THE PRODUCTION STARTS

So let us assume that the finance is in place or, as often happens, enough is there with the balance waiting to be formally agreed but sufficiently certain for the production to move forward to the next stage of preparation.

The production company

If the film is largely to be shot in the studio, or even only partly, the production company, as part of a deal to hire the studio, will in all probability have production offices included and possibly an editing suite for the editing as well. Sometimes companies are specially formed for the production of just one feature film. This is convenient for accounting and separating all the deals which have been made over the finance but makes it harder for the newcomer contacting companies when you may discover that a company is only operating in a semi-dormant state after the film has been completed.

Production staff

The production company, then, is installed in its production offices, a production manager and a production secretary (may be called a production supervisor or production co-ordinator) engaged. The job of production manager is the most responsible administrative and organisational one on a feature film under the producer and, if the film is very complex, there may be associate producers to help with this side of things. The production manager will probably have already worked with the producer on the budget (see Figure 3 page 17) and a production accountant and so his next task is to prepare a breakdown of the script and a shooting schedule (see Figure 4 page 22) bearing in mind continually the constraints of the budget on the latter.

Breakdown

The breakdown consists broadly of studio shooting, subdivided further into the various sets and artists involved, location interiors and exteriors also with or without artists, whether shots are with sound recording (synch) or silent (mute), an estimate of the time allowed in hours or days and finally, any special requirements in the way of equipment (camera cranes, helicopters and mounts for example) or personnel (stunt men, special effects and so on).

Design

The production secretary works closely with the production manager obtaining information on his behalf like prices, permissions, hotels, insurance and transport and coping with the mounting crescendo of correspondence and copying.

Here additional staff may join the team as secretaries for, in parallel with this, the designer will have been appointed and be starting work with the director on sets for the studio or re-vamping location interiors and exteriors.

On location surveys, the director and designer will probably be accompanied by the production manager and possibly the first assistant director who is the next in the hierarchy of purely organisational jobs but whose principal responsibility really starts when actual shooting begins.

The more detailed the research at this stage and the more information that is provided by the director to his

designer, production manager and assistant director and vice-versa, the smoother will be the actual production during shooting.

The designer (originally called the art director) is not only responsible for the actual design (see Figure 5 Page 25) and commissioning of the building, painting and plastering of sets but, in consultation with the director, for the whole visual style including the furnishings and props although the acquisition of these various elements either by making, purchasing or hiring, ultimately is the responsibility of individual craftsmen like carpenters, painters, plasterers, scenic artists and property men.

As these parts of the jigsaw begin to take shape, so further technicians join the team like the costume designer and the casting director. The former, especially if the story is not contemporary and may therefore mean that costumes have to be specially made, should certainly be engaged sufficiently early to allow time for this and subsequent fitting.

The casting director is not only responsible for finding suitable artistes for all parts, except the principals who may have already been agreed, but for arranging casting sessions for the director and, working either direct or through artists agents, ensuring their availability and the negotiation of fees. The finalisation of this and the drawing up of contracts may however be done by the production manager and/or producer.

Construction

So the tempo begins to increase and a head of construction will have been engaged and he will take on carpenters, plasterers and painters who will be building the sets designed by the art department which will by now have swelled to include assistant art directors and draughtsmen, set dressers and property buyers according to the size and complexity of the film.

At one time most studios had a permanent staff for the construction jobs and supplied the craftsmen plus riggers for erecting scaffolding and electricians for the production. Now it is more common for studios to operate as ‘four wallers’, that is just the buildings with very limited supporting facilities and for all the personnel to be engaged by the production company.

In parallel with this, the production manager will be engaging people for all the other departments: on the production side, second and third assistant directors, script supervisors (previously known as continuity) and additional accountants and bookkeepers.

Camera crew

Lighting cameraman

The camera crew consists of the lighting cameraman who might have already been signed up and gone on location surveys. He is one of the key creative people and hence may have been part of the package which attracted the finance, for he is not merely responsible for the technical excellence of the photography and for the individual members of his crew but the whole creative look of the picture, both interiors and exteriors.

Camera operator

The next member of his team is the camera operator whose job is certainly to look through the viewfinder and operate the camera but also to follow the movement smoothly throughout the scene, framing each set-up. His knowledge and experience is especially useful to the director in advising him whilst scenes are being arranged and rehearsed as to correct eyelines for actor, size and angle of shots which will cut satisfactorily and smoothly with preceding and succeeding ones.

