Planning and research

Planning and Research

Preparing to shoot

Blocking the scriptOnce we had our script it was important we blocked it

so we could see exactly what scenes we would film on which days. Blocking the script enabled us to see the practicalities of our chosen locations, and think logically about our shooting schedule. Blocking the script also gave us the estimated time it would take to film on a session, and so we were able to give our cast accurate timings. Having said this, filming schedules were frequently re-adjusted and altered and so timings were changed on several occasions, but blocking the script made the re-adjusting much simpler and faster to do.

Example of our blocked script.

Shot by Shot Creating a shot by shot list of our script was an utterly crucial

part of film preparation. It forced us to envisage our film frame by frame whilst thinking about transitions and fluency between each shot. Something as simple as ‘Mr and Adam played football in the field’ was broken down into 15 shots where camera angles, distance and duration were all thoroughly thought about. In later parts of the film, like the final scene with Mr in is sons bedroom, took massive consideration about not only the type of shot it would be, but what connotations that would infer to the audience. It was important that the shots, supported the mood and ambiance of the film whilst conveying the right message. The shot by shot list will be essential to take when filming as they will steer our filming session.

Example of Shot by Shot list

We also blocked and colour coded our shot by shot lists. This was an necessity we took out when filming as it enabled us to see exactly what scene and shot we were on.

Storyboarding

Once we had the basic framework of the shot by shot list, we could then story board from it, helping us visually see if the shot by shot list was fluent. Seeing each frame of our film was another essential step before we could film as it gave us an idea of how it would look and if it was what we wanted. There were many alterations during this process as we realised shots didn’t fit and flow properly and so had to rethink a few of our shots.

Shooting schedule The shooting schedule was to inform me and Jess of the exact shots, dates and times we would be filming. This helped us develop our organisation skills as we had to think and plan ahead.

Call Sheets

We made sure the call sheets were given out to all the cast and crew who were due to film that day. We made sure our call sheets were thorough and precise and to an industry standard.

Call sheets

Consent forms

Working to industry standard ensured a more through pre- production process, making sure we had rights to every contributor, along with location consent forms. We ensured these were all filled out before filming. Following these guidelines enables us to enter our films to small festivals and showcase our film.

Logging Sheets

The logging sheet was a massive essential on set. It enabled both myself and jess to keep a accurate track of every shot, helping us select shots in the editing suit. We rotated duties in recording the logging sheet, giving us both the chance to act as producer.