Production Corner # 5

by Tim Ritter

DIRECTING OVERVIEW

The actual shooting day of your movie looms closer, and everything has come together. The actors and special effects are ready, the script is tightened, and your locations are secure. If you're shooting the movie yourself on digital video, you've practiced with the equipment and you know what you're doing.

As you prepare to helm your project, it occurs to you that you've never directed before. Suddenly you might be asking what exactly a director does. Is it magic? What does it entail? Can anyone do it? And finally you ask yourself...can I do it? Well, the answer is yes, especially if you've come this far, writing your own script and organizing your pet project.

We've all heard and read legendary stories about some of the great directors of all time, whomever they may personally be for you. Whether Steven Spielberg or John Waters inspires you, it all boils down to the same thing, and there's really no wrong way to do it when you get right down to it, especially if you helped conceive the idea or wrote the script you're about to film.

I'll go through some of the responsibilities a director has so you will know what to expect when you step up into the limelight. Again, I'm approaching this like you're doing a small video project for under a few grand and you're relatively new at the game. Sure, you may have studied to do this in film school or watched a lot of movies, but actually getting out there and directing for real is an entirely different experience. True, school and watching movies are very, very helpful for the mechanics of doing your job and finding a style, but let me give you the rules for being a director. Simply put: there are no rules.

First of all, the night before you actually direct, I'd recommend getting as much sleep as possible. I have yet to accomplish this myself, because the day before a shoot is usually a hectic time of phone calls, talking with actors, double-checking locations, and putting together your props. But if at all possible, finish everything early and relax on the night before you plan to shoot. Yes, be ready with everything and know what you plan to shoot, but get some rest. The actual day of filming will probably be very hectic, anywhere from eight to sixteen hours long, with endless questions and problems coming at you from every direction. You will be on your feet the entire time, moving as fast as you can, trying to get things done. So it's important to get as much rest as you can the night before. If you're shooting for several days in a row, or on one of those insane "ten-day shooting schedules," this will be the last time you sleep more than a few hours for a loooong time.

The first thing a no-budget director has to have is a list of things he needs to make the movie. Once your props and effects are all packed and ready to go, I have a list of items that I check off before each day's shoot. These things may seem obvious, but there's nothing worse than arriving at a location where everyone's waiting and beginning to set up only to discover that you didn't pack those blank video tapes you purchased at Walmart the day before. As a matter of fact, they're still sitting there in the bag on your coffee table. Don't laugh, I've seen this happen before, and nothing starts a shoot off worse than looking this inept. Everyone will lose confidence in you real quick.

Here's a basic, standard checklist that I go through and double-check before heading out to film. And yes, I check it every day, even if I'm positive everything is already there. You never know if something got misplaced or lost. You'll be wanting to move as fast as you can once you're on the set, so don't skimp on this chore.

The Checklist:

Video Camera (s)
Extra Lenses (Wide Angle)
Blank Video Tapes (at least four)
Power Cables
A/C adapter for camera (s)
Filters/Filter Mounts
Tripod (s)
Baby Tripod
Battery Chargers for camera battery (with cigarette lighter input if possible)
Extra Camera Batteries, fully charged (2 or 3 if possible)
Batteries (all kinds, depending on equipment you have, AAA, AA, etc.)
Power Strips
Foam Core Boards/Tinfoil (for light reflection)
Four 500 Watt Lights (halogen)
Two 250 Watt Lights (halogen)
Tripods and Mounts for lights
Clamps for lighting
Plexiglas Camera Cover
Lens and camera cleaning kit (includes dust blower and lens cleaners)
Video Camera Video Cables for audio and video inputs
Color Video Monitor (batteries, a/c cord)
Gaffer's Tape, Electrical Tape, Masking Tape
Clap Board (Slate), Chalk, Rag
Pens, Bottled Water
Extra Bulbs for lighting gear
Location Contracts
Actor Release Forms (needed for any extras you use as well)
Script Notation Sheets/Script/Pages to Shoot
Extra Fuses
Still Camera Loaded With Film
Sound Gear (wireless)
Extra Microphones and Cords/Boom Pole
Head Phones
Screwdrivers, Hammer, and Tool Kit
Address Book with phone numbers of everyone involved

These are the essentials you'll have to have ready every day. And this is in addition to the props, wardrobe, and special effects that you also have to organize, or hopefully have other people working on. (I've done it both ways, and it's much easier to have other like-minded individuals assisting you with all this. It can get overwhelming!)

