Production.

In part one we will be discussing Pre-Production.

 

Overview of Pre-Production

“If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my ax” -Abraham Lincoln

That is one of my favorite quotes and it perfectly applies to how you should think about the “Pre-Production” phase of film-making.

The primary purpose of pre-production is to design and plan every step of creating a film or TV show.

 

What’s Already Been Done Before Pre-Production Starts?

• The script has already been completed except for maybe some minor rewrites and polish.
• The film or TV series has already received the official green-light by the Studio, Network or Investors.

What Happens Next

• The production company is created and a production office is established.
• The production is story-boarded and visualized with the help of illustrators and concept artists.
• A production budget is drawn up to plan expenditures.
• For major productions, insurance is acquired to protect against accidents…and lawsuits!
• All the financial logistics are worked out. (how and when people are paid etc…)

 

Pre-Production Length

Since Pre-Production is the first of the three stages, it will set the pace for the rest of stages of production. The amount of time spent in pre-production varies based on the type of project.

Features:

• Low Budget/Independent Film: Typically 4-8 weeks.
• Big Budget / Studio Film: Can be anywhere from 2 months to a year or more, depending on complexity and scale of the production.

Scripted Television:

• This works in a constant cycle with one show in pre-production while another show is shooting.
• Pre-Production per Episode is about only about a 1-2 week process.

 

So What Actually Happens During Pre-Production?

To sum it up simply, all preparations need to be made for the shoot. Every step of creating and producing the film is carefully designed and meticulously planned in this phase of the project.

“The more effort that is put into the pre-production phase the easier and more successful the film will most likely be.”

 

Filmmaker Roles

Let’s take a look at some of the roles that are defined for film-making.

The Director

The Director is absolutely the most influential creative force of the film.

Here are some of the most important duties of the director during pre-production:

• Determines the style and visual look of film.
• Begins the Storyboarding and shotlisting (Lists shots for each scene in entire film and Works with Storyboard artist to draw and visualize shots).
• Meets with all the departments to discuss specifics of film as it relates to their department.
• Helps cast and rehearses with the Actors.

Casting

Selecting talent for the film or TV production ( The lead actors may have already been cast.) Sometimes a bigger film will get green-lighted based on casting a specific actor.

Production Budget

The production budget is formulated and approved. This determines how much money will be spent on the film. It is important that the estimations are as accurate as possible to avoid going over budget.

Crew Members

The crew members are selected and hired. The crew members are typically everyone who works on the film that is not the director, producer or cast.

Locations

The locations are scouted out and chosen. Producers are making decisions about location more and more based on the money and tax incentives they can receive from the state or country. See my post here about the best film locations for tax incentives.

Sets

The sets are designed and built.

Visual Effects

The visual effects are discussed and designed.

Stunts

The stunts are coordinated.

Camera or Make -up Tests

Tests Performed

 

Pre-Production Role and Responsibilities

Now lets look at some of the roles and responsibilities in pre production.

Producers

Here are the most common types of producers.

• Executive Producer (or “Show Runner” in TV)
• Producer
• Line Producer ( Commonly DGA Production Manager)
• Associate Producer

The producer is responsible from the start (conception) to the end (distribution) to deliver a high quality project that is well received, comes in under budget and makes a profit!

 

Director

The director is ultimately responsible for everything that goes on screen.

Responsibilities include:

• Directing Actors and getting the best performance
• Shotlisting and designing all visuals from camera

 

Production Manager

The production manager

• Manages the Production Budget and Production Schedule.
• Hires crew, arranges insurance, and makes deals with Unions.
• Reports on behalf of the production to the studio executives or financiers of the film on the progress of the film.

 

First Assistant Director

• Logistics of Film / TV Series
• Works closely with Director in all aspects of production, facilitating and communicating
• Schedules Film / TV series
• Runs the set
• Oversees Unions ad Guilds on the set DGA, SAG, AFTRA, IA, Etc.
• Oversees his team of 2nd AD, and Additional 2nd AD’s

 

Director of Photography

• Shoots the film (Either with an Operator or alone)
• Manages all the lighting in film
• Executes framing and camera movement
• Works with Director to compose shots

 

Production Designer

• Manages the design and décor of all sets stage/location
• Responsible for physical look and conception of film
• Collaborates with Director to achieve a unified, stylized look

 

Script Supervisor

• Times the script in pre-production
• Makes certain that continuity is correct from scene to scene during production
• Keeps comprehensive notes on set for all facets of continuity, dialogue, timings, etc.

