ZAMA Filmmaking 101 2009

ZAMA
Zone Academy of Media Arts
FILMMAKING 101

MEDIA 101 / GETTING STARTED
EQUIPMENT LIST
Digital Video
DV stands for digital video. DV is inexpensive. It gives high quality results and is
designed to plug right into your computer. Mini DV will hold a full hour of recorded
video.
Big Ticket Items FOR Digital Video
 DV camcorder, 3CCD - Camera

 Computer with video editing software
Computer System
 Apple Mac Book Pro

 PC/Microsoft Movie maker
Editing Software
 Pro Level – Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier Pro, Avid Xpress DV
Peripheral Equipment
 External Firewire Hard Drive

 Output Hardware DV Deck
 DVD authoring software and a DVD burner
Audio Gear
 Lavaliere microphone
 Broom Mic
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PICK A STORY
Planning is key! Planners get to make their movies. Dreamers don’t. It’s every
moviemaker’s goal to create an experience that will satisfy an audience. Story is
everything in filmmaking.
Story Styles
 Classic narrative – A story told in a particular way. Narrative structure

includes chronological order, flashbacks and a parallel story.
 Documentary – Real events, real stories.
 Performance – Music video, etc.
What makes a cool screen story?
Must have a beginning, a middle and an end.
 Starting point where the audience believes something.

 A series of events that lead to a discovery.
 A finish that changes how your audience thinks or feels about the thing you
focused on at the start.
A story is a series of scenes. A scene does the following:
 Gives the audience new information about a character and

 Shows an action that advances the story.
Conflict
Conflict is the ―Essence of Drama‖.
 Avoid the dreaded talking head and

 Think visually
A major mistake is having characters talk about what they have done or are going to
do, rather than showing them doing it.
Emotion
Charging the dialogue with emotion can help to relieve the boredom of talking heads.
You engage emotion by showing a conflict in which something valuable is at stake.
Conflict and emotion help the audience to better understand the character’s
personality.
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BASICS OF SCREENWRITING
The basics of screenwriting are:
1. Characters need conflicting desires.
2. Characters need to desire tangible things—things that you can show on

camera.
3. Characters aren’t self-aware.
4. Characters need to struggle in pursuit of their goal.
5. Give your central character a trait you don’t like.
6. Make the audience work.
7. Dialogue is your enemy. Be cinematic. Tell your story through images.
8. Genre/Breakout of formula by setting up traditional expectations and then

deliver in ways that are unexpected but plausible with hindsight.
Checklist
1. Decide whether your project is narrative, documentary, or performance.

Then think about how you’ll show and tell it as a story that an audience will
want to watch.
2. How does you story unfold? What are its beginning, middle and end?
3. How can you show your story as a sequence of visual scenes?
4. If you’re shooting a documentary, what facts do you want to show? What is

your opinion or your point of view about those facts?
5. Pick a scene to shoot. How does it show more information about a

character or advance the action of the story?
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BASICS OF SCREENWRITING
6. Is the scene dramatic? What is its conflict?
7. Who are the characters in the scene? What does each want? And what is
at stake for them?
8. How will you make the audience care about what happens in the scene?
9. Is the scene visual? Does it rely on action more than on dialogue?
10. When the scene (or movie) is over, what do you want the audience to do?
To think? To feel?
Example: Two men chasing a man carrying a briefcase down the sidewalk.
A chase scene can be exciting, but it helps to know what’s at stake. Who are
these men, and why are they chasing this fellow? What do they want? Is it
something in the briefcase? What will be the consequences if whatever they’re
after falls into the wrong hands?
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THE CAMERA
Film Camera
Film cameras record images on chemical coatings that are sensitive to the color and
brightness of light.
Camcorders/Digital Video Camera
Camcorders use photocells that generate electrical signals that respond to the
brightness and color of light, electrical circuitry in the camcorder converts these
signals into digital data and records it on the magnetic tape of the DV cassette.
 Exposure - Controls the amount of light that reaches the CCD clip.
 Aperture or iris – the precise amount of opening is called the F stop. Aperture
is open wide. The F stop number is ―small‖. When the aperture is small, the F
stop number is larger.
 Focus – the focus control on the camcorder caries the distance of the lens
from the CCP.
 Zoom – controls how much the lens magnifies the image and how close your
subject appears to the camera.
 Depth of field – selective focus or shallow depth of field achieved by shooting

the subject from a distance with the camera zoomed all the way in. Also
achieved by positioning subject far from the background.
Controlling Contrast
Video is more difficult to light correctly. The problem is the limited contrast range of
the CCDs in video cameras. No matter how good your camcorder is, you’ll never be
able to show detail in both the light and dark areas of the image in the same frame.
So you go for lighting that’s either bright or dim overall. The artistic goal of lighting is
to direct the viewer’s eye.
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FOLLOW THE GUERILLA’S CODE—IMPROVISE!
LIGHTING ON A BUDGET
In general, do whatever you can (safely) to selectively reflect, block, or filter available
light and affect the quality of the image. Here are some other ways to light a scene
using the materials at hand.
 String a rope between two trees and hang a white sheet on it with clothespins
to act as a big silkscreen to make bright sunlight softer.
 Hold a bounce board over an actor’s head (but out of the shot) to create shade
and soften shadows.
 Use a shiny auto windshield screen as a reflector.
 Rearrange furniture to (1) position actors so the main light source falls on them
as key light and (2) block unwanted light from window areas.
Despite the lighting challenges involved in shooting outdoors, we expect you’ll want
to go there. Let’s be real—for reasons of both safety and freedom of movement –
you don’t want to go shooting action scenes indoors. Following are some tactics for
outdoor shooting.
Tactic One: Shoot on Overcast Days
You’ll need the least amount of equipment if you take the easy way out and shoot
only when the sky is overcast. The cloud cover acts like a giant silkscreen stretched
over the sky, and the resulting light is soft and flattering. Even on a cloudy day, a
bounce board held next to an actor’s face will create a highlight. (But it will only be
visible in close-ups.)
Tactic Two: Move into the Shade
If it’s a bright, sunny day, move cast and crew into the shade. It will take a bit more
rigging than shooting on an overcast day. Reflect the sun back at the subject as key
light, possibly using a shiny board and perhaps masked by a flag for greater control.
Use a bounce board from another angle to provide fill. Face your subjects away from
the sun, using it, in effect, as backlight.
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FOLLOW THE GUERILLA’S CODE—IMPROVISE!
LIGHTING ON A BUDGET
Tactic Three: Cheat the Sun
If you want to venture into the bright sun, mount a spotlight on the camcorder and
use that for the key light. Face subjects away from the sun, using it as a backlight.
Provide fill with a bounce board. If the camera has a Spotlight mode, turn it on to
tone down the spot and avoid blowing out the highlights.
You can see a good example of this technique in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the
Clones when Anakin returns to Totooine. Even though this big-budget HD production
no doubt had the luxury of all the movie lights, they needed to provide fill. Notice that
the sun is always at the actors’ backs when they are in the bright afternoon sun on
desert sand.
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SOUND PRODUCTION
Audio perspective: The proper placement of microphones within the scene where
the audience would expect sound to originate from.
Audio levels: Set your levels within a range where you get a strong level without
distortion.
Noise: Don’t shoot in areas where background noise makes it difficult to hear
dialogue.
Controlling Sound
1. Concentrate on capturing clean dialogue.

2. Wear headphones and listen to levels and noise.
3. Record one minute of room tone (presence) after each take.
4. Capture any wild sound effects in separate takes.
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MAKING CHOICES
TV/film is about making choices. They can cover creativity (What’s the story?) to
technical.
What are the Basic Decisions?
 What does the story need?

 Where can we shoot?
 What shots do we want?
 How long will it take?
 How will we get it all?
 Do we need to rehearse?
What does the story need?
 Settings and locations

 Action
 Dialogue
What does each character want?
 What’s the action?

 What’s at stake?
 What the mood?
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BREAKING DOWN THE SCRIPT
Script breakdown identifies and outlines the production budget concerning the
following:
 Cast
 Extras
 Wardrobe
 Props
 Makeup and hair
 Sound effects
 Vehicles and animals
Where Can We Shoot?
 Interior (INT)
 Exterior (EXT)
 Day
 Night
 Location scouting (Two major considerations are lighting and sound.)
 What shots do we want?
What shots do we want?
Framing
Framing determines subjects and how much of the subject you want to include within
an image.
 Long shot
 Medium shot
 Close-up
Other important elements include:
 Angle: low or high

 Movement: within frame
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GET YOUR SHOTS: IT’S ALL ABOUT COVERAGE
Coverage
The movie industry developed a formula for getting reliable coverage.
1. The entire scene with both actors in a medium two-shot (less commonly, as a
long shot). Keep the camera rolling from beginning to end, without pause.
This take is called the master scene because the editor can cut back to it at
any time, if necessary. This can include a medium shot of actors in
conversation, from the beginning to the end of the scene. Get the entire scene
on tape, even if you don’t intend to use all of it in the edit. The master scene is
the editor’s all-purpose alternative for any take that’s usable.
2. Close-ups on first actor, whether speaking or not.
3. Extreme close-up on first actor.
4. Close-ups on second actor, whether speaking or not.
5. Extreme close-up on second actor.
6. Inserts (extreme close-ups of hands, objects, and gestures).
7. Establishing shot—a long shot of the building or location.
8. Wild sound effects (if you need them).
9. Room tone.
When shooting close-ups, you might be temped to save time by shooting only the
actor’s speeches. That’s usually a mistake however. The actor’s reactions make
some of the best editing choices, for instance, staying close on his face when he’s
listening to the other actor.
As an aid to production planning, as well as for reference on the set, some directors
compile a shot list for each setup. It looks much like the numbered list above with
notations for any variations in focal length, camera angle or camera movement.
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GET YOUR SHOTS: IT’S ALL ABOUT COVERAGE
When you’re planning your setups for shoot day, your objective is the same as when
you’re developing a shot plan. You need to provide coverage, or all the shots the
editor will need to assemble the screen story. And good coverage should also
include several choices for each edit.
Whether you’re shooting a carefully rehearsed scene in a script, doing an interview,

or covering a live event—your goal should be to think about and get all sizes and
angles of shots that the editor might need.
If you’re covering a live event, you don’t necessarily need to capture it all as a master
scene. Consider, for example, while a birthday party might last a couple of hours,
you’ll do well to give your audience five compelling minutes of edited show. But you
do need a variety of shots, particularly close-ups, emphasizing not only what was
said but also people’s reactions.
The director should have a clear idea—preferably, as a written shot plan—what shots
are needed and the setups necessary to get them. The crew doesn’t have to know
about all the setups in advance. But the director should keep them thinking at least
one setup ahead.
Tip: A pro tool for organizing crews and equipment is the call sheet, issued by the
assistant director before the first shooting day and again at the end of each day. Its
purpose is to organize cast, crew and equipment to be in specific places at specific
times. It sets the director’s expectations and promotes communications. It also lists
transportation plans, special equipment, and contact information (such as cell phone
numbers) for everyone.
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SCREEN DIRECTION AND CONTINUITY
Planning your shots for a chase involves a basic principle of filmmaking we haven’t
yet discussed, which is the relationship of screen direction to continuity. It actually
applies to all shots and becomes extremely important during editing. The chase
scene is a good illustration.
Screen direction simply refers to where a moving subject appears to be going in the
frame: left to right, right to left, bottom to top, top to bottom, straight at the audience
or directly away, and so on.
There are many aspects of continuity, or logical visual flow, but screen direction is
among the most important.
Continuity of screen direction is the logical flow of movement from one shot to the
next in an edited sequence. For example, if one actor chases the other from left to
right in one shot, they should appear to keep running in the same direction in the next
shot. So its screen direction must also be from left to right. This makes the audience
expect that the runner’s goal is somewhere off-screen, to the right.
If then you show someone at his destination awaiting the runner’s arrival, that person
should appear to be looking to the left, the direction the audience expects him to be
coming from.
You can change screen direction and preserve continuity in a sequence by inserting
a shot with the actor’s running in a neutral direction—such as straight ahead, toward
the camera. Another variation is to shoot them from a high angle, running up the
street, from the bottom of the screen to the top.
Tip: You don’t always have to follow continuity of screen direction, particularly if you
want to jar the audience. For example, changing direction without a neutral shot as a
transition can convey confusion or disorientation.
Shoot Action
In movies, you’ll see actors drive cars the wrong way in traffic, fall down stairs, get hit
by speeding cars, and impale their opponents on lances. The first thing you need to
know about shooting action (chases and stunts) is that safety is the most important
element. Everything in movies is make-believe, which means no one ever actually
gets hit or hurt in any way. Every moment of a chase or a fight is carefully planned
and rehearsed, and you should never do anything that puts your cast and crew in
danger. It’s not make-believe if somebody gets hurt.
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Avoid Accidents, but be Prepared
The bottom line is to never attempt a stunt in which you cannot safely control all the
elements—it’s simply not worth the risk. Never do anything that makes an actor feel
unsafe or even uncomfortable. Despite what we’ve said about taking suggestions
from actors, never do anything or permit them to do anything that puts them in the
slightest danger. Know what the risks are in advance and plan to avoid them.
Professional movie crews always know the location of the nearest hospital
emergency room. You shouldn’t be attempting anything that would land you there,
but it’s good information to have. For example, a crewmember could suffer a serious
arterial cut just from using a pocketknife on a piece of rope. As a precaution, at least
one person on the set should have a cell phone to call 911 in case of an emergency.
Tips on Getting Coverage for Documentaries and Music Videos
We won’t go into detail about all the types of projects you could shoot. Most of the
movie-style shooting we describe involves dramatic acting—meaning scripted
dialogue, as well as action, such as chases and fights. But we know that there are
many other types of interesting projects you could pick, and here are just two
examples.
You might shoot a live event and assemble the footage as a documentary. Examples
would include a birthday party, a sporting event, or a family outing. As your
camcorder rolls, keep in mind the advice we’ve just given about getting good
coverage, especially holding on your subject and counting to five so you have usable
footage for editing. But also set aside some time to do on-camera interview with the
people who participated. Perhaps after you’ve shot the action, take each person
aside and get a few minutes of their personal reactions to what happened. Ask
questions about how they felt, what they liked, what they hoped, and how they did it.
When you go to put it all together in the edit, you won’t necessarily use the ―talking-
head‖ video takes. But you can cut the audit ―sound bites‖ of their reactions together
to form much of the narration for your documentary.
Thinking ahead to how you’ll edit your movie will suggest other ideas. For example,
you can turn any documentary into a music video by later adding a song as your
audio track. But if that’s your plan, why not get some footage of your friends singing
along with the song so you can cut it into the event stuff?
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It’s okay to move with the camera—for example, to pan or even to walk around with
it—but use camera movement sparingly between stable shots. For this purpose,
think of a stable shot as holding the camera in the same position and framing as it
runs and you count to five. A series of stable hosts will make good editing choices,
but most of the footage from a constantly moving camera will be unusable.
Tip: If you can, keep a written record of your takes. Use the camcorder time code
(00:00:00 in the display) as a reference. Note which takes are good (OK) and which
are no good (NG: out of focus, noise, poor line reading). This record will save you
time when you’re going through the footage to decide which takes to load into your
computer for editing. A professional form for this purpose is the camera and sound
log.
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HOW WILL WE GET IT ALL?
How Long Will It Take?
An experienced team can shoot about 4-8 minutes of runtime per day. This includes:
 3 good takes
 Setup time
 Pack up time
 Time to fix make-up and hair
 Repair or replace props
 Make wardrobe adjustments
 Travel to and from locations
How Will We Get It All?
Shooting/The Role of the Director
It is the role of the director to capture all of the elements needed to finish the film.
Things you must control:

 Lights – Lighting theory: the main goal is to show the audience where to look.
 Sound
 Actors and performances
 Crew
 Cam
Keep the crew activities under control on the set:
1. Learn to communicate and work as a team. Everyone musts agree that the
director is in charge.
2. Keep thinking ahead to the next setup, safety first.
3. Be careful around any type of artificial lighting—lamps can get hot enough to
burn you or cause a fire.
4. Take spares, including DV cassettes and several sets of batteries for the
camcorder and other gear.
5. Leave the location as clean—or cleaner—than you found it.
6. Remember to feed’em—well.
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HOW WILL WE GET IT ALL?
Do we need to rehearse?
Actors
 Keep rehearsals to a minimum.

