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Producing and Directing theShort Film and Video
Producing and Directing theShort Film and Video
Fourth Edition
Peter W. ReaDavid K. Irving
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORDPARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Irving, David K.
Producing and directing the short film and video / David K. Irving, Peter W. Rea. – 4th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-240-81174-1 (alk. paper)
1. Short films–Production and direction. 2. Video recordings–Production and direction. I. Rea, Peter W.
II. Title.
PN1995.9.P7I75 2010
791.4302032–dc222009046285
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-240-81174-1
For information on all Focal Press publications
visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com
10 11 12 13 14 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Web Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiPreface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiiAcknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiTimeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
Chapter 1: Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Creative Producer . . . . . . . 1Developing the Script . . . . . . . 1Do Your Homework . . . . . . . . 2What Is a Script? . . . . . . . . . . 3What Does a Script Look Like? . . 3Where Do Scripts Come From? . . 4How Are Scripts Developed? . . . 6Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Legalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Basic Guidelines for the Short
Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . 14What Do You Do Now? . . . . . 17True Stories and Events . . . . . . 17
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Supervising or Performing
Rewrites . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Working with the Writer . . . . . 18Director as Storyteller . . . . . . 18Story Questions . . . . . . . . . . 19Scene Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 19The Shooting Script . . . . . . . . 19How Do Scripts Affect Budgets? . 20Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Documentaries . . . . . . . . . . 20Developing a Web Presence . . . 21
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 2: Finance . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Raising the Capital . . . . . . . . 23Basic Fundraising Problems . . . 23Funding Options . . . . . . . . . 24Do Your Research . . . . . . . . 26The Prospectus . . . . . . . . . . 27Spending the Money Responsibly . 32The Digital Prospectus . . . . . . 32General Fundraising Suggestions 32Sources for Students . . . . . . . 33
Student Fundraising Strategies . . 33Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Pitching the Project . . . . . . . . 34The Elevator Challenge . . . . . . 34Steps to a Successful Pitch . . . . 34
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Part IPreproduction
Chapter 3: Breakdowns . . . . . . . . . 45
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Breaking Down the Script . . . . 45Production Book . . . . . . . . . 45Proper Script Format . . . . . . . 46Breaking Down the Script . . . . 46
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Storyboards and Floor Plans . . . 51Developing a Shooting Plan . . . 52The Final Word . . . . . . . . . . 60
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 4: Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Producer (as Production
Manager) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Building a Stripboard . . . . . . . 63General Guidelines . . . . . . . . 63Beginning the Schedule . . . . . 68Creating the Schedule . . . . . . 69The First Day . . . . . . . . . . . 69Making the Day . . . . . . . . . . 69Shooting During Preproduction . 71Locking the Schedule . . . . . . . 71Call Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Scheduling Documentaries . . . . 74Student Scheduling Tips . . . . . 74Web Presence for the Project . . 75
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Determining the Visual Plan . . . 75Coverage ¼ Time ¼ Schedule ¼
Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Contingency Plans for Overages . 76Things Change . . . . . . . . . . 76
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
v
Chapter 5: Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Creating a Budget . . . . . . . . . 77Production Value . . . . . . . . . 77Script and Budget . . . . . . . . . 78Who Creates the Budget? . . . . 78Budgeting Software . . . . . . . . 78The Budget Form . . . . . . . . . 78Beginning the Budget . . . . . . . 91Learn by Doing . . . . . . . . . . 92
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Shooting for the Moon . . . . . . 93
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Chapter 6: Crewing . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Hiring the Crew . . . . . . . . . . 95Who Hires the Crew? . . . . . . 95When Do You Need a Crew? . . 95How Big a Crew Do You Need? . 95Selecting the Crew . . . . . . . . 96Key Crew Members . . . . . . . . 98Developing the Right Chemistry 107Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 108
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Hiring the Crew . . . . . . . . . 108Director’s Disease . . . . . . . 109
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Chapter 7: Casting . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Auditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 111The Casting Director . . . . . . 111The Basic Casting Steps . . . . 112Added Benefits of Casting . . . 115Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 115
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Auditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Audition Guidelines . . . . . . 117Casting the Documentary . . . 120
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Chapter 8: Art Direction . . . . . . . 123
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Assembling the Team . . . . . . 123Production Design . . . . . . . 123The Art Department . . . . . . 124Images Can Tell a Story . . . . 124Responsibilities of the Art
Department . . . . . . . . . . 125Communication with the DP . . 126Set Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 133The Producer’s Role . . . . . . 134Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . 134
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Creating a Look . . . . . . . . . 135Architect of Illusion . . . . . . . 135How to Define the “Look” . . . 136Breakdowns: Listen to the Script . 137Defining the Space with Visual
Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Camera Tests . . . . . . . . . . 138
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Chapter 9: Location . . . . . . . . . . 139
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Securing Locations . . . . . . . 139Where to Look for Locations . . 139Scouting the Locations . . . . . 140Securing the Location . . . . . 142
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Scouting Locations . . . . . . . 144Aesthetic Concerns versus
Practical Limitations . . . . . 144Be Flexible . . . . . . . . . . . 144The Power of Illusion . . . . . . 145Identifying the Location . . . . 146Walk-throughs . . . . . . . . . 148
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Chapter 10: Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . 149
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Working on Scenes . . . . . . . 149Before Rehearsals . . . . . . . . 149Developing Mutual Trust . . . . 150Researching the Character . . . 150Back Story . . . . . . . . . . . . 150Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . . . . 150Shape the Scene . . . . . . . . 152Communicating on the Set . . . 153Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Rehearsal Schedule . . . . . . . 155
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Chapter 11: Camera . . . . . . . . . . 157
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Collaborate . . . . . . . . . . . 157Keeping Up with Technology . 157Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
vi Contents
Listen to the Material . . . . . . 158Documentary . . . . . . . . . . 158Do Your Homework . . . . . . 158Consult with the Director of
Photography . . . . . . . . . 159Camera Team . . . . . . . . . . 161Basic Decisions . . . . . . . . . 161Film Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Digital Video Format . . . . . . 163Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164The Camera as Storyteller . . . 164The Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Size of Shot . . . . . . . . . . . 170Camera Movement . . . . . . . 173Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Second Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 178Greenscreen . . . . . . . . . . . 181Lighting Style . . . . . . . . . . 182Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Video Formats . . . . . . . . . 192Other Equipment . . . . . . . . 198Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Integrating Animation . . . . . 200
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Technical Considerations . . . . 201
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Chapter 12: Sound . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203Recording Clean Tracks . . . . 203Why Getting Good Sound Is So
Important . . . . . . . . . . . 203The Sound Team . . . . . . . . 204The Equipment . . . . . . . . . 206Responsibilities of the Sound
Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Approaches to Recording
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Variables for Placing
Microphones . . . . . . . . . 212Recording Concerns . . . . . . 213Video Sound . . . . . . . . . . 214Documentary . . . . . . . . . . 215Web Site Information . . . . . . 215
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Controlling the Environment . . 215Equipment Needs for the Shoot 216How Big of a Sound Package
and Crew Do You Need? . . 216Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Chapter 13: Art on Set . . . . . . . . . 219
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Final Walk-through . . . . . . . 219Set Procedures . . . . . . . . . 219Set Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . 220Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Additional Crew . . . . . . . . 223
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Keeping Track . . . . . . . . . . 223Cover Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . 224Wrapping Up . . . . . . . . . . 224
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Part IIProduction
Chapter 14: Set Procedures . . . . . . 229
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Inspires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Organized Chaos . . . . . . . . 229Set Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . 229A Typical Day . . . . . . . . . 230Camera Moves . . . . . . . . . 234Video Tap . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Digital Assistant . . . . . . . . . 235Slates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Calling the Shot . . . . . . . . . 237Script Supervision . . . . . . . . 238Dailies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239Coordinate . . . . . . . . . . . 239Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . 240Proper Wrap Out . . . . . . . . 241
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Chapter 15: The Actor . . . . . . . . . 243
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243The Process . . . . . . . . . . . 243Technical Requirements for
the Actor . . . . . . . . . . . 244The Director’s Tools . . . . . . 246Types of Characters . . . . . . . 246Directing Actors . . . . . . . . 249Interviewing for Documentaries 250
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251Accommodating . . . . . . . . 251
viiContents
Socializing . . . . . . . . . . . 251Contracts and Deal Memos . . 251
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Part IIIPostproduction
Chapter 16: Pix Postproduction . . . . 257
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257The “Final Draft” . . . . . . . . 257The Director as Editor . . . . . 257The Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . 258The Editor Speaks . . . . . . . . 258The Documentary Editor . . . . 258The Editing Process . . . . . . . 258What Is Editing? . . . . . . . . . 258Evolution of the Edit . . . . . . 264Locking the Picture . . . . . . . 266Technical Considerations When
Editing Film on Video . . . . 266Digital Basics . . . . . . . . . . 267Basic Workflow of a Nonlinear
Editing System . . . . . . . . 271Editing Sequences . . . . . . . 273Basic Sound Editing . . . . . . 274Special Digital Video Effects . . 275Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 277Film to Video . . . . . . . . . . 278The P2 Workflow . . . . . . . . 280
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280Advise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280What You Want from a System? . 280What Is Available? . . . . . . . 280Editing Room . . . . . . . . . . 281Postproduction Schedule . . . . 281Stepping Back and Looking
Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Chapter 17: Sound Postproduction . . 285
