Screenwriting
“Scriptwriting is a process. It begins with gathering information, thinking, analyzing, and questioning, and it ends with devising a creative concept"
(Friedmann, 2010:43).
This process involves several steps; coming up with a premise which can be turned into a logline, and expanded into a concept; this then forms the treatment, which can be used to begin writing, and rewriting, the script (Friedmann, 2010:186).
Research
However, in order to come up with a story in the first place, some writers do research as the first step in the process (Friedmann, 2010:45). This is usually most necessary when the story involves something the writer hasn't experienced (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:27).
Thus, for my own screenplay, I researched investment banking, since to create a convincing representation of an investment banker I not only needed to know what the job involved, but also how this would affect the way the characters would talk and act, as well as how this would shape the world around them and their actions within it (Friedmann, 2010:44).
This helped me learn specific facts about the job which could be used to add detail to the characters (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:69).
For example, because of how I wanted to differentiate Cathryn from her colleagues in some way (in a similar way to how superheroes are differentiated from the rest of their city's civilians by their powers), I researched the different positions within investment banking, and decided to make her an executive director, since this means she is of a higher rank than her colleagues, but still has to report to the boss (Ross, 2019). Other research, such as looking into the type of paperwork an investment banker would work on helped with scenes such as the one where Cathryn is handing back work to colleagues she has helped.
Nonetheless, not all of this research was necessary to do at the beginning of the writing process, some came later when I needed to know more, or different, details as I redrafted (Friedmann, 2010:45).
Outlining - structure
After coming up with an idea and doing some initial research, an outline can be used to expand this, and test the potential of the idea to ensure it can fill the format the writer wants to write in, whether that be a half-hour TV show, or a two hour feature film (Friedmann, 2010:231). When writing the outline, a writer should focus only on the plot and action of the idea, thus allowing the chance to see how the characters' personalities, attitudes, and intentions can be shown to the audience - working for as long as possible in outline form can allow these to be refined and thus mean the script is less likely to be reliant on dialogue (Rabiger, 2017:194).
By doing this, I found that it helped me to find new ideas which would more effectively show things to the audience, in consequence of the fact that I worked in outline form for longer the script, thus redrafted this more times than the screenplay itself (Rabiger, 2017:219). This also helped me refine the structure of the screenplay, since it made the key moment - "the distilled moment or action that advances the narrative" - of each scene more apparent (Friedmann, 2010:184).
For example, originally Cathryn went back to the office after the crime she witnessed and started drawing to distract her from looking around her office:
However, after going back to the outline after writing this draft, I found that since the point of the drawing is for Cathryn to use it as a coping mechanism, it made more sense if she started drawing after going to see Monica, since at this point she was looking for a way to cope, whereas before she was just looking for something to distract her.
Outlines can also be used to refine the pacing and emotion of a screenplay since when outlining each scene the writer should work to imagine it in their head as the audience will see it on screen, translating this into the outline so the whole film can be read back and played over in the writer's head (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:27).
Character
“Intention and obstacle is everything. Intention and obstacle is what makes it drama. (Characters) just need a strong intention, and then there needs to be a formidable obstacle. The tactic that your protagonist (or protagonists) use to overcome that obstacle is going to be your story"
(Aaron Sorkin, quoted in Rogan, s.da).
Thus, it can be seen that a character and their agenda are what drive stories, however, a character needs to want their intention badly, otherwise there is a risk the audience won't care if they get it or not, and therefore not invest in the story (Winfield Sublett, 2014:46).
In order to avoid this, the story's main character should be the one who "has the farthest to go to learn the lesson", and thus the farthest to go to reach their intention or goal (Rogan, s.db). Therefore, characters should be "round" rather than "flat" (Rabiger, 2017:70) - meaning they have many different motivations which affect how they act and react in situations. These motivations can be external - the apparent explanation for why they do what they do - internal - affected by some kind of inner problem which is not apparent - or completely hidden and secret, since it is unapparent why the character acts like they do, however they need to do this to stay "true" to who they are (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:67). By giving the character motivations in this way, they become "round" because it can be seen that they have their own personality, attitude, and goal which is specific to them (Rabiger, 2017:67).
