The script breakdown sheet is the single most important production form during this phase because all future reference and production work will be based on it. Anything missing in the breakdown sheet is likely to be missed during the shoot on the set, and thus will be missed on the screen. It [...]]]>

The script breakdown sheet is the single most important production form during this phase because all future reference and production work will be based on it. Anything missing in the breakdown sheet is likely to be missed during the shoot on the set, and thus will be missed on the screen. It is essential that the utmost care be taken during this step of production. The Production Manager creates a separate breakdown sheet for each scene in the screenplay. Eventually, the number of breakdown sheets must equal the number of scenes in the screenplay.

1. Date of current screenplay version.

To minimize confusion, it is important to distinguish the breakdown sheets for various versions of the screenplay. A screenplay often can go through many drafts and revisions. All these revisions must be evaluated, new breakdown pages drawn up, and old ones replaced. Previous breakdown sheets should be put aside when the new pages are available for replacement.

2. Date when breakdown sheet is written.

If a development period extends over a period of time (certainly the case on most projects-sometimes years are required to put together financing), it is helpful to know when the script breakdown was prepared. This date serves as a safeguard but may be omitted (it will appear on budget forms).

3. Name of production company

Also included here should be the names and telephone numbers of those who will handle any problems that arise.

4. Title and number of production.

On a television series, such as a weekly sitcom, single episodes are frequently given numbers in addition to titles. In theatrical motion pictures, though, production numbers are uncommon. When the production manager is working on different projects at the same time, this information becomes crucial.

5. Breakdown sheet page number.

This information helps confirm that the breakdown is complete.

6. Scene number.

The importance of numbering scenes extends into the whole organization of a production, from start to final mix. Some screenwriters do not care to number their screenplays. In this case, the PM or production secretary must do it. Without scene numbers, no further work on the production makes sense because all planning and cross-referencing are determined by scene numbers. Never change these numbers! Even when new scenes are added or old ones are deleted, use the numbering system already established. Label new scenes by adding A, B, C, and so on. For example, scene 23A would be the correct number for a new scene that follows scene 23. When scenes are deleted, just make a note, such as “Scene 23 deleted”.

7. Name of location or set where scene takes place.

This does not mean the name of the site where filming will be done. It describes The setting of the scene in the context of the screenplay’s story line, not in the context of production logistics. The name of the setting must be identical to the name used in the screenplay. If the screenplay states “mansion”, for example, this is the term that should be used on the breakdown sheet. This consistency cuts down on confusion in later planning. The description should be as precise as possible. For example, “fireplace/living room” is clearer than just “living room” or “fireplace”.

8. Interior or exterior.

This information defines where the scene is to be shot, whether at an inside or outside location. The location will have consequences for planning and scheduling, and thus this information is important. Even if the dialogue or content of the scene makes clear where it takes place, this data must be part of the breakdown sheet heading to avoid confusion. The Production Manager sometimes must clarify the precise location with the screenwriter or director. For example, “front door” could mean that the scene is being shot from the inside looking out or from the outside looking in. From the standpoint of logistics and organization, this could mean a big difference and could result in different time schedules.

9. Scene description.

In this portion of the breakdown sheet, the PM describes in a few sentences the action or activity that takes place in the scene. This serves as a reminder of the content and scope of the scene and makes unnecessary the constant rereading of the screenplay.

10. Day or night.

This indicates the time of day during which the scene takes place. It does not necessarily mean that the scene must be shot at that particular time of day. For example, a scene designated “INT DAY” or “INT NIGHT” can be shot at any time of day, provided no windows on the set or location reveal the actual time of day. In an artificially lit, windowless room, a night scene can be shot during daytime, of course, because the difference cannot be ascertained visually. If the screenplay does not clearly indicate when a scene is to take place, the PM must clarify this with the author or the director as soon as possible.

11. Page count.

This section of the breakdown sheet indicates the length of the scene in the screenplay. Each screenplay page is divided into eighths. The page count is not an absolutely reliable method of determining the length of the actual shooting of the scene. A scene only one-eighth of a page long might take days to shoot if

it involves a complicated military action, for example, and a scene of seven-anda- half pages, consisting of a simple stream-of-consciousness monologue, might be shot in two hours. However, experience shows that the page count usually serves as a workable indication of the production effort needed to get the scene “in the camera”.

