The Intro/About the Group Hi there, my name is Joe and I will be introducing you to this filming guide formed by me and my friends. We are all a part of the BFI Film Academy in Manchester where as a team had produced a short film within the space of two months.
If you are a passionate filmmaker just like the lot of us then this guide will be perfect for you. Each of us will throughly explain to you the different roles that we all took on and how you reading this lovely article can do the same. However before all this here is a mini bio about the group. First of all the group, there have been 15 of us on this BFI film experience coming from all over the place in the North West. Our group consists of... • • • • • • •
Angus Bentham Bysshe Harkavy Chloe Crolla-Maas Hugh Nelson Jack Clare Jack Walter Simmons Joe Morris
• • • • • • • •
Maggie Stanaszek Rob Blythe Sam Coulduck Sarah Caroll Shelby Maddock Stephanie Cowley Georgie Howarth-Evans Tremayne Taylor
All 15 of us together went under numerous hours of professional mentoring by the Corner house in Manchester, where our BFI film academy. After not knowing each other for very long we spent little time with the ‘ice breaking scenario’ to undertake in hours of productive hard work. However we all found that with our hard work and passion for film we all formed a great bond together over this process. If there is any vital advice that should be given when working with in a group it should be these key points... 1. Keep calm at all times - You’re won’t agree with every single matter when it comes to the film project but there is no need to start an argument about it. It’s always good to stay calm and discuss you’re differences calmly so there isn’t any unnecessary conflict. 2.
Be open-minded - Like mentioned in the first point you will not agree with everything with everyone. However this doesn’t mean that you should be close-minded about certain ideas or way that you handle things. Always be willing to listen to your peers different ideas and willing to change. Learning this skill will make you go far in all types of team working tasks.
3. Have strong communication at all times - Strong communication skills are always essential for all different lines of work. You must always keep talking to your team so that your aware of each others actions and that you’re all heading towards the same goal. Especially in the film industry different areas of work, like camera and sound, must always communicate so that their work fits together successfully
Producer Hello, my name is Bysshe Harkavy, and I will be focusing on the outlines and role of the ‘PRODUCER’. The Producer is often the instigator of a film project, usually bringing together a script writer with a director, and working with them both to establish the vision behind the film. The producer then faces the hardest job anyone in the world of film can face; funding. Producers spend months and months, if not years, attempting to gather and source the finance for their film. Because there role is so focused around money, some producers describe their own role as being something similar to “running a small business”.
Very often the success or failure of a film comes down to the quality of the producer, as such the blame frequently stops at the producer. There are many things that the producer is in charge of, some of these include; • Funding • Logistics • Production quality • Planning and time keeping • Cast • Crew As previously stated, many refer to Producing as the hardest role on a film set; this is mostly because of the immense skill set required to be a successful producer, you have to be avidly; • Passionate • Powerful • Resilient • Commandeering As well as a great communicator, leader and worker. You also have to posses impeccable communication, organisation and motivation.
Director Hey, my name is Jack Simmons (Student with the BFI Academy) I am here to give you a few tips in the art of directing, I have directed serval student films, music videos, video installations and worked as artistic director on a independent film. Here are you a few useful tips to help you clarify what you need to to become a director. • A good director makes sure that all the parts of a film are running smoothly. • A director must have a exceptional artistic and creative mind in order to bring the script come to life from the pages. • A good director must have a good sight for continuity to help the editor with shots. • You must be good at working with others. • You must have have a eye for photography. • You must remember that you are driving force behind the whole production and the crucial link between success and failure of the film. • The directors main duty is directing everyone in their jobs but also works in casting, script editing or rewrites, shot composition and editing. also can help work in any department like sound and Marketing. • You have to have a strong mind and be confident in making quick decisions. • You have to have a hard side to you and not worry about being critical in order to drive the film forward. • You have to have fantastic communication skills in order to get everyone up to speed and to get your opinions across.
Don’t: •Be too nice. •Copy other director’s shots. Always find your own style. •Treat the rest of the cast like they are beneath you. You are part of a team and rely on them to be respectful. •Don’t lie. Always be honest if there’s a problem and then you can fix it with help from the crew.
I am going to end this statement by being honest most people who say they are going to be directors will not make it to the big leagues but that does not mean stop trying because if you work hard enough and want it bad enough then dreams do come true.