 Coach actors. Give them things to do. Don’t describe what you want to see.
 Keep the camera rolling and capture actors’ reactions as well as speeches.
 Ask interview subjects to repeat the questions before responding.
 Keep everyone safe and comfortable.
 Remember to get signal releases.
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THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
A movie or television program begins with the kernel of an idea, an image, or some
small piece of a story or character. From there, the original concept is built into a
working story treatment. The treatment is developed into a screenplay, and the
screenplay is made into a movie.
A film or television program is the sum of its parts. The making of a film depends on
each person, each player, and each contributor individually. If one link in the process
of making the film is weak, the entire aspect of the film is weakened.
There are a number of steps any film project takes before it shows up at your local
theatre. They are:
 Development
 Pre-Production
 Production
 Post-Production
 Marketing and Distribution
Development
During this phase, a script is drafted by or bought from a writer. The screenplay may
go through several drafts and rewrites, but once the producer is satisfied with the
working screenplay, a preliminary shooting budget is established. This budget must
take into account the cost of equipment, film stock, talent, set design, locations, etc.
Simultaneously, the producer will line up the project’s key personnel: the director,
cinematographer, production manager, production designer, location scout and
talent.
Still in the development phase, the producer will approach funding agencies, larger
corporations and personal contacts to raise money for further development and
production. The producer must be able to ―sell‖ the story and creative talent in order
to green light the project.
Pre-Production
Once the development phase is complete, the project moves into pre-production.
This is the preparatory or primary planning stage. One of the first things a producer
does is set up the production office and start hiring and running a dedicated
production staff.
It is during pre-production that costumes and sets are designed, the remaining crew
hired and locations scouted and chosen. Shooting schedules are also developed
and casting continues. Absolutely everything that can be done prior to principal
photography is considered.
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Production
Production is the ―active‖ process of making a film or television program. The script
is put to the camera, in studio and on location, with actors, full costume, make-up,
lights and sound. It is often referred to as ―principal photography‖. This stage is
expensive, time-consuming and requires extensive financial and logistical planning.
Post-Production
Post is the compilation phase. The director and/or producer will work with the picture
and sound editors putting together the hundreds of shots and sounds taken during
principal photography. This is when special effects are added and shots are adjusted
technically, aesthetically and for greater narrative impact. Dialogue is fine-tuned.
Soundtrack and audio effects are matched to the visual content. Slowly, the film
goes from a rough cut to the finished, polished, final version that audiences will see in
theatres.
Marketing and Distributing
Once the picture is completed and approved, it is marketed and distributed. If the
producer has already lined up a distributor, the movie will be marketed using
advertising in the theatres, television, radio, print media and online. This process
builds an audience for the film even before it is released. Marketing is part skill, part
guesswork and definitely creative. Good marketing can make a small film into a huge
success. It can also leave a giant, expensive film floundering.
Production Cast and Crew
Producer – The producer usually originates the idea and finds the money to make the
film. The producer also hires cast and crew and not only supervises the production
process but the film’s distribution and theatrical release as well.
Screenwriter – Screenwriters develop original screenplays or adapt existing material

such as books or plays. Sometimes a screenwriter is hired to write a script. In most
cases, however, a producer purchases a spec script, which has been submitted to
his office by the writer or an agent.
Director – The director breaks down the screen play, visualizes how the film should
be shot and works with cast and crew to carry out his vision. The director is a
movie’s main creative force.
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Production Manager – The unit production manager reports to the producer and is
responsible for scheduling and budgeting for the film. Production managers also
handle permits as well as the day-to-day running of the production office.
Continuity Supervisor – The script or continuity supervisor works closely with the
director to ensure that shots will cut together in the editing room. This involves taking
photos and notes to help establish continuity of props and input from the director.
Casting Director – The casting director picks actors and works out their contracts. In
most cases, the producer and director are also involved in the casting process.
Actors – The actor’s job is to create a believable character from the screenplay. The
actor does this with a sense of the role and input from the director.
Director of Photography – The director of photography (DP), or cinematographer,

works closely with the director and is responsible for the photographic look of the
picture. In small films or documentary films, the DP may operate his or her own
camera and adjust light as well. In studio films, the DP instructs camera operators,
gaffers and grips on how to arrange shots and lighting.
Other Positions
Location Sound Mixer – A location sound mixer has a very important job, using an
audio recorder and microphones to record and mix dialogue during shooting. Often,
location sound mixers are assisted by a boom operator.
Camera Operator – The camera operator operates the camera based on instructions
from the director or director of photography.
Camera Assistants – The duties of a camera assistant include pulling focus,

changing film stock, cleaning camera equipment, filling out camera reports and
slating shots.
Gaffer – The gaffer is not only in charge of electrical work but also works closely with
the DP to create a look, style or mood through lighting. The gaffer is usually assisted
by a best boy.
Key Grip – The key grip supervises the grips who set up and adjust camera and dolly
equipment on the set.
Production Assistants – A production assistant is a general assistant. This role is

considered an entry level movie position.
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Producing
The Creative Producer
Although the producer’s job is essentially that of finding the money and running the
business side of the production, a creative producer will often generate the original
idea for the film or television program. A producer may be attracted to a novel, a
magazine article, a play or a spec script submitted to his office. Other times, the
producer might simply have a great idea for a film and will hire a writer to script the
screenplay.
Once the original idea is actually generated and secured, the producer is responsible
for hiring cast and crew, the budgeting of the film, raising the money, making sure
everything runs smoothly, and marketing and distributing the film.
How a Producer Finances a Film
There are a number of ways to finance a film. Once the screenplay is completed and
rights secured, the producer works out a detailed financial budget for every aspect of
preparation, production and post-production. This budget allows for every eventuality
and conceivable project, from the cost of crew and talent to the price of film stock.
With the screenplay and budget completed, the producer will approach a bank for a
credit loan. To obtain a bank loan, a producer will need to prove financial viability,
ownership of the project and, most likely, a future distribution deal for the picture.
New or smaller independent filmmakers might find distribution deals difficult to

acquire. An independent filmmaker may need to consider other sources for funding.
In particular, the independent or low-budgeted producer will want to be familiar with
grant and funding applications. International co-production treaties, tax credits and
government subsidies can all be accessed.
If funding agencies or banks prove unsuccessful, the producer may investigate other
avenues for funds including family, friends or the producer’s own savings. Plenty of
independent filmmakers have borrowed funds from their nearest and dearest to make
their way in production. In fact, it’s a time-honored and well-practiced tradition.
Scripts are the skeleton of the screenplay – the framework of the film. It is the
screenplay that structures the thematic story of the film and provides the plot and
characters. Scripts supply the linguistic and structural blueprint to a visual, motion
medium. They provide language, order and organizational coherence for the
filmmaker.
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THE SCREENPLAY
Screenwriter
The screenwriter is the one who develops, originates (sometimes) or creates the
script. It is the screenwriter’s job to put the words on the page and to develop
identifiable character arcs, narrative structure and themes. A writer may be hired by
a producer to develop a treatment or draft, or write a ―spec‖ (speculative) script, to
flog to agents and producers.
Process of Writing a Script
Any script needs to find its own voice. This means that it must have its own
independent sense of structure or story development. The idea initiates the writing of
the script. The writer may choose to take a concept from daily life or experience,
some bizarre fantasy, an historical element or event or an artistic reference that is
intriguing. The writer may also wish to develop a screenplay from another specific
source, such as a work of literature. Keep in mind, there are NO truly original stories.
Even if the writer’s presentation is innovative and intriguing, chances are, someone
else has already done something similar. That said, with skill and hard work, a writer
can create a polished, intriguing script.
Once a concept has been chosen, the writer is ready to develop an outline.
Characters story development and major narrative arcs are sketched. With these in
mind, the writer can rough in a treatment detailing each development in the story. If
this is accomplished before casting the dialogue of the film, the writer has the
opportunity to read for story. This involves looking at the basic ideas to see if they
make sense and if they are interesting or intriguing to an audience.
In the draft stage, it is the writer’s job to bring life to words on the paper. Developing
distinctive mannerisms in dialogue and language will help. Before starting a draft, a
writer will create a story map. This identifies the patterns and progressions, the
relationships, and their highlights and failures. The writer will choose which aspects
of the story should jump out at the audience. These are used as tools to sustain
dialogue and the natural progression of the story. Once complete, the story map is
put aside, and the writer is ready to start scripting.
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DIRECTING
Directing is a creative occupation that incorporates both the technical and aesthetic
organization of filmmaking into the vision of one ―lead‖ person in the production.
Directing is more than good planning. It is artistic leadership focused on a technical
medium. It is essentially cumulative and collaborative, combining knowledge of
everything from the artistic elements of a production to knowledge of the practical
type of rigging and electricals used on set.
The director has the deciding vote in everything from casting to the drafting and
redrafting of the script. It is the director who determines the details of the shooting
script, from story development to shot lists to settings, The director chooses the
angles of the shot (in collaboration with the director of photography) and approves
everything that goes into the look and setting of the film: sets, audio, lighting setups,
costumes, color schemes and locations.
On set, the director is the final authority. It is the director who will set the pace, the
atmosphere and the working conditions. If the director is relaxed but still clearly in
charge, the set will likely be a comfortable working environment. If the director shows
confidence, the crew and actors will trust that their work is appreciated. They will, in
turn, be more willing and able to stretch their skills to provide the director their best
possible contribution to the film.
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PERFORMANCE
Acting is a pure, learned art that is acquired through workshops, classes and
technical training. Acting is an instinctive, emotive art. It is also a craft, developed
through experiential knowledge, imagination and the ability to displace oneself in the
quest for a different character or perception.
Acting is an art form that delves into the psyche of one’s soul, character, story and
society. It can be intellectual, sensual, thoughtful, educational and escapist. It is,
most often, emotional. Acting is the chance to try out a different life or state of being.
It is an artifice, created and crafted to provide the audience with a window or hook
into the development of story and character.
In filmmaking, acting is the raw performance that exists for the camera and director.
In the finished film, acting becomes the substance of that performance, retained and
manipulated by the director and technical crew as they edit the story to narrative and
visual advantage. A good performance can elevate a film beyond the boundaries of
a limited script. A poor performance can turn a decent script into mind-numbing
dreck.
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Cinematographer
The director of photography (DP) works closely with the director, coordinating the
director’s desired presentation of the film story with the primary technical equipment
of filmmaking: camera, lights and film stock. Collaborating with the director, the DP
organizes the shots and shot sequences, determining the type of lighting needed and
the creation of a visual mood. The DP must take into account the source and quality
of the light, the color of the set and costume, and the skin tone and makeup of the
performer. The DP chooses which lights and which placement of those lights will
create the image desired: day, night, shadow, visual depth and focus.
Film is a practical art. The lights and cameras require a great deal of power. The DP
coordinates closely with the gaffer (head electrician) and camera operator to meet
the needs of the picture. Establishing a shot is a painstaking and time-consuming
process. It requires a responsible approach to electrical engineering and safety.
Who was the First Great Cinematographer?
His name was George William Bitzer, a pioneer cameraman, who shot most of D.W.
Griffith’s movies, including ―Birth of a Nation‖ (1915) and ―Intolerance‖ (1916).
Bitzer’s career can be traced back to 1894 when he worked for a company
developing WK Laurie Dickson’s Mutoscope. Bitzer designed new lenses, invented
new shots and even developed techniques like the slow ―fade out‖.
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PRODUCTION DESIGN
Production design is the ―look‖ of the production. It is the tangible interpretation of

the visual concept of the story. More specifically, production design is the script
made real by the choice of prop, architecture or color scheme. Production design at
its best is a complement to the progression of the story. It correlates the visual
artifacts on set with the portrayal of the story, providing the audience with an
evocative, referential background for the characters. Good production design should
draw the audience in, encouraging an emotional, empathetic response to the
characters on screen.
Production design is the artistic elaboration of the narrative story, but it is also a
practical art. Production design reconciles the functional requirements and obstacles
of production with the aesthetic intentions of the director. It includes every visual
aspect and practical design element of the set: color schemes, props, costumes, art
direction, makeup, stage and set design. Different kinds of expertise are needed, but
there is one goal: to achieve an articulated, accurate rendering of the design plan.
The Role of the Production Designer
The production designer works in tandem with the director to create the look of the
production. Just as the DP is responsible for capturing the image, the production
designer is responsible for articulating the material elements that will build that
image. It is the production designer who must visualize the settings of the film,
translate the themes into a design plan and implement set development accordingly.
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SOUND AND MUSIC
Movie Sound
Movie sound is dialogue, sound effect and music. It is the audio element of
filmmaking that directly complements the picture on screen. Sound provides a
parallel frame of reference for the movement of the story. Sound, like lighting, sets
the mood for the film sequence. It provides atmospheric definition or emphasis, and
complements narrative and visual characterizations on screen.
Production Sound
Production sound mixing is the recording of live dialogue and sound effects during
principal photography. Recording of dialogue and sound effects can also take place
in studio or during post-production.
Recording usable, clean dialogue on set is difficult, particularly if you are shooting on
location. The job of recording good sound belongs to the movie’s location sound
mixer. Usually equipped with a Nagra tape recorder (or DAT deck) and a variety of
microphones and booms, the production sound mixer decides where to place the
microphones and how to best record the dialogue. Often the production sound mixer
is assisted by a boom operator.
Music
Sound and music are often subliminal, speaking to the subconscious, emotional
nature of the audience and cueing the spectators’ response to the production. In
films like ―The Mission‖ (Roland Joffiè, 1986) and ―GoodFellas‖ (Martin Scorcese,
1990), the music is both articulated and subconscious in the perception of the viewer.
In other cases, music is an obvious, pronounced signal to the audience of imminent
action or turn in the story. When we hear the music from ―Jaws‖ (Steven Spielberg,
1975), the first thing we think of is, of course, danger.
Choosing the perfect music is key to a movie’s ability to evoke the appropriate
emotional response. A film can use pop tunes or classical compositions that are
immediately recognized by an audience.
The disadvantage of using pop tunes is the cost of the copyright. If the song is not in
the public domain, the producer must purchase the right to use the song for either a
definite or indefinite period of time. Depending on ownership, this can be a long and
complicated legal procedure, involving artists’ copyright agencies, lawyers and
possibly massive media conglomerates.
- 27 -
SOUND AND MUSIC
The Sound Mix
The sound mix is one of the final stages of a film’s post-production process. As
mentioned previously, the production sound mixer’s job is to record clean dialogue
tracks and ambient sounds. The composer’s job is to create a score suitable to the
mood and emotions of the film. All of this, in addition to ambient tracks and sound
effects, is mixed by the sound mixer in a specially constructed sound theatre. The
sound theatre consists of a projection system and a multi-track machine. All the
various audio elements and tracks are finely balanced, equalized and mixed
together.
Role of the Composer
Rather than incurring substantial legal and ―right of use‖ costs, a filmmaker can turn
to a composer to create a new, independent musical score to complement the film.
The composer’s job is to provide an original musical illustration of the visual image.
The music is not intended to take over the film. Instead, it should provide the
audience with an additional hook into the story. Working with the director, the
composer evaluates and interprets the script. Looking for narrative development and
nuance, the composer identifies the key elements of the story and plot line. It is the
composer’s task to articulate those elements through musical intonation.
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SPECIAL EFFECTS
Today, a movie special effects teams can create anything that is imaginable. Effects
can be simple, such as the creation of snow, smoke or fire, or they can be incredibly
complex, such as the creation of digital dinosaurs (―Jurassic Park‖) or a digitally
created Roman coliseum (―The Gladiator‖).
Although today’s FX experts use a variety of photographic, mechanical, pyrotechnic

and model-making skills, computers dominate the special effects industry with their
ability to create complex animations and 3D models.
In the Beginning
In the early days of Hollywood, special effects were done by mechanical means and
through stop-motion animation and blue-screen/optical printing.
Stop-motion
Stop-motion is a form of animation that allows otherwise lifeless objects to move or

change. To photograph stop-motion, filmmakers secure the camera on a very sturdy
tripod and shoot a model or puppet, frame by frame, making small changes in
movement. Projected, this creates a fairly good illusion of movement.
Blue Screen
Blue screen is a technique t

hat allows a model or puppet to blend with the background action and actors. The
powerful combination of stop-motion and blue screen dominated special effects from
―King Kong (1933) to ―Star Wars (1977).
―King Kong‖, in particular, serves as a great example of early stop-motion and blue
screen effects. Willis O’Brien, a pioneer of stop-motion, brought the King Kong
model to life by photographing it frame by frame. Optical printers and blue screen
compositing techniques were used to merge King Kong with backgrounds and actors
(the same thing is done today but with powerful computers using sophisticated
compositing software replacing optical printers).
Computer Animation
For the most part, computers have replaced stop-motion and traditional optical
printer/blue screen techniques.
- 29 -
SPECIAL EFFECTS
With computer animation, models do not have to be built. Computer animators

create the models and characters with the help of 3D modeling software. This allows
models to be much more detailed and complex than hand created puppets.
Movement also looks more natural as computers can accurately control frame
blurring and blending. The quality of computer animation reached a new level with
―Jurassic Park‖ where it’s virtually impossible to tell the dinosaur puppets from the
computer-generated animals.
Computers have also replaced movie optical printers. Today, high resolution digital
scanners are used to scan 35mm negative into the computer. Once in the computer,
shots can be composited together, enhanced or worked on by digital animators and
artists. After the special effects are completed, the footage is scanned back to 35mm
negative and is ready for printing and projection.
George Lucas & Industrial Light & Magic
No discussion of movie special effects would be complete without the mention of

George Lucas and his special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
ILM began in the 1980s with its work on ―Star Wars‖. Today, ILM is the industry
leader in digital effects. Early ILM work can be seen in films like ―Young Sherlock
Holmes‖ (1985), which used the first computer-generated character, and ―Terminator
2‖ (1991) with the shape-shifting cyborg.
ILM also digitally created the realistic-looking dinosaurs for ―Jurassic Park‖ (1993).
Apparently, Spielberg wanted to use stop-motion animation but was so impressed
with the early ILM digital dinosaur prototypes that he abandoned stop-motion
animation and increased the amount of digital shots instead.
- 30 -
EDITING
Editing is often thought to be the most important element in movie making. It is

where bad shots are discarded, good shots arranged into scenes, and the scenes
into a finished film.
The picture, of course, is not the only element that gets edited – so does the sound.
Location dialogue is edited, fixed and enhanced. (After shooting, actors may return
to the studio to record lines.) Background ambiances such as crowd noises, traffic,
barking dogs or birds are added. The music is scored and inserted into the
appropriate moments.
It is during the ―post-production‖ stage that special effects are added, as well. These
include opening and closing titles, scene transitions (fades and dissolves) and
computer generated special effects.
Editing Theory
Editing has a theory and history that dates back to Russia and the silent era. It is
called ―montage‖.
―Montage‖ is a French term that means ―edit‖ or ―put together‖. Soviet filmmakers felt
that, above all else, it was a film’s ability to change images that made it an art form.
In editing, a shot can go from one person’s point-of-view to another’s – we can be a
killer in one shot and the victim in the next. We can also instantly move from one
location to another or through time (see how cleverly the Winona Ryder film ―Girl,
Interrupted‖, shifts back and forth in time).
Soviet filmmakers believed that montage gave cinema its art and power – that shots
in isolation were meaningless, but intention emerged when shots were combined and
juxtaposed together.
In the 1920s, a soviet teacher by the name of Lev Kuleshow experimented with
montage by shooting an actor looking at something off screen using a neutral
expression. In sequence one, he cut from the actor, to a bowl of soup, and back to
the actor’s reaction. In a second sequence, he cut from the actor, to a girl injured,
then back to the actor’s reaction. Audiences shown the scenes believed that the
actor’s face was able to express hunger in one scene and pity in the other. In fact,
the actor was expressionless in both scenes – the effect was created only through
the art of editing.
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EDITING
Sergei Eisenstein
No discussion of editing theory is complete without mention of the Russian filmmaker,

Sergei Eisenstein. It was Eisenstein who claimed that film space and time was
constructed by editing and by the space photographed by the shot. For example, an
actor looks off screen. We cut to a fire, followed by the actor’s reaction shot. The
audience assumes the hero is looking at the explosion, but, in reality, the explosion
could have occurred somewhere else in the world and at another time.
In the 1925 silent classic, ―Battleship Potemkin‖, Eisenstein further demonstrated that
although an event might only take a few seconds in real time, its importance might be
significant enough that it could – and should – be lengthened through editing. (Real
time, of course, could also be condensed.)
In films made today, the viewer is rarely aware that an edit has occurred. Movie
action, for the most part, is presented in a progressive and continuous manner.
Editing theory, however, is useful in understanding the power and effect editing has
on moviemaking. Many of Eisenstein’s theories are used in commercials which
routinely juxtapose beautiful, happy people with soft drinks, cars, beer, and other
consumer products.
The Role of the Movie Editor
It is the editor’s role to turn the rough, non-sequential rushes into a complete,
―organic‖ film story. Think of this raw material as an out-of-shape body and the editor
as a fitness instructor. The editor turns disjointed, discontinuous footage into a lean,
streamlined body with an independent presence.
The focus of editing is always on story over technique. The editor must accomplish
this metamorphosis without drawing the viewer’s attention away from the primary
narrative image.
A talented editor works with the image and performance to adjust all of the tones,
balances, and relationships to create the best possible visual story.
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SELECTED FILM TERMS, TECHNIQUES
AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Basics
Frame A single picture on a piece of film. Individual frames are run

through the projector quickly (usually 24 frames per second) to give
the illusion of motion.
Shot A single set of images filmed from the time the camera starts to the
time it stops.
Cut The place where two separate shots or sections of a shot are joined
together in a film.
Sequence A section of film that tells a story in itself.
Establishing The opening shot of a film that sets the scene for the film, usually
shot giving information like the place and time of the sequence.
Stock Shots Film footage found in film libraries or stock houses of historical
events or film that can be used in other productions.
Rough Cut The usable footage of a film out of which a movie will be made
before substantial editing takes place. Similar to a rough draft in
writing.
Fade In or The gradual appearance or disappearance of an image from or into

Fade Out darkness.
Dissolve A transition from one shot to another in which one shot fades out
while the other fades in. One shot is superimposed upon the other.
Camera Distance
Close-up (CU) A shot in which the camera is close to the subject. When the
subject is a person, this usually means only the person’s face or
face and shoulders are shown. Often used to show emotion.
Extreme A shot in which the camera is very close to the subject. If the
Close-up subject is a person’s face, only features such as the eyes or mouth
(ECU) are shown. Often used to exaggerate features so that characters
look ugly or provocative.
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AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Camera Distance
Long Shot (LS) Also called a Full Shot. A shot that used the camera’s full angle of
view so that the subject is a long distance away from the camera.
Medium Shot The shot between a long shot and a close-up. With characters, it
(MS) usually shows them from the waist up.
Extreme Long A shot in which characters appear very small in the distance.
Shot (ELS)
Camera Angles
High Angle The camera looks down on the subject. Can make subjects appear
smaller or less important.
Low Angle The camera looks up at the subject. Can make subjects appear larger
or more important.
Straight The camera is on the same level as the subject. Usually used in news
Angle or ―realistic‖ shots.
Camera Movement
Pan The camera moves across the field of vision from left or right.
Tilt The camera moves up or down.
Zoom In (ZI) A zoom lens moves toward or away from the subject quickly so that it
or Zoom is apparent to the viewer.
Out (ZO)
Crane The camera moves up and away. Often used to end films.
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AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Effects
Freeze A single frame of the film is repeated so that it looks like an image is
Frame frozen.
Fast Motion The result of filming at a slower rate than the standard 24 frames per
second and then projecting the film at 24 frames per second.
Movement is rapid and uneven. Fast motion is often used to depict
humans as machine-like.
Slow Motion The result of filming faster than 24 frames per second then projecting
the film at 24 frames per second.
Filter A piece of glass or colored plastic that is placed over the lens of the
camera to distort the image that enters the camera.
Soft Focus Filming is done with a piece of gauze or nylon over the lens to give a
dreamy, soft quality to the images.
Split Screen The screen is divided, usually into halves, with a different action in
each division. Often used to portray people talking on the telephone.
Models The use of small scale models to simulate a scene. It’s much cheaper
to burn a model of a house than a real one.
Pop Ons/ Characters or objects suddenly appear or disappear. Usually

Pop Offs accomplished by joining two shots of the exact same location – one
including the object or person, one excluding the object or person.
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PRE-PRODUCTION
The Basics
 Everything that can be done before the camera rolls should occur during the
pre-production process.
 Pre-production is planning. Planning is the key to any successful production.