Action is more important in showing character than dialogue since how the character behaves shows the audience these specifics (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:76). Thus, strong protagonists are "active" - they take action rather than simply reacting to situations (Rabiger, 2017:53).
This means that these characters can develop and change over the course of the story. This helps the audience invest in the character's emotions and thus relate to them, since this change can signify hope that the character may get their goal or intention by the end of the story (Rabiger, 2017:51).
A way to show this development is to have the character make a discovery which shows this change in them, no matter how small, as long as it can be seen that if makes a difference to their life - to extend this, and thus allow the character to develop even more over the course of the story, it is possible for them to make several discoveries which will affect them (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:118).
A way I did this with Cathryn is that when she witnesses the crime, she discovers that there is more to life than just her work, but she isn't sure how to deal with this. Thus, it takes a few more discoveries - that there is a possibility she could be trained by Monica which could help her save people, that violence won't solve anything, that Cathryn could still give the world a hero through her art - in order for her intention to be refined, showing that the story changes her.
Despite the possibility for change in this way, it is essential that there be some "persistence of emotion" across the story - for example, the can't character go from sad in one scene to instantly happy in the next, because it can be seen that there was no way this emotion was "earned", since the audience remember and carry on to the next scene the emotion of the one preceding it (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:53).
To further refine how characters will react to situations, the writer can make a "character biography" which details their backstory, and thus learn the reasons for why they act like they do, making their personalities more complex and credible, as well as consistent (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:68).
Yet, it is not just emotion and action which show a lot about a character, but also appearance. This can be established when the character is first introduced. The first time a character appears the writer should detail the character's appearance, the way they see themselves, and the way others see them, but still keep this rooted in action so the story is not disrupted (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:72).
For example, since Cathryn's life at the start of the story revolves around work I decided to show this by describing her as "a standard businesswoman", showing she works a lot through the dark circles under her eyes, and her frown, as well as through the philosophy she lives by:
Overall, a character should have emotions, reactions and a personality which are specific to them, as well as a main conflict which is more focused by making them opposed to the person or thing they are always with or around (Winfield Sublett, 2014:48).
Thus, this allows the audience to be able to "connect to and understand them" and thus be interested in their story (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:69).
In order to avoid this, the story's main character should be the one who "has the farthest to go to learn the lesson", and thus the farthest to go to reach their intention or goal (Rogan, s.db). Therefore, characters should be "round" rather than "flat" (Rabiger, 2017:70) - meaning they have many different motivations which affect how they act and react in situations. These motivations can be external - the apparent explanation for why they do what they do - internal - affected by some kind of inner problem which is not apparent - or completely hidden and secret, since it is unapparent why the character acts like they do, however they need to do this to stay "true" to who they are (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:67). By giving the character motivations in this way, they become "round" because it can be seen that they have their own personality, attitude, and goal which is specific to them (Rabiger, 2017:67).
Action is more important in showing character than dialogue since how the character behaves shows the audience these specifics (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:76). Thus, strong protagonists are "active" - they take action rather than simply reacting to situations (Rabiger, 2017:53).
This means that these characters can develop and change over the course of the story. This helps the audience invest in the character's emotions and thus relate to them, since this change can signify hope that the character may get their goal or intention by the end of the story (Rabiger, 2017:51).
A way to show this development is to have the character make a discovery which shows this change in them, no matter how small, as long as it can be seen that if makes a difference to their life - to extend this, and thus allow the character to develop even more over the course of the story, it is possible for them to make several discoveries which will affect them (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:118).
A way I did this with Cathryn is that when she witnesses the crime, she discovers that there is more to life than just her work, but she isn't sure how to deal with this. Thus, it takes a few more discoveries - that there is a possibility she could be trained by Monica which could help her save people, that violence won't solve anything, that Cathryn could still give the world a hero through her art - in order for her intention to be refined, showing that the story changes her.
Despite the possibility for change in this way, it is essential that there be some "persistence of emotion" across the story - for example, the can't character go from sad in one scene to instantly happy in the next, because it can be seen that there was no way this emotion was "earned", since the audience remember and carry on to the next scene the emotion of the one preceding it (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:53).
