General Filmmaking Guidelines
Productions
This section is designed to help guide you through the production process from pre-production (writing, storyboarding, diagramming, etc.) to production (crew responsibilities, equipment, etc.) to post-production (editing, sound, etc.).
Pre-Production
Screenwriting
Storyboarding
Lighting Diagram
Casting
Location Scouting |
Production
Crew
Audio
Craft Services Equipment |
Post Production
Editing
Music
Audio |
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PRE-PRODUCTION
Screenwriting
Writing a Screenplay
A feature length screenplay (script) consists of 90-130 pages. Properly formatted, one script page equals, on average, one minute film time. This means that 90 script pages equals approximately 90 minutes of air time. A two hour movie = 120 pgs. = 120 minutes.
The screenplay is a technical document used by all members of a crew. Therefore, proper formatting is essential.
The Basics
Margins - Final Draft, a screenwriting program we have available sets its margins as follows:
1/2 inch left and right page margins. 1 inch top and bottom page margins.
Scene Header: 1 1/2 inches from the left side of the page. 1 inch from the right.
Action: 1 1/2 inches from the left side of the page. 1 inch from the right.
Character: 3 1/2 inches from the left side of the page. 1 inch from the right.
Dialogue: 2 1/2 inches from the left side of the page. 2 1/2 inches from the right.
Parenthetical: 3 inches from the left side of the page. 2 1/2 inches from the right.
Structure
Here is a run-through of the different parts of a screenplay from beginning to end. This is not an all inclusive guide to formatting but it covers the basics.
FADE IN
These are the first two words of every screenplay. If they are missing, most readers will not read on as this denotes someone who is unfamiliar with basic screenwriting. The words will never appear again in the screenplay.
INT. BARN - NIGHT
A scene header has three parts. The first uses INT. or EXT. to tell whether the scene is interior or exterior - inside or outside. The second part states the location, (i.e. BARN, LIVING ROOM, MARTIAN CRATER, etc.) The last part states whether it is NIGHT or DAY. Different members of the crew look at these parts to know how they do their job.
Tom, a young, rough and tumble farm hand and Martha, the rich, well-dressed plantation owners daughter, lounge cozily on a hay pile. Their clothes are disheveled and their faces relaxed.
Action sentences and paragraphs should be kept to minimal description. New writers have a tendency to write descriptive, book-like sentences that give way too much detail. The term, black stuff, refers to an over-abundance of action paragraphs. There's a whole crew of people who will handle the details - art designer, location designer, costume designer, director, producer, cinematographer, just to name a few, and they do not appreciate writers trying to do their job for them. Imagine trying to write all the description for any one of the Lord of the Rings movies.
TOM
Why don't you love me?
MARGARET
(confused)
Love? I don't even know you?
There are three parts here; the character line and the dialogue line are self-evident, but the parenthetical is what usually causes confusion among writers. The rule of thumb is to use the parenthetical very sparingly. A writer needs to trust in his/her dialogue enough that the actors and director will know how the lines are supposed to be read. Parentheticals come in when the way the line is written does not match the logical flow. Again, good writing means that parentheticals should hardly ever have to be used.
Margaret gets up and leaves. Tom's heart sinks.
CUT TO
On older scripts you will see the "CUT TO" transition between every scene. This practice has largely been moved away from and is not seen in modern film scripts. In modern scripts you just have a double space between the last line of a scene and the Scene Header that follows.
FADE OUT
THE END
At the end of your screenplay you general write "FADE OUT." "THE END" is optional.
To save much time, it is suggested that you use Final Draft, Script Thing or one of the number of other screenwriting programs which will prove invaluable to the aspiring screenwriter.
SAMPLE SCREENPLAY PAGE - from Staten Island Needs More Women! by Tom Dinks
Storyboarding
Storyboarding key shots in a scene is a very good way to pre-direct a movie. It is also an essential too for communicating your vision to the cast and crew. A good storyboard decreases the number of needless shots you will have to take.
The storyboard design should match the format you're shooting on, specifically whether it's on a 4:3 television format or on an anamorphic 16:9 film format.
Storyboards highlight the importance of on-screen composition - also know as mise-en-scene. When used correctly, mise-en-scene is a powerful tool to propel the theme and narrative of your film. This also helps in matching shots for the edit.
SAMPLE STORYBOARD - storyboard samples by Kathryn Roake.
Lighting Diagram
Light diagrams are a great time saver and let the cinematographer and director converse over how to light a scene. This also tells the rest of the crew where the lights will go and lets the set designer work with the needs of the cinematographer and director.
Casting
Actors can make or break a movie. Finding the right actors can be a lot of work but the results are worth.
