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.