Planners get to make their movies. Dreamers don’t.
 Pre-production is about structure. Every project must have structure and

design.
The Producer
The producer is the key decision maker in the pre-production process.
 The producer is the business head of the film or project, the person who
assembles all of the pieces of the jigsaw—the script, actors, cash, director,
etc.
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PRE-PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
Program Development
 Vision
 Format
 Concept – ―The Idea‖
 Research and Development
 Storyboards
 Working Script
Schedule and Budget Finalized
 Shooting Schedule
 Permits
 Legal Releases
 Script Breakdown
Assembling Crew
 Grips
 Production Assistants
 Make-up
 Camera
 Director
 Sound
Logistics
 Location Scouting
 Locations Finalized
 Travel Arrangements
 Final approval on locations from owner/manager
Equipment and Set Design
 Equipment Needs
 Rentals
 Set Design and Content
 Props
Shot List
 Shot Breakout List

 Available B-Roll
- 37 -
INTRODUCTION TO STORYTELLING
STORY STRUCTURE SYNOPSIS
Story structure for film
Hero’s Journey
 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

 Varieties of heroes
 Arch types
 Mentors
 Threshold Guardians
 Heralds
 Shape shifters
 Shadows
 Tricksters
Vogler’s 12 Steps of Story Structure
Part II
What is a screen play?
Getting started – looking at stories
Creating your own story
Character driven or plot driven?
Conflicts
Character growth
Filling out your story
Genre
Structure
Writing a synopsis
Script layout
- 38 -
STORY STRUCTURE
Where do stories come from?
History
The Greeks started drama as a religious tradition in chorus. Then around 600 BC,
the Greek poet, Thespis, stepped out of the crowd and started to act. He created
monologues for actors and dialogues with the chorus lead. He also conceived
wearing masks and make-up. The Greek dramatist, Aeschylus, introduced a second
actor as well as costumes and sets.
Sosphocles added a third actor making more intricate plots possible. Aristotle, who
studied with Plato and taught Alexander the Great, conqueror of the world, wrote
Poetics about what drama should be, which has still influenced writers today.
―The plot manifestly ought to be constructed on dramatic principles, as in a tragedy.

It should have the subject as a single action, whole and complete, with a beginning, a
middle, and an end‖
―A similar fact is seen in painting. The most beautiful colors, laid on confusingly, will
not give as much pleasure as the chalk outline of a portrait.‖
From Aristotle’s principles, we’ve developed the three act structure. He also held that
the plot of a story was ―the first principle‖, and, as it were, the soul of tragedy.‖ And
that ―character holds second place‖.
He coined some specific terms in regard to screenwriting: reversal of the situation –

a change by which action veers round to its opposite and recognition – a change
from ignorance to knowledge.
As time progressed, drama practically died in the Dark Ages, but it was preserved by
Christian monks. About halfway through the Middle Ages, drama arose again out of
the church as churches produced Christian themed dramas to impact a wide range of
people.
Soon after this, stories exploded on the screen as well as playwrights such as
Shakespeare.
In the late nineteenth century, intellectuals began to examine what made people do
what they did. This opened a Pandora’s Box of the human mind and changed the
creative world forever.
- 39 -
STORY STRUCTURE
The German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegal, developed the argument
that self-development results from the conflict of opposites—conflict is resolved at a
higher level of truth. The key to a story is conflict. There is a dual nature in the
universe.
―The first glance at history convinces us that the actions of men proceed from their
needs, their passions, and their characters and talents and impresses us with the
belief that such needs, passions, and interests are the sole spring of actions.‖
Sigmund Freud felt that society creates mechanisms for the social control of human
instincts. Specifically, instincts for humans to do the wrong things motivated by
trouble within the family. And, basically, humans are filled with various conflicts
internally.
This thinking influenced Konstantin Stanislavski, father of modern acting.
Carl Jung, Freud’s associate, did further research into human motivation. He
founded analytical psychology, which dictates that mental aberrations represent an
attempt by a person to find spiritual wholeness. He coined the terms ―introvert‖ and
―extrovert‖. ―The cinema,‖ he said in 1944, ―like the detective story, makes it possible
to experience without danger all the excitement, passion, and desirousness which
must be represented in a humanitarian ordering of life.‖
He wrote ―On the Nature of Dreams‖ in 1945, which discusses a procedure he calls
―taking up the context‖. ―The dream begins with a STATEMENT OF PLACE…next
comes a statement about the PROTAGONISTS…I call this phase of the dream the
EXPOSITION. It indicates the scene of the action, the people involved, and often the
initial state of the dreamer.‖
―In the second phase come the DEVELOPMENT of peripeteia [a sudden change of
events or reversal of circumstances]. Here something decisive happens or
something changes completely….‖
―The fourth and last phase is the lysis, the SOLUTION or RESULT produced by the
dream work…. This division into four phases can be applied without much difficulty
to the majority of dreams met with in practice—an indication that dreams generally
have a ―dramatic structure‖. This is very similar to the three act structure.
―Eternal truth needs a human language that alters with the spirit of the times.‖
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STORY STRUCTURE
Joseph Campbell discovered these psychologists while studying in grad school. This
helped him to see parallels between myths, legends, and dreams. He noticed a
pattern within all of the great stories on earth and a pattern of their conflict. He called
this pattern ―myth structure‖. From this he wrote, A Hero with a Thousand Faces,
which in essence laid out the hero’s journey structure. Basically, the story was
written with certain key elements. This has impacted many filmmakers, including
George Lucas.
Christopher Vogler studied his work and worked as a story analyst for movie studios.
He found that the hero’s journey gave him a reliable set of tools for diagnosing story
problems. He wrote a memo titled, ―A Practical Guide to the Hero with a Thousand
Faces‖, which he later turned into ―The Writer’s Journey‖. Almost all films have
followed this structure, whether successful or unsuccessful.
- 41 -
STORY STRUCTURE
Story Structure for Film
“Technology enhances the tools you have available and expands your vocabulary.
But they don’t make a picture successful. A film is not about technique – it’s about
ideas.”
-George Lucas
Storytellers are always aware of their audience, and filmmakers are no different. Both
the filmmaker and the film viewer are in the storytelling business. We respond
naturally to spatial, vocal, musical, and photo codes or ―languages.‖ We go to
movies to see stories – to experience compelling plots, in interesting settings, and to
respond to memorable characters and themes. What movies consistently do is give
you an experience of transcendence – especially when story reigns supreme.
A film story’s style may be:
 Realistic – where the storyteller is invisible as plot unfolds;
 Classical – in structure, where ―showing‖ and ―telling‖ brings the viewer

forward to the intended resolution of the story; and
 Formalistic – where the filmmaker overtly lets the plot emphasize events that
better presents a theme.
Every story must have a Beginning, Middle and an End. A good movie will show:
(1) someone climbing up a tree (2) then being shot at and finally (3) climbing down as
a hero.
Typically, first and third acts of a movie are 25-30 minutes long. Their transitions are
signaled by an event that changes the course of the action. The second act is
usually 1 hour in length.
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STORY STRUCTURE
A Story’s Four General Characteristics
1. CHARACTER – portrays issues of human need or potential as it deals with the

question, ―What is it like to be human?‖ Shine (1996)
2. PLOT – the way the movie constructs and conveys the unfolding of action over
time. Sister Act (1992).
3. ATMOSPHERE – the unchanging backdrop against which the story is played

out. Jurassic Park (1993), the story about the existence of lost worlds. E.T.
(1982) and Wizard of Oz (1939) are stories of homecoming from special worlds.
4. TONE or POINT OF VIEW – where the implied narrator’s attitude toward the
story’s subject and audience is prominent. A movie’s POV is the way its story
is given value. Schindler’s List.
- 43 -
STORY STRUCTURE
Story Structure for Features
Beginning
Back Story
Consists of the sum of all events occurring before the beginning of the movie.
Hook
Visual event (information that captures the viewer’s attention and curiosity).
Inciting Incident
An event that compels the character to pursue a specific goal.
Plot Point A
Initial problem. A major event that creates a change of direction in the story/initial
problem.
Middle
Protagonist’s Plan
Antagonist’s Plan
Mid-plot Point B - Compounding Problem
Clock, protagonist is filled with terror
Limitations to reach final goal. Urgency to solve problem.
Plot Point C – Ultimate Complications
End
Climax
The highest point of crisis or confrontation after which the conflict is over.
Restitution
Should be a payoff of the initial problem.
Balance
Protagonist is at a ―now‖ level place of balance.
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STORY STRUCTURE
The Hero’s Journey – A Strategic Story Structure
The following is a guideline or model:
 The story needs to dictate structure. ―Form‖ follows ―Function‖.
 Choose your metaphors well. Use the classic Greek mythic structure..Use the
Hero’s journey to tighten up storyline, to pinpoint problems, and to lay down good
structure.
 Outline your key scenes and story points through the 12 steps via a white board
or index cards/post-it notes.
Christopher Vogler based his structure on Joseph Campbell’s, Hero with 1,000
Faces. Also, check Bill Moyer’s PBS series of Campbell interviews, The Power of
Myth. Campbell’s film director followers are Steven Spielberg, George Lucas,
Francis Ford Coppola, John Boorman and Martin Scorcese.
Hero’s Journey
Heroes are introduced in the Ordinary World where they receive the ―call to
adventure‖. They are reluctant at first or they refuse the call. But they are
encouraged by a mentor to ―cross the first threshold‖ and enter the Special World
where they encounter tests, allies and enemies.
They approach the inmost cave, ―crossing a second threshold‖ where they endure
the ordeal. They take possession of their reward and are pursued on the road back
to the Ordinary World. They ―cross the third threshold‖, experience a resurrection
and are transformed by the experience. They return with the Elixir, a boon or
treasure, to benefit the Ordinary World.
Stages of the Hero’s Journey
 Call to Adventure  Ordeal

 Refusal of the Call  Reward (Seizing the Sword)
 Meeting with the Mentor  The Road Back
 Crossing the first Threshold  Resurrection
 Tests, Allies and Enemies  Return with the Elixir
 Approach the Inmost Cave
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STORY STRUCTURE
The Hero must have/use/show:
 High audience identification  Sacrifice

 Growth  Dealing with Death
 Action  Flows that humanize his/her
being
The Varieties of Heroes
Willing Heroes
The willing hero is active, gung-ho, committed to the adventure, without doubts,
always bravely going ahead and self-motivated. Indiana Jones is an example (the
active gunfight).
Unwilling Heroes
Unwilling heroes are full of doubts, hesitant, passive, and needing to be motivated or
pushed into the adventure by outside forces. A hero who is passive throughout may
make for an un-involving dramatic experience. It’s usually best for an unwilling hero
to change at some point into being committed to the adventure after some necessary
motivation has been supplied. Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams is
an example.
Anti-hero
An anti-hero is not the opposite of a hero but a specialized kind of hero, who may be
an outlaw or a villain from the point of view of society, but with whom the audience is
basically in sympathy. We identify with these outsiders because we have all felt like
outsiders at one time or another.
Anti-heroes may behave like conventional heroes but are given a strong touch of
cynicism or have a wounded quality like Bogart’s characters in The Big Sleep and
Casablanca. An anti-hero may also be a tragic, central figure who may not be
likeable or admirable with actions we may even deplore. Macbeth, Scarface, or Joan
Crawford’s character in Mommie Dearest are examples.
Groupie
This hero is group oriented. An example is the movie, Poseidon Adventure.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Loner
Clint Eastwood in the Spaghetti Westerns or John Wayne in the movie, Searchers
are good examples.
Catalyst
A catalyst hero is a central figure who may act heroically but who does not change
much himself because his main function is to bring about transformation in others.
This hero brings about a change in a system without being changed.
A good example is Eddie Murphy’s character, Axel Foley, from the movie, Beverly
Hills Cop. His personality is already fully formed and distinctive at the story’s
beginning. He doesn’t have much of a character arc because he has nowhere to go.
He doesn’t learn or change much in the course of the story, but he does bring about
change in his Beverly Hills cop buddies.
Taggart and Rosewood, by comparison, have relatively strong character arcs, from
being uptight and ―by the book‖ to being hip and streetwise, thanks to Axel’s
influence. Although Axel is the central figure, the villains’ main opponent and the
character with the best lines and the most screen time, it could be argued that he is
not the true hero but the ―mentor‖ of the piece. Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) is the
actual hero because he learns the most.
Catalyst heroes are especially useful in continuing stories, such as TV shows and
sequels. Like the Lone Ranger and Superman, the heroes undergo few internal
changes but primarily act to help others or guide them in their growth. However, it’s a
good idea to give these characters some moments of growth and change to keep
them fresh and believable.
Archetypes
Archetypes are the facets in the hero’s (or writer’s) personality. Usually these are
seen through other characters that represent possibilities for the hero for good or for
ill.
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STORY STRUCTURE
A hero may proceed through the story gathering and incorporating the energy and
traits of the ―other‖ characters.
 Higher Self
 Shape Shifter
 Threshold Guardian
 Trickster
 Shadow
 Allies
 Mentor
They usually learn from other characters, fusing them into a complete human being
who shows the fruit of the learning from everyone he/she meets along the way.
Dorothy in the movie, Wizard of Oz, is an example.
Mentors
Mentors teach, give gifts, serve as a hero’s conscience and act as motivators.
 Wise Old Men (―May the Force be with you.‖ Yoda)

 Wise Old Women
 Dark Mentor
 Fallen Mentor (Tom Hanks, the coach in the movie, A League of Their Own)
 Ongoing Mentor (Q in the James Bond Films / Alfred in the Batman films)
 Shaman
Threshold Guardians
 Testers
 Minor Villains
Heralds
 Announcers (―If you build it, he will come.‖ Field of Dreams)
Shape Shifters
 They bring doubt into the story.

 They bring suspense into the story.
 They are usually the femme fatale.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Shadows
 The Villain
 Sometimes masked (Beast)
 Dark characters (Captain Hook and Cruella D’Ville)
 They usually challenge the hero.
Tricksters
 Serves as comic relief (Eddie Murphy in the movie, Beverly Hills Cop)
 Often a catalyst character
 Makes you cry a lot and laugh a little.
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STORY STRUCTURE
INSERT ―THE WRITER’S JOURNEY/VOGLER CHART
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VOGLER’S STORY STRUCTURE

12 STEPS TO STORY STRUCTURE
1. The Ordinary World

The audience meets the hero, discovers his or her ambitions and limitations,
and forms a bond of identification and recognition.
2. The Call to Adventure
The hero is challenged to undertake a quest or solve some problem.
3. Refusal of the Call
The hero hesitates or expresses fear.
4. Meeting with the Mentor
The hero contacts some source of reassurance, experience, or wisdom.
5. Crossing the Threshold
The hero commits to the adventure and enters the Special World.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies
Situations and people help the hero discover what is special about the Special
World.
7. The Approach
The hero prepares for a central battle of confrontation with the forces of failure.
8. The Ordeal
The central crisis of the story in which the hero faces his or her greatest fear
and tastes death.
9. The Reward
The moment in which the hero is reborn in some sense and enjoys the benefits
of the Special World.
10. The Road Back
The hero commits to finishing the adventure and leaves or is chased out of the
Special World.
11. The Resurrection
A climactic test that purifies, redeems, and transforms the hero on the threshold
of home.
12. Return with the Elixir
The hero comes home and shares what has been gained on the quest, which
benefits friends, family, community and the world.
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Prologue
Every story involves a problem or Central Dramatic Question that disrupts the
Ordinary World. The prologue summarizes the Central Dramatic Question and sets
up the action.
Ordinary World/Special World
The audience meets the hero. It is important to connect with the hero and learn what
drives him/her and see the world through his/her eyes. The inner and outer problem
may be established here. The hero must enter the Special World to solve the
problem
Fugitive: Dr. Richard Kimble’s problems in his Ordinary World change drastically
when he enters his Special World as a fugitive from justice.
Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s opening song sets up the Ordinary World.
Lord of the Rings: Frodo’s home is in the valley, but he must enter the Special World
to solve the problem.
The Call to Adventure
The hero is challenged to undertake a quest or solve a problem.
High Noon: Arrival of a villain.

Jaws: A death occurs.
Star Wars: The princess is abducted.
Citizen Kane: A mans’ dying words.
Lord of the Rings: The Ring must be protected to be destroyed.
Refusal of the Call
The hero hesitates or expresses fear.
The Matrix: Neo refuses to jump out of the window.