Once all the stuff on the list is assembled, you're ready to do the directing gig. Simply take the script pages (usually 5-10 pages a day) that you plan to shoot and read them over. If you have storyboards drawn up, you're ahead of the game. Basically, you're trying to figure out how you're going to tell the story. You're deciding on your shots before you get on the set, and ideally, you've already visited the location several times to get ideas about camera angles and where you want to set things up.

Storyboards are comic book-style drawings that some directors use to show the cast and crew what he or she plans to shoot and how. They are really helpful for special effects and stunt scenes. In those cases, you most definitely should use storyboards if you can. Also, if you have a second unit director (someone shooting other scenes while you're shooting the main portion of the movie), it's great to have storyboards drawn up so that person knows what you're looking for. Even if it's just establishing shots, having a sketch for framing purposes is a good idea. You want everything to cut together perfectly.

We all know that Alfred Hitchcock storyboarded his entire movies, and that worked for him. Once the movies were storyboarded, he'd say his job was done, because the rest of the shoot was boring for him, just putting people through the paces. There's nothing wrong with his style, some directors like to do it that way, others prefer to have more flexibility on the set with making spur-of-the moment decisions.

Either way, storyboards are a great learning experience, because part of being a director is seeing things in blocks, filming little pieces of things, and being able to envision in your mind how everything will cut together. Movies are filmed completely out of order and seeing those storyboards in order before you shoot is very helpful. It's just not practical to shoot a movie in order, simply because when you're at one location, you want to get everything that takes place there shot while you're there, even if the scenes are spread throughout the script. You also have to make concessions for actors, shooting around their various schedules.

So if you're a good artist, you might want to do extensive storyboards to keep everything on track. Even if you're a bad artist, I've seen directors (like me!) do stick figure drawings on index cards to get the shots they want and not get lost in the chaos of the shoot. Again, I would say storyboards are a necessity for heavy special effects scenes or action scenes where there's a lot of insert (close-up) shots needed. The last thing you want to do is come up shorthanded in the editing room.

And that's pretty much the job of any director: to keep things moving and get all the necessary shots to tell the story. Simply put, you block the action for the actors, position the camera angles to capture all the action, make sure everyone's saying their lines to your satisfaction, and get as much coverage (various camera angles) as you can. You do this until you're satisfied that you've "captured" every angle you'll need to convey the scene. And you have to do all of this as fast as you can, because time (and money) are on the line. The higher your budget is, the more pressure there is on the director to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible, because everyone is being paid and time is money. Also, the more people you have on your crew, the more problems you'll have to help solve in every department. (You'll see a million faces asking you a barrage of endless questions: where do you want the camera placed? how do I say this line? can the microphone be here? can the power cords be here or there? how long is this scene going to take? what time do you need the effect? and on and on it goes...)

So the key is knowing how you want to shoot each and every scene, well before you get to the set. Generally speaking, there are only so many ways to capture the essence of a sequence. You put the actors through their marks (making them do their actions and say their dialogue) and film a MASTER SHOT of the scene. This is simply a WIDE SHOT that encompasses as much of the scene that you want to get in the picture. Then you go to your CLOSE-UPS of each actor as they repeat the same actions over and over again. Make sure that your actors do EXACTLY THE SAME thing for each take, otherwise it'll be a mess in editing, with many continuity errors. (We all know about these, where things like glasses and cigarettes and any small prop seem to move by themselves with each cut back and forth, simply because actors did different things in each take.)

Then you can get INSERT SHOTS (which are known as EXTREME CLOSE-UPS) of things that you think will enhance the scene or make it flow better. (For example, a TIGHT SHOT of an actor's hand holding a weapon or CUTAWAYS to various props or set dressings in the room might be necessary for the scene or help you avoid jump cuts and continuity errors in editing. Filmmakers like Dario Argento like to film macro close-ups of actor's eyeballs or expressions for cutaways; this is where your creativity comes in. Anything can be a cutaway---closeup of an actor exhaling smoke, smiling, laughing, or even fidgeting fingers on a desk top.)

