Directions: Directing Workshop 2

For our second workshop with Steve Finn we looked at directing a script.

Directing Workshop 2

We began the workshop by looking at a script that, apart from one line of action at the start, only had dialogue. We started by reading it through and then asking ourselves some questions about the characters. Before we could even think about how we could shoot the scene, we needed to know who the characters were. This would help us when it came to choosing whose perspective to shoot the scene from.

Robert

We started by looking at Robert. This is what we thought after reading between the lines:

• Because he has his own office, he must have some high status?
• If he is leaving, maybe he has done something wrong?
• Was he fired, or is he retiring, or is he leaving for another reason?

Helen

Next we looked at Helen. This is what we thought after reading between the lines:

• Helen uses slang. Maybe she is younger than Robert?
• She seems passionate and honest.
• She thinks that whatever Robert has done was wrong.
• She wanted to punish him but failed. Instead she is emotionally/personally punishing him by admitting that she stitched him up.

The Task

Next Steve gave us a task. He told us to go away and prepare to direct the scene, using everyone else as our cast and crew. He gave us a piece of advice, which was to think about the location carefully. We were in a small office like room. He said the first thing you should do is stand in the furthest corner and look for depth, as this can help you work out if a location is suitable, and help you decide how to layout the room and where to place the camera and actors. Also make note of where the doors and windows are as it can be important to know.

I began my prep by following Steve's previous advice, which was to draw a 'camera script'. In my notebook I drew a plan view of the room and used it to decide where I would place furniture, and cameras. I then went through the script and wrote an action next to each line to ensure the actors had something to do throughout, and weren't just standing and chatting. I then added shots to the script by putting a number next to each line which represented a camera position I had drawn onto my 'camera script'. Here is the 'camera script' a created, and the script I annotated:

The 'camera script'

The script

When it came to shooting the scene I began by shooting the opening shot which involved Helen knocking on the door and coming into the room. I then shot the same thing but this time from over Robert's shoulder. I then had to stop shooting so others could have a go. Steve asked me how I would develop the scene using different shots and I explained to him how I would do this using my 'camera script'. He reminded us all that it was best to think about your 'master shot' first. This would help establish the geography of the scene and give you a reference point for the action in all your other shots.

I'm glad we did this workshop because it reminded me that using a 'master shot' was really important, and you should really always do it first. You don't have to shoot the scene in order. You could shoot your 'master shot' first and then shoot your opening shot. It also taught me about how to act on set when working with actors and a crew, something I am not used to doing for my own work. It was nice to be in charge because it meant I could push for my own vision, however I still kept my mind open to suggestions, hence why I took suggestions from Steve, something that some others didn't seem to want to do.

Overall I enjoyed the workshop and learnt a lot about how to read between the lines and breakdown a script when preparing to film.

Steve finished the workshop by giving us a script each. We have been sent off to prepare to shoot this script in a future workshop.

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Directions: Directing Workshop 1

As part of this unit, we spent some time with Director Steve Finn, who taught us everything he knows about being a Director. Steve has worked on numerous programs, but has spent most of his time directing Eastenders. Below are my notes from the first workshop.

Steve Finn

Directing Workshop 1

Steve started by telling us about how he became a Director. He told us about how he spent most of his years working as an Assistant-Director, and how he became a Director by accident. He was asked by a production company to fly out to Spain to find out why a show they were making was really behind schedule. Whilst there the Director fell ill and so Steve had to direct some of the shoot. After that day, the company gave him a job as a Director. Since then he has worked on numerous programs, including Eastenders, The Bill, Holby City, Casualty & London's Burning.

We began the workshop by looking at an un-edited Eastenders scene that Steve had directed a few years ago. In the scene a character is mugged outside the Queen Vic. He showed us the footage he filmed, which in total added up to 12 shots. He then showed us the edited version so we could see how the footage was used and what was added before it could be aired on TV. He shot the scene using a multi-camera set up, which meant although there were 12 shots, most of them were shot simultaneously. He told us the scene took about 30 minutes to shoot. When we watched the scene back we noticed that a few FX had been added, and music had been added, although it was integrated into the scene by making it seem as though it was coming from inside the pub. FX like the sound of a train passing were used to build tension. And the music used had a specific tempo which also helped build tension.

He then told us about how sometimes he could shoot about 15 pages a day, and even more if we was filming in the studio. He also spoke about using movement in a scene as a cutting point, a technique we had spoken about in an editing workshop.

One of Steve's camera scripts

Next we looked at a 'camera script', which is essentially a plan view of camera and actor placement during a scene. We looked at a scene from a while back which involved a house explosion on the square. He used the 'camera script' to help everyone understand how he wanted to shoot the scene. This helped everyone else understand how the scene would be put together, and this was very important for the stunt team because it would have helped them decide where they could use doubles, and how they could set up the explosion and fire so no one would get hurt.

Steve spoke about how he used handheld cameras, a steadicam, minicams, and a chest-rig to shoot the scene. He said the scene took two days to film, with the explosion being shot on the first day and the fire being shot on the second. When preparing for something like this he said it is important to block the scene in your head, and in some cases act every part out to ensure it will work on the day of the shoot.

It was so great to see this 'camera script' because it gave me an idea of how Steve preps for and directs a big scene. It also helped me because it was something I had thought about doing for my own shoot. I'm a fan of Eastenders and I remember the scene very well, so it was cool to learn a bit about how they shot the scene.

