T356 Spring 2008 - Week 8

Agenda

• Finish up visualization, storyboarding & blocking
• Scripts & rehearsals

Reality Check

• We'll schedule PSAs during this week's lab. As soon as we select them you'll need to find out if your client has a preferred time slot.
• Dramatic scene proposals are due in lab. Will pitch scenes & select projects & teams.
• Art piece will be next week
• PSAs the following week.
• Following 2 weeks: Dramatic Scenes, then Final Projects

Readings:

Last week: Zettl chapter 17.1 (PDF), cybercollege tv cybertext unit 1, Zettl Chapter 18 (PDF)

This & next week: Zettl Chapter 19 (PDF)

Quick Notes on producing your projects:

You need accurate lighting plots and floor plans. Not just for us, but for your classmates. Nothing impresses me more than when producers start their setup by giving someone a floor plan and saying, "Here build this. Let me know if you have any questions."

Delegate. Take charge. Don't hesitate to ask someone to do something.

If your group isn't going, volunteer to help. These acts don't go unnoticed.

Finishing up Visualization:

Visualization is part of the pre-production, or planning stage.

Nothing saves you more time and makes your project better than pre-production- a.k.a. planning.

Simply put, spend time thinking about your projects. The more time you spend picking your script and shots apart before production, the smoother and quicker it will go.

Visualize every single shot! Beethoven could write his music entirely in his head. You can do the same thing. Imagine the first fade up from black. What do you see? You can do this with every single shot along with the soundtrack. Put it in writing in the form of your script and shot sheets. If you can learn to do this you will have great success producing your projects.

When blocking a scene - don't forget the basics, such as establishing time and location. When in doubt start with an interesting establishing shot (eg trucking shot), then start moving the camera in.

When blocking two-person exchanges OTS (over the shoulder) shots work well.
TV is a close-up medium.

Avoid using too many long shots and medium long shots. Use close ups and extreme close-ups to to tell your story.

The Role of the Director

The Director has many roles- these aren’t clear-cut

• Artist - convey message with style
• Psychologist - get different personalities to work at their best and as a team. Be positive & confident. Don't ridicule or blame. Find solutions.
• Technical Advisor - Have enough of a technical background to know the possibilities and limitations of people and equipment.
• Coordinator - must be able to coordinate a lot of different tasks that might not have a lot to do with each other.

Pre-production Activities

The more time you spend on pre-production activities, the easier the production phase will be. You will need to focus on the following:

Process message (objective)- What will the program accomplish? Know your communication goals. Keep these at the forefront at all times.

Production method - The most appropriate method of production (live, field, multicam etc.)

Production team & communication - The producer is responsible for organizing the team. Establish communication methods early. (E-mail, meetings, phone numbers)

Scheduling - The producer is responsible for creating a master production schedule. Know who needs to do what when. (Establish artistic needs- then storyboard)

Scripts

Script formats (there are many types of scripts- often you need more than one) Students should be able to identify at least three different scripts and describe their purpose

Fully scripted: includes every piece of dialog, every single shot, VTR cues) There are different versions of these for news, film, documentary)

Semi-scripted: indicates only partial dialogue. The opening and closing remarks are included. Our Studio 5 Perspectives talk show is a good example

Drama script: focuses on dialogue and action, not specific camera instructions.

Show format: lists only the particular show segments (interview with the chairman, commercial, music performance)

The fact sheet or rundown sheet: performers ad-lib based on this info. Popular for fund drives and shopping channels.

Script marking:

Whatever you use, it must be clear, readable and consistent. Look at the examples in Zettl. Students should be prepared to mark a script. The idea is to present as much precise information with as few markings as possible. Don't write out "Ready to roll VTR" cues. This will only work to disassociate you with what's really going on.

Unless specified, the default transition is a cut In other words, you never have to have the word "cut" in a script.

If possible, walk through the scene in rehearsal, marking cameras and shot numbers with pencil. Mark cameras by circled numbers all down one column (see handout) Mark shot numbers in another column.

Once finalized, have your AD mark everyone else's script.
Make a numbered shot sheet for the individual cameras. This way if you want to delete a shot, you can refer to it by number.

For scripts used for post-production (editing) note the take number along with the other info (I'd also include the timecode numbers)

Floor plan & location sketch

Make an accurate one that actually depicts the shooting location. (not necessarily just a studio)

If you make one that is accurate, to scale and show the cameras and talent, you ought to be able to block the production on paper.

Immediate Support Staff

Floor manager (floor director, stage manager)

• Coordinates all activities on the floor
• Oversee setup of scenery, props & displays
• Responsible for striking the set (or seeing that it gets done)

Zettl has a list of duties the floor director carries out Students should be able to list at least 4 things on this list for the quiz.

Assistant Director

• The AD mainly assists the director during the production phase. In complex productions, he/she can give the director ready cues and prompt the cameras to line up specific shots.
• The AD also is responsible for timing the segments and the entire show.
  Sometime they will stand in for the director during rehearsal so that the director can carefully observe the shots
• The AD should always be ready to stand in for the director

Production Assistant

They do "anything" that the producer or director assigns them. (copying scripts, getting coffee, picking up talent, getting releases signed, etc)

Rehearsals

Ideally anything that goes onto tape should be rehearsed

• Script reading
• Dry Run/Blocking rehearsal
• Walk throughs

Start with a script reading. Your talent should be present along with the producer, PA, AD, and floor director. (All key production people) You should have a floor plan handy to help people visualize their places.

Next comes a dry run or blocking rehearsal. The idea is to work out the basic actions of the talent. In the dry run you can:

• Work in a large room if you can't get access to the studio.
• Mark the camera positions and the major set pieces.
• You can use a camcorder to see how your elements work in the frame.
• You should run through the scenes in the order they are taped.
• Practice your cues (cue John to enter)
• Time each segment

Walk-Through – Occurs shortly before the production is taped.

Technical walk-thru (don’t need talent. Go over lighting, audio, camera moves etc.)

Talent Walk-thru (don’t need technical personnel.

• Mark precise positions
• Props
• Go through opening lines and skip to individual cue lines

Combined walk-thru: Can combine, talent, camera & tech in any combination.

Camera rehearsal/Dress Rehearsal

Timeline (Production schedule)

These are used in film, studio and field production.

Students should create timelines for final projects

Timing: Front & Back Timing.

Back timing is working backwards from the end of a show or segment. Let's say you knew a live show had to end precisely at 1:00 PM. The closing sequence takes 20 seconds, the taped segment that runs before the credits is 45 seconds, thanking the guests takes 30 seconds. WHen would you give the 1 minute to wrap signal?

 

Review Dramatic Scene Exercise

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