To further refine how characters will react to situations, the writer can make a "character biography" which details their backstory, and thus learn the reasons for why they act like they do, making their personalities more complex and credible, as well as consistent (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:68).
Yet, it is not just emotion and action which show a lot about a character, but also appearance. This can be established when the character is first introduced. The first time a character appears the writer should detail the character's appearance, the way they see themselves, and the way others see them, but still keep this rooted in action so the story is not disrupted (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:72).
For example, since Cathryn's life at the start of the story revolves around work I decided to show this by describing her as "a standard businesswoman", showing she works a lot through the dark circles under her eyes, and her frown, as well as through the philosophy she lives by:
Thus, this allows the audience to be able to "connect to and understand them" and thus be interested in their story (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:69).
Dialogue
Because film, as a medium which used to be silent, primarily relies on pictures to tell a story, a writer should keep in mind the rule "show, don't tell" when writing dialogue, treating it as an "extra" (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:82). The main thing dialogue should work to show is characters strategies for accomplishing their intentions (Rogan, 2018:7).
Therefore, dialogue should be a consequence of character, helping to show their personalities through the way they speak (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:98). Thus, when writing scenes, a writer should be thinking about the character's agenda and past which they bring to the scene, as well as where this character wants this conversation to go depending on what they wish to accomplish in the future (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:87).
However, to make the scene more dramatic, and thus more interesting, there should always be some contrast between what the characters say and what they are thinking - to accomplish this, the writer can use a sentence to describe the character's intentions during the scene, but ensure that they never directly mention their intention during the scene (Rogan, 2018:22). For this reason, "what your characters don’t say (subtext)—that rich, complex river of emotion flowing under the scene— is just as important as what they do say"(Hunter-Johnson, 2015:100).
Although, the dialogue characters do use should be as short as possible (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:108). Despite dialogue needing to be "realistic" so it can be seen as credible, it doesn't have to be as long and muddled as dialogue in real life is (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
Overall, dialogue shouldn't be too expositional - that is, explain what is happening to the audience, since this can involve directly stating their intentions (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
Therefore, dialogue should be a consequence of character, helping to show their personalities through the way they speak (Hunter-Johnson, 2015:98). Thus, when writing scenes, a writer should be thinking about the character's agenda and past which they bring to the scene, as well as where this character wants this conversation to go depending on what they wish to accomplish in the future (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:87).
However, to make the scene more dramatic, and thus more interesting, there should always be some contrast between what the characters say and what they are thinking - to accomplish this, the writer can use a sentence to describe the character's intentions during the scene, but ensure that they never directly mention their intention during the scene (Rogan, 2018:22). For this reason, "what your characters don’t say (subtext)—that rich, complex river of emotion flowing under the scene— is just as important as what they do say"(Hunter-Johnson, 2015:100).
Although, the dialogue characters do use should be as short as possible (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:108). Despite dialogue needing to be "realistic" so it can be seen as credible, it doesn't have to be as long and muddled as dialogue in real life is (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
Overall, dialogue shouldn't be too expositional - that is, explain what is happening to the audience, since this can involve directly stating their intentions (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
Drafting and re-drafting
“Writing is really all about rewriting”
(Rabiger, 2017:27).
By drafting a writer can push their idea, coming up with new ideas which better drive the narrative, or better show the character's intention and the affect of the obstacle they are facing to the audience; yet to do this, the writer has to think about how they see the world from their own perspective, in order to get rid of anything which is cliche and refine their idea as much as they possibly can (Rabiger, 2017:26).
Drafting begins with the first draft of the script which, despite following the treatment, may turn out differently than what the writer initially envisioned within the treatment (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:80). This can be because “commonly a first draft lacks depth and detail, and can only hint at the thematic potential we anticipate” (Rabiger, 2017:190).
Despite this, a writer should let their first draft go where the story naturally seems to lead them, only switching to determining how elements can be improved once this is finished, otherwise there is a risk that creativity could be diminished by constant analysis (Rabiger, 2017:56).