Director of Photography Director of Photography (DOP) is also known as the Cinematographer and the Camera Operator. My name is Georgie Howarth-Evans and I will be concentrating on the role of Director of Photography. This role involves setting up the camera and framing a shot to make it look the best it can be and also achieve the tone/mood you want to portray to the audience. The first thing that any DOP needs to do is set up the camera and make sure that all the settings are correct.
White Balancing • This is done to make sure the camera defines colours correctly. • To get the right white balance hold a plain white surface in front of the camera (a piece of paper will do) • Make sure the paper takes up the whole of the shot, feel free to zoom in to the white surface. • Then depending on your camera you may need to go into your menu and select white balance or there will be a white balance button. • Once you have selected your white balance a number will appear and it will flash at first. • Wait until the number stops flashing and then the white balance is complete.
Exposure • Exposure means the amount of light that is being let into the camera. • The exposure will be in the setting of your camera which you can find by going onto your menu. • Again, this could be slightly different depending on your make of camera. • Your exposure will show up on a scale which you can adjust according to how bright you would like the shot to be. • Tip! Lower the exposure the darker and more ominous the atmosphere of your shot. Higher exposure will create a warmer more happy atmosphere.
Focus Pull •This is when the focus shifts from one thing to another. •A focus pull is done by adjusting the focus ring on your camera lens while recording. •The focus ring is normally at the end of the lens but this could vary depending on make and type of lens TIP A good technique for revealing shots in fiction or cut aways and introductions in documentaries.
REMEMBER! •Checking the white balance and the exposure is very important. •When filming I’ve forgotten about these things and its not worth the effort trying to fix the footage in post production- trust me. Of course there is a lot more to consider than just getting the camera up an running.The camera angle and movement are also key to creating a nice looking shot. Depth of field •This means how much in the shot is in focus. •A shallow depth of field means that only things close to the camera are in focus. •A large depth of field means that most of what you can see is in focus. TIP Shallow depth of field is good to use for close-ups and interview shots.
SHOT TYPE
DEFINITION
USEFUL FOR...
close-up
tight shot in which one thing fills the screen
emotional scenes-need to see the actors expression
mid close-up
cuts off actor at the shoulders-can see top half of body
following actors when walking or moving around. commonly used in two shots
two shot
a shot that shows two actors.
conversation in which the characters are moving around a lot
long shot
can see whole of actors body
establishing shots of characters
wide shot
can see a vast amount of area
landscapes, often used to establish location
over the shoulder shot
an actor’s should is seen in corner of shot- camera focuses on person facing the camera
conversations in which the characters are stationary
SHOT ANGLE
DEFINITION
USEFUL FOR...
low angle
camera is below subject looking up at them
showing strength or power in a character-create and aura of superiority
high angle
camera is above subject looking down on them
showing weakness or innocence in a characteroften used when filming children
CAMERA MOVEMENT
DEFINITION
USEFUL FOR...
pan
camera moves left or righthorizontal movement
establishing shots of locations allow audience to see a large amount of an area
tilt
camera moves up or downvertical movement
reveal a character or something of importance to the audience
hand-held
camera does not have the support of a tri-pod or rig
action scenes-allows the camera to really get involved with the actors
Story Creation My name is Jack, and I’m here to write about story creation and the inception of an idea... A script is the bones of a story, but before you can even begin to write a script you need an idea. A premise. A basic story.
Ideas are funny things. Everybody has them. Everybody can be creative. It’s simply a process of unleashing that creative potential. It’s a process of association; jumping from thought to thought until you have something interesting. The writer Neil Gaiman once gave a talk about where ideas come from, and said that you should ask yourself a ‘what if’ style question. He gives the example ‘What if a werewolf bites a goldfish?’ and you go from there, asking question after to question and eventually you have a story. Generally, in my experience, ideas pop into your head when you are busy doing something else. If you simply sit there, trying to have an idea, the chances are you won’t. Listen to music, take a walk, or read a book. Anything, as long as you aren’t sat in front of a blank page straining over the next idea. The key is distraction, but still being alert enough to notice when inspiration strikes. Once you have your idea, however epic or complex, you should be able to boil it down to one or two sentences. ‘A man tries to battle his severe jam addiction’ for example. If the idea is simple, it will be more easy to execute, and therefore more effective. If you cannot summarize it in a few lines, you probably don’t yet know the idea well enough to write it. Do not worry about originality. Your idea probably isn’t original, but neither is anyone else’s. Some literary critics state that there are only 7 stories in the world. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)
Overcoming the Monster Rags to Riches Tragedy Comedy The Quest Voyage and Return Rebirth
Any idea you ever have will almost definitely come under one of these categories. To emphasise this, I’m going to use the example of Harry Potter and Star Wars. There are many similarities between these. Harry and Luke are both orphans being raised by their Aunt and Uncle. They both discover they can harness supernatural powers; the force and magic are basically the same thing with different names. Yet, both of these have risen to critical acclaim, and are loved by millions. It doesn’t matter if your idea bears similarities to another. You have your own views and your own mind. It’s what you do with that idea that makes it different and interesting. One of the biggest barriers to writing is an internal one; anxiety. There is constant feeling that nobody will like your idea, or that they will find it boring or unoriginal. But, if you never let it go, you will never know what they think. Once you have an idea, and once you can get over the negative thoughts, then congratulations. It’s time to start writing a script. And then rewrite. And rewrite again. And again. And then maybe some more...