Focus puller

The third member of the camera crew is the focus puller whose job is to keep the major point of interest of the scene sharp. This is not always as straightforward as it sounds, for with complicated scenes involving elaborate camera movement and moves by actors, constant change of focus may be required and this has to be done unobtrusively unless some deliberate shock is required.

Clapper/loader

Next is the clapper/loader, once known as the clapper boy whose job must have been guyed more than any other in the film industry. On his board he marks the slate number, a term dating back to silent days when these numbers were indeed marked in chalk on a slate. This number starts at ‘1’ on the first day of shooting and proceeds numerically to the end of the production. It bears no relation to the scene number in the script for it might well happen, for whatever reason, that the very first scene to be photographed on the first day of production might be the last scene in the script. Alongside the slate number is the take number recording the number of times each scene is repeated until the director and other technicians are satisfied.

When the camera is running at the right speed at the beginning of each shot, he is then told to ‘mark it’, shouts out the slate and take number and brings the top hinged part of the clapper board down to the bottom with a resounding crack and then exits as fast as possible. The reason for this operation will be explained when the editing procedure is reached.

The clapper/loader is also responsible for loading magazines with unexposed negative film, fixing these on to the camera and ensuring that all the working parts are clean and working satisfactorily. He also logs on negative report sheets (see Figure 6 Page 28) the footage and particulars of each day’s work which will provide information to the laboratory who will process the exposed negative, to the cutting room who will be editing the film and to the production office who will keep an eye on the amount of film stock being consumed.

At the end of each day, he will have to unload in a darkroom or changing bag the exposed film, put it in sealed and labelled cans with the negative report sheets and arrange for it to be sent to the laboratory for developing and printing.

Grip

The next member of the camera crew is a grip who is responsible for erecting, transporting and operating whatever Type of device is called for to move the camera in the shot. This could be a very simple trolley (called confusingly a dolly) on rubber wheels for use on a smooth surface or on tracks laid specially. There are many

variations leading up from this in size and complexity according to the camera movement required by the director. These are called jibs, velocilators and cranes and may be operated manually or mechanically or a combination of both but with one common aim, to produce a completely smooth and unobtrusive movement of the camera.

The grip is responsible for packing, unpacking and carrying all this and the bulk of the camera equipment and if it is being transported in one or more vehicles may double as driver.

VT operator

A more recent addition to the camera crew, responsible for operating the video assist and for recording and playing back the tape of rehearsals and takes through the director’s monitor.

Sound crew

The next element in the production team is the sound crew, consisting of a sound recordist who operates a ¼″ tape recorder and is responsible for the overall quality and balance of the sound. He is assisted by a boom operator who ensures that the microphones are in a position for recording the best quality sound. Microphones, which may be radio mikes, are normally mounted on a boom which may vary from a fairly basic Type of extending arm to a more elaborate device with pulleys for moving it in any direction. The skill of the job is in following the action so that the microphone favours the actor who is speaking, whilst at the same time keeping it clear of the lighting and the possibility of causing a shadow or even intruding into the picture area. A close liaison with the camera operator is therefore required as more than one mike may be involved plus radio or chest mikes.

Like the clapper/loader, the boom operator is also responsible at the end of each day for packing up and labelling the rolls of ¼″ tape and filling in sound report sheets (see Figure 7 opposite). These rolls of tape are then sent to a sound studio for transfer to 35mm sprocketed magnetic tape for use in the cutting room.

Other production crew

So much for the principal technicians on the production side. But with the start date of the schedule approaching, there are still a great many technicians and craftspeople to be lined up so that all is ready for that magical first day of shooting.

Costume fittings have to be arranged and wardrobe made ready, props, furnishings and drapes may still have to be purchased or hired, publicity to be arranged through a unit publicist or a company sub-contracted to handle the publicity for this particular film. Make-up, hairdresser, wardrobe and, if required on location, transport and catering have to be signed up.

Special effects may be called for: that is the supply of the simplest canister to provide smoke, to the arrangement of the most complicated battle scenes with explosions and gunfire; from the wonders of digital computerised devices

to make Batman fly, to the painting of glass shots for creating exotic background to be merged optically in the laboratories or digitally with scenes photographed in more mundane studio or location situations. All these and many more are the province of the special effects supervisor and his team and all require forward planning if some element of their craft is included in the script.

So let us assume that the first day of shooting and the complete schedule that follows has been fixed. The production office must now issue call sheets (see Figure 8 page 32) and if a location shoot is involved a movement order (see Figure 9) as well.

A TYPICAL DAY’S WORK

By now you will have some idea of the roles of the various departments that make up a feature film unit, so let us move forward and see what happens in a typical day’s work.