All these things are YOUR decision as director and will ultimately affect how your movie comes out. This is where you find your style, how you tell your story. That's why it's a good idea to take your script before you're on the set and think through everything you want to shoot. You simply write down the angles you want in your script (these are called script notes) or you can draw them out in some kind of storyboard fashion.

For example, two characters are sitting across from one another at a desk, chatting. How do you want to shoot this scene? In a Master Shot, then going in for close-ups on each actor to cut back and forth? (This is how most television shows do it.) Or do you want to shoot it documentary style, with the camera handheld, whipping back and forth as each actor speaks? Is there a certain line where you want to make some kind of emphasis by shooting a tight close-up of the actor's lips speaking the words...through gritted teeth? What kind of lighting do you want on this scene? Harsh? Shadowy? Grainy? Full on? Blue gelled? Maybe you want to shoot the scene through a window, like someone's spying on these two, eavesdropping...Or maybe you want to do a "dolly" shot, where the camera slowly circles the desk. (And here you'll have to plan to have the "dolly" rig on the set, whether it's a homemade contraption or a wheelchair standing in for a substitute!)

Doesn't matter, the important thing is to decide way in advance how you plan to "capture" the sequence on video, and stick to it. The exception to this rule is if you're shooting a documentary type of movie and want that "this-is-really-happening-and-was-not-planned" flavor. But generally, you'll want to plan every shot and write down what you want to tape way in advance so you don't get sidetracked or forget about it. This is especially important if you are operating the camera because you'll have a million things on your mind (like lighting, focus, and sound) and these notes will help keep you on track.

Some directors are very firm with their actors and demand that they say every line from the script exactly as it was written. Other directors love to let the actors "seize the day" and do a little improvising with the material and see what comes of it. Either way is fine, and the more you direct, the more you'll decide what works best for you. Throughout the shoot, you'll discover your style and what works best for you in telling the story. And you'll begin to have fun!

A lot of directors wonder how many takes they should do of a scene before moving on. In my experience, if there's not an effect problem or someone flubbing their lines, I've always found the first and third takes to be the best. Anything after those are so similar to each other that it's ridiculous, and it wastes a lot of time sifting through this material in editing. If the first take is absolutely perfect in your judgment, that's great. But I'd always advise at least doing one more for backup, because you never know about things like tape glitches and audio problems. (And have someone monitoring that audio at all times!)

Another thing to consider is actor's performances suffer if they do a scene too many times. If you're on take number fifteen, chances are your talent is having some problems, so it might be best to take a little breather and then come back to the scene. If an actor is frustrated, annoyed, uncomfortable, or upset, it's going to show in the performance.

A word to no-budget moviemakers: take advantage of ideas and opportunities that might come your way while shooting. It's always better to have the improvise and adapt attitude rather than writing everything in stone and refusing to deviate from it no matter what. The screenplay is only a blueprint for what you will ultimately end up with as a finished product, and even if you write down all the shots you need to get, don't be afraid to deviate from them a little bit or to try different things on the set. For instance, if there's a huge fish tank in the room that you hadn't noticed before and you get the idea that shooting part of the scene through the tank might be cool, don't be afraid to try it (as long as you're on schedule). This is part of the creative fun of being a director.

Beware when viewing your dailies, especially if you are directing a script that you wrote. When you first see your movie coming to life, it won't look (or sound) anything like you first envisioned it. The imagination has a perfect clarity and quality that is impossible to totally capture on film or video, especially with limited time and resources. Even the finished movie is usually only about 60% of what you originally intended (and that's if you're lucky), but don't let that stop you. It's all part of this strange, creative process. Just make sure everything is in the takes that you need, the essentials to tell the story, and keep moving.