Storyboarding My name is Angus Bentham, for the BFI Academy Project in Autumn 2013, I played a big part in developing the story-boards for our film. Story-boarding is a really important and supportive aspect of film production, particularly in pre-production. Depending on how confident you are with your art skills, it can also be a lot of fun. Don’t think too much, let your mind free, picture things in your head and scrawl them onto the paper, roughly at first. The details and shading can come later.
A nice exercise to begin with is to picture right now where you are and what your doing, take in your surroundings and try to see your-self from an out-of-body angle. Are you looking down on your-self? Are you seeing a close up of your own eye? And you seeing a low angle of your own back? If you know what you look like this shouldn’t be too hard. Before you start drawing make sure that you; KNOW YOUR LOCATION KNOW YOUR SET KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS KNOW YOUR LIGHTING SHOTS The first thing to take into account before you begin story-boarding is the shot types. How many can you name of the top of your head and do you know what they would look like? Long shot, Medium shot, Close up, Two-shot? etc. This will be the template from which you draw our your shots. COMPOSITION Your film will be shown on a rectangular screen, what is contained within this border is what the audience is going to see, and nothing else. Fill the space with your scene and balance things out as best as you can. Understand the use of frames within frames, dead-space, object containment and lastly; remember the 180 degree rule, do not break it! ACTIONS In each and every shot, something must be happening. try to picture the NOUNS you know, this is important in film; something must be happening, someone must be doing something, everything which is seen on screen need a purpose. Driving, running, talking, watching, shooting or killing, whatever kind of film it is.
MOVEMENTS AND DYNAMISM Try to practice drawing arrows of direction into your shots, implying the movement of characters across the frame and also that of the cameras movement. This can also be captioned beneath your storyboard to make it clearer what the camera needs to do. Demonstrate your knowledge of perspective with your arrows to create depth in which the cameras and actors can move. SHADING AND DETAIL If you are not good at art you can ignore this section however do consider trying to put in some basic shading, even if it’s just two tones; black and white. Areas of significance can often be brought out in the image and will communicate more smoothly with the actors and crew. Just think, the closer something is the darker it is and the more distant things are. the fainter they become. Areas of shadow, like a cave in front of a character, can be drawn totally black. Just think carefully about how light and shadow play with one another.
DO’s
DONT’s
Occasional ‘quote’ to put scene in place.
No need for all dialogue.
Adjust images digitally if you have time.
Avoid more than 5 minutes on each shot.
Draw using filmic shot setups
Don’t throw away any sketches.
Practice drawing regularly.
Don’t re-draw same shot again.
Draw actions and reactions of people.
No shots left un-captioned.
Use simple tools, pencils and pen.
Keep shots simple, and no colour.
Keep storyboards in chronological order.
Don’t rush the drawings carelessly.