The finished first draft should then be left at least overnight, if not for a few days, so that the writer can get some distance from the material and thus look at it from a fresh perspective so that any problems can be more easily identified (Rabiger, 2017:217). Within this draft, a writer may find that there is a lot of "expositional dialogue" -"dialogue that helps explain plot" - yet, this can be necessary to let the characters do at first in order to better determine the point of each scene (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
After reading the first draft back, a writer should then try to see what they remember most about the story afterward, as a viewer would after seeing the film for the first time (Rabiger, 2017:92). Yet, this can also be tested during the writing of the second draft if the writer reads their first draft, discards it, and starts from scratch for the second draft; this means they may leave out what they can't remember, however, this signifies that these elements were the weaker parts of the story, and maybe weren't needed in the first place (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:90).
Following this process could cause some problems in the second draft that may not have been present in the first, however, combining what was learnt from both drafts can help solve these (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:90).
Doing this helped me to refine the structure and point of the scenes in my script, since at first, the scene with Monica was just there to establish that Cathryn works a lot and doesn't like going home, however, when writing the second draft and not looking at the first, I forgot about this scene, which helped me to think about if it was needed, and if it was, what it's key moment was.
Throughout the rest of the drafting process, the writer should keep this process in mind, getting rid of forgettable scenes or those which make no difference to the story as a whole, unneeded characters, and dialogue that can be shown by an action (Rabiger, 2017:216).
Overall, by drafting and redrafting, the writer is aiming to "impose greater clarity, draw better causes-and-effects, find greater dramatic inevitability", which can only be done by getting to know the story and letting it evolve (Rabiger, 2017:26).
The finished first draft should then be left at least overnight, if not for a few days, so that the writer can get some distance from the material and thus look at it from a fresh perspective so that any problems can be more easily identified (Rabiger, 2017:217). Within this draft, a writer may find that there is a lot of "expositional dialogue" -"dialogue that helps explain plot" - yet, this can be necessary to let the characters do at first in order to better determine the point of each scene (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:84).
After reading the first draft back, a writer should then try to see what they remember most about the story afterward, as a viewer would after seeing the film for the first time (Rabiger, 2017:92). Yet, this can also be tested during the writing of the second draft if the writer reads their first draft, discards it, and starts from scratch for the second draft; this means they may leave out what they can't remember, however, this signifies that these elements were the weaker parts of the story, and maybe weren't needed in the first place (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:90).
Following this process could cause some problems in the second draft that may not have been present in the first, however, combining what was learnt from both drafts can help solve these (Edgar-Hunt & Marland and Richards, 2009:90).
Doing this helped me to refine the structure and point of the scenes in my script, since at first, the scene with Monica was just there to establish that Cathryn works a lot and doesn't like going home, however, when writing the second draft and not looking at the first, I forgot about this scene, which helped me to think about if it was needed, and if it was, what it's key moment was.
Throughout the rest of the drafting process, the writer should keep this process in mind, getting rid of forgettable scenes or those which make no difference to the story as a whole, unneeded characters, and dialogue that can be shown by an action (Rabiger, 2017:216).
Overall, by drafting and redrafting, the writer is aiming to "impose greater clarity, draw better causes-and-effects, find greater dramatic inevitability", which can only be done by getting to know the story and letting it evolve (Rabiger, 2017:26).
Directing
Pre-production
Interpreting the script - visualisation
"Visualization must include hands-on picture making in some tangible medium. Making ideas visible before they are put in front of the camera is a necessity"
(Katz, 1991:5).
In pre-production, the director takes the script and begins the process of visualisation. There are two steps to this process: "immediacy and reflection" - immediacy happens when the director uses visualisation techniques to plan how each scene will be filmed, coming up with and changing ideas as the film begins to take shape (Katz, 1991:5).
The second step of the process, reflection, happens after this, when the director has been away from, and thus achieved distance from their ideas, allowing them to better see if there are any problems with their ideas, and anything which can be refined, allowing them to solve problems and thus find the best way to film the scenes before production (Katz, 1991:5).