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285Sound Design . . . . . . . . . . 285What Is Sound Design? . . . . . 285Respect for Sound . . . . . . . 286What Is a Soundtrack? . . . . . 287Post Flow Options . . . . . . . 287Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Dialogue Tracks . . . . . . . . 290Automatic Dialogue Replacement
(ADR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291Walla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293Voice-overs and Narration . . . 293Sound Effects Tracks . . . . . . 294
Music Tracks . . . . . . . . . . 296The Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300Different Formats . . . . . . . . 300Music Tips for Students and
Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . 301Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Supervising Postproduction . . 305. . .And Distributors . . . . . . . 306The Moral . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Key Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Chapter 18: Finishing/Online/Laboratory . . . . . . . . 307
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307The Finished Look . . . . . . . 307The Choices . . . . . . . . . . . 307Film Workflow . . . . . . . . . 307Opticals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308Cutting the Negative . . . . . . 309Film Matchback . . . . . . . . . 311Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311Types of Prints . . . . . . . . . 312Traditional Linear Video
Online . . . . . . . . . . . . 313Video-to-Film Transfer . . . . . 313Nonlinear Online Edit . . . . . 314Animation and CGI: Rendering
and Compositing . . . . . . . 316Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Keeping Track and LookingAhead (and Back IfNecessary) . . . . . . . . . . 317
Looking Ahead/Key Points . . . 317
Chapter 19: Distribution/Exhibition . 319
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319Launching the Film . . . . . . . 319Start Early: Have A Plan from
the Beginning . . . . . . . . 320The Markets . . . . . . . . . . . 320Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . 320The Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 322YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323iTunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . 323Cell Phones . . . . . . . . . . . 324DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324Television . . . . . . . . . . . . 324Theatrical Markets . . . . . . . 324Nontheatrical Markets . . . . . 324Foreign Markets . . . . . . . . . 326Distribution Options . . . . . . 327
viii Contents
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330The Academy Awards . . . . . 335
Appendix A A Short History of the Short Film . . . 337Appendix B Genres and Animation . . . . . . . . . 339Appendix C Script Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343Appendix D Screening List . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Appendix E Safety Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Appendix F Music Clearance and Insurance . . . . 361Appendix G State Film Commissions . . . . . . . . 365Appendix H Film and Media Programs . . . . . . . 369Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
ixContents
Web Contents
Visit the companion site athttp://booksite.focalpress.com/companion/IrvingRea/and use passcode IRV2UT98SW69 to login; on thecompanion site, you will find:
Contents
Web Site Extras for Lunch DateWeb Site Extras for CitizenWeb Site Extras for A Nick in TimeWeb Site Extras for TrumanWeb Site Extras for Crazy GlueWeb Site Extras from Mirror MirrorInformation on Web Development
Associations
Distributors
Film and Video Festivals
Grants and Financing Sources
Important Internet Sites
Web Site Extras on Sound and Microphones
Traditional Film and Video Post Production
FORMS to download, save, and print, including:Script Breakdown Sheet
Header and Stripboard
Call Sheet
Short Budget Top Sheet
Release Form
Location Contract
Short Budget-2
Short Budget-3
Short Budget-4
Short Budget-5
Animation Budget
xi
Preface: Fourth Edition
Since the third edition, the range of options available for
the beginning filmmaker has multiplied tenfold. High def-
inition (HD) has integrated itself firmly into production,
distribution, and exhibition. A camera has been developed
that is essentially a lens mounted on a computer (The
RED). Professional postproduction software once linked
to an editing system that filled a room can now be loaded
onto a laptop. Essentially, anyone with a digital camera
and a laptop is able to create a film that has the look and
feel of a professional product.
Equally noteworthy, social networking channels such
as YouTube, MySpace, FaceBook, and Twitter have
altered the communication landscape. Broadband has
helped usher in a true “Convergence of Media.”
Insomuch as digital technology has transformed how
films are made and distributed, “film” is very much alive
as a professional capture format and still (for now) the
primary exhibition format for feature films. Implementation
of digital projection systems and satellite delivery are still
on the horizon.
Very few of these changes affect the text in this book.
Telling a story visually is juxtaposing one image with
another and then next to another, the sum of which makes
a narrative, documentary, animation, or experimental
piece. However one captures the image, manipulates it
editorially, or projects it for an audience, the basic steps
of visual storytelling have been the same for the hundred
plus years since film was invented. Technological
advances can aid the process, but not sidestep any of the
steps. The responsibilities of a producer and a director
are directly tied to their hearts and minds, not their toys.
No matter what the tools, art is created out of the heart.
In this age of multiple media sources competing for our
attention, it is important to understand that “content” is still
king. More andmore festivals have been sprouting up yearly.
Making your presence felt in the expanding market for shorts
and a flooded Internet requires that you create a product that
rises above the thousands of daily entries. Having something
to say and saying it well never goes out of fashion.
To aid you in your quest, this edition boasts the addition
of two new narrative films, one filmed in Super 16mm and
one in 35mm. We have included a strategy for using a web
site designed for your project as an effective tool for prepro-
duction, production, and distribution that is woven in the text
and expanded on our web site with several case studies.