Screenwriting My name is Rob Blythe and I will be focusing on the screenwriting aspect of filmmaking. Here i will give you some advice which i think will help you write better screenplay’s Helpful tips: • When writing characters; make sure their need is clearly defined, in all films the character will have a goal or a mission and it is very important to let your audience know what that goal is. • When revealing something about your characters try not to do it through dialogue, film is a visual medium, that means show don’t tell. for example if you have a character who is pregnant, try not to have them say they are pregnant, you could show the character taking a pregnancy test and then show their shocked expression when they look at the results. • Dialogue is easy to overwrite and writing naturalistic dialogue is very difficult. It is important to remember that in real life people rarely say what they mean, people talk with use of things like subtext, irony and sarcasm etc. this is how your characters should speak in your screenplay. • every single scene in your screenplay should be there to move your story forward. often, newcomers to screenwriting will write a scene that is unrelated to their original idea because it is something they WANTED to happen rather than something that SHOULD happen. only write scenes that have some kind of connection to the core of your story. • Throughout the course of the screenplay your main character needs to undergo a transformation. stories of all kinds start out with a character whose world is full of problems, the story then takes the character on a journey to try and overcome those problems. whether your character actually overcomes these problems is up to you (they may achieve their goal or fail) but you must make sure the character’s problems are clearly defined and show us that they are on a journey to resolve those problems. • All drama is conflict, this can be conflict between characters, an internal conflict or a conflict with a monster or the environment. conflict is always present in films as it creates tension and hooks the audience, without conflict you have no drama, without drama you have no story. • Your character needs to have a point of view because there needs to be a conflict of interests between your character and the people they meet e.g. The Hero may have one point of view whereas the villain will have another, this leads to a disagreement which leads to conflict which leads to drama. • Dialogue is a great way to reveal things about character but it is usually better to focus on the way the character behaves rather than the things they say. if you figure out a way that a certain character might behave then the dialogue will flow naturally. Formatting your script: you can format your screenplay to a professional standard in most simple word processors like Microsoft word, however for a quicker option you may want to use Celtx which is a free to use web based script formatter.
Sound Recording Hi, my name is Hugh Nelson and i will be concentrating on SOUND. Good use of sound, in my opinion, is the crucial for a good film. That is why in the production of any film, you should always try and get the best man for the job. Sound includes the soundtrack (music) for the film too. Always try and create your own original sounds and music for your film. This can really make your film, your film. Without original material, you will have to get sound from other sources and then your film, which is most likely all been created from scratch by you, will no longer be entirely yours. If you have no one who is experienced in sound production, it shouldn’t stop you from trying and learning. A lot of amateur student films usually don’t come out with the professional quality that most people want and i believe a major contributor to this is the quality of the sound. If you are creating a film, take the time to work on the sound of your film. It may be a bit daunting and time consuming to get the sound absolutely perfect. Without good sound, the shot/film can loose its impact that it has on the audience. Weak sound can leave the audience feeling disappointed and sound that is too heavy or busy can just sound cluttered. These are not hard and fast rules, but guidelines. There are times that you will want to do these to create an effect. When editing a film, every sound needs to be lined up with the corresponding shot. It depends how you do this but it can take up some time. If your sound is external to the camera, you will have to load both the video footage and recorded sounds into an editing software and line them up perfectly in sync. Clapper boards are essential for this and speed up the whole process. Never underestimate the use of the clapperboard. When i was in production on my short film ‘Fall’, We used equipment such as boom poles, shotgun microphones and a portable sound recorder. These were used to get incredible quality of dialogue and also noises from the environment which included subtle background noises such as people playing on the park.
Tips and Tricks • • • • • • •
Take your time on sound in both production and post production. Take a minute to think about what sounds you can or should be able to hear. Think about what you want to convey in your scene/film and use sounds to help with this. Always try and record your own sounds In post production, think about adding sounds that could be there, but weren’t or can’t be seen. Always stay alert to what is happening on set. Respond to other people but also your instincts.
Clapperboard and Shot Listing A clapperboard is a device in filmmaking and video production, which is used to synchronize the picture and sound. Its job is to designate and mark a specific scene and the number of takes shot during the production. The sharp ‘clapping’ sound is a very important feature as it can then be identified on the audio track and synchronized with its following video footage by matching up the sound and the movement.
During my experience when using a clapperboard, I thought it was a very simple job so I didn't concentrate much on my task. I soon realized that we were on the next take and everyone had to wait for me while I was changed the take number.
So my advice is to: • Concentrate and stay on track because a mistake while clapper boarding (such as writing down the wrote slate, scene or take) can make work very complicated when synchronizing. • Always be set for the next scene or take before the shooting. • Sometimes a clapperboard will not fit in the shot so the camera operator will have to film the clapperboard first then move back to its set place and shout ‘set’. So you have to communicate with the camera operator and the director well. • It is also important to shout out all the information of the clapperboard clearly so that your voice can be captured. • When the director asks for an ‘end slate’, the clapperboard has to be held upside-down. That is if the clapperboard was not filmed at the beginning of the take because the camera is already set or focused and cannot be altered. • Also If there is no sound in the scene the clapperboard doesn't have to make a ‘clapping’ sound for synchronizing. Therefore, you put your hand in between the sticks so it is clear there is no sound.