Directors can use floor plans (also known as overhead diagrams) and storyboards to visualise the film before filming begins (Rea & Irving, 2015:61). Floor plans consist of the director using shapes to block out the space they are going to film each scene in from overhead to determine where it is possible to place props, actors, and equipment (Rea & Irving, 2015:61), while storyboards show each shot in separate drawings (Proferes, 2008:45).
To visualise our film, I mainly used storyboards, using the shooting script (see below) as a guide. This helped me to determine which shots I thought most effectively showed the character's disposition in comparison to those which could just cover scene.
For example, during the last shot of the sequence, when Cathryn finally looks up from drawing and is exhausted, the medium 3/4 shot I had planned could have been used to cover the whole scene since it showed her facial expression, which was the main focus of the scene. However, it didn't emphasise her tiredness, thus I decided to add an extreme close-up of her eyes, which better portrayed this exhaustion to the audience.
The second step of the process, reflection, happens after this, when the director has been away from, and thus achieved distance from their ideas, allowing them to better see if there are any problems with their ideas, and anything which can be refined, allowing them to solve problems and thus find the best way to film the scenes before production (Katz, 1991:5).
Directors can use floor plans (also known as overhead diagrams) and storyboards to visualise the film before filming begins (Rea & Irving, 2015:61). Floor plans consist of the director using shapes to block out the space they are going to film each scene in from overhead to determine where it is possible to place props, actors, and equipment (Rea & Irving, 2015:61), while storyboards show each shot in separate drawings (Proferes, 2008:45).
To visualise our film, I mainly used storyboards, using the shooting script (see below) as a guide. This helped me to determine which shots I thought most effectively showed the character's disposition in comparison to those which could just cover scene.
For example, during the last shot of the sequence, when Cathryn finally looks up from drawing and is exhausted, the medium 3/4 shot I had planned could have been used to cover the whole scene since it showed her facial expression, which was the main focus of the scene. However, it didn't emphasise her tiredness, thus I decided to add an extreme close-up of her eyes, which better portrayed this exhaustion to the audience.
Determining an aesthetic style
After visualisation is completed, the director then works to determine an aesthetic style for the film, by finding locations, and picking colours, lighting, set dressing and costumes (Rooney & Belli, 2013:126).
I have found that the most effective way to do this is through mood boards since these help me organise all my ideas and compare them to ensure the style of the film stays cohesive, as well as show them to the rest of the team.
As a group, we began creating mood boards by determining colours (which would later be used in the edit to form plans for colour grading), before moving on to the set and costumes.
All of these decisions are important since they determine the overall tone of the film, which can reflect and help show to the audience the character's disposition, both externally and internally (Rooney & Belli, 2013:38).
For this reason, we decided to dress our home office set so that it would serve this purpose. Set dressing can consist of moving furniture, adding props, or rearranging the space (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:289). In the home office we had to move some furniture to make the space bigger so that the camera had enough room to get the shots we wanted, as well as add props to show Cathryn's personality, such as her love of culture and reading.
We also used costume and colour to show mood and tone. For example, at the beginning of the montage Cathryn wears a blue jumper, blue symbolising creativity, and confidence (Olesen, 2019) which is what drawing gives Cathryn at this stage of the montage.
However, as the montage progresses, Cathryn ends up wearing a red jumper, symbolising her determination, as well as the danger she is in as things begin to become unraveled (Bourn, 2011).
Nonetheless, this aesthetic style can be furthered through colour grading in the edit, which can help emphasise the tone and mood set by the location and costumes we chose.
I have found that the most effective way to do this is through mood boards since these help me organise all my ideas and compare them to ensure the style of the film stays cohesive, as well as show them to the rest of the team.
All of these decisions are important since they determine the overall tone of the film, which can reflect and help show to the audience the character's disposition, both externally and internally (Rooney & Belli, 2013:38).
For this reason, we decided to dress our home office set so that it would serve this purpose. Set dressing can consist of moving furniture, adding props, or rearranging the space (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:289). In the home office we had to move some furniture to make the space bigger so that the camera had enough room to get the shots we wanted, as well as add props to show Cathryn's personality, such as her love of culture and reading.
We also used costume and colour to show mood and tone. For example, at the beginning of the montage Cathryn wears a blue jumper, blue symbolising creativity, and confidence (Olesen, 2019) which is what drawing gives Cathryn at this stage of the montage.