 

Sound Mixer

Head of the sound department during the production stage of filmmaking

• Records and mixes the audio on set dialogue

 

Casting Director

• Finds actors to fill the parts in the script
• Sets up auditions for Director
• Possibly may make deals with talent

 

Costume Designer

• Designs, creates, purchases and rents wardrobe for actors in film

 

Location Scout

• Consults with Director to determine the look, feel, and style of individual locations
• Finds and secures locations
• Manages locations during principal photography

 

Editor

• Assembles film following the guidelines set by director
• Cuts film “up to camera” during shooting period
• Completes Editors Cut after film, then works with Director to finalize cut of film

 

 

Pre Production Shooting Schedule

Shot out of Order

Films are usually shot out of order due to budget, actor’s availability, locations, Special effects, shooting practicalities, etc. For example:

• Often actors are only available for certain dates, therefore their scenes need to be scheduled appropriately
• Scenes in individual locations need to be bunched together for budgeting and other practical reasons.  For example: If we return to a neighborhood park throughout a film, it would not make sense to return to the park every time it shows up in script to shoot in sequence
• Special Effects or Stunts may need to be scheduled to be shot at specific times.  Time of day (Day/Night)

The Shooting Schedule

The shooting schedule is the bible of production.  It organizes everything that is out of sequence when shooting.  Everybody in cast and crew gets one.

Daily Shooting Time

• Studio Feature Film Shoots from 1/2 – 4 pages in a given day.  Indie films can shoot substantially more
• TV Series shoots from 3-8 pages in given day

Production Stripboard

• Scheduling used to be hand-written on a large board with cardboard strips.  Most of the time it is now done on computer by a program like ” Movie Magic Scheduling and Budgeting” How does it work?
• Strips are set up on computer – one for each scene.  They contain info on: Scene Number / Scene Slug – Line / Day or Night / Interior or Exterior / One line Description of scene / Number of Pages to be shot / Actors in scene.  These strips are shifted and moved around to accommodate all scenes shot out of sequence.

 

Pre-Production Completion

Ideally, at the completion of Pre-production, the Production Team should have confirmed or have an excellent idea of:

• All Locations
• All Cast
• The film’s budget
• The film’s schedule ( amount and specific work to be done in a given day)
• Visual look of film
• All SFX required for film
• All Production Design exactly what will be on stage or location
• All Wardrobe
• All equipment and film / tape needed for film

So there you have it! This is most of what you need to know about the process of pre-production for film projects. I hope you will join me next week for Part 2 where will go over the actual production phase.

Take care and see you next week!
Like what you just read? Click here to download my Free Ebook teaching you more about the business of Entertainment!

So I am really excited about the next series of blog posts coming up.

I am writing a 3 part series called from ‘From Script to Screen – A Guide To The Filmmaking Process’ that details how films are made.

Though it is impossible to detail every step to filmmaking, this will give a general overview of each step in the movie making process.

 

It will be broken down into the 3 major parts of film and television creation.

 

Pre-Production, Production and Post Production.

Before we get into the 3 steps above though it’s important to talk about a key piece of the process. Without this piece you cannot even start pre-production. Can you guess what it is? Well of course, it’s…

The Screenplay!

Without the screen play we don’t even get to step 1 of making our film. The screenplay or script is key to the entire process but many people don’t truly understand the details of what it is, how it works and why it is so important.

That is why before we launch into next weeks 3 part series I thought we would take this week to give the screenplay its proper due.

After reading this you will know what a screenplay is, some details of how it works and why it so important.

 

Where Does a Film Begin?

Any film project begins with the script or screenplay. Trying to make a film without a script would be like trying to cross the ocean without any type of navigation. It is the blueprint that everyone  working on the film refers to when they are fulfilling their part of the process. Usually everyone working on the film has a copy and they refer to it throughout the making of the project.

So where does a script or screenplay come from?

Typically it works in one of the following ways.

• A Standard Script is pitched to Producers or the Studio and if they are interested, it is than developed and written with their input. Sometimes a well known scriptwriter will be approached to write a script based on a concept. I’ve recently negotiated this type of deal. There are a number of terms to negotiate, including compensation, payment structure and creative input.

• A Spec Script is written by a writer in advance with no solicitation in hopes that it will be optioned and eventually purchased by someone who can turn it into a film like a producer or a studio. These are considered more long shots because the writer is usually unknown, with little to no entertainment industry contacts and this is how they are trying to break into the business. Despite being a difficult route to Hollywood there are some famous examples of movies that originated from spec scripts like ‘Good Will Hunting’ and “American Beauty’.

• An Adapted Script is adapted from something that already exists in another form like a book, a play, TV show, prior film (remake) or even a real life news story. There are so many countless examples of this but probably the most common are best selling books. Now days if there is a best selling fiction book its almost a guarantee it will be adapted for film.

 

Earlier this year my client who pens the children’s book series Dork Diaries granted Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate an option to adapt the series into a motion picture. While it might sound like adapted scripts would be easier on the writer since the story has been proven, it comes with its own set of challenges.

First of all the material has to be written into a screenplay format which is very different than how books are written. Also, if you have extremely passionate fans of the original material (comic book and sci-fi fans are notoriously hard to please) they can be very tough on the script writer.

There is a balancing act of staying true to the original spirit of the book while still making it work on film and with the screenwriters own twist.