There are several ways to go about finding an actor. The first is to advertise around campus with flyers and on the streets around Broadway. The following is a sample ad:
Seeking Actor
Female 18-25, 5'4" - 5'11" to play sultry character in 20 minute short.
Flyers don't always get the most or best qualified actors, so you might want to advertise with some of the following.
Mandy
Craigslist
Backstage Magazine
Variety
We do not endorse any of these but they seem to be the industry standards and will get you good results.
Location Scouting
On Campus:
Columbia students are allowed to shoot on any exterior location of campus as long as it does not directly block an access way. Be sure to have your school identification on you. To shoot in an interior location is a bit more difficult. You can either try to get away with it or you can get permission from the building manager who will contact the Campus Security Office. Always get something in writing, even if it's the cord of the building manager's signature or location on it. The guards seem to respond better.
Off Campus:
Exterior: The streets of NYC are public property and you can film pretty freely, but the law changes the minute the camera or any of your other equipment is on a tripod. As a student you can get a free permit from the Mayor's Office of Film & Television located in the Ed Sullivan Theater building on 53rd and Broadway. The current administration is very camera friendly and the process is quite easy. You will, however, need a note from a teacher or some school administrator (on letterhead) stating that you are doing a student film.
Interiors: Inside of any building you will almost always need to get permission whether the building is public or private. Many places like Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station have authorities that run them and are willing to give permission.
PRODUCTION
Crew
The following descriptions pertain more to a student film shoot than a big budget feature in which the position responsibilities would be broken up more.
Producer - Organizational manager of the shoot who oversees scheduling, casting sessions, advertisements and the financial accounting of monies involved.
Director - oversees scene design, screenplay rewrites, etc. Also helps pick actors and crew as well as approving locations and many other minutia details. During actual production, the Director should stay most focused on actor performance and whether the shots are following the storyboards. Cinematographer/Director of photography - Oversees the set up of the scene, most importantly, the lighting and composition of the shot as well as the panning and dollying and basic camera work.
Writer - Sometimes the writers will be asked on set to explain bits of dialogue or do quick on the spot re-writes.
Assistant Director - The assistant helps the Director organize the shot lists, keeps the shoot on schedule and often loudly shouts out "Action" at the beginning of each take.
Assistant Producer - The assistant producer works with the producer on the various responsibilities that have to be done.
Sound Technician - This is the person who handles and maintains the audio integrity during the shoot. Makes sure audio levels are correct. Very good to have one of these.
Key Grip - Handles setting up of the lights per the Cinematographer's specifications.
Best Boy - This is pretty much the gopher position, but we try not to call it that in front of them.
Audio
It is important to use the right equipment for audio. While many of our cameras have excellent mics, it is best to use the separate shotgun mic and boom pole when shooting as this will give much better sound.
Equipment
Different kinds of equipment are best for different kinds of shoots. Our club can help you decide which equipment will best serve your needs. Check out the EQUIPMENT link to go to our section. This part talks about the kind of equipment the club has. How to rent equipment in the New York area and what some of the essential pieces of equipment are.
Renting Equipment
There are numerous equipment rental houses in NYC. Go to the LINKS: EQUIPMENT section for some area stores.
Craft Services
Food is the fuel that runs the production engine. For shoots that run longer than three to four hours it is expected that food will be provided for the cast and crew. If possible, it is best to have the actors and the crew eat in separate places as the actors need to stay in character.
POST PRODUCTION
Editing
We have Final Cut Pro 4. Other editing programs for PC's are Avid Xpress Pro and Adobe Premiere. All three programs have their positives and negatives. However, editing on Apple Computers seems to be more stable than on PCs. We have an Apple G5 with a DV/mini-DV videotape recorder.
Editing workshops are offered throughout the year.
Music
One of the wonderful things about movies is how much original and wonderful music they have caused to be produced. Many people, however, find it easier to use pre-recorded music.
Pre-recorded music used in a film must be public domain or granted permission for use by its right holder(s). Student films are allowed much more leeway as long as they are not played for commercial use or entered only in Student Festivals.
Finding a composer is much like finding an actor. One can use flyers, and, don't forget to post them at the Manhattan School of Music on 122nd and Broadway, or one of the publications/magazines previously mentioned.
Mandy
Craigslist
Backstage Magazine
Variety
Audio
Final Cut Pro has many audio enhancing techniques. But, as always, try to get the best possible audio when shooting as there is only so much that can be done in the editing.
Sound effects, however are often added, footsteps, doors opening, etc. These sounds really make a movie come to life and should be used by a filmmaker.
WHEN FINISHED
Come see us and we'll help you get it out there. Also look at the links section.