Shooting script
To help break down the script to prepare a shot list, a shooting script can be used. This involves the director marking the script, using a series of steps to consider what coverage they want to film for each scene.
To do this, the director numbers each scene before reading them, while imagining how they want each scene to be covered; each shot is then signified by a bracket, its own letter and the size of the shot wanted; each bracket should cover part of the scene, with where the line starts or ends denoting where a cut could be in the edit (these can overlap - this just means there will be different choices of shots to pick for the same moment in the edit) (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:305-6).
I used this method to make a shot list, as I found that it ensured every part of the scene was covered, and further helped me to visualise how the shots could cut together in the edit.
For example, since the film was going to be a montage, and I wanted it to have a kinetic style, I had to make sure this movement wasn't too jarring for the audience, and thus that each camera move flowed into the next. The shooting script helped with this, since I was able to see each movement as one part of the whole script, rather than isolated to its own storyboard panel.
Script breakdown
The script breakdown allows all the elements of the script which affect the film's schedule and/or budget to become more apparent (Rea & Irving, 2015:49).
This is usually done by the producer, but since for this project our group didn't have a producer, I decided to do it as the director since it made organising the schedule and budget quicker and easier, as well as ensuring we didn't forget any props we needed to buy or bring to set.
The first step of a script breakdown is to allocate one breakdown sheet for each scene, colour coded depending on the location of the scene (ext. or int.) and the time of day it is to be filmed at (night or day) (Rea & Irving, 2015:49).
Each scene is then gone through separately, elements such as cast, props, and special effects underlined in different colours on the script and then filled into the corresponding boxes on each breakdown sheet - it is important to fill in the breakdown sheets while underlining each scene, rather than completely underlining the script and going back to the breakdown sheets, as the order of the scenes could change, which would then cause confusion (Rea & Irving, 2015:49).
After filling out the script breakdown, I then used our production book to order these based on location, costume and prop changes, which helped me to form a schedule.
For example, during the script breakdown I noticed that there are two scenes in which the main character, Cathryn, is on the phone, and we intended to film these similarly. Thus, although there was a costume change between these scenes, I decided to schedule these next to each together, since this required the least movement in regard to the equipment and the props, made more evident by the script breakdown.
This is usually done by the producer, but since for this project our group didn't have a producer, I decided to do it as the director since it made organising the schedule and budget quicker and easier, as well as ensuring we didn't forget any props we needed to buy or bring to set.
The first step of a script breakdown is to allocate one breakdown sheet for each scene, colour coded depending on the location of the scene (ext. or int.) and the time of day it is to be filmed at (night or day) (Rea & Irving, 2015:49).
Each scene is then gone through separately, elements such as cast, props, and special effects underlined in different colours on the script and then filled into the corresponding boxes on each breakdown sheet - it is important to fill in the breakdown sheets while underlining each scene, rather than completely underlining the script and going back to the breakdown sheets, as the order of the scenes could change, which would then cause confusion (Rea & Irving, 2015:49).
After filling out the script breakdown, I then used our production book to order these based on location, costume and prop changes, which helped me to form a schedule.
For example, during the script breakdown I noticed that there are two scenes in which the main character, Cathryn, is on the phone, and we intended to film these similarly. Thus, although there was a costume change between these scenes, I decided to schedule these next to each together, since this required the least movement in regard to the equipment and the props, made more evident by the script breakdown.
Production book
The production book consists of all the paperwork that the director or producer (each can have their own production book) needs to refer to during the production, such as the script, any contracts, the budget, schedule, and script breakdown, among other things (Rea & Irving, 2015:47-8).
Keeping all the paperwork in one place like this helps to keep it organised, as well as keep track of what needs to be added to it in pre-production in preparation to film (Rea & Irving, 2015:47-8).
Since making my first production book during the first year directions unit I've made one for every project, mainly because it reduces the risk of losing any paperwork, but also, for this project, I found it helped me keep track of how the film was coming together with everyone's collaborations, since I was able to see my own ideas next to those of the rest of the team.