12. Cast.

Here, the PM lists all speaking parts that appear in the scene, whether big or small. The parts may also be numbered, starting with “1″ for the leads and continuing with lesser parts. It is helpful to mark the parts played by minors (those under 18 years of age) by either adding “M” or noting the actors’ ages in brackets. Minors require special treatment during shooting, and this has a direct effect on scheduling and logistics.

13. Stunts.

Because stunt work is usually rather time-consuming, a reminder about stunts that must be performed is important here for planning. Also listed should be those who will perform and direct the stunts.

14. Extras/atmosphere.

In this section, the PM lists all general extras required (such as for a crowd scene) and divides them into categories: male, female, juvenile male, juvenile female. The PM also indicates how many minors, if any, are needed. Generally, this information is determined in cooperation with the director.

15. Extras/silent bits.

Included in this category are all extras who must perform in such a way that they stand out from the general extras-for example, a waiter serving a drink without speaking. Should the waiter have a line, the character would be listed under “Cast”. Here again, the number, sex, and perhaps age of these extras should be noted.

16. Security and teachers.

This portion of the breakdown sheet serves as a reminder of when a scene requires additional personnel. Although security people and teachers do not appear in front of the camera, extra attention (and expense) is required when they are necessary. Teachers are always mandatory when shooting with minors, and security personnel may be needed under certain circumstances, such as crowd control, work with explosives, and so on. The conditions that, by law, require the presence of private security are well defined. In this section, the PM also lists fire marshals, children’s guardians, nurses, first-aid personnel, and military security, if applicable. For out-of-state productions, local laws must be checked and observed.

17. Special effects.

Here, the PM indicates all the special effects the scene requires, including optical, mechanical, pyrotechnic, and makeup effects. All special effects, especially when executed on the set during the actual shooting, require extra time and preparation, and thus careful scheduling. Digital effects to be finished during postproduction frequently require special care and attention during the original shoot. These may be time-consuming in preparation and execution and a SFX supervisor most likely will be on the location to make sure everything will fit together later on.

18. Props, set dressing, greenery.

This section lists all items that are part of the scene and will be seen. Props are Items used by an actor or extra, such as a book a character reads, puts down on a table, and picks up later. Special care must be taken of props that are part of the plot and are used by actors. Frequently, more than one of the same prop must be available in case it becomes damaged. Set dressing refers to items that decorate a set and will not be moved, such as books on a library shelf. Once a set has been dressed, unless the story line makes changes necessary, the set dressing usually remains untouched. Greenery describes all plants not part of the original location.

19. Vehicles and animals.

All vehicles seen on screen, the so-called picture cars, are listed here. Cars used as production vehicles or for transportation of equipment are not included. Working with animals can be unpredictable, so the PM may have to arrange for special time allowances. Also, some animals are more difficult to handle than others. Dogs tend to be easy; cats and birds can be difficult. For most animals, an extra animal handler may be needed to guide the animal through the action. This person also might be mentioned under Security/teachers”. In all matters that require special knowledge, the PM should not hesitate to talk to experts-special effects people, animal handlers, heads of departments, and so on.

20. Wardrobe.

Only those pieces of clothing that stand out from the general wardrobe and that require special attention belong here. This includes items that may get damaged, stained, or wet, and that must be replaced to maintain continuity.

21. Estimated number of setups.

This section has special importance because it describes the number of different camera setups the director needs to cover the scene. The coverage may vary greatly from director to director. Each new camera setup usually means moving the equipment around, relighting the set or location, and restaging the action of actors. All this is very time-consuming and affects the speed and economy of the production. Thus, the number of setups determines the amount of finished, usable film at the end of a shooting day. Getting a grip on the working style of the director and the DP, who lights the set, is one of the production manager’s most important activities.