Beauty and the Beast: Belle refuses Galsof’s proposal.
A Knights Tale: Friends refuse initially.
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Meeting with the Mentor
The hero contacts some source of reassurance, experience, or wisdom. This could
be a person or an object. In westerns and detective stories it is the strong code of
honor of the ―inner mentor‖.
Star Wars: Obi Wan

A Knights Tale: Consult with friends
Crossing the Threshold
The hero commits to the journey/adventure and enters the Special World—the point
of no return. This point will re-establish the Central Dramatic Question.
Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Park and the Time Machine: The hero enters another world.
Beauty and the Beast: Belle sacrifices herself for her father’s freedom.
A Knights Tale: They save the money for training and go to the first tourney.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies
There will be people and situations that help the hero discover what’s special about
the Special World.
Beauty and the Beast: a ticking clock

Star Wars: Luke learns to use the force.
A Knights Tale: Large section
The Approach to the Innermost Cave
The hero prepares for a central battle of confrontation with the forces of failure,
defeat or death. In romantic comedies, lovers question commitments. This leads to
the central Ordeal.
A Knights Tale: Conflict arises.
The Ordeal
This is the central crisis of the story in which the hero faces his or her greatest fear
and tastes death. The hero may prevail only to reach a greater.
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The Reward
The hero survives death and is reborn in some sense and enjoys the benefits of
having confronted fear and death. This is a celebration. Rewards are given.
The Road Back
The hero commits to finishing the adventure or is chased out of the Special World.
This is a strong turning point which will re-establish the Central Dramatic Question
and will heighten the stakes. This pushes the hero to a threshold back into the
Ordinary World.
Beauty and the Beast: The hero must choose between the journey or a higher cause
vs. the journey of the heart.
The Resurrection
A test purifies, redeems and transforms the hero on the threshold of home. There is
a final showdown. Allies may help, but it is ultimately the hero’s job.
Star Wars: Luke destroys the Death Star.
Return of the Elixir
The hero comes home and shares what has been gained on the quest, which
benefits friends, family, community or the world. Even with a tragic end, the audience
gains a greater awareness of themselves and the world. Balance is restored. The
hero embarks on a new life.
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Hero’s Journey as Seen in A Knights Tale
Stages Chapter In Out Time Notes
Ordinary World 1 0:23 3:09 2:46 Sets up initial world and initial call to
William Thatcher and friends.
Call to Adventure 2 8:50 11:56 3:06 Actual call by William to be a knight.
Refusal of the Call 2 8:50 11:56 3:06 Refusal by friends
Meeting the Mentor 3 11:57 14:20 3:17 Friends decide to mentor.
Crossing the Threshold 3 11:57 14:20 3:17 With decision, they cross.
Tests, Allies, and 5 21:49 23:05 1:16 New friend/call

Enemies Addition? – Jocelyn
7 26:19 27:25 1:06 New friend – Geoffrey Chaucer
10 31:30 32:08 0:38 New friend – Kate
11 34:20 35:15 0:55 Enemy – Count Adhemar
14 44:09 49:25 5:16 Trials – Joust
11/16 53:19 1:01:00 7:41 Trials – Dance
Approach the Innermost 18/19 1:14:5 1:20:21 5:26 Double stakes/2 scenes
Cave 5 Friends need win
Love needs loss
The Ordeal 20 1:21:1 1:25:25 4:15

0
The Reward 22 1:29:2 1:33:36 4:08 Win the bet/wealth, love, prestige,
8 Gets to go to the championship
Road Back 22 1:33:3 1:37:11 3:34 Returns home

7
23 1:39:5 1:43:35 3:38 Returns to his family – John Thatcher

7
25 1:49:2 1:50:50 1:23 Returns to his status

7
Resurrection 26 1:51:5 1:55:29 3:34 Resurrection from prison via Sir Thomas
5 Colville/Edward, the Black Prince of Wales
Return with Elixir 28 2:00:0 2:07:43 7:38 Resurrection to status/returns with truth
5 that love and talent can transcend classes
Totals 19 60:00
+/-
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STORY STRUCTURE
Focus Areas
What is a screenplay?
– Getting started
– Creating your own story
Genre
– How to write a synopsis.
Dialogue
– Creating characters
– Layout
Looking at Scripts
–Writing your extract from a screenplay
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STORY STRUCTURE
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is the written description of a film. It is created months or

years before the film appears on screen and is used by all of the film’s crew as a
blueprint for the finished film.
The screenplay is the responsibility of the film’s writer and contains all of the
information required to release the film—everything from characters, their dialogue
and actions to locations and props.
Rarely will the writer create the entire screenplay alone. The screenplay will be the
culmination of countless meetings between the writer, the film’s producer, director,
and sometimes lead actors and occasionally other key personnel.
The script is written and rewritten many times—each version being called a draft—as
different ideas develop; bad scenes may be dropped, new characters introduced,
rough dialogue improved. It can take any number of rewrites before a script is
deemed ready for filming and, even then, it is not finished. During shooting, the
writer will often be called upon to rewrite sections of the script due to artistic second
thoughts or technical impossibilities.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Getting Started – Looking at Stories
How many different stories do you think have been told in films? Hundreds?
Thousands? Tens of thousands? The answer is seven. Each of these seven stories
has a source, an original story upon which the others are based.
Achilles
The flawless person…well, almost flawless!
(Superman)
Cinderella
The dream come true.
(Pretty Woman)
Circe
The chase.
(The Matrix)
Faust
Selling your soul to the devil may bring riches, but, eventually, you belong to him.
(Bedazzled)
Orpheus
The loss of something personal.
(The Sixth Sense)
Romeo and Juliet

Foe love story.
(Titanic)
Tristan
Man loves women…unfortunately, one or both are already spoken for.
(Fatal Attraction)
By far, the most popular story to appear on screen is Romeo and Juliet. Why do you
think that is? List five films that come under the banner Romeo and Juliet. Now, list
five films in which Romeo and Juliet appear as a secondary story element.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Think of as many examples of each of the seven stories as you can. Of course, the
seven stories can be told in a variety of ways. Rocky is a Cinderella story as much
as Strictly Ballroom. Many films also blend one or more of these stories; for example,
Star Wars is a combination of Cinderella and Circe.
List as many films as you can that are a combination of the following: Achilles and
Cinderella; Circe and Tristan; and Orpheus and Faust.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Creating Your Own Story
Like any other piece of creative writing, you are going to have to work on your script
for a long time so it is really important that you choose a story that is interesting to
you.
There are endless possibilities for stories. What interests you? Is it the future,
football, love stories, leaving home or finding a dead body? If you are searching for
inspiration, try looking in the newspaper for an interesting story or listen to people
talking on the bus. One way to generate ideas is to start with a ―what if‖ premise.
Think about the time before you left home this morning: what if….
 You received a letter informing you that you had won a competition?
 Your brother/mother announced they were leaving?
 You found something strange in the cereal?
 You realized you were the only person left in the world?
 You knew something that no one else knew?
Any one of these would be the beginning of your basic plot. Whatever you choose,
you should try to write about what you know and use people you know as the basis
for your inspiration for the characters, even if you set your story in a totally different
time and place.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Character Driven or Plot Driven?
If you are interested in love, for example, your story could be about finding someone
and how that affects your life or about losing someone and how that affects your life.
Or it may be about investigating a murder, and you uncover clues and piece them
together to find an answer.
The love story is character driven, which means it is about people and how the
events in their lives affect them. The murder story is plot driven, which means its
focus is on the events. Obviously, there are characters and events in every
screenplay, but it is the characters or the plot which are most important to your story.
List examples of films that are character driven or plot driven. Will your story be
character or plot driven?
Conflicts
There would be no point writing a screenplay in which a young woman wants a

boyfriend and then gets one. The best way to address this is by introducing conflict.
If a young woman wants a boyfriend but is not allowed to have one because of
cultural or parental issues, then you are able to set up a situation where there is
conflict and your story follows the conflicts being resolved. Nor is it interesting to
have a murder if the murderer confesses in the next scene. Plots require conflict.
For example, someone who wants to get away with the crime and someone who
want justice done.
Conflicts can be internal (in the character’s head) or external (culture, parents,
friends, or the law).
Think of three films you know well. What are the conflicts in each story? Are they
internal or external? What conflicts will your characters face?
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STORY STRUCTURE
Character Growth
While you are narrowing this down, you are beginning to get a sense of your main
character: what his/her goal is and what the obstacles are to achieving that goal. In
the murder story, your main character can be the murderer or the detective who
wants to see justice done. Each character has a distinct goal and obstacles to
overcome. How the story ends depends on you.
Next, you give your main character a name, a shape, and background. Decide what
motivates him/her or makes him/her angry, happy or hurt. Then follow the pattern of
the hero’s journey.
The more dynamic the story or the bigger the change in character, the more exciting
the story will be.
Outline details of your main character and his/her journey.
Filling Out Your Story
The Cinema screen is big and needs filling. The characters need to be bigger than
life. The story in understood only by what the viewer sees on the screen. You’ve
narrowed down the main character. Who else is in the story? What are their goals?
What are their backgrounds? How do they change? How do they relate to the main
story and the main character?
Bit by bit you can start piecing these things together in the world that you have
chosen.
Genre
Genre is a type of story. It is not a formula but more of a way of understanding

structures of storytelling that have a profound and subconscious appeal to an
audience. Genre, when applied to film and to film scripts, implies that the film will
follow a set of conventions that govern its structure.
Genre is quite an abstract concept, and it is easier to explain with examples. Some
common genres include westerns, detective stories, thrillers, film noir, horror, love
stories, comedies, biopics, rites of passage, science fiction, war films, etc. You will
be able to identify many others, and in each one you can pick out key characteristics.
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STORY STRUCTURE
For example, westerns will invariably feature a lone figure, an outsider who comes
into an environment and shakes it up. The loner will have a moral code and will be
doing battle with a frontier. He will be skilled in fighting, horseback riding, etc. He will
have an impact on the lives of those who live in the town or village and will usually
leave alone.
In the horror genre, the central character is usually a victim. Religion and belief are
significant, and conflict is often between good and evil. Children are usually
significant and have special powers or insight. The location is usually very important
(perhaps a sacred site).
The comedy genre will almost always focus on either ordinary people in extraordinary
circumstances or extraordinary people in ordinary circumstances.
It can be tempting to think that your story is original, that you have a new way of
telling it, and that it has not been seen or done before. Screen stories are not the
best place to be experimental at the beginning of your career. Audiences have a set
of expectations based on their familiarity with genre. If you do not deliver on these
expectations, an audience will not be satisfied. For example, if you go to see a
vampire film, you probably expect that the ―good guys‖ will head up to the castle just
as the sun is going down over the horizon to do battle with the vampire. Imagine if
the good guys said, ―Hey, let’s reconvene at 7 a.m. so the vampire will be asleep in
his coffin, and it will be easier to kill him‖. You would probably want your money
back.
Once you have formulated your story, start thinking about which genre it is best
suited to. Consider other films you have seen in this genre. Think about how they
work.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Some useful questions to consider in relations to genre:
 What is the nature of the protagonist (the main character)? Is he dull at the
beginning and then becomes interesting? Is he an adult or a teenager or a
crud? Is he clever or a little stupid?
 What is the nature of the antagonist (person that is most pitted against the
main character)? Is he cruel or manipulating or is he actually more human
than the main character?
 What is the catalytic event that changes everything? In every screen story,
something will happen near the beginning of the film that changes everything.
For example, someone gets shot, or a body is found, or a father forbids his
daughter to see her boyfriend or the son goes away.
 These events in screen stories are called catalytic because they cause the
story to move in a new direction, and there will be consequences which need
resolving.
 What is the narrative shape of the film? Is this an intense story where the
action happens over a short period of time or does it range over several
generations?
 What is the dramatic shape of the film? This could be the rise and fall of a
gangster, a crime and its solving, or a road movie which is both a completed
physical journey and an emotional one? Is the action concentrated at the
beginning, through the middle or at the end? Is it consistently action packed?
Does it have a less frenzied pace, exploring the changes in the characters?
Consider these five areas in relation to your story. Make notes on each.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Structure
It may not seem very obvious, as films usually look so real, but screen stories are not
about relating exactly how things happen in real life. As audience members, we
would find it very boring to watch each character get up, go to the bathroom, clean
their teeth, eat breakfast, etc. For each new day of the story, we know these things
happen, but we do not need to see them.
The process of structuring a story for the screen is about making creative choices
about which actions, events and characters will be the best one to tell your story.
The premise is the actual content of your film, and the structure is the form or the
way you tell the story. Broadly speaking, most screen stories can be structured into
three distinct ―acts‖ that have the following features:
 Act One – introduces the main characters and sets up the conflict that is the
story of the film. The end of Act One is the catalytic moment, something
significant that happens, which changes the course of the story.
 Act Two – explores the consequences of the catalytic moment. What

happens, what complications arose, how does it affect the characters, and
what are the possible outcomes?
 Act Three – resolves the story and tells us the outcome. It must tie up all
loose ends and should ensure that we understand what the story is about.
While we are watching the film, we are seeing what happens as the story
unfolds. By the end of the film, the theme should be clear so that the audience
understands that this story is thematically about ―love‖ or ―justice‖, etc.
Sometimes this is clear right from the beginning, but often the real meaning of
the story only comes out at the end. For example, The Full Monty starts as a
piece of grim realism set in the north of England, turns into a comedy caper,
but ends with the audience understanding that this is about pride and self-
respect and the idea of achieving your dreams.
Think of ten films you know well. Try to identify where the ―Act‖ breaks are.
How do you start making choices about which events, actions and characters are
best to tell your story? Film tells stories in pictures (what we see on screen) and
words (dialogue). A film script includes information about what we see and what we
hear.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Think about your opening scenes. How are you going to introduce your character(s)?
What characteristics are they going to need to show in order for the audience to get
to know them? Are you going to show these through what they do or what they say
and to whom, or through a combination? How are you going to introduce the ―worm‖
of the film? Think about describing where you are in every scene. At what point are
you going to introduce the characters’ goals so that the audience becomes interested
in the characters and wants to know whether or not they achieve their goals? Or
does something happen so that the characters are given their goals in the opening
scenes? Act One should end on a pivotal moment.
Think about how your plot and characters develop. This means considering what
happens as well as how the characters need to change to meet the challenges that
have come about as a result of this significant pivotal moment. Or they meet the
challenge and resolve the problems so that they have changed by the end of the film.
A good way to understand these points is to consider examples of films you have
seen recently. For example, in a film like Speed, there is a long set-up establishing a
psychopath (Dennis Hopper) and a couple of cops who manage to defy his attempts
to blow up an office block. The cops think the psycho is dead until a city bus is blown
up and a call is received to say that another bus has a bomb on board, which will be
activated once the speed goes above 50 mph. The pivotal moment is when the bus
hits 51 mph. Up to this point, everything could have been resolved. The cop could
have stopped the bus, and everyone could have gone home. Once the bus activates
the bomb by going over 50 mph, we start Act Two, which explores the
consequences of this pivotal moment.
Act Three is the resolution. In the example above, the bomb is defused, the people
are saved, and the crook is killed. Finally, the closing scenes show the beginnings of
a romance between the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock characters so that an extra
bonus has come out of the action and anxiety.
Map out the structure defining the key scenes which end the first and second ―Acts‖
and start the process of selecting which events and actions will best develop the plot
and the characters of your story.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Writing a Synopsis
Now you have been through the creative process of collecting your ideas. The next
step is to prepare a synopsis of your film. The synopsis should be about 200 words
and should give an outline of the plot, introducing the major characters and making
mention of subplots. You should aim to be clear and concise. Try to keep your
sentences short.
A brief synopsis of a film will often be read in the context of publicity material: the
function of this type of synopsis is to tease an audience into wanting to see the whole
film, and it will set the scene and introduce major characters but will not reveal later
plot developments, the climax or the ending. In contrast, the purpose of your
synopsis is to interest potential producers in your film and, as such, should give
details of all the film action.
You should aim to adopt an upbeat tone but do not be tempted to fill your synopsis
with adjectives like ―exciting‖ and ―sensational‖ as if it were a review. The story and
characters are what will interest a future producer, not your opinion on the film.
Your synopsis should give an indication of what genre your film is in order that a
producer can assess its market value in the current cinema climate. It sometimes
helps when trying to get your ideas across to compare your ideas to another film,
whether in the same genre or not, or following the format but transferred to another
genre.
Read the following synopsis and answer the questions that follow:
GLADIATOR
Maximus, our hero, is a successful Roman general, who, after ten years of faithful
service, is approached in secret by the aging Emperor to be his successor. Before
his decision is made, the Emperor’s jealous son, Commodus, kills his father and
takes his crown. Maximus refuses to acknowledge him publicly and is ordered to be
taken away and killed. Escaping, Maximus returns to his family home, only to find
the new emperor has exacted his revenge and brutally murdered his wife and son.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Weak and temporarily broken in spirit, Maximum is taken into slavery and made to
perform as a gladiator. Through a series of battles, culminating in The Coliseum, he
proves not only his fighting skills but also his courage, fairness and loyalty to what is
right. These qualities make him well-liked among his fellow gladiators, and he earns
the love and support of the Roman people. Recognizing the degeneration of Rome
under Commodus’ rule, elders of the Senate attempt to facilitate Maximus’ escape to
lead an opposing army on Rome, but the plot is foiled, despite the intervention of the
love interest in the form of Commodus’ sister.
In his final battle, he faces the evil Emperor in one-to-one combat, wherein one wins
to tremendous applause. In death, we see him reunited with his wife and son. This
is the story of a man who retains his integrity against tremendous odds—the story of
a true hero set against the backdrop of Ancient Rome.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Bruce Willis stars as an eminent child therapist, happily married with a fulfilled life
and a brighter future. One evening, a very disturbed young man who was a former
client, breaks into his house and shoots Bruce and then himself.
One year later, Bruce is making contact with his newest client, a young boy of 10,
who is disturbed. Bruce wins his trust, and eventually the child tells him that he sees
dead people. This is verified through action in the screenplay and serves to show the
building relationship between the child and Bruce. And then we have the shocking
realization that Bruce is dead. He is known only to his ―client‖, and now that he has
helped the child, he can rest in peace. Suddenly, we realize we really only connect
with those two characters, and although this is Bruce’s story, we are watching him
through the eyes of the child.
This is a redemptive screenplay. The character that was violently and prematurely
killed has laid his own ghost to rest and has helped a child in the process. The
screenplay lends something fresh and original to the horror genre by having a
realistic narrative that is disrupted.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Script Concepts
Your main task as a screenwriter is to create a script that captivates and hooks a
reader at the very beginning. Make sure it is enjoyable and easy to read.
Here are some points that may help:
 The person we know best is ourselves. Each of us is a huge resource of

experience that can be turned into material to use in a story. However, this is
not the same as telling our own story. Brutal though it may sound, our lives
are interesting to ourselves, our friends and our family but are probably boring
to anyone who does not know us. If you want to draw on a personal
experience for a story, ensure that it is a story with a beginning, has a catalytic
moment, a middle and an end. Identify the theme of your story and the genre
best suited to the story. Use your own experience to build a creative story but
do not write a film about what has happened to you.
 Screenplays are dramatic. They show things happening which excite or

interest the audience. The best way to create drama is to have conflict and to
ensure that you have enough conflict in your story. Problems that are easy to
overcome do not excite us. We like to see challenge and ingenuity. We like to
see integrity being tested. We like to see despair and hopelessness
overcome, and we like to be entertained.
 Make sure your story is well structured. For this, you need a clear
―journey‖ for your main character. Avoid lots of episodes that loosely fit
together. The main story must start at the beginning of the script and finish at
the end of the script. Also, ask yourself if the story is complex enough. Are
there some subplots, which are also set up, explored and resolved in the
course of the story.
 You should aim to know everything about your characters, including all of
the background information which may or may not be written into the story, as
well as what happens to them after your script ends.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Here are some points that may help (con’t):
 Avoid giving lengthy descriptions of how the sunset or the city street
looks. This is boring and distracting to read. Also, avoid trying to do the job
of the actors by giving too much indication of emotion or position. Let the story
generate the emotion so that the words and scenes speak for themselves.
 Dialogue must sound natural. Read it out loud as you go along to see if
your character sounds natural speaking the words you have written. Check to
see if your characters are telling each other information that they should
already know in order to inform the audience. For example, if a husband says
to his wife, ―You know when you had that accident which gave you
nightmares‖…it is much better to say something like, ―Are you having
nightmares again?‖ And build the dialogue to reveal the information in a
natural way.
Consider what aspects of each film would sound attractive to a producer looking to
buy and develop your synopsis, i.e., does the story outline make you want to know
more about how the narrative develops? Is it a genre which will sell? Does it offer
something new or has it been done many times before?
When you have written the synopsis for your film, read it aloud to the group and ask
them to comment on the attractiveness and salability of your idea.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Dialogue
The most common problem with dialogue in a screenplay is that there is too much of
it. Film is a visual medium, and the emphasis must be kept on what we see, not what
we hear.
In a novel or play, there is room for long speeches. In a film, the dialogue must be
kept short, both for time reasons (your film should last 2 hours or so) and so that the
audience can take in the important features of it at one screening. If they miss
something important, they cannot return to it for clarification, as they could in a book.
There are two ways a script can be too wordy:
 The actual speech of a character might be too wordy and unwieldy or

