Tag Archives: collaboration

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March 13, 2023

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Behind the Scenes, Filmmaking

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A Director’s Take on Auditions

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Auditions are a critical aspect of the filmmaking process, and as a director, it’s essential to know what to look for in actors during these sessions. The audition process can be lengthy and challenging. Still, a director can find the perfect fit for their film by focusing on three key areas:

  • Observe the actor’s capabilities
  • Determine the actor’s chemistry with cast members
  • Ensure the actor can take direction and explore collaborative choices

Observing the Actor’s Capabilities

One of the most crucial things a director should look for in an audition is the actor’s capabilities. This involves examining the actor’s range, ability to convey emotions and portray characters accurately.

To assess these capabilities, directors can provide actors with monologues or scenes that challenge their acting skills. The scene can be a simple interaction between two people or involve more complex emotions and conflicts. The goal is to get the actor to play and interact in a manner that reveals their capable range.

During the audition, directors should look for the following traits in the actor’s performance:

  • Authenticity: Actors should be able to embody the character they are auditioning for and make it believable. They should be able to evoke the character’s emotions, mannerisms, and speech patterns to make the character come to life.
  • Versatility: The best actors have a deep range and can take on different roles and genres. Look for actors who can perform different emotions and characters with ease.
  • Presence: Actors should have a presence that commands attention. They should be able to captivate the audience with their performance and hold their attention.

Determine the Actor’s Chemistry with Cast Members

Chemistry between cast members is vital for a film’s success. Actors should be able to work well together, establish trust and rapport with one another, and create believable relationships on screen.

During auditions, directors can pair up actors and see how they interact with one another. Directors should look for actors who can create chemistry naturally and authentically. The result of strong chemistry appears in the form of challenging tension and natural acceptance.

The following are some factors to consider when evaluating chemistry:

  • Compatibility: Directors should look for actors who share similar energy and can complement each other’s performances.
  • Communication: Actors should be able to communicate well with each other and create a sense of camaraderie.
  • Adaptability: Actors should be able to adapt to each other’s acting styles and make changes to their performance if necessary.

Ensure the Actor can Take Direction and explore Collaborative Choices

Directors should look for actors willing to take direction and explore various solutions to a scene. During auditions, directors can provide actors with feedback and see how they respond to it. Actors who can take direction and make changes to their performance show they are open to collaboration and willing to work towards a shared vision for the film.

The following are some factors to consider when evaluating an actor’s ability to take direction:

  • Flexibility: Actors should be able to adjust their performance and adapt to the director’s vision.
  • Creativity: Actors who can explore different ways of performing a scene can offer new insights and ideas that enhance the overall film.
  • Collaborative Spirit: Actors open to feedback and working with others can create a positive and productive working environment on set.

The audition process is a crucial step in filmmaking, and directors should know what to look for in actors during this process. Observing an actor’s capabilities, determining the actor’s chemistry with cast members, and ensuring the actor can take direction and explore collaborative choices are all key factors in finding the right actor for a role. With these factors in mind, directors can make informed casting decisions that result in compelling and authentic performances that bring their film to life.

Copyright © 2023 by CJ Powers

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August 21, 2017

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Filmmaking

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7 Common Mistakes of New Filmmakers

Shaky Camera TechniqueI’ve spent time with three filmmakers over the past two years coaching them on their freshman projects. They all had very different working attitudes, but they all made the same mistakes that are common among first time filmmakers.

Here are the 7 Common mistakes consistently made by newbies:

1. Lack of Preparation.

Every new filmmaker is so excited about shooting what’s in his or her head that they dive into production without the proper preparation. They don’t know that by the time shooting starts, seasoned directors have seen their film in their mind’s eye more than 100 times, working out every little detail. This lack of preparation is typically revealed by a lack of footage being shot that’s necessary to tell the story properly.

2. Bad or No Sound Design.

Audiences are used to full soundtracks, which young filmmakers forget to take into consideration until after their first film sounds thin or tinny. Even then, most newbies use 4 to 8 tracks for sound compared to 16, 32, or even 64 tracks of sound layering done by professionals. New filmmakers also have thin sound effects in their first shows.