22. Estimated production time.

Using the information on the breakdown sheet, the PM estimates how long the production of the scene will take, from the crew’s arrival at the location to its departure. It includes time spent unloading, positioning, and hooking up the equipment; shooting the various setups; and wrapping. The length of time required for these tasks is very difficult to estimate because particular circumstances of location, access to the shooting site, amount of equipment needed, and number of actors to be prepared in wardrobe and costume make each scene different. As a rule of thumb, however (and use this guideline with caution), it takes one hour to set up equipment and lights and to get the location in shape for filming; it takes slightly less to wrap. The PM should walk the location with the director and the DP and talk over each and every detail. This is the only reliable way of predicting how long it will take to shoot a given scene.

23. Special equipment.

This section serves as a reminder of any special equipment needed for the scene-that is, any equipment that will be rented for just one scene, rather than the entire shooting period. Examples include Steadicams, special cranes, and camera helicopters.

24. Production notes.

The final space on the breakdown sheet is where the PM lists anything of special importance to the production. For example, this might be a comment that the scene is a flashback and requires period props and wardrobe or that special contacts are required. In other words, the PM notes here anything out of the ordinary. If a still photographer will be used only for certain scenes and days of the production, this fact can be mentioned. One more person on the set requires one more meal, for example, and in this case additional time must be scheduled so the photographer can take publicity stills.

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Stage 1: Planning The first stage of making a movie is centred on getting the film developed as much as possible before you start shooting. Substantial changes during shooting are expensive and disrupt continuity, or worse can result in a discordant and messy film. Good planning means that when you start shooting you go through a [...]]]>

Stage 1: Planning
The first stage of making a movie is centred on getting the film developed as much as possible before you start shooting. Substantial changes during shooting are expensive and disrupt continuity, or worse can result in a discordant and messy film. Good planning means that when you start shooting you go through a smoother process. You will encounter surprises and have to make changes here and there, but planning means you encounter more of the right sort of surprises and know how to solve the less welcome ones. The aim is to let your ideas grow and develop to a point at which you know every aspect of the project better than anyone else. You know the relative significance of each part of the story, the kinds of motifs and ideas that are running through it, and the kind of atmosphere that is to dominate.

In a sense, when you commit your ideas to paper you are taking them out of the comforting darkness of the imagination, where you don’t notice the loose ends and rough structure of a film, and exposing them to light. Some aspects of your ideas survive, some don’t, but it is better that the project changes now than later. Work on paper is cheap but work on film is expensive. An hour of scriptwriting can save you a day of shooting and a week of editing later in the process.

Visual blueprints
In planning your film you will make detailed written and visual blueprints of how the film will look and sound from the first to the last moment. Step 1 involves a written outline in the form of a short story. Even if your film does not rely on plot at all, you need basically and simply to write down all the scenes that you envisage in the order that you think they may occur. Getting to that stage may involve noting down all the elements of the film and producing several different versions of an outline. This rough draft we can call a treatment. Following that, you will produce a range of material which will trace the steps you take as you develop and grow the film.

Early visualizations
If you have ever found yourself doodling with a pen and paper then you will have some idea of what this stage of work involves. To some people what you draw when doodling is a true reflection of the natural inclinations of your mind; some people draw closed-in little boxes, tightly stuck together, others draw blossoming spirals or crystal-like structures. It doesn’t take a certificate in psychology to work out the meanings of the things we find ourselves drawing; what you are doing is reflecting the current inner architecture of your thoughts, not the thoughts themselves as such but the shape they take. Whatever your doodles look like – dark and angular, bold and bright – these can be viewed as potential design notes for a film. Of course, this is only relevant if you are determined to find and display your own personal world view, as opposed to following the needs of a client or audience focus group.
In a practical sense, what you are doing when drawing visualizations is a long set of small sketches, perhaps each the size of a cigarette packet. Each one is a quick outline of a possible scene from the film.
These are drawn in no particular order, but the order you draw them does say something about the relative importance of each to you. Each sketch should be quick and uncomplicated, showing the main elements in the shot and hinting at the kind of light in the frame. The aim is not to correct them or judge them in any way until you’ve gone through the whole exercise, with as many frames as possible on paper. Following this, you can then start to group your sketches together and compare the overall style of each frame.