Our web site at www.focalpress.com/companions will
also include links for the short films, all the forms in this
book, plus much important information for the beginning
filmmaker. Besides updating the book to address new
technologies, we have been fortunate to receive comments
and suggestions from many of our readers since the book
was originally published. We are happy to make changes
to better explain a concept or illustrate a point.
EFFICIO COGNOSIO (LEARN BY DOING)
There is no substitute for experience. In this book,
we want to emphasize the importance of the School of
Hard Knocks. Whether you are in a film or media program
or making a project on your own, this is an excellent time
to be studying filmmaking.
There is no better way to learn how to make a film
than by actually doing it. Books and manuals can serve
as guides. Other films can act as inspiration, and talking
about and critiquing films can trigger ideas. However,
the two best teachers are failure and success. Experiencing
the process of putting together a project, building work
muscles, and understanding the craft and discipline of
the process are ultimately the best ways to develop
your skills.
THE POWER OF THE MEDIA
Finally, your short film has the potential to influence a
great many people. Both media have gained great expo-
sure in the past 20 years, and their potential is growing
rapidly. All indications are that by the year 2010,
products from the communications industry will be the
United States’ chief export commodity.
Coupled with the wide distribution of these media is
the issue of the power of their content to influence. We
are now grappling with crucial problems, from overpopu-
lation to racial discrimination, from management of the
earth’s resources to the management of human resources.
Film and video have a powerful voice in the dialogue
about these challenges. Our hope is that in expressing
yourself in this fashion, you will consider the world in
which it will be viewed and will use your talents wisely.
xiii
Acknowledgments
FIRST EDITION
Wewould like to thank the following people who assisted us
in the writing of this book—in particular, the faculty, staff,
and students at New York University, Tisch School of the
Arts, Undergraduate Film and Television: Arnold Baskin,
John Canemaker, Pat Cooper, Carlos DeJesus, Tom
Drysdale, Carol Dysinger, Dan Gaydos, Fritz Gerald, Chat
Gunter, Ron Kalish, Julia Keydel, Marketa Kimbrall, Dan
Kleinman, Lou LaVolpe, Rosanne Limoncelli, IanMaitland,
Barbara Malmet, Rick McKinney, Lynne McVeigh, Lamar
Sanders, Julie Sloane, George Stoney, Nick Tanis, Darryl
Wilson, Brane Zivkovic, and especially Steven Sills. Also,
New York University Professor Richard Schechner, who
saw an early version of Producing and Directing the ShortFilm and Video.
We would also like to thank Mitchell Block, John
Butman, Steve Hanks, the law firm of Rudolf & Beer,
Doug Underdahl, Nancy Walzog, and a special thanks to
Carol Chambers for her continued support throughout the
writing process and Steve West for his editing skills.
We would also like to thank Ken Bowser, Hamilton
Fish, Jr., David Gurfinkel, Tova Neeman, Priscilla Pointer,
and Robert Wise, for inspiration and encouragement.
For the editorial and production skills they provided to
Focal Press, we would especially like to thank Mary Ellen
Oliver, Marilyn Rash, and Judith Riotto, who made the
process of assembling these final pages a rewarding one.
SECOND EDITION
Special thanks to Mitchell Block, John Butman, John
Canemaker, Michael Carmine, Gary Donatelli, Fritz Ger-
ald, Fred Ginzberg, Chat Gunther, Milly Itzack,
Suzie Korda, Dow McKeever, Stevin Michals, Marsha
Moore, Mo Ogrodnik, Sam Pollard, Paul Thompson,
Mike Thornburgh, Mika Salmi, Simon Lund, and Lamar
Sanders.
Also, special thanks to Terri Jadick for her patience
and support and Maura Kelly for her production skills.
THIRD EDITION
Special thanks to Norman Bebell, Mitchell Block, John
Canemaker, Michael Carmine, Michelle Coe, Fritz Gerald,
Joe Hobeck, Marsha Moore McKeever, Jamaal Parham,
David Russell, David Spector, and Debra Zimmerman.
Special thanks to Lou LaVolpe. We are also indebted
to Etgar Keret for allowing us to reprint his short story.
Adding a fourth film would not have been possible with-
out the contributions made by filmmaker extraordinaire
Tatia Rosenthal and the dean of the Savannah School of
the Arts, Peter Weishar.
FOURTH EDITION
Special thanks to Geoffrey Erb, Marsha Moore McKeever,
Dow McKeever, Jeff Stolow, Stevin Michels, Steve Elliot,
Scott Bankert, Alex Raspa, Jessalyn Haefele, Gavin Keese,
Camilla Toniolo and Amos Katz.
Special thanks to Howard Beaver and John Nymarky
for their invaluable contributions.
Special thanks to Kevin Cooper, Kim Nelson, and
Gary Goldsmith for their editorial advice.
And finally, special thanks to Jane Dashevsky for her
incredible patience, Melinda Rankin for her production
skills, and Elinor Actipis for her continued support.
xv
Introduction
Why make a short film? The idea of being in a darkened
screening room and watching your film touch an audience
is exciting. There is deep satisfaction in communicating
on this basic level. The fantasy of creating something that
has an emotional impact on others is what motivates many
people to go into picture making in the first place.