3. Underdeveloped Story.

Beginners typically start with a cool scene idea that pops into their head and build a story over a handful of weeks. For most rookie filmmakers the development stage is the shortest. The pros take much longer developing the story. In fact, professional story development typically takes longer than preproduction, production and post-production combined.

4. Poor Casting Choices.

This is when beginners hire their friends and anyone that they owe a favor. People typically get cast based on their ability to “do business” on camera rather than being selected for their character development skills and performance. More experienced casting starts with a list of physical and behavioral attributes. The person’s ability to follow direction and draw an audience to the theater is also considered.

5. Bad Dialog.

Newbies tend to write their own scripts in a way that makes every character sound the same. Rarely are rookie filmmakers taught how to give different voices to their characters. Many times the pros will use specialists to make sure the dialog drives conflict and gives a unique voice to each character.

6. Use of Clichés.

The shorter the film the more likely a young filmmaker will use clichés and stereotypes in the creation of his or her story. The reason is based on their lack of development experience, the ease of shooting the obvious, and the lack of screen time available to explore the conflict. Pros avoid clichés like the plague.

7. Sporadic Collaboration.

Young filmmakers struggle with how to paint their vision to the cast and crew without compromise, while teaming through the cinematic collaboration process that puts excellence on screen. New filmmakers tend to find themself over controlling a project, which kills the artistry, or giving in all too often, which waters down the story. Experienced professionals know how to draw the best out of their associates through collaboration and then pick the best recommendation that’s in keeping with the vision, that is, if it’s better than the preplanned direction.

The apprenticeship process has been used for over a hundred years to raise up strong filmmakers, yet newbies continue to side step the process. For some reason most first timers desire to shoot their own film before they know how to make films, something that will continue for the next 100 years. A few survive that find mentors or get sucked into the system and climb up through the ranks. Those are the ones who learn how to avoid the common mistakes.

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August 2, 2016

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Creativity

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Collaboration and Mock-Ups

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Sample Mock-Up

The best products come from the collaboration process and use mock-ups to perfect the concept early in the development stage. Wedding planners use 2D mock-ups to determine seating arrangements. Book publishers use 3D mock-ups to photograph books before they are printed. Filmmakers tend to create mood reels to promote film concepts in need of funds.

Regardless of the project, creativity is key in the collaboration process, which drives some form of mock-up. The tool allows the team to visualize spatial relationships, size and details. It also improves communication and an understanding of how the product impacts the human condition – the customer.

Every businessperson can benefit from using mock-ups by following three key principles.

SPEED

Rapid prototyping has been alive for centuries. It’s ideal for finding the flaws in a product quickly. A mock-up of a book’s main photo or background with typography can be quickly discerned as being too small or the wrong color. The faster you learn what doesn’t work, the sooner the ideal look comes into play.

The playfulness of the mock-up process stimulates creativity that one-ups the previous concepts. Each step moves the creators a step closer to their final design and a clear understanding of the products use and feel. Rapid prototyping trims off months of development as it brings focus to flaws that are quickly corrected.

MASS

Transferring the conceptual into the physical realm gives creators an understanding of the complexities and vast details required to polish the details of their product before production. This not only saves large sums of money, but it also alerts the team to the depth of focus required to turn their imagination into reality.

Without understanding the massiveness of the project, creators are often blindsided by the large scope of their concept. Few professional filmmakers start shooting a script without first counting the cost of time and effort involved in shooting 1,400 – 1,800 shots that it takes to make their picture.

IMPACT

The human condition rarely makes its path known in the ever-changing structure of society. Focus groups are used to hone in on a plausible direction by observing potential customers interacting with a prototype. The perceptions brought to bear by various age groups and other demographic profiles help the team redefine their key market segment.

Since 80% of all books are bought based on its cover design and 15% from the book’s back cover copy, authors are able to obtain advanced customer responses with prototypes. Speakers can test the impact of their topics with one-sheets and sales people can explore presentations with previz.

All collaborators can make use of mock-ups and vision boards to get a sense of how the service or product will make a difference in their marketplace. By focusing on the speed, mass and impact an idea will generate, the team is able to find its flaws and make the necessary improvements so release day is a rewarding celebration.

Copyright © 2016 by CJ Powers