Storyboard
The storyboard is used to explain the detail of the visual side of the film to a crew and allow those people working on a film to plan essential equipment and work schedules effectively. Working on a low budget with just yourself and a few friends does not excuse you from this process; it offers a chance to refine both the look and structure of your film and pare it down, stripping it of elements that divert from the idea, making it a project that fulfils the specific aims you had in mind right at the start.
In preparing a storyboard, you will draw frames on one vertical column of the paper with corresponding dialogue, notes or sound written next to it. This document is the most detailed visual and written description of the whole film, the single blueprint that you try to stick to throughout the shooting process.
Although storyboarding was rigidly adhered to by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, for the most part it is simply the most accurate plan you have at this point, ready to be challenged and altered during filming.

Script
In films where you have a story, a script is going to be the only way to prepare it and iron out the inconsistencies. Even in films where there are no speaking roles you may find it useful to prepare a script showing only director’s notes, as it gives yet another opportunity to hone your idea, add to it or subtract.
The importance of each stage of planning is relative to the sort of film you are making. Abstract,
theme-based movies will demand more consideration of visual aspects, while character studies with intense dialogue will need more attention paid to the script. All films, however, need to go through an intense period of planning in order to emerge fully formed before a camera starts showing up the faults.

Stage 2: Shooting
Shooting is to some a time where the film takes on a whole life of its own, to others a simple regurgitation of a paper storyboard. In practical terms, it seems simple enough: plan out a series of shots, go and shoot them just as you planned on paper, tick off the scenes one by one and go home. In an ideal situation this is more or less what happens, but since this is an art form it is natural to assume that the creative process continues throughout the project, through planning, shooting and editing. So, you should expect to encounter obstacles and temptations
along the way. Obstacles in the form of challenges to your plans and temptations in the sense of other seemingly better ideas that come up, possibly deviating from the original one. Great planning for a film is about giving you the confidence to know your idea inside out, giving you the commitment to get round problems and the confidence to know the good from the bad when new ideas come up.

Photo proprietary from www.teamworkcinema.com

Another important point to realize about filming is how nothing ever works out the way you imagine it will. Every good filmmaker needs to have a plan B available constantly, followed by C and so on.
When working on a low budget this is more likely because you have to rely more on goodwill, on people helping you out and lending you equipment. But you will also find that a shot that looks perfect on paper just isn’t possible for real. You may want the bank to be seen from the telephone box and it may be really crucial for the scene, but when you get there it becomes obvious that that tree in full leaf is going to get in the way. The answer is improvisation: the ability to think fast and clearly on set so that you stay on track with your plans, coming up with ideas that can solve a problem. If you don’t do this, your crew and actors will quickly realize there is a power vacuum and start arguing about the best way forward. So, plan to improvise.

Stage 3: Editing
Priorities
In editing a film you will add a further layer of development to the whole creative act as your footage – all those tapes accrued over days or weeks of filming – is cut together in a way which best resembles your plans. Editing brings your film out of the uncertainty that is the initial idea and out of the scramble that is filming. It is about order, priorities, structure, pace, timing, accuracy. But it is also about play spontaneity and creativity. Knowing how to place your clips in the right order is perhaps a triumph of instinct over expertise and, given the range of technical trickery on offer even in mid-level editing software, one of the hardest skills to learn is knowing when to stop editing. If you know what you want you are less likely to get side-tracked by the powerful influence of all that wonderful technology.

Skills you need
When you look back over the process of making your first production you may find that the skills you thought were essential to filmmaking – those centring on the technical aspects of the medium – were secondary to the more esoteric. Some filmmakers talk about the ability to remain both in control and open to new ideas; to negotiate your way through problems; to see all aspects of the process, however mundane, as having some creative contribution to the project, that nothing is purely technical; to think of a low budget as less a hindrance to realizing your imagination than a way towards doing so more artfully, more ingeniously.

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One – Try a darker background When buying your material for your Chromakey Background, whether it’s paint or cloth, buy one or two shades darker than a “True Blue” or “True Green”. Since you are usually putting lights on your background, you will find out that the lights wash out your background and you find [...]]]>

One – Try a darker background
When buying your material for your Chromakey Background, whether it’s paint or cloth, buy one or two shades darker than a “True Blue” or “True Green”. Since you are usually putting lights on your background, you will find out that the lights wash out your background and you find it suddenly too light for a good Chromkey.

Two – Try Shooting Outdoors
The Sun (especially on an overcast day) is the world’s biggest Soft Light. If you want a nice even background for keying, try to put your ChromKey background outside.