There is, also, the artistic satisfaction.
Most short works are created to give filmmakers an
opportudnity to express themselves, display their talent, and
develop filmmaking skills; to experiment with the medium;
or to provide a stepping stone to a career in film and televi-
sion. The key advantage to making a short is learning the
filmmaking process on a project of manageable scale.
If the work turns out well, shorts can be entered into any of
the hundreds of national and international festivals. They pro-
vide validation for your filmmaking skills and opportunities to
meet people who can further your career. The producer and
director can parlay awards and the fame of winning competi-
tions into meetings, agents, and (ideally) employment.
The market for “shorts” has been traditionally limited.
Rarely did shorts recoup their investments, let alone make
money. For these reasons, the creation of a short work was
usually motivated by considerations other than profit.
Over the years, however, opportunities for distribution
and exhibition have grown substantially. Traditional distri-
bution outlets still exist (see Chapter 19), but the short
film can now be exhibited to a worldwide audience across
myriad platforms. With this kind of exposure come
expanding opportunities for beginners to profit from their
work. From iTunes to iPods to webisodes, the short form
finds itself a good fit with the new technologies of the
twenty-first century.
INTERNET
What has made many of these opportunities for filmmak-
ing possible is the growth of the Internet and its potential
to create an integrated and consistent message across all
media. As you develop your short film idea, the web can
be used to promote awareness of your project, to raise
funds, to reach out to cast and crew, and eventually to
act as a distribution outlet. The Internet is a tool and, as
such, can be employed to whatever extent you wish. We
will outline many of the possibilities throughout the book.
It is up to you, the filmmaker, to decide to what extent you
wish to avail yourself of its possibilities.
CRAFT VERSUS ART ANDCOLLABORATION
Moving pictures are arguably the greatest art form of the
twentieth century. After all, the medium combines ele-
ments of literature, art, theater, photography, dance, and
music, but is in itself a unique form. For the sake of all
beginning filmmakers who read this book, we take off
the pressure by refusing to emphasize the creation of art.
Instead, we stress the craft of storytelling, and telling a
story well is not an easy task. Telling a short story well
is even more difficult.
For us, it is difficult to think of filmmaking as an “art-
making” endeavor. Orson Welles probably did not intend
to make art when he conceived and produced CitizenKane. Instead, he probably set out to make the best film
he could from a particular script. The result was a well-
crafted film, which was later deemed to be one of the
finest feature films ever made and ultimately came to be
considered “art.” This label has more to do with the con-
sensus of a critical audience long after the fact than it does
with the intention of the filmmaker. Our advice to you is
to set out to shoot the best short story you can and let
the audience decide whether it is art.
Let’s not give Welles all the credit for the success of
Citizen Kane. Filmmaking is a collaborative enterprise in
which many creative people lend their expertise to the
director’s vision. Too many ingredients affect the outcome
of a film to allow any one person to take credit for its suc-
cess. Welles himself said that “making a film is like paint-
ing a picture with an army.” He thought so much of the
contribution of his cinematographer, Greg Toland, to the
film’s success that he shared a card with him in the closing
credits of Citizen Kane.Above all, to make a successful short film, the entire
creative team must share a passion for the material and
the process. If there is no passion, the process will be no
more than going through the motions of manufacturing a
product. Lack of passion shows on the screen.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS?
How do you go about making a successful short film? Pic-
ture making is a complex and demanding activity, even for
the experienced. A myriad of problems inevitably arises
involving script, crew, budget, casting, lighting, and so
xvii
on. Each project has its own unique set of challenges.
For example, one film might need a difficult location such
as Grand Central Station; another might call for a school
gymnasium or an old-fashioned barbershop.
One script might require a talented young boy who
must also be meek and scrawny; another might need a
homeless person. One project might run out of money
before postproduction; another budget might not allow
for crucial special effects. Even before starting production,
you must understand sophisticated technical crafts;
resource management; political and social interaction;
and personal, financial, and professional responsibility.
The process of producing a film, whether it is a half-
hour or a five-minute piece, has been refined over the years
and developed into an art. As you will discover, there is a
straightforward logic behind these steps—a logic governed
by the management of time, talent, and resources. Each step
is informed by pragmatism and common sense:
l Script development. Your script must be well crafted
before preproduction can begin.
l Preproduction. The production must be efficiently
organized before the camera can roll.
l Production. The project must be shot before it can be
edited.
l Postproduction. The project must be edited before it
can be distributed.
l Distribution/exhibition. A film that is not seen or
experienced by an audience serves only as an exercise.
