To create a shooting script, a director marks "camera angles, shot sizes, and camera moves" directly onto the script in order to show what they wish to film for each scene and sequence (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:301). For this reason, every line of dialogue and action block should be marked with at least one shot, to ensure that adequate coverage is filmed for each scene (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:109). Each shot is allocated a letter, depending on its place in the order of the sequence, and a number which corresponds to the scene number - such as "16A" for the first shot of scene 16 (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:109).
Shots are marked on the shooting script by brackets showing which parts of the script they will cover (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306) - (see fig. 1) Where one bracket ends, and another begins is an "edit point", and it has been suggested that a director should thus remember when marking brackets that "the best place to make a cut is always on a strong physical movement" (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306). If the director intends to make a cut at a point like this, it is necessary for the brackets to overlap so that the action filmed is shown in multiple shots, allowing for adequate coverage of the moment (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306).
When planning a short film, creating just a shooting script by marking the shots needed can be enough for preparation for a director to do, since it gives a clear idea of coverage (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:110). For feature films, however, a shooting script is typically created through a script re-write, during which information about the intended coverage is written into the screenplay (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:110).
Once completed, the shooting script is then given to other members of the production crew, such as the director of photography, art director, and sound mixer, since they use this version of the script to "work out what technical resources they will need" to achieve the coverage intended by the director (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:301). The producer and production manager also use the shooting script to help them create the production's schedule (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:301).
For example, on the first shooting script I created, I planned for a two shot of Vera and Monica just after Vera has sat down and they have both begun writing to dissolve to see them later, happily writing. However, this felt like I had just taken the words from the script, "Monica gets into a rhythm with her typing now" and turned these into a shot, rather than considering what the action could be.
Whilst storyboarding I thus changed this shot, from it dissolving to adding in extra shots which would show action, such as a close-up of Monica's hands on the keyboard, her typing getting quicker, and her laptop screen becoming full of text. I felt that these better showed the gradual shift in Monica's mind set due to Vera to the audience because of how they contrasted with previous shots which showed her hands hovering over the keyboard, not typing, and the document on her laptop screen being blank.
Nonetheless, using the shooting script to plan shots helped me to edit the script slightly so that the framing of the shots would be improved. Hence, I decided to get rid of the monitor Vera was sitting in front of initially, and instead have her use just her lab book, since I found that the monitor would block the actor's faces, making it hard to get shots of their expressions.
Shots are marked on the shooting script by brackets showing which parts of the script they will cover (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306) - (see fig. 1) Where one bracket ends, and another begins is an "edit point", and it has been suggested that a director should thus remember when marking brackets that "the best place to make a cut is always on a strong physical movement" (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306). If the director intends to make a cut at a point like this, it is necessary for the brackets to overlap so that the action filmed is shown in multiple shots, allowing for adequate coverage of the moment (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:306).
When planning a short film, creating just a shooting script by marking the shots needed can be enough for preparation for a director to do, since it gives a clear idea of coverage (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:110). For feature films, however, a shooting script is typically created through a script re-write, during which information about the intended coverage is written into the screenplay (Hurbis-Cherrier, 2018:110).
Once completed, the shooting script is then given to other members of the production crew, such as the director of photography, art director, and sound mixer, since they use this version of the script to "work out what technical resources they will need" to achieve the coverage intended by the director (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:301). The producer and production manager also use the shooting script to help them create the production's schedule (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:301).
Fig. 1 Example Shooting Script (2013)
Since the shooting script can give such a clear idea of coverage, I initially tried to mark my script to create a shooting script as the first step of pre-visualisation, making overhead diagrams in pencil at the same time. However, I found some scenes hard to visualise because I had a lot of different ideas for shots and I wanted my final shot ideas to reflect the aims I had for my directing style. Therefore, I decided to storyboard the film first and make overhead diagrams along with these, later marking the shooting script once I had refined my ideas.
Marking the shooting script initially, I also found it hard to break down the moments where time passes, such as when after Vera sits down at the table, Monica begins to be happy when writing again. I found that using the shooting script to mark shots for moments like this made me more likely to try and visualise the words, rather than think about what the action would be.
Whilst storyboarding I thus changed this shot, from it dissolving to adding in extra shots which would show action, such as a close-up of Monica's hands on the keyboard, her typing getting quicker, and her laptop screen becoming full of text. I felt that these better showed the gradual shift in Monica's mind set due to Vera to the audience because of how they contrasted with previous shots which showed her hands hovering over the keyboard, not typing, and the document on her laptop screen being blank.
Nonetheless, using the shooting script to plan shots helped me to edit the script slightly so that the framing of the shots would be improved. Hence, I decided to get rid of the monitor Vera was sitting in front of initially, and instead have her use just her lab book, since I found that the monitor would block the actor's faces, making it hard to get shots of their expressions.
Final Shooting Script
List of Illustrations
Fig. 1 Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Example Shooting Script. [Diagram] In: Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques & Aesthetics. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press. p.304.
References
Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2018) Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Filmmaking. (3rd ed.) Oxon: Routledge.
Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques & Aesthetics. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques & Aesthetics. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Comments
Post a Comment