Keeping all the paperwork in one place like this helps to keep it organised, as well as keep track of what needs to be added to it in pre-production in preparation to film (Rea & Irving, 2015:47-8).
Since making my first production book during the first year directions unit I've made one for every project, mainly because it reduces the risk of losing any paperwork, but also, for this project, I found it helped me keep track of how the film was coming together with everyone's collaborations, since I was able to see my own ideas next to those of the rest of the team.
Production
Directing Actors
During production, the main job of the director is to create a "relaxed and cooperative" atmosphere for the cast and crew (Rea & Irving, 2015:247). This is important for actors since they need this positive environment to be able to give the best performance they can (Rooney & Belli, 2013:132).
It is the director's job to guide the actor's performance, since the director knows how each scene will fit into the narrative to make up the whole film, thus they need to ensure that the performance across the whole film is cohesive (Rooney & Belli, 2013:133).
Because of this, a director should work to build a good rapport with not only the crew, but also the cast. Therefore, during breaks and lunches whilst we were filming, I ensured that the cast and crew stayed together, since this helped everyone get to know each other away from filming and thus become more relaxed (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:403).
However, because the director acts almost as the actor's "audience" during filming, after each take the director should work to give feedback to them straight away (Rea & Irving, 2015:248). When giving feedback a director should always tell the actor what they found positive abut their performance first (Rooney & Belli, 2013:136). Then, if the director needs to give feedback, they should give this to the actor one thing at a time, so that each thing can be focused on separately without confusion (Rea & Irving, 2015:248).
Overall, although a director should guide the actor's performance, they should not direct every element, but respect the actor by letting them know what they want, and allowing the actor to interpret this and give their own performance (Rooney & Belli, 2013:137).
It is the director's job to guide the actor's performance, since the director knows how each scene will fit into the narrative to make up the whole film, thus they need to ensure that the performance across the whole film is cohesive (Rooney & Belli, 2013:133).
Because of this, a director should work to build a good rapport with not only the crew, but also the cast. Therefore, during breaks and lunches whilst we were filming, I ensured that the cast and crew stayed together, since this helped everyone get to know each other away from filming and thus become more relaxed (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:403).
However, because the director acts almost as the actor's "audience" during filming, after each take the director should work to give feedback to them straight away (Rea & Irving, 2015:248). When giving feedback a director should always tell the actor what they found positive abut their performance first (Rooney & Belli, 2013:136). Then, if the director needs to give feedback, they should give this to the actor one thing at a time, so that each thing can be focused on separately without confusion (Rea & Irving, 2015:248).
Overall, although a director should guide the actor's performance, they should not direct every element, but respect the actor by letting them know what they want, and allowing the actor to interpret this and give their own performance (Rooney & Belli, 2013:137).
Post-production - directing the edit
During post-production, the director works with an editor to cut the film together. The director guides the edit, however, it is important that the director listen to what the editor suggests since they have some distance from the film, thus could see possibilities the director can't (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:418).
After cutting the film together, our editor and I worked to add comic book effects to the film, mainly at the end of the montage to show the character's transition from investment banker to becoming more and more lost in her drawings. To do this, we both looked at how superhero films use effects and took inspiration from them.
Thus, our effects served as a pastiche to the comic book/superhero movies we were influenced by, since they were based on the same style (Merriam-Webster, 2019).
For example, we decided to add panels to show the clients from the jump cuts to further emphasise the repetitive nature of our character's job, inspired by Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, creating a similar look as is used during the montage of that film.
However, we also took inspiration from other texts when colour grading our film. Since our montage shows a transition, I decided to split it up into stages, which then help me make colour plans.
We planned to have colour signify the character's emotions and show the change. For this reason, the montage starts off as more blue, slowly building through to orange as the conflict heightens, becoming red at the height of conflict, and then washing out to a paler orange for the end of the montage.
Overall, these colour plans helped me show my ideas to the rest of the team, in the same way as storyboards helped me show my ideas for shots.
Writing & directing
Being the writer-director on this project, I found that the most important thing was to combine these skills, rather than try to be a writer during pre-production and only a director on set. However, during production this was difficult since my main focus was to direct (August, 2006).