This list is only a broad outline of what must happen dur-
ing the production of a short work. It describes the general
flow of activity, but it does not address what these steps
mean or when and how they must be performed. Translat-
ing an idea into a film involves the execution of thousands
of details over a long period of time. In fact, the success of
any film project relies as much on management as it does
on storytelling. Knowing where to put the camera to cap-
ture the right dramatic moment of a scene requires as
much skill as marshaling the necessary people, equipment,
and supplies to the location in the first place. One can’t
happen without the other.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK
Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video is
organized according to the general logic of how a short
work is assembled. Each of the preceding stages of script
development, preproduction, production, and postproduc-
tion is fleshed out in detail with concrete examples. Our
goal is to impart to the beginner a fundamental under-
standing of what is required to organize and execute the
production of a successful short picture. Bear in mind,
though, that no two shows are alike and that there are no
rules. This book is a guide, not a formula.
In addition, we have divided each chapter into two
parts, reflecting the management, or “producing,” skills
and the storytelling, or “directing,” skills. Presenting a
clear picture of what the producer and director is doing
at any given time gives the novice a detailed understand-
ing of and respect for the processes of both producing
and directing, one step at a time, from idea to final print.
It can also serve as a practical guide to help navigate
through creative and managerial straits.
PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR?
Unfortunately, students and beginners often find them-
selves taking on the dual role of the producer and director.
Having to tackle two very different and complex responsi-
bilities at the same time puts undue and unnecessary pres-
sure on the novice. This problem exists for many reasons.
Primarily, it is that the director, in most cases, financially
supports the project and either can’t find someone willing
to do the job or is unable to trust someone the manage her
money properly. The burden of having to direct and pro-
duce can have a deleterious impact on either important
function. We discourage it.
If and when a producer does become involved with a
student production, that individual often serves as either
production manager or glorified “go-fer.” Neither of these
situations results in what could and should be a creative
partnership, one that we believe best serves the needs of
any production.
The Producer
The most misunderstood and mysterious role in the film-
making process is that of the producer. We’ve been asked
hundreds of times, “What does a producer actually do?”
That his role is a mystery to most laypeople is not alto-
gether surprising. The producer’s position in the film and
television industry is amorphous and has varying defini-
tions. In addition, the producer never has the same job
description from one project to another, and on many
kinds of films, it is common to see from four to eight
names with one of these producing titles:
l Executive in Charge of Production
l Executive Producer
l Producer
l Co-Producer
l Line Producer
l Assistant Producer
l Associate Producer
In this book, we use the term producer primarily to
describe the driving force in the making of a short. We
refer to this person as the “creative” producer. We also
use producer to describe the person who engineers all
xviii Introduction
the elements necessary for the creative and business
aspects of production. This is the role of producer as pro-duction manager. In Chapter 6, this position is described
in depth.
A movie begins with an adaptation from an existing
short story, a script, an original idea, a true story, or sim-
ply an image that has dramatic and visual potential. The
imagination and belief that such an idea or story can be
transformed into a motion picture are what begin the pro-
cess. What is not widely understood is that the producer
can be, and often is, the creative instigator of most films:
the one with the original inspiration who launches the
project and then sails it home, with himself as the captain.
This is the individual who is involved in all stages of pro-
duction, from development to distribution.
In a general sense, we could say that without the pro-
ducer, the picture would not be made. The Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives the Best Picture
Award to the producer of a film. This is the industry’s
acknowledgment that the producer is the person who is
responsible for putting the pieces together, the person
who creates the whole.
One of those previously named producers may have
initiated the project but not have necessary skills or expe-
rience to “manage” it. One of the main elements—if not
the most important—is the money. The producer is also
responsible for raising it, budgeting it, and ultimately
accounting for it to the investors. The producer as produc-tion manager, commonly called the line producer, is alsoin charge of coordinating the logistics of the production
that are outlined throughout out the book (see Figure 1.1
for producer’s responsibilities).
The Director
Because of the images of several contemporary superstar
directors, including Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Jane
Campion, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, Kathryn
Bigelow, etc., the role of the film director has taken on a
romanticized image. The director shouts “Action,” and
the whole set swings into motion. The director chats with
actors between takes and enjoys posh dinners after the
day’s wrap.
In reality, the director’s work is never done. Because
her job is to supply the creative vision for a one-of-a-kind
and essentially handmade product, the choice and effect of
thousands of decisions fall to her. Solving all creative pro-
blems on and off the set is the director’s final responsibil-
ity, from how much light to what color blouse, from which
location to how long a scream. The director alone has the
“vision” of the whole film in her head, and she alone is
obligated to make the sum of all her decisions throughout
the process add up to its fulfillment. The director’s goal is
to deliver a finished film ready for an audience.
Although the producer strives to support the director’s
work and the director is the authority figure on the shoot,
the director answers to the producer. However, the pro-
ducer complements the director’s work. When the direc-
tor’s decisions affect the budget or the schedule, she
consults the producer. The responsibilities of the producer
and director often overlap. Ideally, the director and pro-
ducer should be able to work well together and understand
the script in the same way. Picture making is, after all,
a creative collaboration.
