Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

We started production on my latest short film, “If Only” on April 19. We were forced to postpone subsequent shooting days due to bad weather. Finally, the entire cast and crew was able to re-convene this past weekend in an effort to wrap up shooting. Things went along beautifully until we were forced to wrap early Sunday night. Fortunately we have been able to schedule one final day of shooting next month. Here’s hoping we don’t run into any more delays. Enjoy a few production stills from the weekend’s shoot. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. 

A majority of my first post on acting for the camera dealt with preparations the actor makes in order to find work. For the purposes of today’s post, imagine that you’ve landed the role. What do directors and producers expect of you throughout the production process?

1. A Strong Work Ethic - Whether you are getting paid for your time or you are donating your talents for the experience, you need to demonstrate an eagerness for the project. This includes: a) Arriving on time for all rehearsals and shooting dates, b) Memorizing your lines, c) Remaining courteous to everyone involved, d) Being mature and professional. We’ve all seen those “behind-the-scenes” documentaries of actors joking around on set. There’s certainly a place for that, but don’t let it hinder the process of filmmaking.
2. A Willingness to Listen - When the director critiques your performance, don’t get defensive. Listen and acknowledge that direction. Don’t make excuses. Don’t tell the director why he/she is wrong. Effective communication begins with listening.
3. A Willingness to Collaborate - As a director, I enjoy getting input from my actors. I expect them to come to the project with their own ideas and suggestions. I realize that not every idea fits with my vision, but I also know that some suggestions will make the film better. I welcome that creative collaboration. As an actor, you need to study the material. Be prepared to offer your opinions. It shows the director that you care about making the best film possible.

The process of filmmaking is extremely demanding, yet extremely rewarding. Being professional, courteous, and hard-working will go a long way toward landing you that next acting job.

In a post last week I discussed how camera operators should always properly prep and label tapes in an effort to make post-production a more efficient process. In today’s discussion I want to mention how patient camera work is vital to an editor.

Ideally, any director of photographer would love to have control over the location - lighting, grip, camera movements, etc. but by nature, some projects are suited for a documentary approach. This means that you have to capture the action as it happens, and often you get no second chances. Some cinematographers thrive on this run-and-gun approach, but others feel stressed by the environment, worried that they will miss something vital. Those that feel a bit panicky will often shoot footage that never seems to settle. This is a nightmare for editors, because they never have a really nice steady shot to work with.

So, the word of the day for aspiring cinematographers and camera operators is “patience.” Once you frame up a shot and get your focus, let the shot linger. Give the editor plenty of pre-roll and post-roll that can be used in the final piece. Even if some loud commotion from behind startles you, don’t be too quick to whip the camera over to see what’s going on. Get your shot first, then pan over to capture the other scene. If you spend your day constantly whipping the camera around from shot to shot, you won’t capture anything meaningful for the editor. As a documentarian, there will be things you miss. It’s inevitable. But sometimes, choosing not to shoot something leads to capturing a truly remarkable moment in places you least expect.

Editors are happy when they have plenty of footage to work with in post-production. Shooting multiple angles of a particular scene is called coverage, and whether you are producing your own film, or shooting a long-format marketing video, getting good coverage has many benefits:

1. Flexibility - Ample amounts of raw footage gives your editor many options for structuring the story.
2. Variety - Staring at the same shot for too long can bore some viewers. You want your video or film project to engage and entertain and the right amount of coverage will offer fresh perspectives to your audience.
3. Control - In your narrative film project, your main character picks up the newspaper and stares in horror at the headline. The information in the article is a vital part of your plot. So, did you remember to get a cutaway shot of the headline? Shooting the right amount of coverage gives you control over the story. It allows you to direct your audience’s attention to what you want them to see or to understand.

Here are some things to keep in mind about shooting coverage:

1. Scout - Go to the location where you will be filming. Look around. Start blocking the scene. Figure out where you would like to place your camera. How many set-ups will you need? Once you have done your initial scout, make some time closer to the shooting date when you can conduct a tech scout. This is when you and your production team do a final walk-through of the location to discuss each set-up.
2. Utilize Set-Ups - Consider how you can combine multiple coverage shots with one camera set up. For example, if the camera has been set up for a wide dolly shot, can you keep the camera where it is and shoot a lock-down close up as well? How about a pick-up shot of that file folder in your actor’s hand? Can you raise the camera up more on the tripod and get a high-angle establishing shot? Combining coverage shots into one set up will save a lot of time.
3. Start Wide & Work In - It’s always a good idea to get the establishing shots first. Then you can push in and reset the camera for your close-ups and cutaways. That way, if your day runs too long and you lose the location, you will at least have establishing shots in the can. Imagine losing the location and all you have are extreme close-ups and cutaways. The viewer will be disoriented and won’t know the location, the characters in the scene, the time of day, etc.

Taking the time to prepare by scouting and creating a detailed shot list will ensure that you get the coverage you need for each scene. That will make you editor very happy. And it will give you a much better product.

Sunday marked the first day of shooting for our latest short film, entitled If Only. We were able to shoot at Cafe Dupont in downtown Birmingham. I want to extend my appreciation to them for their hospitality. Also, I want to acknowledge my cast and crew who worked extremely hard to ensure that the shoot was efficient and productive. Here are a few shots from the first day of filming.

Most people watch the behind-the-scenes featurettes of their favorite movies and see a happy, magical world of glamor. The lights. The cameras. The exotic locations. The smiling faces. Wow, who wouldn’t want to be a filmmaker?

What these documentaries don’t show you is the grueling day in-day out lifestyle of making movies. People get frustrated. The days are long. There are constant physical and mental demands. There are logistical issues. Things go wrong. People lose their cool. Filmmaking is not as glamorous as some make it out to be. For an incredibly honest look at filmmaking, check out Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.

As a filmmaker, it’s important to keep everything running efficiently while keeping your team and your actors as happy as possible. Here are a few things to keep in mind for making the set a happy place.

1. Feed the cast & crew. This is probably the most important thing you can do. A well-fed crew is a happy crew. And a happy crew will put forth more effort. Always have adequate snacks and drinks available. And always break for meals.
2. Don’t keep your actors waiting. Nothing is worse than a bunch of actors standing around doing nothing. Make sure the call times for your actors are at the last possible moment. There’s no need to have your actors on set when you’re still setting the lights and the camera.
3. Pad the schedule. On my call sheets, I always try to pad the schedule. I prepare my cast and crew for a long day, so that when we wrap early, they will go home feeling productive.
4. Don’t lose your cool. Things will go wrong. You will get behind schedule. Someone will frustrate you. However, as director, you need to remain professional. No one wants to work for someone who feels the need to yell at everyone and everything. Respect others and they will respect you.
5. Know how to communicate effectively. Your film is your vision. You have to know how to communicate that vision to your crew and your actors. When you have a director who can’t answer questions about lighting, or what lens to use, or where the camera should be, or where the actors should go, you will have people who feel as though their time is being wasted. Soon you will find that you have lost their respect, because you haven’t prepared. Know what you need, where you need it, and why you need it. A director who can communicate clearly and effectively is a director people will want to work with again.

Here’s to having a happy shoot. Cheers.