Nonetheless, a writer-director should mainly focus on:
- How the scenes are shot - the script can help with visualising the film before production, using directing to plan what the shots will be, and writing to ensure that what the writer wants to show about the character will be portrayed
- Pacing - this is somewhat created by the writer whilst writing the script through the structure of the story, but can be most affected by how the director decides to use shots, camera movement etc.
- Driving the story - every scene needs to have a point and progress the story otherwise time is wasted filming these scenes in production
- Performance - the director uses the script to guide the actor's performance, so the writer should include all the information (but not too much) which is necessary for this to be interpreted
- Rising conflict - the story should build until the height of conflict is reached by the film's climx; this is established by the writer when writing the script, but affects how the film will be directed
(Scott, 2019).
Overall, I think that directing my own writing changed how I would normally direct since there was a lot more planning involved, although I think balancing the two jobs could be improved if I concentrate more on my intentions to define my own "vision" for the film so that I know what story I want to tell before filming (Matthews, 2014).
References
August, J. (2006) 'What's it like being the writer and director?' In: John August. [online] At: https://johnaugust.com/2006/whats-it-like-being-the-writer-and-director (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Bourn, J. (2011) 'Color Meaning: Meaning of the Color Red' In: Bourn Creative. [online] At: https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-red/ (Accessed on 6 May 2019).
Edgar-Hunt, R. & Marland, J. and Richards, J. (2009) Basics Film-Making 02: Screenwriting. Switzerland: AVA Publishing SA.
Friedmann, A. (2010) Writing for Visual Media. (3rd ed.) Oxford: Focal Press.
Hunter-Johnson, C. (2015) Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect. (4th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Matthews, R. (2014) '10 Things You Need To Know to be a...Writer/Director' In: BAFTA Guru. [online] At: http://guru.bafta.org/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-be-a…writerdirector (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Merriam-Webster (2019) 'Pastiche' definition 1 [online] At: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastiche (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Olesen, J. (2019) 'Blue Color Meaning - The Color Blue' In: Color Meanings. [online] At: https://www.color-meanings.com/blue-color-meaning-the-color-blue/ (Accessed on 6 May 2019).
Rabiger, M. (2017) Developing Story Ideas. (3rd ed.) Oxon: Routledge.
Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Rea, P. & Irving, D. (2015) Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Friedmann, A. (2010) Writing for Visual Media. (3rd ed.) Oxford: Focal Press.
Hunter-Johnson, C. (2015) Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect. (4th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Matthews, R. (2014) '10 Things You Need To Know to be a...Writer/Director' In: BAFTA Guru. [online] At: http://guru.bafta.org/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-be-a…writerdirector (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Merriam-Webster (2019) 'Pastiche' definition 1 [online] At: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastiche (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Olesen, J. (2019) 'Blue Color Meaning - The Color Blue' In: Color Meanings. [online] At: https://www.color-meanings.com/blue-color-meaning-the-color-blue/ (Accessed on 6 May 2019).
Rabiger, M. (2017) Developing Story Ideas. (3rd ed.) Oxon: Routledge.
Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Rea, P. & Irving, D. (2015) Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Rogan, M. (s.db) 'Writing Scripts With Heroes (and Heroines) That Don't Suck' In: Script Bully. [online] At: https://scriptbully.com/writing-scripts/ (Accessed on 6 May 2019).
Rogan, M. (2018) How to Write a Script With Dialogue That Doesn't Suck. USA: Script Bully Press.
Rooney, B. & Belli, M. (2013) Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing. Oxon: Focal Press.
Ross, S. (2019) 'The hierarchy of an Investment Bank' In: Investopedia. [online] At: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/professionals/102915/hierarchy-investment-bank.asp (Accessed on 15 May 2019).
Scott, D. (2019) '5 Key Priorities for Writer-Directors' In: Writer's Store. [online] At: https://www.writersstore.com/5-key-priorities-for-writer-directors/ (Accessed on 14 May 2019).
Winfield Sublett, S. (2014) Screenwriting for Neurotics: A Beginner's Guide to Writing a Feature-Length Screenplay from Start to Finish. Iowa: University of Iowa Press.
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