The director must be demanding but not dictatorial.
She must do her best to draw out each cast and crew mem-
ber by making him feel involved. The director is an active
observer. She directs the actors by being part coach, part
audience, and part performer. She will stand on her head
if necessary to elicit a good performance. The director
should have unlimited patience and be methodical,
organized, articulate, and succinct. She should be broadly
educated in the arts and have a working knowledge of the
duties and responsibilities of each member of the team.
The director needs six things to execute a successful
short: a good script, a talented cast, a devoted crew, ade-
quate funds, good health, and luck (a major variable in
any artist’s work).
SIX SHORT FILMS
In this book’s chapters, we try to illustrate that the poten-
tial of realizing magic on the screen is directly propor-
tional to the quality of management in the production
stages. To help you understand this critical relationship
between organization and creative success, we use exam-
ples throughout the book from what we consider to be
six successful shorts: four narratives, an animated film
(also a narrative), and one documentary.
As teachers, we find it difficult to talk generically
about production without using examples from specific
films. Many basic concepts and terms are alien to the
beginner, and relating them to an actual production creates
a common reference and a strong context. Throughout
each chapter, we quote from the filmmakers’ personal nar-
ratives about that part of the production process. Citing
their films, which you can see and whose scripts you can
read, offers concrete evidence of the range of procedures
and challenges encountered in producing and directing a
short film. The rules of production planning for the short
form can also be applied to any live-action (not animated)
subject matter, whether it is narrative, documentary,
experimental, industrial, or corporate in nature.
The case studies are Citizen, an 11-minute color narra-
tive film written and directed by James Darling; A Nick inTime, a 10-minute narrative film written and directed by
Be’ Barrett; The Lunch Date, a 12-minute black-and-white
narrative film written and directed by Adam Davidson;
xixIntroduction
Truman, a 12-minute color narrative film written and
directed by Howard McCain; Mirror Mirror, a 17-minute
documentary film produced and directed by Jan Krawitz;
and Crazy Glue, a 5-minute animated short produced and
directed by Tatia Rosenthal.
Each of these films has won competitions, and one,
The Lunch Date, won an Academy Award. The four narra-
tives were made as student films: Truman, Crazy Glue, andCitizen at New York University and The Lunch Date at
Columbia University. A Nick in Time was made as an
independent film. Mirror Mirror was made by a docu-
mentary filmmaker who teaches at Stanford University.
Truman is distributed by Direct Cinema Inc., MirrorMirror is distributed by Woman Make Movies, CrazyGlue is self-distributed by Ms. Rosenthal, and The LunchDate is distributed by The Lantz Office. More detailed
information about these distributors is included below
and in Appendix B. The script for Citizen, set in
standard screenplay manuscript format, is printed in
Appendix C.
Why did we choose these films? They are excellent
examples of well-produced and well-directed short films.
As stories, they are appropriate for the short form.
We chose narratives that are similar in length but differ
in storytelling styles, subject matter, and production orga-
nization. Crazy Glue,the animated film, affords us the
opportunity to share the experiences and techniques
required of this demanding form of film expression. It is
also been adapted from another medium.
Mirror Mirror was included because the documentary
is an important short form. Many young filmmakers
explore the documentary as a means of self-expression.
Although Mirror Mirror is different in nature and struc-
ture from most traditional documentaries, the form offered
Jan Krawitz a unique arena in which to explore her views.
Contact information to rent or purchase a DVD copy of
the short films follows:
CitizenJames Darling
A Nick in TimeBe’ Garrett
TrumanHoward McCain
The Lunch DateAdam Davidson
Crazy GlueTatia Rosenthal
Tel: 917-613-2667
Mirror, MirrorJan Krawitz
Women Make Movies
462 Broadway
Suite 500
New York, NY 10013
Tel: 212-925-0606
Fax: 212-925-2052
Area of specialty: Films and videos bywomen about women
email: [email protected]
THE FILMMAKERS SPEAK
Culled from hours of interviews, relevant quotes from the
six short filmmakers have been inserted to support the
specific topic of each chapter. We hope that these pearls
of wisdom will personalize their experience in producing
and directing the short films we use as case studies in our
book. All have gone on to do wonderful things with their
careers. Check them out on imdb.com.
Adam Davidson is the writer and director of The LunchDate (a live-action narrative); Adam made The LunchDate as a graduate student at Columbia University
School of the Arts.
Garth Stein is the producer of The Lunch Date.James Darling is the writer and director of Citizen; he
made it as an undergraduate student at NYU, Tisch
School of the Arts, Undergraduate Film and Television.
Jessalyn Haefele is the producer of Citizen.Be’ Garrett is the cowriter and director of A Nick in
Time.Jan Krawitz is the director and producer of Mirror Mir-
ror (a documentary); Jan is a professor at Stanford
University.
Howard McCain is the writer and director of Truman (a
live-action narrative); he made Truman as a student
at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Graduate Film and
Television.