 Conversation between characters might be excessively and unnaturally long.
When a character speaks, he should say only what is necessary to get across the
point you wish to make. Think what he can say to convey the information needed for
the plot. Make him say it in the simplest way possible. When we are having a
conversation with someone in real life, we generally do not use sophisticated
vocabulary and long sentences, because our focus is to communicate our thoughts
as quickly and as simply as possible. You may want to accent and register to create
a certain impression of character, but the information must still be in a ―short and
sweet‖ format. Unless you are writing a major speech, your character will probably
say only one or two sentences when he speaks—certainly no more than four. The
number of exchanges between characters will also be short.
The most important thing to remember when writing dialogue is that every sentence
has to be justified. After you have written a dialogue scene, cut off the beginning and
the end, and what you have left will probably be far better.
Choose a conversation from a novel and reduce the dialogue to make it suitable for a
film script.
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STORY STRUCTURE
Location
The location where we first see a character is often reflective of his/her personality.
Sets are carefully chosen or constructed, and it is what the camera allows us to see
that forms our impression. Small details take on added importance when the camera
is directing our attention in this way. For instance, the sticker on a mirror can say a
lot about a character’s beliefs.
Think about your bedroom as a possible location to reflect character. What would
you choose for the camera to draw attention to? Create a room for a character:
 That wants to be a film star

 Whose parents are concerned that he/she studies too hard
 That is lonely
Names
Names are very important in terms of giving us an indication of character. Discuss

what you associate with different names and why. Is it the sound of the words
themselves, people you have known with these names or the era in which the name
was popular?
What do the following names suggest to you and why?
Elsie Peabody; Romeo Brass; Tiffany Swandown; Leroy Jay; James Hamilton-Smith;
Rob Brown; Zoe Popcorn: and Anna Reilly.
Your main character is a twelve-year-old girl. Suggest costume details for her that
will express her personality to show her as:
A tomboy, rather young for her age, and unwilling
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STORY STRUCTURE
Costume
Costume is an easily recognizable means of showing personality, class and

occupation. The small details of dress can often be key indicators as to character—
the smartly suited businessman who wears a friendship bracelet; the rebellious
teenager who has ―mum‖ tattooed on an arm; a style of hair band; or a rucksack, etc.
Your main character is a twelve-year-old girl. Suggest costume details for her that
will express her personality to show her as (a) a tomboy, (b) rather young for her
age—unwilling to grow up and (c) a bit of a show-off.
Describe costume indicators for three of the characters from the names listed above
and explain your choice.
Voice
The way in which someone speaks will instantly categorize him or her in terms of
class and character. When casting, regional accents may carry certain connotations.
Think of:
 Three comedy characters

 Three heroines from films. What accents do they have? Why do you think
this is?
What personality traits do you associate with the following accents?
 Liverpudlian
 BBC
 Scottish
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STORY STRUCTURE
Script Layout
Although at first sight, the layout of a film script may look complicated, but it is, in fact,
very simple and clear. There are slight variations in layout (usually depending on the
writer’s taste), but all screenplays are written in the third person, present tense and
usually run anywhere between 90 and 120 pages in length (roughly speaking, one
page of screenplay equals one minute of screen time). Generally, a screenplay
layout looks like this:
Key: a) 10. INT. ALBERT’S LIVING ROOM DAY
a) Scene heading: this is an at-a-glance b) Seventy-year-old ALBERT JOHNSON is sitting

guide to the scene containing four pieces in an armchair wearing worn but comfortable
of information—a scene number, interior or shoes. He is an amiable man out with a well-
exterior, locations, day, night or evening. worn face exhibiting a lifetime of drudgery.
c) A brief description of the location. d) The first time we see a character he/she is c)
e) described: name (if known), age, appearance
f) and, if necessary, physical description.
Stewart and Louise are not so detailed
because they have been introduced earlier in
the script. Character names are always typed
in capital letters.
d) When characters speak, their names LOUISE

are centered. Dad, Jim’s a good man. Now drink your tea.
LOUISE picks up an ouster and tin of polish
from a table and begins to clean the room.
e) If you want to emphasize the way a line LOUISE

is delivered, it appears centered and in How’s your chest?
brackets before the dialogue. Keep these
notes to a minimum.
f) Dialogue begins at the end of a very g) ALBERT

wide (approx. 2 inches) left-hand margin. Not so bad since I started on the pills. (to
Stewart) Fuss, fuss, fuss.
g) When referring to another character
during dialogue, the character’s name STEWART
does not appear in capital letters. Fuss, fuss ,fuss
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STORY STRUCTURE FOR FILM
The Writing Process
1. Motivation
Motivation is something that sparks the writing. What motivates the writing
process: Formal, such as an assignment or a job, or Informal, such as an
experience, a question, a memory or a combination of these. It is the reason
to write and the inspiration for writing. The reason to write is the initial sharing
of the vision and objectives specifically with within the Strategic Input Brief.
2. Collecting Ideas
This is the process of brainstorming—gathering words, fragmental thoughts

and facts, questions and observations, and broadening the original idea into
various possibilities. It is raw possibility. By writing it down, you have
tremendous possibility for future referral.
3. Organization
Examine the abstract and start narrowing it down to what fits together. What
questions are left to be answered? What is the best way to communicate your
point? This will depend on what form you’re writing in.
4. Rough Draft
This is the first writing or the put-it-together phase. Write. Words form
phrases, phrases form lines or sentences, and sentences form paragraphs.
The more you do in steps 1, 2, and 3, the better this goes.
5. Internal Review
The author reviews the writing and sees how it looks and sounds. Questions
include: Does this make sense? Does it say what I intended? Do I like it? Is
it smooth and clear? Are the ideas in the right order? Is anything missing?
The best way to do this is to read it aloud to yourself because your ears will
often catch what your eyes don’t.
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STORY STRUCTURE FOR FILM
6. External Review
This is the time for sharing with others. The purpose is getting reactions,
questions, suggestions, praises, affirmation of strengths, and ideas for
changes—positive help/constructive criticism. You must make use of the
suggestions.
7. Editing and Revising
This is the changing and fixing stage. You’ve got feedback. Now it’s time to
work. Break it down to fixing only a few things at a time. Every piece of
writing does not need to get ―fixed‖ or have immediate or extensive revision.
8. Mechanics Double Check
It is time to inspect the original draft for spelling, grammar, and mechanical
and structural errors or weaknesses.
9. Final Draft
The preparation of the final draft is the put-it-all-together again, final polishing
of a project. There is always a moment when you have to find an end and get
over the it-could-be-more-perfect feeling.
10. Presentation
Sharing, showing-off time or publishing.
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INTRODUCTION TO TV PRODUCTION / FILM PRODUCTION
BASIC CAMERA OPERATION
DVX-100
Framing the Shot

Angle, Level, Height
Distance
Movement
Shot Composition
Camera Technique
Understanding the Tripod
Shooting Words from the Wise
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DISCOVERING THE CAMERA

FUNDAMENTALS OF SHOOTING
Framing the Shots: Angle, Level, Height and Distance
On the film set, a film director will make choices about where to position the camera
in relation to the action, that is, how to frame the shot. We can speak of ―camera
angle‖, ―camera height‖, and ―camera distance‖ to describe some of these choices of
―framing‖. The framing of the shot creates what we see on the screen. Choices
about the framing of a shot change the shot‘s meaning.
Angle
This refers to the angle of framing. In practice, we typically refer to three general
types: the straight-on angle, the high angle and the low angle. The straight-on angle
is the most common. The high angle shot positions us ‗looking down‘ on the material
in the frame. This can be used to make a character appear small and powerless.
The low angle framing positions us as ‗looking up‘ at the framed material. This can
be used to make characters very large and powerful.
Level
This refers to the degree to which the frame is either ‗level‘ or ‗wonky‘. Imagine that
you are filming telegraph poles. If the framing is level, the poles will be vertical in the
frame (straight up and down), and the horizon will be horizontal (straight side-to-
side). If the horizon and poles are at diagonal angles, we say that the frame is
‗canted‘ (wonky). You can use the camera level to create the effect of a sloping
hillside or to make the material in the frame appear strange or weird.
Height
Sometimes it is important to frame a shot from different heights to change the

audience‘s perspective on the material. The camera could be positioned close to the
floor, shooting straight-on to give the impression of a low height. Perhaps this would
be used to signify the view of a child or small creature. Alternatively, the camera
could be positioned high up in the room or very high up in the sky to signify the view
of a bird or a pilot.
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Camera Distance
Changing the camera distance supplies a sense of us being close-to or far-away from
the material of the shot. The standard measure of camera distance is the scale of
the human body. Some typical examples of camera distances are given below:
Camera Distance Used For
Extreme long shot (ELS) Framing landscapes. Human figure is barely visible.
Long shot (LS) A shot that shows a character at a distance,

spanning their whole height but leaving an area
above and below them. This focuses the audience‘s
attention on the character and his/her surroundings.
Medium shot (MS) Also known as a mid shot, this shows a character
from the knees or waist up or a full-length seated
figure. Most effective for showing the interplay
between two characters and bridging the gap
between a wide shot and a close-up. This shot can
also be adapted to a medium long shot or a medium
close-up.
Close-up (CU) Used to show extreme detail or facial expressions.

A character is framed from just beneath the
shoulders with space left above the head. This shot
is effective for showing an audience a character‘s
emotions and reactions because it focuses their
concentration on only one thing on the screen.
Extreme close-up (ECU) This shows only part of the head, the area from the
lips to the eyes, and is often used for highly
emotional shots to increase dramatic effect.
Over-the-shoulder shot A shot made from over-the-shoulder of a character,

focusing on what he or she is seeing.
Point-of-view shot (POV) Seen from the character‘s point of view
Two shot Shot with two characters in it.
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MOVEMENT AND DEPTH
Movement
Most good videographers or filmmakers will use line and movement within the frame
not moving the camera. When framing a shot, think of a still camera that has
movement within your still picture.
Movement comes in two forms:

 The Object of Focus Moving: When the object of focus moves, you either try
to keep it in the same relative position (using pan or tilt) and lead it (keeping
empty space in front of the movement), or you let the object of focus move
through your frame (side-to-side or front-to-back) using the Rule of Thirds to
contain that movement.
 Movement of the Viewer‘s eye to the Point of Focus: Here the object moves
very little, or not at all, and you are trying to get the audience to see the object
of focus. Although you always want to try and use the Rule of Thirds for your
focus position, you also use natural objects to:
˗ Place a frame around it (doorway, tree branch, etc), or
˗ Pull the eye to the spot by using natural objects that go diagonally
through the picture to, or past, the point of focus (limbs, roads, rails,
etc.).
Movement through the Frame
Just as the name implies, you let the object of focus move through the frame or move
it through the frame using a dolly or rail system.
Depth
The screen (TV or movie) is two-dimensional, and you must always try to set your
image (the frame you shot) to point out the depth of the environment you are
shooting.
 Foreground/Background: Place things in the foreground and background that
show the depth but do not distract.
 Environments: Use the above concept of environmental framing, especially the
use of diagonals (leading from the screen) to enhance the perception of depth.
Style
Single camera film style (using reverse angles)
Point-of-view (the camera is the eye of the talent)
Documentary (third-party observation)
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Shot Composition
180-Degree Rule
This is the technique used to help keep viewers from getting lost in film world space
by keeping the camera on one side of a line drawn across the space.
Here are some guidelines for working with the 180-degree rule:
1. Draw a circle (360 degrees) around an overhead sketch of the space where
your actors are, set pieces, and important objects will be placed.
2. Figure out the best place to put your camera.
3. Find the dividing line (180 degrees) with your camera on one side of the line
and the subjects you are shooting on the line or on the other side of the line.
4. Moving the camera over this line may confuse people, especially during two-
shot, conversation-type scenes. Shots obtained from just one side of this line
will feel more consistent to viewers.
Eye-Line Match
Cameras often follow the eyes of characters in a scene. Eye-line match cuts are
used to show us what a character is looking at off-screen. A character looks up and
to the right in one shot. In the next shot, the subject the character was watching
appears in the upper right of the screen to match the direction of the look.
Plan your eye-line match cuts into the storyboard level to make sure your shots are
going to look good together. This will become even more apparent when you do a
rough animatic. If a character looks left, your next shot needs to match the direction
of that look with a subject on screen to the left. Character looks down, and you then
show what the character is looking at below. If a character suddenly looks up, the
next shot shows us a mouse crawling across the character‘s toes; the audience will
wonder what the character is looking at above and gets confused. Watch films to see
how they cut on these looks and where the objects in the next shot are placed.
If your eye-line match cut lines are even a little off, your editing will be a nightmare,
and the shots will be a nightmare. The shots will feel like they do not go together.
Audiences have been trained to expect these cuts, even though most viewers are not
even aware of the concept. At this point, just note with arrows in the thumbnails
which direction the character is supposed to look during eye-line match cuts to make
sure you match these look lines when you plan your next shot.
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Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a compositional technique filmmakers use to help frame shots.
The rule of thirds can sometimes enable you to improve the composition of your
shots dramatically. The idea behind this rule is to break the screen up into thirds,
both horizontally and vertically. You then frame your scene elements and subjects
along the lines.
Angles
Angle or diagonal shots give a sense of depth, dimension, and interesting

perspective lines. Too many flat, straight-on shots start to look boring. It is good to
plan your angles as much as possible during the storyboarding process to make sure
they go together in the final shot sequences.
Balance
Each shot needs to be balanced properly for the composition to work well. When
planning balance for narrative impact, remember that our eyes move to the side of
the frame with the most weight. The real size of the objects is not as important as the
size they appear in the frame.
Leading Looks
Another aspect of balance is leading looks, meaning that you have allowed for the
compositional weight of the look. If you have a side view of a person looking to the
left, put this person on the right half of the frame to allow room for the look to occur.
Objects such as TV sets, vehicles in motion, and subjects with slanted compositions
also need to have room ahead of them for good balance.
Leading Lines
Designing shots with strong graphical lines will lead the viewer‘s eyes to specific
areas of the frame. Once you know what subjects or objects are important to show in
each shot, you will be able to design set elements around them to point at those
important areas.
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CAMERA TECHNIQUE
The tripod remains in place, but the camera swivels from left to right or right to left.
The resulting shot duplicates a person surveying a situation by standing in one place
and turning his or her head. A pan (short for ―panorama‖) is used in film, as in reality,
to survey a scene or to follow a moving object.
A tilt shot is a vertical (up and down) pan. The tripod remains in place while the
camera pivots up or down. This seldom-used movement gives viewers a trip up or
down a building, a person, or other tall object.
The camera rolls smoothly toward or away from the subject. In professional films, the
heavy camera is mounted on a special cart called a dolly. In amateur filmmaking, the
same effect can be obtained by moving the camera on a wagon, skateboard, or any
wheeled platform. The ground must be smooth for this shot to work.
TrackingShot
Also called a traveling shot or a follow shot, this is a variation of the dolly. If you want
to move the camera parallel to a fast-moving car, the camera can be mounted on a
second car and moved alongside the car that is being filmed. If the camera is to
move smoothly along rough or sandy ground (to follow two people walking on a
beach, for example), a special wooden track is laid down, and the dolly ―tracks‖ along
it for a smooth shot. (Note that in television film production, the universally used term
for tracking shot is trunk left or trunk right.)
BooM
This shot involves mounting the camera on a special crane on the end of a hydraulic
arm. The camera mounted on this ―boom‖ can be moved very fluidly in almost any
direction.
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ZOOM
This shot is used for a dramatic or shocking effect. A zoom lens is manipulated while
the camera remains stationary. The effect created is similar to looking through a
telescope or binoculars and moving from the least to the greatest magnification
(zoom-in) or the reverse (zoom-out). A zoom can be very fast or gradual. A zoom
lens is available for home movie cameras and is much overused by amateurs. It is
seldom used in professional films because there is no comparison to this kind of
―seeing‖ in reality. Our eyes are not equipped with zoom eyeballs.
Hand – Held
All the previous techniques of camera movement depend on the fact that cameras
are usually mounted on a tripod. But newer cameras are light enough to be carried
by hand so that a film can be made by picking up a camera and walking around with
it. This is most often done in documentary films and in filming for news.
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UNDERSTANDING THE TRIPOD
Tripod
A tripod will always provide you with a steady picture, especially when you are using
the zoom. This wonderful devise, however, will not be helpful if not used correctly. It
is made up of the head, handle, pedestal, legs and dolly.
Head
Heads are either fluid or tension (fluid is the best), but both must be adjusted to the
weight of the camera. You do this by adjusting the pan and the tilt pressure controls
found on the head until the movement is smooth (not loose). When correct, the
camera should stay exactly where you stopped.
Most good heads use a ―quick connect‖ plate that attaches to the mounting plate of
the camera. Quick connect heads have a spring load lever that must be cocked so
that when the camera plate is slid in at the correct angle, it snaps closed (you should
always check to see if it is locked before letting go of the camera). It might sound
silly, but when mounting the camera be sure the handles are at the rear of the
camera.
Pedestal
Pedestals are used to move the camera higher or lower without adjusting the legs.
WARNING: If you raise the pedestal too high, you will lose stability on the camera.
Legs
You should always try to use the biggest leg section first, and then use the next
smaller section until you are at the correct height. You also use the legs to level the
tripod head (some have levels built into them to help you). The tripod should always
have its head level. Most legs have both a rubber and steel tip on the bottom –
spinning the rubber will expose the steel tip. Use the correct tip for the surface.
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SHOOTING: WORDS FROM THE WISE
Here are some words of advice as you begin to shoot your DV project.
 Make sure to tell your viewers where they are or where they were. In other
words, remember to begin with some sort of establishing shot (LS or MS).
 Shots should not be perfectly symmetrical (either vertical or horizontal). The

rule of thirds must be applied in nearly all shots.
 If you do a side face shot (profile), you must establish eye space.
 If you film a motion shot, you must leave space for the movement.
 Avoid the ―deadly jump‖. This is when there is a radical transition from one
camera shot to another (i.e., LS to ECU). Not only does it confuse your
viewers, but also it draws attention to the technology. Remember, you want to
convince your viewers that what they are watching is reality.
 Cut-ins and cut-aways consist of two shots (the ES and the cut-in/cut-away).
 Watch your lighting! Stay away from windows and doors (when possible).
You need to control your lighting as much as possible.
 Be consistent! If in one shot your talent is standing to the left of a bookcase,

make sure that in the next shot he/she is standing in the same spot. Also,
maintain consistent perspective. Don‘t cross over your viewers‘ line of vision.
 Use a tripod whenever possible. It is difficult to hold a camera steady—

especially when the camera person is laughing because your film is funny.
 Be prepared for problems. Batteries that run out, cameras that get jammed,
talent who refuse to cooperate, confusing editing machines, and weird sound
are all common occurrences for which you must be ready. Filming always
seems to take longer than planned (even ―big wig‖ filmmakers experience
this). Just remember not to get too frustrated.
 Finally, have fun! Don‘t be afraid to experiment and be creative.
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ROLE OF THE CAMERA (FILM OR DVD) IN TELLING THE STORY