Three – Try some Backlighting
In most cases, Chromakeying is done inside. If you are able to place a light source behind your Chromakey Background (sorry, this will only work with a pretty evely transparent cloth material), you will find a nice even background with no shadows.

Four – Light Background and Source Independently
Light your background and your subject individually to avoid shadows

Five – Soften your lights
That doesn’t mean turn them down but rather try to use wax paper in front of your lights or bouce your lights off an umbrella (the special photo kind) or white sheet. A softer light means less shadows.

Six – Use RGB Key Instead
Most Non-Linear edit systems expect an absolutley perfectly even background for good results when using the “Green Screen” or “Blue Screen” Chromakey option. Try RGB Key or Color Key where you can select the color you want to key on with a color picker.

Seven – Blue Better than Green?
The ancient question is, which key color is better, Blue or Green. In most cases, you will find Blue working better since there is much more green content in skin color than blue content

Eight – Buy an old real time keyer.
These days, you can find old chromakey units for very cheap. They are Composite only so you may not like the quality for your final product but they can be a great tool to monitor your keying efforts while you are recording, allowing you to make adjustments whithout having to render and check back footage.

Nine – Take Notes
If you are doing a lot of keying, you’ll want to carefully record the settings you use, the lighting position and everything else that you may need to know to quickly re-create that perfect key you had during the last taping.

Ten – Buy Some Virtual Studio Sets
Of course….Now that you have that whole chromakey thing down, you can save tons of money by keying your subjects over one of our Virtual Studio Sets. A bare wall, good lighting and your trusty keying function is all you need to create a production that looks like a million bucks.

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Set your watches we will be out of here in ten kids.

Okay, so you wanna be a film-maker? (Class choruses [...]]]> Good Morning Class!
Now a famous film-maker a while back said something about ‘Everything you need to know about film you can learn in a week.’ He was being generous. You can learn it in 10 minutes.

Set your watches we will be out of here in ten kids.

Okay, so you wanna be a film-maker? (Class choruses ‘YES’)
Wrong! You ARE a film-maker. The moment you think about that you want to be a film-maker you’re that. Make yourself a business card that says you’re a film-maker, pass them out to your friends, soon as you get that over with and you’ve got it in your mind that you’re one you’ll be one, you’ll start thinking like one. Don’t dream about being a film-maker, you are a film-maker. Now let’s get down to business.

Let’s Play!!

What you need to learn is that being creative is not enough in this business. You have to become technical. Creative people are born creative – you’re lucky. Technical people however can never be creative. Its something they’ll never get. You can’t buy it, find it, study it – you’re born with it. Too many creative people don’t want to learn how to be technical, so what happens? they become dependent on technical people.
Become technical, you can learn that. If you’re creative and technical, you’re unstoppable.

Experience – Do you have experience in movies? You do, right – you WATCH movies. Now you need to have movie experience – you’re not going to learn from just watching movies, you’re learn some things, you’ll learn more picking up a camera, making your own films, your own mistakes – mistakes don’t have to be mistakes, everything is subjective a mistake to one person is actually a piece of art to someone else. Hide behind that, tell everyone its art, you can get away a lot.

Start with a screenplay. Does anybody here know how to write? No – good. Everyone else writes the same way. Start writing your way. That makes you unique. You can take writing classes, that’s good, but don’t bother to go to film school or you’ll be making films like everybody else. We want to see your film.

How do you write a script? Well, you obviously don’t have a lot of money or you wouldn’t be in my class. So you wanna make a movie but you don’t want to spend a lot. You’re gonna come up with problems everyday on your set. You can get rid of the problem one of two ways – you can do it creatively or you can wash it away with the money hose. You got no money, you got no hose. So let’s make a screenplay for a movie you can
actually make without having to make your parents poor. Let’s make a cheap movie.

How do you make a cheap movie? – Look around you, what do you have around you? Take stock in what you have. Your father owns a liquor store – make a movie about a liquor store. Do you have a dog? Make a movie about your dog. Your mom works in a nursing home, make a movie about a nursing home. When I did El Mariachi I had a turtle, I had a guitar case, I had a small town and I said I’ll make a movie around that.