Tatia Rosenthal is the writer and director of Crazy Glue(an animated narrative); she made Crazy Glue as a stu-dent at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Undergraduate
Film and Television
CHAPTER BREAKDOWNS
Chapters 1 and 2 cover the development preliminaries that
need to be dealt with prior to the preproduction phase of
any project. Each chapter in Parts I and III that covers
the preproduction and distribution processes begins with
the producer’s responsibilities. The production and post-
production chapters in Parts II and III begin with the
director’s duties. The typical timeline graphic shown in
the introduction to Part I summarizes the activities of the
producer and director during the process of making a short
work. Although determining the specific amount of time
xx Introduction
needed for each phase is difficult, the following break-
down may provide some insight:
l Financing might be immediately available or might
take years to obtain.
l Scripts can come from many sources and may be ready
to shoot or could take years to get into shape.
l Preproduction usually requires 2 to 8 weeks.
l Production usually takes somewhere between 1 day
and 2 weeks.
l Postproduction details take anywhere from 2 to 10
weeks.
l Distribution can take as long as several months.
xxiIntroduction
Timeline
PRODUCER DIRECTOR
DEVELOPMENT
Script Developing the Script Supervising or PerformingRewrites
Ideas for scripts can be developed in many ways and come from many sources but there is one fact that cannotbe disputed – without a well crafted script; you cannot have a good film.
Finance Raising the Capital Pitching the Project
Both the producer and the director can be engaged in the process of securing financing. Without funds, anypreparation for a production is merely an exercise. The two documents required at this phase are a scriptand a financial planning package, or prospectus.
PREPRODUCTION
Breakdowns Breaking Down the Script Storyboards and Floor Plans
Having achieved a tight screenplay, the producer and the director begin breaking down the script to preparethe company for production.
Schedule Building a Stripboard Determining the Visual Plan
The first document made from the breakdowns is the schedule. The producer creates the schedule from thescript in conjunction with the director’s visual plan for photography.
Budget Creating a Budget Shooting for the Moon
The second document made from the breakdowns is the budget. The budget defines the parameters of whatcan or cannot be achieved although the director will usually want to “shoot for the moon”.
Crewing Hiring the Crew Hiring the Crew
The crew must be to the mutual liking of both the producer and thedirector. Once a crew member is chosen, the producer negotiates hisor her deal.
Casting Auditions Auditions
The producer sets up the auditions and aids the director in making choices for the cast. Factors to beconsidered are talent, cost, and availability.
Art Direction Assembling the Team Creating a Look
The producer assembles the team, headed by the art director, which will help the director create “a look” forthe picture. The look must be achieved within the parameters of the budget.
Location Securing Locations Scouting Locations
Working with the DP and art director, the director chooses the locations, and the producer secures them. If asite cannot be secured for the amount allotted in the budget, a new or backup location is explored.
Rehearsals Rehearsal Schedule Working on Scenes
The producer organizes and plans the rehearsal schedule. The director uses the rehearsal period to work withthe actors to develop their roles and explore organic ways to block the action for the camera.
Camera Support Collaborate
Like the art department, the producer supports the requests and needs of the camera department. The directorand camera department, led by the DP, must work like a hand in a glove.
xxiii
Sound Control Environment Record Clean Tracks
The one ongoing battle on the set (unless you shoot on a sound stage) is the control of noises. The producermust do everything in his power to keep outside noises to a minimum. The director must try to get thebest location sound. If the sounds being recorded are “dirty” because of noise, the director must advise thesound person on how she wants to deal with each recording.
Art on Set Construction Guide
Of all of the departments, art is the one that is most likely to expand unexpectedly during production. Theproducer must monitor this expansion while supporting the art director’s needs. The director should guidethe art department as much as possible to control any inflation of the budget.
PRODUCTION
Set procedure Organize Inspires
The producer organizes a system for set procedures. It must function like a military operation with the AD asthe chief lieutenant. The director sets the tone and mood of the set. Her energy (of lack thereof) defines howwell the crew will perform.
The Actor Accommodate Direct
The producer organizes the cast schedule and is responsible for the cast’s morale. The primary role of thedirector is to create a supportive and creative environment on set.
POSTPRODUCTION
Picture Advise Edit The “Final Draft”
The director and editor cut the picture and sound to make the best film possible from what was captured onset. The producer acts as an objective viewer and advises the editing team accordingly.
Sound Supervise Postproduction Sound Design
Apart from the first day of principal photography, the most important target date is the mix date. The sounds inyour film contribute to telling the story as much as a good shot or an outstanding performance.
Finishing/Laboratory/Online
Makes Prints Time
The producer oversees process of “finishing” the film. The director and director of photography oversee thefinal “look” of the film.
Distribution/Exhibition
Make a Deal Publicity
The producer is responsible for finding an outlet for the finished product. The director assists in publicizing thefilm.
xxiv Timeline