If you’d like to hear more about acquiring the underlying rights for scripts and existing material, check out a video I did on the subject a while back for my class when I taught Business Affairs at New York Film Academy.

 

What exactly is a Screenplay and why is it so important?

The screenplay is the guide for the Producers, Director, Actors, Crew of exactly what will appear on screen.  It is the common ground that everybody on the film will work with from start to finish of production.

It tells the complete story, contains all action in the film and all dialogue for each character. It can also describe characters visually so filmmakers can try to capture their style, look or vibe.

Since the script is the blueprint for the movie or TV show it also the best predictor of cost.

Making a film takes careful planning of the budget and cost estimation can best be gleamed from the script. For example if the script calls for scenes that only CGI can accommodate the producers know they are in for a bigger budget. If the film is mostly dialogue driven, with no special effects and limited locations the budget should be much lower.

As an example lets look at 2 recent Fox movies; Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Fault in our Stars. According to Box Office Mojo Apes (as of this writing) has grossed about $177 million while Stars has made about $124 million BUT…. Apes had a production budget of $93 million while Stars production was only $12 million!

If you knew nothing else about these films but looked at their scripts it would probably be obvious to you why there was such a difference in production budget. To interpret whats on paper to screen for Apes it would be clear that it would take a ton of CGI and other costly special effects.

Stars on the other hand had no costly special effects and was mostly a character and dialogue driven story. Understanding what general budget your script portrays is important because financiers are mostly looking to invest in films like Stars (lower risk) and these are the films that a studio will greenlight.

The script also goes a long way in determining the schedule of your film. The schedule of the film  is important because it has a direct impact on the budget. A common cause for budget overruns is when their are disruptions or rescheduling that needs to be done.

This is all meticulously planned out before hand using the script as a guide.

When it comes to actual filming time, typically filmmakers will decide how many pages of the script they will film per session.

 

Screenplay Terminology

Let’s take a look at some of the common terminology used in screenplays and by screenwriters.

Scene Heading or “Slugline”

A scene heading or “slugline” is a brief description that sets the upcoming scene. It includes: is it Interior or Exterior? What is the Location? What is the Time of Day?

Here is an example: INT. BANK LOBBY. DAY

This would show that the action is taking place inside a bank during the day. So for those hundreds of movies we have seen with bank robberies the script probably had a scene heading similar to that.

 

Action

Action is just what it sounds like and it describes in detail exactly what is happening, step by step.

An important thing to note and the main reason why screenplays are different than books is the writer cannot write internal feelings.  Since the audience cannot ‘hear’ what the characters are thinking the writer must find a way to effectively externalize their thoughts and feelings. (having talented actors who can emote well definitely helps in this area!)

 

Character Heading

The character head should always be capitalized and shows who is speaking.

 

Dialogue

The dialogue is what the characters say when they speak.  The dialogue should reveal the characters personalities, feelings, and emotional state. Unless its strictly an action or horror movie, well written dialogue is typically a big part of how well received a movie will be.

 

Parentheticals

Parentheticals are brief descriptions of character’s attitude in speech, for ex. (happily), (distracted) (enraged); again good actors will go a long way in helping here.

Parentheticals also dictate where dialogue is coming from, for example; (O.S.) , (V.O.) O.S. stands for Off screen meaning it describes a voice that is not shown on the screen (coming from another room etc..) V.O stands for Voice Over and is used when the speaking character has no physical presence on screen (on the phone, television background, voice in head etc…) Parentheticals while helpful should be used sparingly and only when necessary.

 

Shots

Shots emphasizes camera angles or movement, describing camera direction. This is for the most part should be left up to the director so in the script the only time mentions of camera movement are normally in there is if the writer thinks its important for that part of the story.

 

Transitions

Transitions dictates how the story moves from scene to scene.

Here are some samples of transitions: Cut, Fade in, Fade out, Dissolve to.

Transitions are another thing that writers probably do not want to use to much. Especially with a spec script you may want to save some of that text for words that advance the story in a meaningful way.

 

Screenwriting rules of thumb

Here are some general rules of thumbs for screenwriting:

• One page of script = roughly one minute of screen time
• Average feature film script is approximately 100 – 110 pages
• Average one hour television series is approximately 43 pages ( leaving time for commercials)

 

So I hope this gives you a good idea on what scripts are. I think this post is a good lead in to my 3 part series starting next week ‘From Script to Screen – A Guide To The Filmmaking Process’. This series of posts will describe the steps that happen to make movie magic.

 

If you want to know more specifically about scripts and screenwriting I’d highly recommend these two sites.

Good in Room – This is my friends Stephanie Palmer’s site. She is a former MGM executive who teaches screenwriters how to pitch their script to Hollywood executives. It is one of the best places to find quality information for screenwriters for free.

Film Making Stuff – This site is geared mostly towards Independent Filmmakers. I enjoy this site because the information is not only useful but presented in an entertaining and easy to understand way.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks article!

Please leave a comment and join the conversation.

 

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