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March 16, 2023

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Behind the Scenes, Filmmaking

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A Director’s Take on Location Scouting

When making a film, finding the perfect location is crucial. A great location can set the mood, add authenticity to the story, and make the audience feel as though they are truly immersed in the film’s world.

The responsibility of finding and securing these locations typically falls to the location department, which consists of the Location Manager, the Location Scout, and assistants. They all answer to the director and his vision for the story.

The Location Manager oversees all aspects of the location department, including scouting, securing locations, and managing the budget. They also coordinate with other departments to ensure the location needs are met throughout the production. Essentially, the Location Manager is the go-to person for anything location-related on a film set.

The Location Scout, on the other hand, is responsible for finding potential locations that fit the director’s vision for the film. They are typically the first person on the ground, scouting various locations and taking pictures to present to the director and producer. The scout should have a great eye for detail and understand how to capture the essence of a location in a photograph. They need to be creative and resourceful in finding the best possible locations that work within the budget.

Once a location has been identified, the director will visit the site to determine if it works for the story. There are several factors that a director considers when scouting for locations. Some of these include:

  1. Authenticity: The location needs to be authentic to the story and feel like it truly belongs in the film’s world. For example, if a film is set in a particular era, the location should reflect the time period accurately, or the location owners need to be willing for the art department to make the needed changes.
  2. Accessibility: The location needs to be accessible for the cast and crew. This includes transportation, parking, and ease of access to power, fresh water, and other resources.
  3. Lighting: Lighting is crucial to the look and feel of a film, so the location needs to have the right lighting to achieve the desired effect. This includes both natural lighting and the ability to set up additional lighting if necessary.
  4. Sound: The location needs to be suitable for recording sound. This includes considering background noise, acoustics, and the ability to control the sound environment.
  5. Logistics: The location needs to be practical for filming. This includes factors such as the ability to set up cameras and equipment, the availability of restrooms, and the location’s safety.

Once the location has been selected, the Location Manager and their team will work to secure the location, negotiate contracts, and ensure that all necessary permits are obtained. They will also work with the director to ensure the location is set up to meet their vision for the film.

Finding and scouting locations is a critical part of the film production process. The Location Manager and Location Scout work together to identify potential locations that fit the director’s vision for the film. The director considers factors such as authenticity, accessibility, lighting, sound, and logistics when scouting for locations. Ultimately, the location department works to secure the location, negotiate contracts, and ensure that the location is set up to meet the director’s vision for the film.

By working together, the director and the location department can create a truly immersive and believable world for the audience.

Copyright © 2023 by CJ Powers

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March 8, 2023

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Best Director’s Required Mastery

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The Oscars are right around the corner, and many people need to know what the director does to deserve the Best Director award. The director is the one that owns the vision for the film and translates the literary screenplay to the screen. In doing both, he makes the film his story while hopefully honoring the writer’s initial intent.

To pull these activities off, the director must address the following:

Understand the Story

The director must read the script multiple times. The first read is the emotional read. This will give the director an understanding of the heartfelt story elements and emotional undertones.  This first read is critical as it can never be done over.

The director only gets one first read to measure the emotional thread of the story. The nuanced vibe of the first read can never be recreated, so the director must read the story from top to bottom without stopping.

The subsequent reads allow the director to learn about the characters, themes, and tone. Each read-through will reveal new details and help the director identify the key elements that must come across on screen. Good directors take notes, analyze the plot structure, and review the character arcs.

Meet with the Writer

Meeting with the writer is a must. Not all writers can capture their vision on paper as clearly as others. The director can gain insights into the characters, settings, plot, and themes by meeting with the writer. Questions can be asked to clarify the character’s intentions and motivations.

The best discussion covers the central theme/message, the universal question, and the main character’s internal and external change. These must be crystal clear to translate the screenplay to the screen properly.

Break Down the Script

The director must break down every scene to understand the main character’s goal, obstacles, actions, conflict, and consequences. If one of those elements is missing from a scene, the director must decide how to adjust the story or drop the scene.

Directors are typically hit with about 1,000 questions every day during production. To answer these questions correctly and confidently, he must understand how the scene is a cohesive part of the story. Each decision is integral to enhancing the story and reinforcing the theme.

Visualize the Story

The Director’s Notebook is a great place to capture the style and visualization of the story. Some filmmakers use child-like chicken scratchings, craft or department-oriented codes, and rough sketches to make their stylistic decisions more visual. This way, the director can bring his vision to life and share his ideas with the production trinity (Production Designer and Director of Photography).

To bring their vision to life, the director develops a style that is all his own. Keep in mind that some directors have several different styles depending on the type of film created. For instance, the director might choose to express different moods using bright colors for a kids’ show and muted darker tones for a drama.