CREATIVE SHOOTING FOR EDITING
Filmmaking is a deliberate event. You plan your visuals not only to show the story
unfold but also to help the audience get a sense of time, place, emotion, and
empathy for the characters. To do this, filmmakers have developed a variety of
camera techniques. This unit is an attempt to help you get a grasp of the techniques
and the reason and place within a script to use them. It is important to understand
that camera work and editing go hand-in-hand. I cannot use parallel editing unless I
shoot that way. I need shots that work together to do cross-dissolves and shots that
have continuity to avoid jump cuts.
All visuals are designed to do one or more of the following: provide or support
emotion, advance or enhance the story development, create a rhythm, help the
audience follow or focus on the object of focus, ―eye trace‖, and compensate for the
two-dimensionality of the media.
When and Why: It is as important to understand the when and why of each of the
following as it is to understand what it is and how to do it.
Moving the Camera
 Pan – relationship of scene and totality

 Tilt – reveal and drama
 Dolly/Rail/Truck – avoid parallel and use foreground objects
 Crane – drama, relationship, and perspective
 Pull Focus – ―eye trace‖
 Zoom – framing, depth and ―eye trace‖
The Effect of Composition on Content, Emotion and Editing
 Relationship of the eye to the lens:
□ Even – equality
□ Below – submission – viewer has power
□ Above – dominance – viewer is submissive
□ POV – empathy, drama (tension) and ―eye trace‖
□ Dutch – drama and humor
 Relationship to subject:
□ Wide – establish relationships

□ Medium – focus
□ Close-up – emotions
□ Extreme close-up – extreme drama
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ROLE OF THE CAMERA (FILM OR DVD) IN TELLING THE STORY

 Movement
□ Within the frame – relationships and focus

□ As the frame moves with it – dramatic action
□ Through the frame – depth, drama, and reveal
 Relationship of subjects to staging:
□ Planar – flat, non-focused, and less real (stage play)

□ Depth – emotion, focus, ―eye trace‖ and drama
□ Multi-level – parallel story
Continuity of Form and Thought
 Shooting for sequence and continuity:
□ Establishing shot – Where are we?

□ Master shot – whole sequence from one angle
□ Insert shot – reverse for insert into master
□ Cutaway shot – environment of master
□ Reaction shot – like ―insert‖
□ Buffer shot – like ―cutaway‖
 Editing for sequence and continuity:
□ Match cut – continuity

□ Straight cut – on beat or action
□ Jump cut – neither of the above
□ Object or form cut – using a shape as the cut mask (heart for love)
□ L-Cut/Split cut – audio and video not cut together (audio leads video)
□ Split screen – parallel or duel action
□ Superimposition – adding a dramatic element as thought
□ Clearing the frame – way to do the following:
─ Continuity of time – cross dissolve

─ Change of time – fade to black
─ Cross the line – effect or fade to black
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ROLE OF THE CAMERA (FILM OR DV) IN TELLING THE STORY

 Editing for sequence and continuity (continued):
□ Parallel sequence – cross cut, back-and-forth action, tension, and

foreshadow
□ Montage sequence – images mixed to show (all films are technically a
montage)
─ Sequential – story (Notting Hill, Gladiator)

─ Complex – emotion ( Potemkin ship and steps)
─ Thematic – music video or commercial
□ Thematic sequence – long version of the montage

□ Rhythm and pace – moving the sequence along by use of:
─ Duration of shot
─ Speed of movement within the frame
─ Real or perceived movement of the camera
─ Pace of the plot
─ Pace of dialogue
─ Pace of music score
Questions to Ask during Creation, Shooting, Editing and Reviewing
1. What is the purpose of any shot or edit, and how does it relate to the following:
□ Does it advance and support the ―key persuasion‖?

□ Does it support the Biblical insights of this piece?
□ Does it support the cultural insights for this piece?
□ Does it overcome the barriers and mindset of my target audience?
2. Does the beginning of my story have a visual hook that helps the focus?
3. Do the visuals and edits help keep my story focused as it progresses?
4. Do the visuals and edits promote a clear and strong ending? This can form the
basis of the rough-cut review session as well as self-review.
5. Are there any edited sequences that are not clear as to the intended meaning of
the sequence (flow of thought or idea)?
6. Are there any visuals or edits that prevent or do not lead my target audience to
the established goals for this piece?
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
USING DIGITAL VIDEO
Camcorders/Digital Video
Camcorders use photocells that generate electrical signals that respond to the
brightness and color of light. Electrical circuitry in the camcorder converts these
digital signals into digital data and records it on the magnetic tape of the DV cassette.
Controlling Contrast
Video is more difficult to light correctly. The problem is the limited contrast range of
the CCDs in video cameras. No matter how good your camcorder is, you‘ll never be
able to show detail in both the light and dark areas of the image in the same frame.
So you go for lighting that is either bright or dim overall. The artistic goal of lighting is
to direct the viewer‘s eye.
Exposure
Exposure controls the amount of light that reaches the CCD clip. When you shoot a
picture with a camera, it is created by focusing on an image through the camera lens
onto the area within the camera where the image is recorded. The trouble is getting
the image looking just right. There needs to be just the right amount of light—too
much light and the image will start to bleach out; too little light and the image will start
to get dark and lose detail.
Aperture or Iris
The amount of light getting into the camera can be controlled by the aperture on the
camera. Mechanically, the aperture is a lot like the iris in your eye. When it is dark,
the iris opens up to let more light in. When it is bright, the iris closes down to restrict
the light entering the eye. The same is true with the camera. The aperture is a ring
on the camera lens and is usually marked with numbers called ―F stops‖. When the
aperture is open wide, the F stop number is small. When the aperture is closed
down, the F stop number is larger.
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
USING DIGITAL VIDEO
Simple Lighting Set-up
Even the simplest of shots needs to be lit properly, or it will look like your average
home movie. This simple mid shot of an actress required four lights – key light, fill
light, rim light and a background light.
 Key Light
The key light models the subject and is often the most important light in the
scene. It is often the foundation on which all other lights are based. In this
case, it is a light placed to the left of the actress, perhaps representing a
window light source (in the story of the shot).
 Fill Light
This light is designed to ―fill‖ the harsh shadows created by the ―key‖ light to
create a more natural and rounded look. It will pick out detail and texture
where otherwise there would be only dark shadows.
 Back Light
To add another dimension, a light source is mounted behind the subject. It

hits the back of objects and the actress and gives a nice impression of three
dimensionality.
 Background Light
The light has been positioned to illuminate the background of the scene to
create a more natural look. Without it, there would be a fully lit actress sitting
against a very dark background.
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
USING DIGITAL VIDEO
The choice of lighting style is one of the things that can significantly impact the speed
at which you shoot. For instance, complicated, glossy lighting can take a great deal
of time. Are you aiming for a film noir look or social realism? Or Ridley Scott‘s
―shafts of light‖ look or harsh, bright primary colors as used by Pedro Almodóvar or
the dark and mood look of Se7en?
The choice of operating style will be the domain of the camera operator. It‘s
essentially a discussion about framing and camera movement. Are you going to
shoot images that are ―sat back‖, static and symmetrical in a Kubrick-esqe style, or
are you going to go for a shoot-from-the-hip wobbly cam style like The Insider, or are
there going to be lots of slick track and dolly camera movements like your average
American action movie, or will there be super fast track and dolly Scorsese style, or
even Steadicam overload, again, Kubrick inspired?
Of course, on a low budget movie, you‘re going to struggle to achieve any consistent
look of excellence because there simply isn‘t time or resources, but as long as
everyone is talking the same language, then the on-set short hand between DP, AD
and director will speed things up.
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
ARTISTIC LIGHTING
Artistic Lighting Touches
Good lighting technique aims to illustrate the subject from three sources: key light,
fill, and backlight.
You may also add other light sources for effect.
Eyelight aims a bright light directly into an actor‘s eyes. It creates a sparkle in the
eye that audiences find appealing and warm. Traditionally, movie star heroes always
get eyelight, and their villainous opponents don‘t, giving the ―bad guy‖ or soulless
look.
Kicker is an extra highlight located above or to the side of a subject to emphasize its
contours. A kicker can make an actor‘s hair appear lustrous or can emphasize her
jaw line to make her seem more forceful or resolute.
Spotlight is a high-intensity beam on a small area, often in marked contrast to a

darker area. For example, a light spilling from a doorway into a dark hallway could
be created by a spotlight located behind the door.
Rim Light is focused on the subject directly from behind to highlight its edges. It can
make an actor literally appear to glow. In effect, it is a more intense type of backlight.
Background Light throws extra illumination on the wall or scenery in back of the
subject. Its purpose is usually to bring out details that would otherwise be lost in the
shadows. Lighting involves the single most important set of decisions that will affect
the quality of the video or film image. It determines what the audience sees, where
they focus their attention, and the mood of the scene.
To control lighting on the set:
 Motivate the key light—make the audiences think key light comes from a
window or a lamp they can see.
 Keep contrast low—tone down highlights and add fill lighting to shadow areas.
 White balance manually each time you change the lighting source.
 Make adjustments as light changes during the day.
 Consider how highlights could add artistic touches and interests to your video
imagery.
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
LIGHTING AND COLOR TEMPERATURE
Color Temperature
Color temperature is the relative reddish or blue quality of the light source. We
measure this in degrees of Kelvin.
 Incandescent bulb, 3200 degrees K (yellowish)

 Quarts Bulb, 3500 degrees K (reddish)
 Florescent bulb, 4000 degrees K (blue or greenish)
 Sun, 5500-7500 degrees K (how much cloud and time of day – blue-white)
When you ―White Balance‖ a camera, the camera is always comparing the color
temperature to the ―white standard‖ and deciding the correct filters it needs to correct
the incoming light to ―White‖.
It is always best to use the manual white balance and a white card. The problem with
the Full Auto White is that its range is only good up to about 5000 degrees. When
shooting outdoors at noon on a clear day, this can affect your colors. This is not so
true on the newer cameras but, given the choice and the right conditions, it is best to
use the manual when you can.
Last, remember that lighting on TV serves the same 6 objectives that it does on a
theater stage:
1. Fulfilling technical requirements (Visibility)
2. Provide 3-D perspective (perceived depth, TV screen is only 2-D)
3. Direct attention to important elements in the scene
4. Establish mood (casual, professional, dreamlike)
5. Establish the time of day and season
6. Contribute to the overall aesthetic feel and composition of a shot while

providing continuity with the following scene
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
LIGHTING FOR THE FILM LOOK
The following material is basic film concepts, and when the principles are applied to
digital video, the results can be striking. Film (because of its makeup) has a specific
look – softer, warmer, and richer – it provides a specific aesthetic look. Digital video
(all video) normally looks sharper, cooler, and more real than film, especially if you
use a standard ―positive‖ lighting technique.
If you use ―negative‖ lighting (using shadow to shape, take light away, and work from
the camera lens‘ most open position for our DV cameras 1.4), you can use a
standard ―positive‖ lighting technique.
Equipment
Basic light source or sun

Reflectors, including diffuser
Flags (light masking objects)
Light meter or trustable color monitor (the LCD on the VX 2000) meter settings (ISO
= 320, FPS = 30, lens 1.4)
Principles
The soft look comes from a lower “depth of field” (the amount of area in focus).
Therefore, it is necessary to use the open iris setting as much as possible (f – 1.4).
The reduction or elimination of “flat” light. The richness comes, in part, as a result of
lighting the subject in such a way as to get modeling of the subject as well as
background separation. This is different than normal lighting, which floods or fills the
subject while providing background separation. In addition, reduction of the ―flat‖
light effect demands the use of masking or ―flagging‖ part or all of the background or
elements that can cause distraction to the subject.
Providing depth and shape to the subject through the use of foreground objects and
selected background objects. The lighting of these objects is very subjective and is
based on a soft backlit or bounce lit concept.
Possible use of lighting textures – ―cookies‖ or ―gobos‖ used in front of a light source
to break up, model, or even give a sense of location to the scene through the light.
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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
LIGHTING FOR THE FILM LOOK
Process
Understand lighting ratios, in order to get detail and short depth of field, good lighting
requires the lowest level and highest level requiring visible detail to be set within a
five f-stop window.
Normal F-Stops: 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 11, 16, 22 ,32
BVW-300A open (1.4), 2.8, 3.4, 4, 4.8, 5.6, 6.8, 8, 9.6, 11
BVW-300A closed 1.7 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16
This means that if you are shooting with your lens wide open (f-1.4), then your
highest light should not exceed a 5.6 or 4.8 on your BVW-200 A, if it is to retain any
detail information. Use this window of exposure to create as much variety in light as
possible through key, bounced, diffused, or filtered sources.
To keep your key light source down, use the ―ND‖ filters 1 and 2 on the camera to
lower bright light to the lowest acceptable ―key‖ you can, trying to keep the iris as
open as possible. This is a balancing act between filters and F-stop. Using a diffuser
can help as well. Once you have set the maximum ―key‖ level at the lowest F-stop
setting you can get, use the same within 5 stop window.
Note: Your LCD monitors are very good at seeing where you lose white and black
detail. It will also show you the ―depth of field‖, so trust and use them but don‘t reset
the brightness control or they will lie to you. It should be set midway in its window.
If you want to add a bit of grain to your look, you may want to add a small amount of
gain to the open setting. When you reach ―open‖, you will move into the gain mode
by continuing to turn the wheel. This artificially creates light but adds grain as well.
You may want to experiment with it firsts to see what you like and don‘t like.
If you need even less ―depth of field‖, you may want to try to move back from your
subject and use the zoom to frame your shot. Moving away and zooming in on a
subject to create the same frame at less or no zoom will diminish your ―depth of field‖.
For an even greater result, add an extender to the lens. The focal length of the
extender and its demand for light will decrease your ―depth of field‖ even more.
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EDITING BASICS
INTRODUCTION
Juxtaposition as the Core of Editing
Juxtaposition – By strategically placing two visual ideas next to each other, you can
create a separate third idea in the viewer‘s mind.
 Juxtaposition shows thoughts and emotions.