A Shot List Creating a shot list is very important while shooting as it writes down the scene, shot take, time code, time code out and remarks. This makes the editing much easier as it has everything written down in order, therefore everything will me more organized and detailed. Important if any changes have to be made while editing. Also you can note down which take was the best, also making decisions easier and faster while editing.
Foley My name is Stephanie and in this section of your guide I’ll be focusing on foley work. Basically its a fancy term for recreating sound effects which are added in post-production to improve the quality of sound in film. Named after Jack Foley (1981 - 1967), pioneer of film sound effects. This is done by the artists working in a audio proofed studio in which they have a lot of props to work with to reenact these sounds, then there is a screen displaying the footage they are making sounds for, the room will also have the highest quality microphones to pick up sounds. For example footsteps, the Foley Artist will wear similar styled shoes to the actress and walk in sync with the actress as she walks so then the artists capture the same sound but at a higher quality.
It isn’t the artists job to edit the sound into the production but to just record the footage and hand it to the editor to work on the sound files. I’ve always enjoyed this aspect of post-production as everyday is different and you get to experiment, yes it may get stressful but the experience and the overall finish will be rewarding. When I had the opportunity to create some foley work, I found it quite fun and was amazed in way, this was because the simplest household items can create powerful effects like a cars breaks screeching. This can be done by putting pressure on your hands and wiping them along a radiator, the friction itself causes such a high pitch sound that it can create the screeching effect.
The Do’s and Don’t’s of Foley • Do make sure the microphone is recording. • Don’t just record one sound effect used with one prop just because you think it sounds good, try and experiment, you may find a prop which creates a more effective and realistic sound. • Do get yourself out there and get involved in all sound projects, experience is always a positive. • Don’t think you need to have all these high quality recording devices and software, if you have the passion, why let something like money get in the way, you can still create sound effects at home with a microphone. Just make sure its quiet! • Do follow the same movements as the sound of the screen is making, eg: if a bubble is popping create the sound effect that is in sync with it. • Don’t worry if your sounds don’t sound similar, practice practice practice! • And most importantly do remember to have fun.
Editing My name is Shelby and I will be focusing on Editing in this online filmmakers guide. Editing is part of the creative post-production of filmmaking. This basically means taking your film clips and putting them together to make a understandable scene/film. After we had filmed all of our desired clips with the BFI Film Academy Cornerhouse, we had to finally edit them to create our short film. During these few editing sessions I heard the phrase ‘Editing is basically watching bars across the screen’, and I finally have to agree. People think that editing is putting together clips, putting music underneath and then exporting it, it’s not that easy. Even though editing is one of the funnest parts of filmmaking in my mind, it does take quite a while. You have to sync your sound, that was recorded separately, to your film clips so they match, as out of sync sound will not be tolerated in films. After syncing your audio clips to your film clips you finally can import them into your sequence in Final Cut Pro/Express. Then the fun begins... Finally you can start to structure your film, starting in chronological order if you want to. You can pull in each clip, by looking at your shot list, script and storyboard, and then edit them. Continuity editing was used in our short film, this meant that we had filmed the same shot/scene from different angles, this lead to use having to use, for example, a long shot of someone sat on the floor and then add another clip of them starting to stand up from the floor but from a medium shot, this meant that you had to be patient and also be precise, having to watch the same clips over and over again so you could be sure that it fit right. Top Do’s and Don’t’s of Editing Do make sure you sync your audio and film clips correctly, as if you don’t this will make more work for you to do in the future Do be patient whilst rendering and importing all your work, it may take a while but without it your film would not work properly Do watch your clips back to make sure they flow properly, especially when you’re doing continuity editing Do make back-ups of your work, otherwise the program you use may suddenly stop and you may lose all your work Do use video transitions in-between scenes and certain clips, it helps make the film flow better Don’t work alone, get other people to work with you so you can get their opinions Don’t get upset if you have to make changes to your work, every editor will get criticisms but we learn and grow from these to become better Don’t carry on editing when you get overwhelmed, take a break and leave your computer and come back to it after you’ve calmed down, everyone deserves to have a rest Don’t rush your editing, nobody will appreciate rushed editing during a film, take your time and make it right, you’ll eventually become quicker once you’ve edited a few times
Take your time while editing, you’ll gain the skills the more you edit. Don’t rush your work as you’ll get nowhere with it, nobody will enjoy it and people won’t want to hire you. Editing is an art, take your time and it’ll be a classic.