The visual style is tied to conversations with the production trinity. The decisions are related to color, camera angles, lenses, lighting, music, sets, and other things the art department touches. To fulfill this vision, there must be a collaboration with the department heads and key crew members.

The final decision belongs to the director and is filtered through his understanding of what will bring the characters to life while telling the story in a way that resonates with the audience and is easily understood.

Paint the Vision

Working with the cast and crew requires knowing the vision for the story better than anyone else. The director needs to be intimate with the story and motivate his team to execute his vision. This requires great listening skills and excellent communication.

Helping others to understand the vision is critical when getting 30 to 300 or more people in alignment. The director’s guidance needs to be clear, concise, and consistent. This will help ensure that the film is successful artistically and commercially.

Mastery Required to Win

The Best Director award typically goes to the director that demonstrates a mastery of the story, the writer’s intent, the key elements and beats of the story that are critical to its telling, has a style unique to the story, and knows how to help the cast and crew buy into that vision. The final film demonstrates these abilities with its cohesive and emotionally stirring story.

Copyright © 2023 by CJ Powers

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January 14, 2023

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Film Set Walkie-Talkie Etiquette

Crew members who are new to a film set struggle with using walkie-talkies. Only those with Secret Service aptitude like wearing them, but many crew members need their earpieces in place to support their department. Listening to a person speaking in front of you while listening to a conversation on the radio takes time to adapt.

The adjustment period is significantly reduced when the crew follows the proper radio communication etiquette. While there are rules on radio use that vary between productions, here are the six most common rules I’ve encountered.

Select the Right Channel

Most departments have their own channel. However, channel 1 is shared by ADs, Art, Costume, Makeup, and Safety. This results in channel 1 being restricted to essential and necessary conversations only. Any lengthy or specific chat should move to channel 2 or another designated chat channel.

The goal is to keep the unnecessary dialogue in people’s ears to a minimum. The crew benefits when the channel is kept clear for immediate and important contact. Most crew members use the radio as a listening tool when department heads give instructions.

The last thing a crew member wants to do is ask a question that was already answered over the radio. The crew must train themselves to pick out and listen to their department’s voices.

Push to Talk

The timing of when a person speaks and the speed at which they click and hold down, or release, the talk button makes the difference in whether their comment is understood. To ensure that your voice is heard, hold down the talk button for half of a beat before speaking. Also, finish your complete comment before releasing the talk button.

If a person asks you to repeat your comments, do not get nervous and speak faster or before the radio is fully clicked and engaged. Instead, slow down and make sure the button is completely down, then speak clearly and concisely. Keep in mind that the repeat request might not be about you, but the noisy environment the other crew person might be in.

State the Players

When you click the talk button to begin a conversation, state your name and the person you need to speak with. A couple of examples include “Jeremy to Maverick,” or “Sound to Transport.” If there are too many Jeremys on set, state your department with your name, like “Make-up Jeremy to Maverick.”

Once you’ve released the talk button, listen for the response. The person might respond in one of several ways. This might include:

  • “Jeremy, you’ve got Maverick”
  • “Maverick here”
  • “Go ahead, Jeremy”
  • “Hi, Jeremy”

Be patient if the person can’t respond right away, as you won’t know why they’re delayed.

Keep It Brief

Conversations on the main channel must be kept brief. Anything beyond a couple of sentences requires the conversation to be moved to channel 2. This is done by saying, “Switch to channel 2.” The proper response is “Switching to 2.”

While channel 2 is off the beaten path of most conversations, it isn’t a private channel. Make sure you don’t say anything you’ll regret later.

Speak Clearly

Speak slowly and clearly, holding the microphone 1-2 inches from your mouth. Any closer and your voice will distort. Any farther away and you might not be heard. There is no reason to yell into the radio.

Part of clarity is knowing what you want to say before speaking. Crew members don’t want to talk on the fly and find themselves saying something that comes across as odd and makes everyone laugh. They might never be able to live it down.

Clarity might also be achieved on windy days by cupping your hand around the microphone so the wind doesn’t distort your words.

Care for Your Radio

The battery will eventually die. Fresh batteries are typically available in various locations around the set. If you find yourself in an urgent situation, ADs often carry a spare battery, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Also, do what you can to keep your radio dry from the rain. Having a faulty radio due to rain will make your day miserable.

The best way to protect your radio, regardless of the weather conditions, is to get familiar with it. Just as sharpshooters are able to assemble and disassemble their guns blindfolded, you need to know your radio as an extension of yourself.

Make sure you can turn it on and off, adjust the volume, and switch between channels, all without looking. Use the properly assigned channels and know when to move between them to facilitate longer conversations.

In no time, you’ll be able to have a conversation with the person in front of you, while listening to the person calling you on the radio. Your walkie-talkie communication skills will make for a successful production.

Copyright © 2023 by CJ Powers