Directing is a lot of talking, of telling actors where to stand and what marks to hit (that's where your masking tape comes into good use) and how best to capture their actions and dialogue over and over again. As an indie filmmaker, you'll probably have to be placing the lights in certain areas and taping down power cords so people don't trip over them. Video is pretty simple to light and there are many good books in the library and in the bookstore on this subject. It's also easy to experiment (and very cheap!) once you have the equipment. As long as you like what you see and it isn't too grainy (unless that's what you want), it's pretty simple. I wouldn't shoot things too dark, though. Keep in mind that you'll be editing this stuff down to different formats and picture degradation will occur, so anything you can do to lessen this problem is wise.

The way you operate your set should be fairly straight forward. You set up the lights and the camera angles. You talk to your actors, getting them to run through their action and dialogue a few times while you set up. You make sure the lighting is good. You fine-tune any action or dialogue that needs it. And you shoot your scene with a Master Shot and then in various close-up pieces so it can all be edited together as fluidly as possible later on. It's that simple, really.

There's all different kinds of directors, so don't try to be something you're not. Do the best you can to tell the story and utilize your strongpoints. If you come from a technical background, give that area all you have. Some of the most successful directors of all time, like Roger Corman and William Castle, didn't really talk to their actors that much at all. They just moved them around like chess pieces, more concerned with the elements, story, and props.

If you are a strong people person and have done a lot of acting, you'll be able to do more with the actors and concentrate on getting good performances out of them. Use these skills to your advantage, and keep in mind that with each project, you'll learn more and more. Hopefully, the more movies you make, the better you'll get at it.

Think of Sam Raimi. He started out with The Evil Dead, concentrating on wild camera moves and extremely gory action. Who knew that a decade and a half later he'd be doing things like A Simple Plan, where the entire movie hinges on the strong performances of the actors.

My point is, there's no wrong way to direct as long as you are able to tell the story and make a connection with the audience. Here's some more tips:

A.) Don't overwork people, especially if they aren't being paid. Have breaks so everyone can get their energy back and don't forget to have lots of lovely beverages around that have caffeine. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner is imperative as well. And if everyone's working for free, you should definitely be footing the food bill!

B.) If someone is doing something wrong (an actor or crew member), take them aside and talk with them. Don't reprimand them in front of everyone else, otherwise you'll lose everyone's respect. And keep a lowkey atmosphere, not yelling and screaming like a tyrant. You'll get what you need with kindness way easier than being a hollering, red-faced fool.

C.) Record at least five minutes of "ambient sound" (that's total silence) at each location. You may need this sound in editing if you have to overlay dialogue or use insert shots that were filmed somewhere else. Every room has a different and distinguishable tone at various times of the day and people will pick up on the sound changes if you don't do this. Also, when filming takes, don't let people talk in the background and don't play any music in the background for any reason. Even if it's music you have permission to use, it's easier to add it in postproduction.

D.) After you say "action," train your actors not to actually start the action or dialogue until after they've done a five or ten second count in their heads. As a matter of fact, it's a good practice on video to say, "Action after ten..." in order to keep everyone in this frame of mind. Why? It helps to have that extra space in editing, especially with dialogue. If an actor starts speaking right after you say action, it's going to be tough to clip it that close, and if they jump the gun too close to when you said "action," you might have a hard time getting the tail end of the word "action" off the audio track---especially if you talked over each other. Even with action scenes, it gives you more freedom to cut the scenes fluidly if you have an extra ten seconds (300 frames) before the "action" really begins!

E.) Speaking of speaking, never let actors run over each other's lines in any takes. Otherwise, it will be impossible to edit the scene if you want to cut back and forth between all your takes cohesively. And slate everything when possible---it'll be much easier to find and log later on down the line.

F.) Follow the 180 degree rule at all times during every take. I know a lot of television shows and MTV programs deliberately break this rule and call it "stylistic," but to me, it still looks like an error, or a jump cut, when it's used. (The 180-degree rule is simply keeping your camera positions on the same side, usually right or left, in any given scene. This preserves the screen direction, and a lot of confusion, in editing.) In my early movies, I broke this rule all the time and couldn't understand why some of my scenes looked so "jumpy" and "disoriented" until I read up on this!

There's really no way to simply read about how to become a decent director, you just get out there and start doing it. But keeping some of these basics in mind and incorporating them into your style will definitely help you get what you need that much more quickly...and efficiently!