Here is the start of the scene:

Here is a little behind the scenes look at the explosion:

Next we looked at the role of the Director. He gave us this:

He then told us about how he preps for Eastenders. He usually gets 4 weeks prep time for four episodes. Normally, he receives a draft script at the start of those 4 weeks. He then oversees the creation of the next 4 drafts, creating notes each time. By the end of the 2nd week he normally has a script that is ready to be used for production & rehearsals. He told us about how he chooses locations by working with the location manager. By the 3rd week he begins casting (if needed), he meets with makeup and wardrobe and he meets with the props department. By the 4th week he has a production meeting. And then the week after that they rehearse and then record all 4 episodes.

As a Director he says you must remember that you are in charge, and you don't ask people to do things, you politely tell them to do things. When on set you must be open to ideas, be flexible, use your time well, and have an idea of how long things will take. He also said that when it comes to editing, you must be prepared for changes to occur.

Finally we looked at directing actors. He started by talking about working out in your head who and what your characters before you think about casting. Once on set he said you should brief the actor and tell them about the character and the characters circumstances. The most important thing he told us about actors is that you need to give them something to do, because character is action, and actions speak louder than words. How a character does something, is more important than what they say.

To help us with our productions, as we are working with non-professional actors, he told us to focus more on shots and storyline. If we rely too much on the actors, it could ruin the film.

And that's it! We learnt quite a lot in one workshop and I found all of it incredibly helpful. I will definitely keep all of this in mind when I'm preparing for and directing my project.

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Directions: "The Director" Workshop

Recently we spent a day down in the studio learning about being a director.

Simon started off the workshop by telling us a little about what the director is responsible for and how their role affects everyone else. We were put into a crew to give us an idea of how many people the director has to work with. This allowed us to look around and think about what questions a director may be asked, which allows us to think about the answers before we turn up on set. We also spoke about the assistant directors who focus on the jobs the director doesn't need to worry about, the director will mainly focus on the cast, Director of Photography (DOP) and the camera operator. This assistant director does all the small jobs, like sorting out catering or checking everyone on set knows what they are doing. Without the director the shoot can't get going. Everyone relies on the director. Meanwhile, the main things the director thinks about are: what is going on in front of the camera and where the camera is seeing it from.

We also spoke about the process the director will go through on set. First they'd check the location. Then would check if the cast and crew are okay. Next they'd start blocking out the scene with the actors and the DOP. This allows them to set markers and set camera positions. This also allows to camera assistants to set focus for each shot (especially important if the focus has to pulled) and it allows the gaffers to work with the lighting director to light the scene. All of this must take place before the director can even think about calling "Action!".

Next Simon told us about coverage and motivation. He started by asking someone to direct a scene in which another person put a bottle in a bin. He said for things like this you don't have to treat the actor like an idiot. Pretty much everyone knows how to put something in the bin. The main thing you need to do is give the actor a motivation. Don't tell them how to put it in the bin, tell them why they should put it in the bin. For example, you could say they are angry because they're having money issues. This allows the actor to think about how someone in that situation would throw something in the bin, with the keyword being 'throw'. An angry person would throw not place. This example shows why motivation is important.

Coverage is also very important. Simon set up a scene in which two people were having a conversation. He split it into two parts: the meeting and the conversation. We started by thinking about how we could cover someone approaching another person before sitting down to chat. We had to think about where the camera was placed and what was going on in front of it. We spoke about moving the camera around the 180 degree arc and using depth of field to create different looks and feels. We also spoke about how the actor could approach and for how long to help build a tension. The main thing we learnt about this was that coverage was very important and it's best you get as much as you can. We also learnt that the way an actor does something can really help shape the meaning of it. And finally we learnt that the positioning of a camera can really affect the look and feel of something as simple as a two person conversation.

Finally we sat and watched a scene from a British film called Atonement (2007). We watched a scene which involved a conversation between two characters, however in the scene the most important part, in terms of visual storytelling, was a shot of the characters hands. After watching the scene we had a discussion about the directing aspects. This highlighted how many things a director has to think about to go from script to screen.

After watching the film we were set a task. We were given the script for the scene we watched and asked to go off in groups and take it in turns directing the scene. We had to think carefully about motivation and coverage, and about how we prepared everyone before shooting. In my group I had Saskia, Cheyenne & Laura. In my scene Robbie was played by Saskia and Cecilia was played by Laura. Cheyenne was my camera operator. I started off by setting up two chairs and placing a bin between them to act as a table. Next I took Saskia to her starting mark and explained to her what I wanted her to do. I gave her a motivation by telling her about the characters situation. I told her how long it has been since she has seen Cecilia and what she should think about when she sees her. I ended up treating it as tho Cecilia was her dog and she hadn't seen her for three years and she was unsure if her dog still loved her and so was nervous. Next I explained to Laura how she should be feeling. I used the same situation and told her to think about her nerves and how long it has been since she last saw Robbie. Using this motivation, I think the two both understood what I was looking for in terms of their emotions. Finally I explain to Cheyenne what I wanted the camera to do and how I wanted it to do it. We then blocked the scene out one last time and began shooting. Unfortunately, because I spent so much time talking to the actors I didn't have time to finish the scene, which also meant I didn't get a lot of coverage. However, when it came to editing I still had enough footage to create a varied piece. Here is the final cut:

Overall I enjoyed the workshop and learnt a great deal about the role of the director. I now have an idea of all the questions I need to answer before my shoot and of how important the director really is. I also learnt that although I am good at motivating the actors, I need to think carefully about timing and try focus more on getting the scene finished on time. It was a very fun project and it was nice to see how others direct their videos. I look forward to working with everyone again.

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