 Juxtaposition can be used between two symbolic shots.
 Juxtaposition can be used between two scenes, thus linking them together.
 Juxtaposition can link two stories to show theme.
 Juxtaposition – between voice and image.
 Juxtaposition – between music and image.
 Juxtaposition – between two ideas.
Editing is often thought to be the most important element in movie making. It is

where bad shots are discarded, good shots arranged into scenes, and the scenes
into a finished film.
The picture, of course, is not the only element that gets edited – so does the sound.
Location dialogue is edited, fixed and enhanced. (After shooting, actors may return
to the studio to record lines.) Background ambiances such as crowd noises, traffic,
barking dogs or birds are added. The music is scored and inserted into the
appropriate moments.
It is during the ―post-production‖ stage that special effects are added, as well. These
include opening and closing titles, scene transitions (fades and dissolves) and
computer generated special effects.
Editing Theory
Editing has a theory and history that dates back to Russia and the silent era. It is
called ―montage‖. ―Montage‖ is a French term that means ―edit‖ or ―put together‖.
Soviet filmmakers felt that, above all else, it was a film‘s ability to change images that
made it an art form. In editing, a shot can go from one person‘s point-of-view to
another‘s – we can be a killer in one shot and the victim in the next. We can also
instantly move from one location to another or through time (see how cleverly the
Winona Ryder film ―Girl, Interrupted‖, shifts back and forth in time).
Soviet filmmakers believed that montage gave cinema its art and power – that shots
in isolation were meaningless, but intention emerged when shots were combined and
juxtaposed together.
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EDITING BASICS
INTRODUCTION
In the 1920s, a soviet teacher by the name of Lev Kuleshow experimented with
montage by shooting an actor looking at something off screen using a neutral
expression. In sequence one, he cut from the actor to a bowl of soup and back to the
actor‘s reaction. In a second sequence, he cut from the actor, to a girl injured, then
back to the actor‘s reaction. Audiences shown the scenes believed that the actor‘s
face was able to express hunger in one scene and pity in the other. In fact, the actor
was expressionless in both scenes – the effect was created only through the art of
editing.
Sergei Eisenstein
No discussion of editing theory is complete without mention of the Russian filmmaker,

Sergei Eisenstein. It was Eisenstein who claimed that film space and time was
constructed by editing and by the space photographed by the shot. For example, an
actor looks off screen. We cut to a fire, followed by the actor‘s reaction shot. The
audience assumes the hero is looking at the explosion, but, in reality, the explosion
could have occurred somewhere else in the world and at another time.
In the 1925 silent classic, ―Battleship Potemkin‖, Eisenstein further demonstrated that
although an event might only take a few seconds in real time, its importance might be
significant enough that it could – and should – be lengthened through editing. (Real
time, of course, could also be condensed.)
In films made today, the viewer is rarely aware that an edit has occurred. Movie
action, for the most part, is presented in a progressive and continuous manner.
Editing theory, however, is useful in understanding the power and effect editing has
on moviemaking. Many of Eisenstein‘s theories are used in commercials which
routinely juxtapose beautiful, happy people with soft drinks, cars, beer, and other
consumer products.
The Role of the Movie Editor
It is the editor‘s role to turn the rough, non-sequential rushes into a complete,
―organic‖ film story. Think of this raw material as an out-of-shape body and the editor
as a fitness instructor. The editor turns disjointed, discontinuous footage into a lean,
streamlined body with an independent presence.
The focus of editing is always on story over technique. The editor must accomplish
this metamorphosis without drawing the viewer‘s attention away from the primary
narrative image.
A talented editor works with the image and performance to adjust all of the tones,
balances, and relationships to create the best possible visual story.
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EDITING BASICS
MAIN EDITING STEPS
Four Editing Steps
There are four main editing steps in the editing process: Log footage, input the
source media, edit the sequence and output the material.
Log
Logging simply means recording information (time code, name) about the shots so
you can refer back to them easily in editing. Make sure that each tape for your
project is clearly labeled. Footage on source tapes can be logged during or after the
shooting process. Be recording the time code of shots you want to use in your
sequence. You will be able to go back and find them quickly even if you have hours
of footage.
Input
After the raw footage is logged, it can be input to the editing system. This is often
called digitizing, since the footage is recorded digitally to the computer. Footage can
either be batch digitized from a log list, or shots can be individually digitized while you
watch the footage. Name each clip so that you can easily tell what it is—CU, wide,
low angle, by shot number, by the action that takes place, or by who is in the shot.
Footage is organized into bins within the editing software. Bins are like folders that
store footage, sequences, effects, etc.
Edit
Start putting the pieces together. Assemble a rough cut first in order to tell the main
story. You can use scratch music and voiceover and not worry about making
everything perfect – one benefit of nonlinear editing is that you can always change
your mind. Continue making adjustments until you have told the correct story, in the
correct amount of time, and you (or the client) is pleased with the edit. Once you
have the sequence completed, add transitions, effects, titles, final music, voiceover,
etc.
Output
Outputting the finished product may involve cutting the piece on a broadcast tape,
running multiple VHS copies, archiving for later use, or whatever the project
demands.
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EDITING BASICS
CUTTING AND EDITING TECHNIQUES
Some ―The Making of...‖ programs about the making of television programs and films
provide valuable and interesting insights into many aspects of presenting and
exploring the moving images of visual language in television and films. However,
such programs are not so useful when it comes to the essential aspects of cutting
and editing.
Editing is the post-production process in which the material is organized to achieve

the purposes of the filmmaker. Editing is a vital part of exploring and using visual
language and is essential to achieving the meanings and effects that are intended.
During editing, the final film is brought together in the most interesting and dramatic
way by selecting, arranging, and ordering the shots available. Editing determines
how viewers interpret or ―read‖ images and sounds. Editors seek to provide a sense
of unity of time and place in order to link, relate and structure different elements of
the narrative and to achieve logic, rhythm and pace in order to arouse interest and
excite emotional involvement and response.
Important considerations are:
 shot duration – how long each shot in a sequence lasts and

 juxtaposition – how shots and sequences follow and are related to each other.
A cut is a change from one shot to the next. It may be from a wide shot to a close-
up, from an exterior to an interior scene, from someone starting an action to
completing it, or from one scene to the next. Cuts connect people, places, and
objects. There might be a cut from the street to the inside of a car driven by one of
the characters or from a person going up in an elevator to being inside a room high in
a skyscraper. Another cut may then be from the character in the car to the car‘s
involvement in a chase or accident or to the person in the room jumping out of the
window. Such cuts also allow for the use of stunt people or dummies.
Transition from one scene to the next is important. A cut makes the transition by
connecting the last shot of one scene to the first shot of the next scene. Sometimes
a transition is executed by a cut from a transition shot, such as a plane taking off to a
scene of a building, to the first shot of the next scene. In a swish pan, the scene
ends with the camera suddenly panning so fast that the image blurs. A cut to the
next scene follows.
Overlapping sound can help to smooth transitions by anticipating a scene‘s visual

beginning with its auditory beginning: a character may refer to the location of the
next scene while a cut to it is made, and the conversation continues while the visual
image of the new location comes into view.
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EDITING BASICS
Off-screen narration or voiceover, usually made by a character, can help keep the
film together and maintain our interest, while communicating a story economically.
Off-screen sounds, such as crowd noises, an echo, amplified heartbeats or a scream
may increase anticipation, suspense or excitement, revealing a private emotional
experience and raising our level of involvement in the characters‘ dilemma.
Other transitional devices include special effects like fades, wipes, and dissolves. In
a fade-out, the image rapidly becomes black, and a fade-in of the next scene
follows. In a wipe, one shot is covered up by another shot moving horizontally
across the screen. In a dissolve, one shot fades out while the next fades in on top
of it.
Cutaways are common transitional devices. It might be a reaction cut of one person
listening to what another is saying or responding to what somebody is doing.
Reaction cuts are popular in televised sports events, where the editor will cut to show
the reaction of individuals, the crowd, or a play to such moments as a boundary in
cricket or a match-winning netball shot. Cutaways can be used to link to what
somebody is thinking, talking about, or seeing. They can also compress time without
losing continuity or expand time in order to build tension or emphasize a dramatic
moment.
Instead of a cutaway, a matched cut may be used where no part of the action is
omitted, although the camera angle or distance may change. In continuity editing,
a sequence is cut together to preserve the continuity of the action without showing
the whole of the action.
We don‘t notice most cuts because of our expectations and familiarity with the
conventions of editing. Accordingly, the action usually seems to blend smoothly from
one shot to the next.
When two shots are intentionally not matched, we have what is called a jump cut.
We stay with the same subject, but there is a discontinuity of physical movement.
The subject may seem to jump from one place to the next, or the same subject may
remain on frame and the location will change. In this way, a lot of ground, time, and
action can be covered economically at a swifter pace than when continuity is
preserved, and a faster transition from one scene or sequence to the next can be
achieved. But when a cut that should have been matched is not, the effect can be
quite jarring and obtrusive. A compression of time which is too abrupt may confuse
us.
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EDITING BASICS
Intercutting cuts back and forth from one subject or event to the other. With this
technique, the events appear to be happening at the same time. In parallel editing
or parallel cutting, also called cross-cutting, the sequences or scenes are intercut
to suggest that they are taking place at the same time. Parallel cutting might show
shots of a villain being villainous intercut with shots of the hero or heroine coming to
the rescue. Most chases use parallel editing, switching back and forth between
pursuer and the pursued. Phone conversations are often parallel edited.
Quick or fast cutting, based on short shots of a few frames, gives the impression
that action is happening at great speed, heightening the sense of action and
excitement. Quick cuts may be used to bring together events related in theme but
from different times and places that can involve different characters in what are called
montages. Montages might flash images from a person‘s memory or condense a
history of someone‘s life or the history of a war. TV commercials use 30-second and
60-second montages to create an emotional mood and associate it with a product.
Music can be the glue that holds such an advertisement together.
Montages can also be used to compress time and to show the development or
deterioration of a relationship by quick cuts that compare situations and scenes.
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EDITING BASICS
CONTINUITY OF TIME AND MOTION
Editing Tools
Fade-out is where the scene rapidly becomes black.
Fade-in is when a black image rapidly transitions into a full scene image.
Wipe is where one shot is covered up by another shot moving horizontally across the
scene.
Dissolve is when one shot fades out while the next fades in on top of it.
Cut is a change from one shot to the next.
Cutaway Shots are shots that are used to make the motion on the screen seem
continuous. They can be used as transitional footage to avoid a jump cut.
Screen Direction is maintained by thinking of an imaging line called an ―action axis‖

running through every subject.
Reaction Shots are cutaways to a shot that shows the reaction of a subject.
Match cut is editing multiple takes from different angles of the same action together
in order to convey a sequence of movement.
Cross Dissolves maintain continuity of time.
Fade to Black is used in the change of time.
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ZAMA
Guerilla Filmmaking 101

GUERRILLA FILMMAKING 101
ZONE ACADEMY OF MEDIA ARTS
Table of Contents
Page No.
The Script 104
Casting 106
Budgeting 108
Crew 111
Directing 112
Editing 115
Film Festivals 116
Distribution 118
THE SCRIPT
Guerilla Code
Low budget filmmaking is film school for the real world. The low budget or independent
film:
 Simple, small scale stories.

 Centered around a single location.
 Handful of characters.
 A plot with twists and turns.
 A strong story – elements that are intriguing, mysterious, dynamic.
 Interesting and quirky characters.
 Interesting setting.
 Keep nights shots and atmospherics (wind, rain, or fog) minimal.
 Find a nitch.
 Keep lighting minimal. Use available lighting as much as possible.
 Get in. Get out.
 Forget about making a Hollywood blockbuster. Make a film you can pull off.
Motivation
 Why are you doing this film or video project?
 Considering you have no budget.
 Self-financed.
 With a likely outcome of little or no commercial success.
 And, most likely, will not make your money back on “the other end”.
Key Reasons for Going Forward
 You believe you have a great script.


 You have gotten honest feedback, not what you want to hear but an unbiased
opinion about your script.
 You have to shoot it because something inside you will not let it go.
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THE SCRIPT
Where to Start
First step – Do a read-through of your current script and ask questions.
 Does the scene work?
 Do any of the lines you’ve written sound plausible coming out of the mouths of
real people?
 Are the parts so different that you need a great ACTOR for the part?
 What do these characters mean to you?
 Is there any truth in what they say or do, and, how do I know this?
Second step – The next big question is what is this film about?
 First it’s not the story or plot. It’s about the film from the filmmaker’s point of view
and perspective, not the writer’s point of view and perspective.

 For example: The story may be about a used car salesman who ends up
involved with the wrong people, which lead to murder and blackmail. But the film
is about father figures, last chances, extended families and redemption.
Lesson One Recap
 Finish the script.
 Get feedback from people you trust.
 Do a read-through.
 Answer the questions.
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CASTING
As a no-budget filmmaker, you need to consider the following:
 Will your cast work for free?
 What discomfort will the actors have to endure?
 And for how long?
 And will they be willing to stay with the film until it is finished?
Casting is Everything
 Do not proceed with the film under any circumstances unless you are thrilled with
your cast.
 Cast your film with actors you know are perfect for the parts?
How to Get Started
 Contact local theaters, talent agents, and film commissions. Include the following
information:

 With or without pay
 What part,
 What genders,
 What ages and
 When is the first day of shooting and for how long.
Resumes
Read the resumes for the level and type of experience for each actor.
 Stage actors.
 Film actors.
 Type casting or type actors. These are less experienced actors who have the
same wants and needs of the character of the script.
 Chop actors. These are experienced actors who understand the techniques to
access character traits alien to his own character.
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CASTING
Next Steps – “Sides”
 Give your actors lines in advance and time to prepare for a reading.
 At the read-through give them any direction they ask but don’t offer any. This
gives you a chance to see if they approach the part with what you have in mind.
 Do callbacks.
 Videotape the read.
 Do improvisations to see if the actor understands his character.
 If you find a good actor, find a way to get him/her in your film.
After Casting is Finished
 Ask yourself, “Can I really do this?”
 Exactly how much money do I have?
 Don’t ever rely on anyone else to help you with financing.
 Remember no one else will care about your film like you do.
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BUDGETING
Budget Starts with Script Breakdown
A. Script breakdown is an analysis of all the elements contained within a script done by
examining each scene.
 Use colored pencils to make a key on the first page that tells you exactly what
each color is for.
 Go through the entire script scene-by-scene and highlight each of the

elements in the appropriate color. For example: Locations, vehicles, SFX,
stunts, wardrobe, props, set dressing, cast members, crew, camera
equipment, lighting, etc.
B. Script breakdown helps to define the following.

 Which elements have to be paid for.
 What you can find for free.
 When it has to be where and at what time.
After you have this list of stuff to acquire what now?
 Go through it carefully and decide what is absolutely necessary.
 See what you can get for free.
 What is extraneous for the script, story or characters?
 Start paring it down.
Final Destination
 Where you intend to show your film makes an enormous difference in preparing
a budget?
 On-screen (theatrical) vs. straight to video (DVD or VHS)
 Film 35mm, 16mm) vs. video (DV or HD)
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BUDGETING
Other Items to Consider for Budgeting
 Equipment rental
 Location and wardrobe
 Transportation costs
 Food for actors and crew
 Crew and cast
Two Schools of Thought Concerning Production Equipment
 Hire people with their own equipment.
The upside of this is that you don’t have to pay production insurance for the
equipment, and overall costs are cheaper. The downside of this is if you fire them
because they are not performing at their job, you lose equipment and production
stops.
 Rent your own equipment from a production house.
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BUDGETING
Budget vs. the Real Costs
 So, how’s the budget now? Looks a lot more bloated then you thought? What
now?
 The next step if your budget and costs don’t match:
 Go back and re-evaluate your script and your budget in the harsh light of day.
 If the script demands that much production, locations and travel for the money
you have, don’t do it
 The money you have is your budget for everything.
 Finally, you have reached a point that you need to re-write the script with the
budget you actually have.
After Re-evaluation
 Now that the budget is still too big but it’s in sight, not so far off you can’t see the
end, but still too far away to start, what now?
 Become a producer. Ask for Deals.
 It’s that simple. And that complicated.
 Give people a little part of the film. Be creative. Give people what they want in
trade for what you want. For example, have a restaurant provide food to the
crew and cast by offering to use the restaurant in the film.
 Do not be discouraged by a “no”.
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CREW
The Hard Truth
 Competent production people move up quickly and have no reason to work on

your film if there is no money. The best way to go to get a crew at no money or
little money is to offer them a credit on the next rung up on whichever ladder they
are climbing. For example, offer a first assistant camera operator the opportunity
to move up to a director of photography on your film. The second reason why
competent production people may consider working on your film is if they believe
you have a great script and their work will be seen by a great deal of people it
could motivate them to work for free or for less money.
 Any of those combinations are incentives for production people to work on your
film for nothing or for very little.
How Many Crew Members?
 Carefully go over your script breakdown to see how many crew members you
need for each scene, what type of production equipment will be needed and who
has the technical expertise to use it.
 In guerrilla filmmaking, put the money on camera and sound people.
 The number one hire should be a director of photography and the second is a
sound/mixer/engineer. Why? Because a great deal of your production value will
come from someone who can use locations to get the type of images you want,
and you need a competent DP to pull it off.
 Other key positions: 1st AC, 2nd AC, Boom, Grip, Griffer, etc.
 Having a big crew will help you to shoot faster and will save time.
 Get references because the first failure of no budget films is bad sound and
second is soft focus shots.
 Get their reels. Watch for composition and exposure, sound level, etc.
 Keep your crew happy! Even if you can’t pay them, feed them as best you can.
What to Look for in Hiring Crew

 References
 Experience
 An exhibited desire to work with the director.
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DIRECTING
Three Elements of Directing
 The ability to communicate with actors.
 Where to put the camera and why.
 Good directors need to know what they want from the script and the characters.
 Do your homework.
 Know the point of each scene.
 Understand the motivation for each action.
 Know the main emotional moment of each scene and where it leads to the next
scene.
Working with Actors
 Good actors usually need good characters to work from.
 Psychological motivation for their actions.
 The right kind of encouragement from the director.
 They need to feel this is a safe place to work.
 Never direct an actor through what you want in results.
 Tell your actors what they want in the scene or conflict.
 Tell your actors what action to take to achieve the results you are looking for in
each scene. For example, don’t say to be madder or happier. Give them the
motivation and the reason why they need to be madder or happier
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DIRECTING
Tell them something about the character they are playing.
 Who the characters are.

 What do they want.
 Why they want it.
 Where are they coming from and where are they now.
 Wants what from whom.
 Needs what from whom.
Actors and the Creative Process
 Every direction should be geared toward giving the actor information about the
scene so they can attain and experience the emotional moment of the character.
Almost every direction should be a verb.
 Never give an actor a line reading or have them speak their lines for them
because they belong to the actor. It is very insulting, and it shows your
weakness as a director and your inability to cast the right actor in the role.
 If you are casting your film exactly the way you want it, have faith in your actors.
They should be able to know what kind of performance you want by your
guidance and the character they are playing. Also, allow the personality of the
actor to bleed into the character. Let them enjoy the discovery of finding the
character on their own because it’s more fun for you and the actor and more
interesting for the character. Give them as much freedom as you can.
 Provide a place where your actors can be creative and feel secure.
 It is a collaborative effort between the director, cast and crew to bring your script
to the screen.
 The director sets the tone and the atmosphere on set, which affect both the crew
and the cast. Barking commands is never a way to get what you want. Always
involve your actors in the process.
Be a Good Scout
 Scout your locations months in advance and talk to all the people you have to
reach to make it a done deal. Then lock down the time and the day.
 Get it in writing and use a release.
 Have a fall-back plan.
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DIRECTING
Scheduling
 If you’re thinking of shooting on weekends to save money, it may be a bad idea

for the following reasons.

 Actors may find paying jobs and leave the day before shooting.
 Crew may find paying jobs.
 Running out of money before the 13 weekends of shooting is complete.
 Loss of energy and direction.
 Best to get everyone to commit to a schedule that consists of a week or two for
principal work then use weekends for pick-ups, B-roll, cutaways, etc.
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EDITING
Non-linear Editing
Non-linear editing is faster and allows more creative freedom than many other styles of
editing. This is also called computer editing, which means that when a negative is
transferred to tape, usually with sound, it is entered into the computer or digitized both
for picture and audio.
 Once in the computer, you can move scenes and tracts of sound instantly.
 You can also save multiple versions of the project with great ease.
 This is limited only by time, cost and disc space.
 You can have instantaneous output to tape to show people dailies.
 There is also the ability to see effects, filters, titles, etc.
Drawbacks
Looking at your film on a monitor instead of the screen can allow flaws (shift focus
shots, dirt or scratches in film) to pass unfiltered. It would certainly be caught in a
screened work print. It can inhibit pacing. You trust the computer to give you a correct
negative cut list rather than it being a simple work print to a negative match up.
Costs
Non-linear editing processing will include the following costs:
 Cost of transfer to tape (telecine time)
 Cost of tape stock
 Cost of editing at post house
 Cost of disc storage
 Costs of having your negative cut
 Telecine time (so you can do your post music in order to re-sync your footage to
the second negative cut transfer)
 Cost of the audio mix
 Cost of final telecine to tape
Film Costs vs. Video

 Cost of film stock
 First answer print (first exposure and color-corrected print back from the cut
negative) costs times per feet at the lab
 Optical track
 Sound mix
 Time for cutting the negative
 Work print / transfer to video
 Times per foot to process the film
 Audio tape stock
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FILM FESTIVAL
Festival Distributors
Film Festivals are important for the following reasons.
 Best way to get an independent film seen

 Best way to get your film reviewed
 A good way to start some kind of buzz about your film
In Order to Get Into the Right Festival
 You need a clear analysis of your film

 You need contacts within the festivals
 You need an understanding of types and varieties of festivals that are out there
 Hire a produce’s rep who has some weight and pull with film festival managers,
buyers and distributors
What Festivals Look For
 A chance for a world premier

 Star power with a big name
 The next big thing
 Festival directors love to discover films
Where Would a Big Festival Put Your Film?
 At 9 a.m. with no publicity, which could kill your film

 A smaller festival where your film is featured on opening night could be a better
choice
Critic Review
 Be proactive. Call the critics to get them to see your film at the festivals.
 If your film is not loved by the critics, Move on. Try to get your film into as many
festivals as possible to generate some positive word of mouth outside the critics
circle.
 Just because one critic didn’t like your film doesn’t mean another one will not and
vice versa.
 It’s always better to approach a distributor with positive notices and press about
your film.
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FILM FESTIVAL
Final Festival Note
If you have not heard until very, very late in the decision process or the deadline, wake
up; they may take your film, but you’re not high on the prestige list. This may result in
a bad screening slot and little or no press.
Go to Plan B. Call the next festival and tell them that they can have world premier of
your film if they ACT NOW.
 You have to take responsibility for the success of your film.
 Sell yourself. Do our own press at the festival. Whatever press the festival does
is great, but it is not enough.
 Take out ads.
 Offer yourself for interviews for magazines, papers, TV, etc.

