The
order in which each scene will be shot is dictated by the production plan.
Because of considerations to the availability of cast, participants,
locations and crew, it is unusual for a production to be shot in the
"chronological order" of the script. Scenes from the same
location - which will figure in different parts of the finished production
- will usually be shot at the same time.
There may also be scenes - such as interviews - the content of which will
define other parts of the production - therefore these scenes may have to
be shot first. |
Pulling focus on an Angenieux 14 x 9
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| The
goal when planning the shooting schedule is to achieve the optimal use of
all production resources, to minimise transport and waiting time, and to
maximise the use of daylight hours - particularly during the short days of
winter. |
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The client is often
present during the shoot - especially when the shoot takes place at the
client's premises, or when the client is closely involved in the
production. This can vary from project to project. |
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| The
days shoot - especially when working far from base - will normally be
arranged so as to allow the director and photographer the opportunity of
screening the day's footage, before moving on to a new location or
releasing any artists or participants who might be needed for a retake. |
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| In
this way, it is usually possible to re-shoot any critical scene that may
be unsatisfactory, without incurring expensive delays or artist recalls. |
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| When
planning a shooting period, we try to plan for continuous blocks of days,
as such continuity gives better results. Sometimes it is necessary to work
with pauses between shooting days - to accommodate the availability of
artists, other participants and locations. |
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There
are no hard and fast rules about how much can be shot in a single day. It
will depend to a great extent on the nature of the production, the
participants, the location, and often the weather.
Detailed
"step-by-step" filming of working processes - such as factories
and other workplaces, often requires a lot of time; whilst
"fly-on-the-wall" filming of events may often be accomplished
much faster. |
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| A shoot involving complex camera movements with camera cranes
or dollies - or a location with extensive lighting requirements will
usually require many hours work for every minute shot. |
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| Scenes
involving actors or other artists or participants - especially children
and animals - require a lot of time and patience, before the story is home
and dry. |
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| The
perfect shooting schedule is a rare phenomena - in reality the schedule
must always be a trade-off between technical, logistic, economic and human
considerations - where the goal can rarely be better than the best
compromise possible. |
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| The
shooting period and it's costs will usually figure as the the largest
proportion of the production budget. It is on-location that we encounter
the greatest number of variables and unknown-factors. It is also the part
of the production process which involves the greatest number of people at
the same time - therefore any delay can have immediate impact on the
production budget and plan. Depending on the complexity of the shoot, we
normally reserve a contingency in the budget to allow for such
eventualities. |
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| Whilst
we regard the scriptwriting as the most important process, the shoot must
surely be the moist critical - even with the best script, the production
will stand or fall with the footage from the shoot, and the result of the
subsequent editing process will also depend on the raw material available. |
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