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This chapter from my book on independent filmmaking applies more to filmmaking than to videography and digital movie-making. However, some of the techniques might be applicable to both film and video. The first shot is important because the protocol you establish with it may last you the entire production, with surprising effect on the workings of the set and the ultimate completion of your film. Get the right actors into make-up first. You don’t want them doing an actor who won’t be performing their first scene before the afternoon. Don’t do the star just because somebody wants to make a good impression and maybe line up another job for themselves. Do the first actors that will go before the camera first thing. If one actor takes longer to do, say half an hour, or if it’s a prosthetic or whatever, do that first. Don’t get me wrong, if your "star" is in your first scene, obviously do them first! Then after the make-up’s done call the actors to do the first shot. Make sure you pick an "easy shot" to do first. Don’t pick a Master Shot. It might take you all day to rehearse and set it up! The idea is to get your first shot in the can within the first fifteen minutes of the shooting day! If you’re directing a TV show and you don’t get the first shot within the first fifteen minutes you’re going to get fired! Okay, don’t believe me; but, I warned you! You say, "I thought we were talking film, what’s this with directing TV?" You’re right, good point. But remember, if you discipline yourself, you’ll do better, you’ll set a high standard for everybody and things will go smoothly for you on the whole. Let’s say you have a big scene with many actors, a helicopter will land, somebody will get off and a dialogue scene will ensue between two actors. You start by setting up the two-shot (both actors in a medium shot -- approximately waist-high.) You get some dust and wind blowing at your actors (you’ll add the sound of the helicopter later!) and you call for a rehearsal of the scene. Your actors come out of their air-conditioned, dressing room trailers (or out of their beat-up Volkswagen bus) all made-up and ready. You greet them warmly and you ask them to do their lines. You don’t tell them how to do their lines! You let them do their lines the way they came up with them after sweating on them for hours the night before (hopefully not together, right?) If they’re worth their salt as actors, they’re going to give you a pretty good reading on the first day. Establish your authority quickly: "That was great! Let’s do it over again for sound." Turn to your camera crew and sound crew, "Okay, let’s do a walk through of the scene." You excuse yourself from your actors. Walk over to your DP and indicate were the camera goes. Ask the sound person if he or she needs a "level" (sound level reading on the Nagra.) Walk back to your actors. "Let’s walk the scene through for the camera crew, they need to set focus. The helicopter will land over there. You guys come out and walk off to this area where we’re standing now." (The Second Camera Assistant will set marks in the dirt for them later. They’ll proceed to those marks and do the dialogue. The camera will follow their predictable path and maintain a smooth pan or dolly without hesitation and jerkiness of movement in the frame.) You’ll walk them into the scene, as camera and sound crews take note. Then call for a rehearsal, "Okay, this is a rehearsal, and action!" You always say "And action" because you want to impress everyone that you’ve done this before -- just kidding -- because you want to be sensitive towards actors nervousness about beginning a take; so you give them a moment’s notice before you call "action." In some instances you can caress them with the "And." "Aaaaaand, action." Certainly you don’t want to yell in some actor’s ear when they least expect it, "Action!" Make them jump out of their skin and they might punch you! Be sensitive, use psychology, love your actors or just be nice -- it’ll make you a better Director. We’ll talk about this a little later; but, believe me actors are more nervous than crew members, even when they’re a lot more experienced, because it’s they who are on the screen for millions to see. What you do as a crew person is not immediately visible to the audience. Actors sense that and have to be treated differently on the set, especially when the cameras are rolling. When the camera and the mic are in place, go over to the camera and look through the eyepiece and call for another rehearsal. Call "Action." Follow the scene carefully. If it’s at all acceptable, shoot it! Don’t hesitate, fret or try to make it perfect -- just shoot it! Say, "All right let’s do a take." Or, "Let’s give it a whirl." Or, "Let’s roll the cameras." Or, whatever you like. Stand to the right of the camera. The Focus Puller will be standing to the left of it. The focusing knob and all his readouts are usually on that side. "Are we ready ... aaaaand action!" Ah! It’s magic! Your first shot! You picked an easy shot -- just a few lines of dialogue, hopefully, and you’ve pulled it off. At the end of the line yell, "Cut and print!" and walk over to your actors with a smile, "That was great!" Give them a hug. Kiss them. I know, I know, there are exceptions to the above, for example if you’re working with a beautiful actress with a full figure, shall we say, and you throw your arms around her -- after the first take no less .... Just be enthusiastic and show some appreciation. You’re not looking for a sexual harassment suit, are you? (Oh, she doesn’t mind? Oh, okay then ... but, here’s a tip: if you’re going to be European about it and all, then you gonna have to hug everybody, all the time; I mean, are you prepared to go on like that, it’s very time consuming and you’re on low budget, get my drift?) If there was a small mistake in the take, whether a missed word or a technical problem, don’t make a fuss. It’s a two-shot you can do it another time. You can do it after you’ve shot the helicopter scene. Maybe it will even look better when the terrain looks a little more natural in the background after a copter has landed and so on. For now it’s important that you’ve put your first shot in the can within the first fifteen minutes! Later, you might use the Master or an over-the-shoulder or some other shot, don’t worry about the technical quality of the first shot, just do it for establishing a sense of confidence in the workings of your production, for yourself and everyone else concerned. Of course, if the first take is botched from the get-go, call "Cut" immediately and set to shoot again quickly, in order to achieve the exact same end. You don’t want to say, "Great, print it!" if the take is obviously screwed up. Only a moron would do that, and we’re not morons here, are we? All right then, the first shot you choose to do in your first fifteen minutes as Director is the most important shot of the production, so don’t make it hard on yourself and everyone else. I can’t foresee any shooting schedule that won’t allow you to do that. As a rule orchestrate everything so that all the departments can feel a sense of confidence in what they’re about to undertake. |