.
 Put up posters.
 Do whatever it takes to get people in.
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DISTRIBUTORS
The Hard Facts
 Without a big name actor, theatrical distribution is virtually impossible, but direct-
to-video is certainly well within reach. Get a lawyer who understands the
entertainment and film business to look over your contract if you sign with a
distributor. Signing with a distributor does not mean that you will even see a
dime or have your film seen anywhere.
 Look out for expenses and length of contract when working with distributors.
Self-distribution is just as much or more of a gamble as having a distributor work
for you. Distributors have contracts you don’t have, and they can do everything
for your film if they are behind it. It’s a tough club to break into.
 If they are not behind your film, ask yourself a few questions:
 How well did it do at the festivals compared to what’s out there?
 How well will it do in the theaters and in video?
 Does it have any stars?
 What’s the marketability of the film?
 A simple policy for approaching reputable distributors is to offer them the film and
wait for their response. Call in a couple of weeks, but don’t bug them. Don’t
alienate them. Let them tell you what they think.
 Often they may not say NO unless you’re a pest. Don’t push them into saying no.
This gives them a chance to say yes at a later time. It gives you a chance for
more festival coverage, reviews and positive word of mouth.
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THE HEART OF GOD IN HOLLYWOOD
Storytelling
Matthew 13:34-35
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds.
In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
This fulfilled the prophecy that said, “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain
mysteries hidden since the creation of the world. ”
For thousands of years, we have been inspired by great stories of faith, dedication,
sacrifice and service from the Bible. Most of the Bible is narrative or story.
─ Abraham
─ Joseph
─ David
─ Daniel
─ Esther
─ Moses
Over the years, the church has lost its storytelling ability and has been replaced by
Hollywood and Network TV. In some ways, the church is still celebrating the
invention of the printing press.
How Important is the Media to the Church?
Media works and is absolutely crucial for the church in today’s media culture.
 Media overcomes language and cultural barriers.
 Not using media could be the equivalent of Christians refusing to learn to read.
 The media allows Christians to reach the entire planet due to the near
universal reach of western culture.
 Christians are called to go where the people are.
 The average person spends 1,500 hours each year watching television.
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The History of Hollywood
Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1960s had a significant Christian presence.
This period is often referred to as the Golden Age of Hollywood.
□ Christian concepts and references were often woven into many of the
Hollywood films.
□ Hayes Code forbid the use of:
─ Graphic violence
─ Excessive violence
─ Nudity
─ Gross language
─ It stated that evil had to be punished and good had to be rewarded.
In the 1960s, the Hayes Code was abolished, and a new modern rating system was
instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
□ The content of films changed dramatically within a short time.

─ Bonnie and Clyde
─ The Wild Bunch
─ The Graduate
□ In 1964, The Sound of Music won best picture. In 1969, Midnight Cowboy,
which was rated X, won in the same category.
In the 1970s, the church declared war on Hollywood, and Hollywood declared war on
Christianity. The church labeled movies and television as evil, and the church
retreated from the culture.
□ As a result, Christians are traditionally poorly skilled in media.

□ The Church dissuaded its few artists from going into the media. Therefore,
Christians in the media are few in number.
□ Often Christians in the media are bitter toward their church heritage because
they weren’t understood.
□ Their situation self-perpetuated as the church stayed out of media. The media
lost its moral and Biblical understanding causing the church to adopt an even
more stringent stance against the media.
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In the 1990s, Christians were called back into Hollywood to start a new work.
□ Roaring Lambs, a book by Bob Briner called Christians to engage the culture.
He says in his book, “I am writing with the hope that Christian young people
would choose careers in professions that will place them in the cultural
shaping venues of our world. Without our strategic involvement in the cultural
shaping arenas of art, entertainment, media, education and the like, this nation
simply cannot be the great and glorious society it once was.”
─ Christian ministries functioning in Hollywood are established.
 Master Media
 Inter-Mission
 Hollywood Prayer Network
 Act One
□ Ralph Winter, producer, Star Trek, Ex-men 1, 2 and 3 and Fantastic 4.

□ Brian Godawa, screenwriter, To End All Wars and The Visitation.
□ Dean Batal, TV writer/producer, ex-producer for That 70s Show.
□ Brian Bird, executive producer, Touched by an Angel. President of Believe
Pictures.
□ Scott Derrickson, writer/producer, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
□ Tom Shadyac, producer, Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty.
In 2001, “To End All Wars” illustrated the case of emerging Christian concepts into
mainstream media.
□ The film has an “R” rating but has the ability to communicate to a larger
audience.
□ Themes included justice, money, suffering, revenge, compassion, dignity,
anger, sacrifice, death, pain, hope and brokenness.
In 2004, The Passion of the Christ caused Hollywood to take notice.
□ Passion earned $370 million at the box office.

□ Hollywood then viewed the Christian market as a possible new source of
income thus promoting Christian theme films.
─ Chronicles of Narnia
─ The Nativity Story
─ Facing the Giants
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Mainstream Hollywood studios decided to create a Christian-based division to

distribute Christian-based films. Fox Faith was created to offer films that are morally-
driven with family friendly programming. These films were “required to have overt
Christian content or be derived from the work of a Christian author”.
─ The Ultimate Gift

─ The Last Sin Eater
─ One Night with the King
But is the Heart of God in Fox Faith, or is it somewhere else? Could it be in

programming from nonChristian sources?
□ Children of Men
□ Contact
□ Truman Show
□ Magnolia
□ Chariots of Fire
□ The Pursuit of Happiness
□ Freedom Writers
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The Media Missionary
What does the Media Missionary working in Hollywood look like?
1. Understands the media is neither negative nor positive but produces whatever
message we choose to communicate.
2. Has a purpose and a calling.
3. Is a student of the filmmaking process and has acquired a level of proficiency.
4. Wants to redeem and reform the industry from within.
□ Lives out his/her faith on the set.

□ Sees filmmaking as worship rather than a mere vocation.
5. Sees Hollywood as a partner.
□ Makes films that speak of Jesus the least but has Him most in mind.
□ Is culturally relevant and has learned to communicate to a broad
audience—telling stories that are honest, broken and, above all, true.
□ Knows how to represent a Biblical world view.
□ Will not use media as a form of propaganda.
6. Will find points of entry to focus our message toward a broader culture.
□ Link some aspect of the culture back to the Gospel message.

□ Pain: Where is God when it hurts?
□ Questions: We often spend time giving answers and overlook what
people’s real questions are.
□ Situations: Crisis pregnancy, divorce, job loss, etc.
□ Struggles: Poverty, single parenthood, addiction.
□ Interests
7. Will be motivated to:
□ Love your audience more than you love what you are saying.
□ Don’t’ tell your audience what to think, rather develop a relationship with
them.
□ Mercy, compassion, kindness and actions speak louder than words.
□ “From outrage to outreach.”
□ “Restoring the image of God.”
□ Postmodernism
□ Emotional truth
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CAREERS IN TV AND FILM PRODUCTION
Common Stereotypes and Misconceptions
What are the common stereotypes and misconceptions about film and television
production?
 A career in media and entertainment is full of adventure, fun, and magic. The
truth is like everything else. It is a job. Being in the media is a lot of work and
can be very frustrating.
 If you have an infatuation with being on television or being the director, you will
not make it. You need to have a passion and a love of the medium in order to
be successful for the long-term.
 You will not get rich. You will more than likely not be famous.
Working Conditions
 Working conditions greatly vary within the industry.

 There is no 40 hour work week.
 Expect to work long hours, weekends, holidays, etc.
 If you want to break into news, such as a reporter, anchor or camera operator,
your first job will most likely be in a small market such as Steubenville, OH,
Paducah, KY, or Erie, PA.
 A career in media often means moving from one city to another throughout
your career.
 Often you have to work outside, possibly under severe weather conditions.
 You will most likely be required to work under stressful conditions.
 It is often very difficult to maintain good health.
 It is often very difficult to maintain healthy relationships.
 Expect to be involved in manual labor.
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Job Outlook
As in all things in television and video production, job outlook varies greatly. As in
most cases in life, who you know and relationships are key. People like to work with
people they know and trust. Locally, opportunities are limited. Most people who are
interested in a career in television and film production will have to relocate. Consider
the following opportunities:
 Over 300 television networks.

 Over 600 features produced annually (theatrical / direct-to-video distribution)
 National, regional and local commercial spots
 Advertising
 Promotion and marketing opportunities in corporate video production
Earnings
 Local TV news, top 30 market, principal anchor could make $100,000 plus.
 Reporter in a small market could make $22,000 to $25,000.
 Local videographer working in TV news could make $25,000.
 Local producer working in TV news – $25,000 to $35,000.
 Local talent (union, skilled wage) – Day rate: for an extra – $125; for a feature
– $300 to $400; for a principal – $500 to $600.
 Freelance videographer – Day rate; $350 to $550.
 Film industry (union scale) – first assistant camera person – $30.77 per hour.
 Boom operator – $32.01 per hour.
 Gaffer – $29.48 per hour.
 Stunt man – $617 per 8 hour day.
 Dolly grip – $27.62 per hour.
If you are a freelancer who is represented by an agency, you will be expected to pay
20% of your rate to the agency off the top. As a freelancer, you will also have no
health insurance or benefits.
- 120 -
Skills and Abilities Needed for the Job
Skills vary depending on your area of interest (creative, technical or management).

Overall, skills and talents needed include:
 The ability to concentrate and  The ability to lead

memorize
 Physical strength  Multitasking
 Creativity  Analytical skills
 The ability to make quick decisions  Intuitive ability
 Excellent communication skills  Team player
 Diplomacy  Ambitious
Roles and Duties
Duties, responsibilities and roles of TV and video production can be divided into three
categories: creative, technical and management/business.
Creative Development
 Talent/Actor
 Director
 Cinematographer
 Writer
Technical
 Lighting Director
 Gaffer
 Grip
 Set Designer
 Editor
 Camera Operator
 Sound Engineer
Management/Business
 Producer
 Agent
 Distributor/Buyer
 Studio Exec
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How Do I Break Into the Industry?
If you are looking to get into the film industry as a filmmaker, you will need to get a
degree or certification from a film school or attend a college or university that offers a
film degree. Good examples are:
 UCLA Film School
 New York Film Academy
 American Film Institute
 Wright State in Dayton, OH (local)
If you are interested in television, video production, a degree in electronic media or

certification at a trade school will be necessary.
Degree programs in electronic media are available at:
 University of Cincinnati
 Northern Kentucky University
 Xavier University
 Ohio University
Certification/Trade Schools
 Brown Mackie
 Ohio Center for Broadcasting
 Full Sail (Florida)
In order to successfully find a job in your chosen field, you also need the following:
 Completion of internship program

 Extensive demo reel
 Sufficient volunteer work
- 122 -
Career Opportunities/Employment
Employment opportunities vary greatly. They can be broken down into two
categories: local/regional and national.
Local/Regional
 Local TV news
 News director
 Technical director
 Reporter/anchor
 Studio camera/field ops
 Sales
 Commercial production
 Master control
 Lighting/set designer
 Local production companies produce a variety of projects. Most are for

corporate clients and are referred to as “corporate video”. They can include
product development, marketing/promotion videos, training and motivation for
staff, trade shows, etc. Production companies use both in-house and
freelancers. Most production companies staff the following positions:
o Producer
o Editors
o Videographers
 Freelancer/agency (talent) – Freelancers are self-employed and most often

are represented by an agency. They tend to do work for local commercial
spots, corporate video, modeling for print, or spokesperson.
 Freelancer (technical) – Self-employed individuals are often called stringers.

They are hired to do video production for national networks such as ESPN, or
regional networks such as Jefferson Pilot. They also work for local production
companies. They are often hired for the following:
o Videographer/shooter
o Cinematographer
o Technical support such as gaffer, grip, production assistant, and lighting
director.
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Career Opportunities/Employment
 Other organizations – Not only do employment opportunities exist in local

news, production companies, and free lance opportunities, but also in
hospitals, government agencies, cable companies, utilities and local
municipalities These places also hire or have an in-house production team
developing media for their internal needs.
 Entrepreneur – Go in business for yourself. Start your own production

company and create a turn key operation.
National
 Independent Producers/Director – are hired by studios, production

companies, and television networks to create and produce film and television
projects. They are elf-employed and contracted out job by job.
 Independent Film Maker – creates and produces their own films. In this case,
you are responsible for raising the money needed to finance the film as well as
securing a distribution deal.
 TV Networks – hire people in all areas.
 Studios – hire people in all areas for production, talent, management, etc.
 National Production Companies – produce film and television projects for

studios and television networks.
 Talent/Actor – have opportunities in theatrical, television, stage, and

commercial.
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What Do I Do to Prepare Now?
Top ten things I need to do to prepare for a career in media:
1. Check out DVDs

 Watch DVDs with the sound off
 Listen to the director’s commentary
 Check out special features. They often go behind the scenes and explain
how the film was made.
 Don’t just watch all of the popular films. Look for critically acclaimed films
and classics.
2. Get around people with like interests.
There are several local film projects taking place annually. The Cincinnati Film
Commission can help get you hooked up (513-784-1744). You can volunteer
as a grip or production assistant to get experience.
For example:
 Local cable access
 48-hour film project (48hourfilm.com)
 Church video team
3. Get Your Own Camera and Editing System
The gap between professional and consumer-grade equipment has narrowed

in recent years. The cost has also dramatically decreased. You can now buy
a 3-chip camera for as low as $2,000. Editing software can cost less than a
few hundred dollars. Video drives have also decreased in cost. This would
allow you to start making your own short films now. Write your own script.
Get your friends involved. Why wait?
4. Do your homework. Read the trades. Check the internet. Do the research.
Entertainment is America’s #1 global export, so somebody in Hollywood
knows what they’re doing. Take the time to learn how the system works
before you waste months or years banging on doors.
5. Become an effective marketer. Learn to brand yourself. We live in a culture
where “perception is more important than reality”, so use that to your
advantage. Know the differences between the impact of a resume versus a
demo reel and having appropriate presentation materials.
- 125 -
6. Become a problem solver. You will never be out of work if you can solve
problems. Your life will change when you realize your value in the workplace
is in direct proportion to your ability to solve problems for other people.
7. Leave financing and business. The entertainment industry first and foremost is
a business, and money talks! As a filmmaker, odds are you will not have
resources to produce your film on your own. You most certainly will have to
find the money and make the deal work. That means working with investors
and who want a return on their money. Speed time learn financial skills now
because you will need them.
8. Become a storyteller. Learn the art of storytelling, whether or not you want to
be a writer. Every member of the production team needs to be able to
recognize good writing.
9. Build relationships. The people around you are most likely one day to be your
fellow colleagues. Get to know them, make friends. Some day you will need
their help.
10. Go for it! It’s your dream. Protect it!
- 126 -
Recommended websites:
Hollywoodfunding.com nyfa.com film-maker.com
Hollywood.com tvjobs.com screenwriters.com
cinematography.com uemedia.net/cpc la411.com
cinema-sites.com imdb.com filmmaker.com
fullsail.com bestsfilmtraining.com collegesurfing.com
- 127 -
The Writer’s Journey/Vogler
Call
Act I Refusal Act III

Return with Elixir Return
Separation
Resurrection
Meeting
Mentor ORDINARY WORLD
Crossing First
Threshold Road Back
SPECIAL WORLD
Tests
Reward
Act II-A Approach Act II-B
Descent Initiation
Ordeal

ZAMA Filmmaking 101 2009

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ZAMA

Zone Academy of Media Arts

Zone Academy of Media Arts

Big Ticket Items FOR Digital Video

 DV camcorder, 3CCD - Camera

 Apple Mac Book Pro

 External Firewire Hard Drive

 Classic narrative – A story told in a particular way. Narrative structure

What makes a cool screen story?

Must have a beginning, a middle and an end.

 Starting point where the audience believes something.

A story is a series of scenes. A scene does the following:

 Gives the audience new information about a character and

Conflict is the ―Essence of Drama‖.

 Avoid the dreaded talking head and

The basics of screenwriting are:

1. Characters need conflicting desires.

2. Characters need to desire tangible things—things that you can show on

3. Characters aren’t self-aware.

4. Characters need to struggle in pursuit of their goal.

5. Give your central character a trait you don’t like.

6. Make the audience work.

7. Dialogue is your enemy. Be cinematic. Tell your story through images.

8. Genre/Breakout of formula by setting up traditional expectations and then

1. Decide whether your project is narrative, documentary, or performance.

3. How can you show your story as a sequence of visual scenes?

4. If you’re shooting a documentary, what facts do you want to show? What is

5. Pick a scene to shoot. How does it show more information about a

6. Is the scene dramatic? What is its conflict?

9. Is the scene visual? Does it rely on action more than on dialogue?

Camcorders/Digital Video Camera

 Depth of field – selective focus or shallow depth of field achieved by shooting

 Use a shiny auto windshield screen as a reflector.

Tactic One: Shoot on Overcast Days

Tactic Two: Move into the Shade

Tactic Three: Cheat the Sun

1. Concentrate on capturing clean dialogue.

What are the Basic Decisions?

 What does the story need?

What does the story need?

 Settings and locations

What does each character want?

 What’s the action?

Where Can We Shoot?

What shots do we want?

Other important elements include:

 Angle: low or high

The movie industry developed a formula for getting reliable coverage.

2. Close-ups on first actor, whether speaking or not.

3. Extreme close-up on first actor.

4. Close-ups on second actor, whether speaking or not.

5. Extreme close-up on second actor.

6. Inserts (extreme close-ups of hands, objects, and gestures).

7. Establishing shot—a long shot of the building or location.

8. Wild sound effects (if you need them).

Whether you’re shooting a carefully rehearsed scene in a script, doing an interview,

Avoid Accidents, but be Prepared

Tips on Getting Coverage for Documentaries and Music Videos

How Long Will It Take?

How Will We Get It All?

Shooting/The Role of the Director

Things you must control:

Keep the crew activities under control on the set: