Building Your Career

What are three suggestions in this article for beginning your career in the industry? How can an internship help?

1. Apply for an intership

An internship can be a great opportunity for a beginning filmmaker to gain experience in the field. Although internship programs for major studios are highly competitive, challenging yourself to those positions can bring great benefits. While these internships are considered more of a training rather than an occupation, these experiences can leave you with valuable connections for future employment.

2. Work as a Production Assistant

Responsibilities as a PA does not require a significant amount of skill to be performed. However, because this position requires a running around in different sections of production, it becomes a good overview of how a production is made. With a little enthusiasm and a good attitude, the position as a PA can help you rise up the latter in "no time."

3. Become an Assistant Editor

Although this position is considered entry-level, it requires you to have a certain amount of education and experience in editing. A job as a assistant editor may consist many cuts and edits created to help the main editor "simply sit down and begin cutting."

How a TV show gets made

What are three ways that television production is different thank feature film production? What did you find interesting about this process?

Television production is very different in that it requires one to be heavily constrained by time, requires distribution to television networks, and allows them to broadcast their show through different services. Time constraints make the writing of the script much more faster paced compared to a blockbuster movie. In a span of one blockbuster movie being made, a writer for a tv production can write thirteen 45 minute episodes. A show can be finished from a couple weeks to a couple hours before the show is aired. Once the entire episode is finished, the episode must get distributed to broadcasters around the country. While movie screenings have the movie theater to distribute their movie, tv episodes have different services to choose from to air their show. including Cable, Network TV, and streaming. I found it interesting that they were able to finish an entire episode in such as short amount of time. The writer must write quickly, the editors much make the final cut efficiently, and the production team needs to work together to meet those due dates.

Who Owns the Media

How do you think most of the media in the world being owned by just six companies affect our world? What are the pro's and cons of so few owning so much?

Because most of the media is owned by just six companies, they are able to dictate a large portion of the socially accepted idea. They have the ability to maneuver the public into having a certain political stance on a subject. Therefore, the audience is more susceptible to incorrect information. Corruption can also occur when such a small number owns the entire media. Some pros of this is that they can provide a greater global reach for smaller, newer companies. This allows more opportunities for upcoming companies to reach a wider audience. However, there are cons to this practice. With very few owning the media, it causes them to become "sluggish oligopolies," creating limited competition among these media companies.

EPK Director/Producer

How is an EPK Director/Producer's role different from a traditional film director or producer? What are some of their responsibilities on a production?

Compared to a traditional film director or a producer, an EPK Director/Producers are in charge of the creating behind the scenes, documentaries, an extras for the DVD release of the main film. On production of their film, they must shoot effective b-roll that enhances the story to better communicate the main film. They will choose specific days in which many cast members are on set. In order to film interviews, they must schedule with the cast and crew. They must also keep in mind that interviews must be close to the set as possible. Proper lighting and audio must be acknowledged for the interviews. They are responsible to create the film up to two months in advance to the premiere.

Lighting Technicians

Why are lighting technicians so important? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

Lighting technicians are important because they are responsible for how the subject is lit and assisting with the power supply. One of the most important responsibilities include directing the Gaffer and the Best Boy to coordinate their creative vision. This creative vision for lighting must be tested beforehand in what is known to be the lighting tests. During these lighting tests and on the day of shoot, the lighting technicians will be using equipment such as light bulbs, traces, and filters to create their desired effect. Angles and positions in which the subject is lit also needs to be in consideration because the effect lighting has on the subject varies with these components.

1st Assistant Director

Why is the 1st Assistant Director so important? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The first Assistant Director is important because they decide how the scenes are shot and how those scenes are put in order through the collaboration with the director. Their primary role in the production is assisting the director through their supervision of the production members. They manage the communication between the director and the crew so the director will not be overwhelmed with abundance of communication and is able to work with the specific crew members he or she wishes to direct. During the preproduction phase, the Assistant Director must create a shooting schedule, keeping in mind the time and budget constraints. This shooting schedule is vital to the day of the shooting because the AD must be able to keep the entire cast and crew working within the schedule. They also decide what kind of shots are necessary through the creation of storyboards and organization of desired props.

Production Sound Mixer

Why is the Production Sound Mixer so important? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The Production Sound Mixer important because they make sure the dialog recorded during filming is clear by working closely with the boom operator. Their biggest challenge in location is the unwanted noise. They must be able to choose the appropriate microphone for the occasion to avoid unwanted audio. This choice is also necessary when the camera position required for the shot obstructs the traditional microphone position. Furthermore, it is their job to communicate with various departments (costume, visual effects, producer, director) to achieve their creative vision. Once the decision is made, the Production Sound Mixer must listen to the audio off set to check for any imperfections. During the post production phase, they are responsible for the audio recording if the scene requires music. They will then proceed to send the audio files to post production to be edited into the film.

The Role of a Production Designer

Why is the Production Designer role so important? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The Production Designer's role is important because they manage all of the visual aspects of a film. They are a in a key position that requires them to work closely with the director and the producer regarding the budget and the schedule. During the preproduction phase, they must look over the script in order to estimate the budget necessary to effectively communicate the story. (budget for location, props, costumes, etc.) The production designer must design the backdrop that aligns with the scene and overall story. It is also the production designer's job to consider whether or not CGI should be implemented into the film. In addition to this preproduction planning, the production designers must create design sketches to the Art Director. This becomes the basis in which the Construction Department builds their sets. Furthermore, it is one of the most important jobs of the production designer to manage time scheduling and money management.

The director of photography

Why is the director of photography role so important in a film? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The director of photography is important in a film because they are the ones that provide the creative vision to the film. They are in charge of all of the visual aspects, or mise en scene, of the film. Their main role in the production is to assign specific looks to the scene using lighting, framing, camera movement, and other creative elements necessary to achieve the desired look. They must work with the director hand-in-hand to discuss the visual style of the film. In order to obtain this discussed style, specific lenses must be chosen, proper equipment must be prepared, and the framing of the shot must be planned beforehand. However, the work of the DoP does not end in the production phase. During post production, the DoP must supervise the digital grading of the film. They will also play a part in distributing the film, helping to promote the film for its success.

Chain of Command on Set

What are 3 key pieces of advice this presenter gives about the chain of command? Why is it so important?

1. log information

Properly slating a shot is very important to the production. Everyone on set needs to make sure that a shot is properly slated. This requires people on set to acknowledge a sync point, whether that be in an audio form or a visual form. If a proper slating is not done at the beginning, it must be informed to be slated at the tail of the shot.

2. spot problems

Anyone can spot problems. As previously mentioned, if there are problems regarding slating, someone must make sure that it is corrected. Safety is also a concern when coming to spotting problems. On a film set, it is important that all problems spotted are reported. Everyone should keep their eyes open for any problems.

3. communicate

Crew members must communicate with each other to solve these previously mentioned problems. Higher up positions should have full and direct communication with whoever they wish to communicate with. Details and notes must be acknowledged fully to address the problem. However, one must make sure that communication is done at the proper time, at the proper location.

The Role of the Director

Why is the directors role so important in a film? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The director of the film needs to be able to translate the script into actual images on a screen. They are responsible for developing a artistic vision for the entire project, appointing effective cast and crew members, and controlling the technical aspects of the film such as camera movement. The director must also be involved in the post production; the director must work closely with the editor in order to achieve perfected final cut. Furthermore, the director is also responsible for managing the budget of the film and making sure the project is realistic within the given conditions. Overall, the director is responsible for the entire project's success or failure.

Departments on Set

What department on set interests you? If you had to choose a job in filmmaking, what would it be? Why?

From the list of various jobs on a film set, I am interested in becoming a director of photography / cinematographer, colourist, and a film editor. Out of these, I am most interested in becoming a film editor. I love the process of physically seeing a project come together before my eyes as a single project. Being able to work with the director and piecing together shots sound like an interesting position to be in. I will also be interested in becoming a colourist for a film. The first editing software I have ever downloaded had a strong emphasis on their color grading feature. Being able to create a cinematic shot out of a flat image is a crucial process to the post production.

The Producers Role

Why is the producers role so important in a film? What are some of their responsibilities on the movie crew?

The producer's role is important to a film because they must choose who to cast and who to assign as crew in order to construct a successful project. To do so, the producer must first select an effective story in the preproduction phase, find locations that would be effective for the shoot, dictate the production team to run smoothly, and finance the distribution of the finished film. The producer usually does not fully involve in all four phases of film production. (preproduction, production, post production, and distribution) However, with the help of the crew chosen by the producer, he or she is able to produce a successful film. In addition, producers also must secure the safety of their cast members. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, they are obligated to prepare health and safety procedures for the workplace.

Who's who on a movie crew

Why are there so many different jobs on a movie crew? What is one job that you learned about in this video that you'd never heard of. Why might it seem interesting?

There are various types of jobs on a movie crew because people who are specialized in specific districts are necessary in order to perfect a production. I learned about the gaffer for the first time through this video. They're role in the production is to design the lighting for the setting and execute the plan on set. It might seem interesting to become a gaffer on set because different light designs make all the difference for a scene. Being able to create different moods from different lighting designs seems like an interesting job to have on set.

Before Action!

In your own words, write a paragraph on what needs to be called on set before what and explain why it is so important. Refer to the Production Process slides if needed.

Some things that need to be called before "action!" are "pictures up," "roll sound" or "rolling," "sound speeds," "camera speeds," slate number, and "set." It is important to call such things before the call of action because it allows everyone to make sure they are on the same page. If one of those calls fail, it becomes a clear indication of which crew members are not ready. Without these calls, the director may accidentally roll the scene without knowing that a certain portion of the film is not ready. The actors may not have been able to settle in, or people on set may not know that a scene is rolling. It is important that everyone on set knows when a scene is rolling because the crew members may cause an unintended interruption without the notice.

shot v.s. setup

What is the main difference between a shot vs. a set up? What is the most important thing to keep in mind when you're going to shoot a scene?

A setup is a configuration of the lighting, props, set dressing, and actors all combined to create a desired shot. On the other hand, a shot is the entire aesthetic of the scene, including angles, movement, and other aspects of camera techniques used express emotion and ideas. It is important to keep in mind that some shots are able to be taken in the same lighting set up, even if the camera angle or the point of focus is different. This can allow time efficiency on set, thus eliminating unnecessary set movements in a turnaround. This may make the shots out of order. However, by avoiding complete turnarounds, time used to change the lighting is drastically cut short.

Pre-Production Wrap Up

What surprised you in the pre-production presentation? What are two questions you still have about preproduction? What is one thing you learned from the presentation? Why is it important?

I was surprised that the storyboard and the shot lists were both very different things, and that both were necessary for the preproduction process. Before, I only knew about storyboards, and thought they were completely sufficient by themselves to prepare for filming. However, through the presentation, I learned that shot lists were equally as important because it became a baseline for what the shots are supposed to look like in a sentence format. 

How do I storyboard something if it is a long tracking shot?

How do I create an effective story for a film?

I learned the importance of a pitching from the presentation. Pitching is a crucial step to preproduction because it allows the creator to get feedback on their idea in a constructive manner. Even if the originally presented idea needs some work, the feedback the group gets from their audience will only improve their script.

shot list basics

What is a shot list? Why is it so important?

A shot list is a list of every shot planned to be taken the future production process, scene by scene. One must imagine all of the necessary shots for the story to be communicated to the audience. This will identify what kind of shot will be taken: angles (low, high, over the shoulder, etc.), framing (wide, closeup, etc.) blocking, lighting, and camera movement. This preproduction process will make the actual day of the shoo much easier and more time efficient. Without a shot list, you will be taking up people's time and money.