The start of shooting

According to the call sheet, let’s say the call is 8.30am on A stage at the studio. Shooting is scheduled for the sitting room of ...’s house, scenes ... to ... Make up, hairdressing, wardrobe and the relevant artists will have been called earlier so that they will be ready to start rehearsals as soon as possible after 8.30am. The director with the lighting cameraman, the camera operator and the artist can start to ‘choreograph’ the scene, working out the camera movement, dialogue and action so that the lighting cameraman can tell the gaffer or chief electrician how he wants the lights placed. As soon as the scene is roughly mapped out, the grip

can lay tracks if necessary and be getting the camera on to the dolly or crane, the focus puller can start checking the various changes in focus throughout the shot and the sound crew can sort out the best positions for the microphones and boom.

The lighting may be the longest part of all this and, if very complicated, stand ins for the principals may be used to avoid the artists getting too hot and tired. Equally, the director may use this time to rehearse elsewhere the artists’ moves and delivery of dialogue.

Rehearsal

So all is ready and the first assistant director calls for ‘Quiet please – standby for rehearsal!’ Then, ‘Action!’ from the director, and the first rehearsal is under way. Observations are sought by the director from the camera operator who may in turn discuss the key moments for the change of focus with the focus puller. The lighting cameraman may have noticed light adjustments that are necessary, the sound recordist (who may have recorded the rehearsal) will discuss with the boom swinger the placing of the mikes and the script supervisor may have a point of continuity which did not relate to a previous or subsequent shot which may have to be done weeks later.

And, of course, most importantly, the director will be judging the performances of the artists. This will be made easier if he has the benefit of a TV monitor by the camera.

The first shot in the can

So the next stage is reached when the first assistant director is able to say ‘Standby for a take – everybody quiet please.’ Then comes his order ‘turn over’ which is the signal to the sound recordist to switch on the tape recorder and report ‘running’ and for the camera operator to switch on the camera and when it is up to the required speed to report ‘speed’ at which the first assistant director orders ‘mark it’ to the clapper/loader. This gives him the cue to get in with the clapper board, shouting out the slate and take number, bring the hinged portion down with a resounding clap and exit. Only then can the director order ‘action’ and the scene proceed up to the time he orders ‘cut’ which is the order for the camera and sound to be switched off.

Observations are then sought from camera and sound crews and the director decides whether to go for another take. If so, the first assistant director orders, ‘Once more please – first positions,’ and the whole process is repeated until everybody is satisfied with the result. The director then decides which of the various takes he would like printed and this information is given to the camera and sound crews so that they can make a note on their respective report sheets.

As a rule, all picture negative is developed at the laboratories and only those shots and takes indicated are printed. In the case of sound, all the ¼″ master tape is stored but again, only the shots and takes indicated are transferred to 35mm sprocketed tape.

And so the day proceeds with the first assistant director keeping an eye on the clock and diplomatically urging everybody forward to ensure that the day’s schedule is adhered to. The normal working day is 8.30am to 6.30pm (maybe even longer) and assuming all has gone well, the last order that the first assistant will give is, ‘It’s a wrap.’

After a wrap

But this is not the end of the day’s work for many of the unit. The clapper/loader has to unload the magazines and put the exposed film into cans, fill in the report sheets and arrange transport to the laboratory. Similarly, the boom swinger has to label up the ¼″ tape and arrange for its transfer. The grip has to pack away the camera equipment and all other departments will be making sure that all is ready for the next day’s work. The script supervisor will be typing up the continuity sheets (see Figure 10 page 39) which provide information on every shot completed that day and are sent to the production office and the cutting room.

The director will certainly be discussing with the first assistant, and perhaps the producer and production manager, the next scenes to be shot and there might at the end of the day be a rushes screening. Rushes (or in the US dailies) is the term for the film and sound used during the day, processed or transferred overnight, assembled by the editor and his crew and viewed by all concerned.

Time may be set aside during the lunch break or in the evenings and opinions vary as to who should attend these rushes viewing sessions. The producer, director and editor of course. The lighting cameraman and sound recordist almost certainly. The remainder of the crew and artists? This is where individual directors and producers have differing ideas. If, as a newcomer, it is possible to attend rushes, there is a lot to be learned from seeing all the scenes as they come out of the camera and from hearing the observations of the principal creative people.

And so the daily or sometimes nightly schedule proceeds with all its dramas and problems, large and small, with attendant overtime and even with days where everything goes marvellously right and everybody gets home at not too ungodly an hour. Let’s therefore leave the shooting side of the production and see what has been happening meanwhile in parallel on post-production.