Set Design What is it? Set design is the creation of scenery for a set. Set design requires continuity which means that everything within a set must remain the same. If an object is moved mid shoot then the audience may notice! For our film I changed a normal living room into a messy dark room. Photographs, reels, books, rubbish, equipment. These are all things I thought would be in a dirty dark room. I had to think of what a person would be living like if they had stayed inside for 9 months and are having a potential breakdown. This meant messy, like the saying a cluttered room means a cluttered mind. Litter, old food, photographs, negatives, equipment, cameras book. These are all things that I associated with a dark room and a trapped individual and these are things placed within the room.
Set design tips: Imagine the type of person you’re designing for: If its a Musician you would expect to see a instrument and some scores. If its a little girl pink, princesses, toys. Continuity is a must. Take pictures of your set so if anything is moved you know where it was before. Ask others for their opinion of your design, they may offer some valuable information that you may have missed otherwise!
Set design is not all easy work though. Most of the time it requires you to build the set yourselves from wood and other materials to create realistic walls and furniture! However, it was fun to do, creating the world that the character lives in makes you feel so involved. Its an amazing experience.
Lighting The use of lighting in film and short film is often overlooked to a massive extent, but plays a vital role in a film a viewer is watching. From the dank gloomy silhouettes of the German horror classic Nosferatu to the ultraluminous colours and light of Disney’s Wreck-It-Ralph, lighting affects literally everything you see in a shot and can manipulate the audience to believe a large number of things. Whether you enjoy the different aspects of lighting or not, you have to understand a couple of principles to get you started and effectively use lighting in your films.
Lighting can convey meaning like mise-en-scene Just because lighting isn’t an object in a frame technically, it doesn’t mean it can’t convey meaning effectively. Want to make a character seem dark and brooding? Then remove the direct light sources illuminating him and instead use lighting sparingly that enhances the figure and makes them seem imposing. In reverse, a good character could be illuminated well to enhance the look of their figure toward the surroundings. You can flip these connotations on their head too, if you wished. An angelic presence could be represented by an absence of light and a single spotlight on a character or object. Experimenting with these concepts can lead to some interesting lighting and connotations, but remember the hard and fast rule: well-lit = good, darkness = bad. Don’t forget about coloured lighting! This one is the most easily forgotten concepts of the whole film production, but it can add that extra layer of sheen to a film production. Colours all have broad connotations, from blue being calm to anger being represented by red. If at all possible it’s good to put a small splash of coloured lighting in a film if only to alter the overall palette of the film and make the average audience member look up in amazement. Maybe splash some blue in there when he or she is feeling depressed or red in a nightclub when a fight kicks off. It’s a little tweak that can make a great film an amazing film.
Ignore J.J Abrams and his lens-flare Be inspired by directors by all means, but do not overuse the lens-flare when it comes to making a film, often used by director J.J Abrams. This effect is absolutely atrocious, because any meaning gleaned from it makes no sense. It could exemplify a cool, futuristic exterior or sleek surface, but anyone who has watched Star Trek: Into Darkness could tell you otherwise, as it often detracts from the action and reduces the overall quality of the film. J.J Abrams uses lens-flare for the reason that he wants to create the idea that “something amazing is happening off-frame.” Oddly, this makes you wonder why the camera isn’t pointed at the amazing thing in this situation, but I digress. No lens-flare. Find your camera man and have a word with him. Be willing the experiment on set and explain ideas clearly On set everyone is setting up for a shot. The director might call you over to explain something to you that he needs, but don’t be scared to make your own opinions heard. After all, you are the lighting expert on set and the director might appreciate your input as a light technician. Remember to explain your ideas in detail. The director won’t want to waste time while you fumble about trying to think of a better way to set up the lighting for the shot, so prepare your ideas and your pitch before you walk up to the director, who probably has another thousand things he could be doing at that particular point in time. Be clear but concise and make sure the director is fully on-board with an idea before implementing it. This will reduce the amount of trouble you will get in if the director doesn’t like the shot after the lighting has changed. Who knows, you could perhaps suggest something I’ve talked about in this short article? But not lens-flares. Never lens-flares.
For more information on the BFI Film Academy Project visit: www.cornerhouse.org/livewire