How do you visualise a movie? With storyboards, you can do that. You can previsualise your movie and draw them out, but what you should really do is make a blank screen for yourself and watch your movie. Close your eyes and stare at this. Imagine a screen, imagine your movie. Shot for shot, cut for cut. Sit there, close your eyes and get rid of everybody, get rid of all your thoughts in your head except your movie and watch
your movie. Is it too slow? Is it too fast? Is it funny? Does it make sense? Watch it and then write down what you see. Write down the shots that you see. And then just go get those shots.

Equipment. OK let’s go over the equipment. The worse the better. You don’t want anything too fancy, remember this is your first movie – you’re not Spielberg yet. I used this one for El Mariachi, almost the same one, I used a 16M this is a 16S, this is exactly what I had. It helped me move fast because it was light, it was very noisy so I could do the sound in a wacky way, but this thing here would cost you about $2000. Don’t spend that kind of money, find some monkey that own’s one. I found someone who had one of these sitting around, he wasn’t using it.
I borrowed it from him, I shot my movie.

(Points at what look’s like a damn heavy tripod) Look at it, this is a nice stand, its a very solid stand, y’know what’s gonna happen? The camera is gonna stay on the stand, you’re just gonna keep it there, ‘cos its so nice, meaning your movie’s gonna look…stiff. Take it off of there, sit in a wheelchair, push yourself around, get some energy in your film. That’s the great thing about first films is that they have so much life and so much energy. Big productions can’t even duplicate that energy, because they’ve got too good a stand and too much crew and everything is really
smooth and polished and its lifeless. Add life to your film by getting rid of the fancy stuff. (Points at the tripods) Too good, too heavy, too good – just use your hands.

Here’s a lightmeter, this isn’t the write one, I broke my other one. This is a spotmeter, that’s OK but it’s too fancy. You just need one with a little white dome on it, point it to your subject, read the light, look at the number on your lightmeter – remember your lightmeter is your friend – feed that into lens and the iris, and then you’re set. Start shooting.

Don’t overlight. On Mariachi I had two lights, regular lightbulbs, they were balanced for indoor film, so look fine. In fact everyone said the lighting looked moody because there was very little light . Your mistakes, your shortcomings suddenly becomes artistic expression.

Finally, postproduction. When you’ve finished shooting your movie what do you do? (Picks up video mixer) These are your friends my friends. Video editing systems, computer editing systems, anything like that, its immediate, its easy, its cheap. Do not cut on film. Film is your enemy. You may be shooting on film but don’t cut on film. If any of you want to cut on film get out of my class right now. Go spend $20,000 on a real film school and do that. You’ll never get a job though – believe me.

Everything is on computers or video these days. Film is slow, film is expensive, film is not creative – film take’s too long. Cut on tape that’s what I do. I shot Mariachi for nothing. I edited on video. I had a three-quarter inch master that looked beautiful because the negative was transferred right to tape. There was no middleman so it looked like 35mm – clean, pristine. I made VHS copies of this, sent them out all over Hollywood. I never made a film print. (Picks up film strip) Waste of money. You have to string them up, they get worn out. They’re expensive. They’re copies of your negative. You don’t want that, you don’t want copies of your negative, you want your negative…on tape. Where people can duplicate it and
watch it and get you work.

OK so you’ve made your movie, you’ve cut it, you’ve got it out, people want you. What do you do? The first thing you want to do is get an agent – right away. Hollywood is full of sharks, you need a shark working for you. These guys go and get you the best deals, they get you the best prices, they get you the best movies.

What you’ve learn is what no one else has. How to make a movie dirt cheap. No one else in Hollywood knows how to do that. You guys can make them cheap, you guys can make them better, don’t get swallowed in the system, take advantage of your position.

Now I make movies that are still low budget but they look like big budget movies because I learn the techniques that I just showed you today.

All right I’ve got to go back and do my own films so I hope you guys learnt something today, I hope you grab some of these cameras and go shoot something of your own, I hope you write down the ideas that you have, the dreams that you have.

Stop aspiring, start doing.

See you in Hollywood – be scary!

Robert Rodriguez known as director of El Mariachi/Desperado and
newest is Once Upon a Time in Mexico

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