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The key takeaways are about learning filmmaking fundamentals, limiting risks, and focusing on telling a good story with the resources available.

The book covers all aspects of the filmmaking process from scriptwriting to editing to give students the skills and mindset to make films with confidence.

The author advises limiting unknowns like using new equipment, visual effects, or working with children/animals to reduce risks that could hinder the production. It's better to have a well-executed plan B than an ambitious plan A that doesn't come together.

PERFORMING ARTS / FILM & VIDEO / REFERENCE $26.95 USA / $36.

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Dudbridge
one-stop
A Film School! Shooting Movies

S H O OT I N G B E T T E R M OV I E S
THE STUDENT FILMMAKERS GUIDE
Packed with information, tips, techniques, and advice, this book
covers all aspects of the filmmaking process. Everything you need
is laid out in an informal and easily digestible style.

Learn the film skills you must know, explore the mindset you need,
and start your career with confidence. Finish that script, grab a
camera and lets go!

I loved Shooting Better Movies! A wonderful


resource that will make you a better storyteller.
Shane Hurlbut, director of photography, Terminator Salvation

Nailed it! Practical, no-nonsense


Where was this when I started?
Pen Densham, Oscar-nominated writer, producer, director

An essential, jam-packed read for anyone


hungry to make their movie. Highly recommended.

The Student Filmmakers Guide


Eddie Hamilton, film editor, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

is a British director, producer, cinematographer,


PA U L D U D B R I D G E
and educator, making feature films, television, commercials, and
music videos. When not filming, Paul guest lectures at various
universities and colleges around the world.

MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS | MWP.COM Paul Dudbridge


Published by Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)
mw@mwp.com
www.mwp.com

Cover design by Johnny Ink. www.johnnyink.com


Interior design by William Morosi
Copyediting by Ross Plotkin
Printed by McNaughton & Gunn

Manufactured in the United States of America


Copyright 2017 by Paul Dudbridge
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the
author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Dudbridge, Paul, 1977- author.


Title: Shooting better movies : the student filmmakers guide / Paul Dudbridge.
Description: Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, [2017]
Identifiers: LCCN 2016043614 | ISBN 9781615932719
Subjects: LCSH: Motion pictures--Production and direction--Handbooks,
manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC PN1995.9.P7 D77 2017 | DDC 791.43/0232--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016043614

Printed on Recycled Stock


Contents

AC KN OWLEDG M ENTS
ix

H OW TO USE TH IS B O O K
xi

I NTRO D U CTI O N
xiii

CHAPTER 1:

SC R I PT WR ITI N G
1

CHAPTER 2:

PRO D U C I N G
16

CHAPTER 3:

CAM ER A AN D LI G HTI N G
27

CHAPTER 4:

SO U N D
87

vii
viii Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

CHAPTER 5:

D I R ECTI N G, PART 1 TH E CAM ER A


101

CHAPTER 6:

D I R ECTI N G, PART 2 ACTO RS


135

CHAPTER 7:

ED ITI N G
144

CHAPTER 8:

TH R EE SEC R E TS O F FI LM MAKI N G
153

CHAPTER 9:

CO M M O N TR AITS O F STU D ENT FI LM S


157

CHAPTER 10:

FI NAL TH O U G HTS
161

SO U RC ES
163

AB O UT TH E AUTH O R
165
Introduction
Its important to learn the basic grammar first. Otherwise, its like calling
yourself an abstract painter because you cannot paint something that is real.
Sydney Pollack, director

In 1989, aged 11, my life changed when my father bought a family video camera, a
big beast of a thing called a Betamovie, to film family holidays, sports days, that
sort of thing... but I saw only one real purpose.
I grew up on 70s and 80s adventure movies like Star Wars, Raiders of the
Lost Ark, and E.T. I couldnt articulate just how they made me feel: I was buzzing,
excitable, and had a rush every time I saw the posters or logos on sticker books
and toys. All I knew was that I wanted to be part of that world. When Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade was released in 1989, I spent all my pocket money on
related books and magazines. I couldnt take my eyes off the stunning photographs
from the film contained in those pages. I didnt know what it was about them
that I liked, but I was mesmerized. Looking back now I realize it was Douglas
Slocombes gorgeous lighting, the diffusion, the amber backlight, the smoke...
One Sunday afternoon, myself, my siblings, and some friends decided to make
our own adventure movie. What could be simpler? I knew how I wanted it to
look, thanks to Slocombe, and I knew what had to happen I had the film
magazines and I knew Indiana Jones inside and out. But when we watched it back,
it was all shot from the same angle, with all the mistakes we made still on the
tape: sometimes the sun was out, sometimes it wasnt, and the soundtrack mostly
consisted of my neighbors lawnmower cutting in and out since it was all shot and
edited in-camera. Where was John Williamss score? Where was the excitement?

xiii
xiv Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

This was when the notions of angles, sound effects, lighting, and editing began to
crystalize in my mind.
As the years went on, we made more films, slowly getting more and more
adventurous, learning things every step of the way. In the early years I copied shots
that I saw in films I liked. They were good shots, but I didnt realize that shots
work in a Steven Spielberg or Ridley Scott movie because they fit the emotion of
the scene; they might not work cut and pasted into my film. So I learned the first
time, as everyone does, by copying others; gradually I changed and added my own
takes on things, finding my voice.
A lot of the early stuff I shot by instinct. Lets put the camera here as it
looks good. They were good shots, but what I didnt know was why they were
good. It was a good shot because it was a wide shot, and told the audience exactly
where everything and everyone was. Then I discovered the notions of coverage,
and filming a wide shot before some close-ups, and things became a little technical
and clinical. Coverage is a good thing but I followed it too rigorously and forgot
to be inventive and dynamic. I felt I lost some of the spark in the films I was
making. Then the pendulum thankfully swung back the other way, and now I mix
instinct and technical ability.
Throughout the short films I produced, I explored different areas of the
business: Writing and working with other writers, casting actors and rehearsing,
shooting with special effects and pyrotechnics, visual effects, using grip and dolly
gear, cranes, different camera formats, editing, having a professional sound mix,
working with composers, and finally compliance with delivery and transmission
requirements for broadcast. Each area taught me something, and bit by bit I got
the experience and knowledge to inform the other disciplines. The amateur films
and approaches slowly turned professional; now I do what I love for a living.
Ten years ago, in between filming assignments, colleges and universities
around the country asked me to share my film knowledge and experience with
young filmmakers. When working with new students, I found that their grasp of
theory and technical knowhow didnt always translate into practical application.
I wanted to teach the fundamentals and add in a wealth of experience and tech-
niques learned over twenty years freelancing behind the camera. Practical teaching
meets theory meets technical information, with a healthy dose of on-set reality.
Introduction xv

I like reading about stuff I can use practically. Tools, hands-on techniques, and
approaches to shooting good images and fast. After working with a lot of film
students, I found there wasnt really a book that listed everything I thought they
should learn, so I decided to write it. My former students have become feature-
film directors, BBC editors, and successful freelancers in their own right.
Some of the ideas, tools, or techniques might not work for you. Be a student,
not a follower. Some film books deal with lighting or scriptwriting or the like and
mention things I dont really agree with, but the other 95% of the information is
pure gold; this book should be treated the same way. Early students sometimes
make the mistake of adopting rules hard and fast. You should never film that
way... You cant use a close-up more than three times or it becomes redundant...
My lecturer says you should never cut from this to that... I frequently remind
my students that there are no absolutes, no rules. My guidelines work and have
consistently worked, but if you find an exception and want to do something differ-
ently, do it. But make sure what you do comes from a place of personal preference
and not what youve heard others say.
Experience and conversation reveal a psychology and a philosophy of film-
making. There is an aspect of this in any creative art form, whether it is writing,
fashion, music, painting, or something else. Psychology is at least 50% of what you
are doing; the balance is technical ability in terms of your work, but moreover
your approach and mindset toward it. Confidence, insecurity, doubt, overcom-
pensation, and dealing with incidents and politics on set. These issues never go
away. Whatever role you find yourself in, lack of confidence can be stemmed by
preparation. If you know youve done all you can and put in the time, you can at
least temper your lack of confidence. Or this will help you after the fact, when you
know you did all your homework. If youre prepared, then you are a little more
relaxed and able to react and think clearly should an incident arise.
After all these years working with students and following them through work
or film school, I can now spot the patterns. My first impressions of their abilities
and commitment accurately predict where students are now. Those that worked
had a positive, productive mindset; those that didnt avoided taking notes in class
and reading the books, doing only what they were told to do, nothing more. The
ones who lacked that drive. You can find out a lot about someone elses philosophy
xvi Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

and attitude from their reactions. When you say, Were shooting in London at 6
am Saturday, and they say, Yes, see you there, you learn something about their
philosophy. If they say, Does it have to be that early? How far? you know how
they really feel about it. So what would your reaction be?
Reading and knowledge are the beginning of things. Knowledge and theory
are useless to you unless you put them into action so that knowledge finds its
value. You need to take action to put everything you learn into practice. Unless
you take action on that advice, it is as valuable to you as if you hadnt read it in the
first place. So, who do you know? Who can you call? You must TAKE ACTION
on what you read. I have tried to impart all the information, experiences, and
advice I can remember in each of the chapters. It is up to you to take that infor-
mation and put it to use. Good luck!
CHAPTER 1

Scriptwriting
The final cut of the movie is the last draft of the script.
Quentin Tarantino, writer / director

The script. The screenplay. Also known to some as the blueprint. Everything
starts with those pages. Its what gets the interest, the star, the finance, and its
what tells the story. If its not in the script, its not on the screen. If anyone tells
you after reading their script that a lot of it will come across in how the film is
shot, roll it up and bash them over the head with it. Ive personally made this
mistake and on reflection, you tell yourself that stuff to gloss over the cracks or
disguise poor writing. Writing is hard. Some writers love it, some hate it. I find
the best thing about writing is having written...
So in this chapter Im going to look at writing the script for your film. It
might be for a short film or a feature-length script. You might be writing it to
make the film yourself, or for someone else to, as you enjoy the craft and process
of writing.

MY START

When I was a teenager making short films with my friends, we all just wanted to
be actors in our own movie. But we had to write it first. They were handwritten
scripts about 6 pages long but we thought that would equate to a big feature
film. We also realized that just because weve written it and can picture it in our
heads doesnt mean we have the resources to get that vision on film. Even today,

1
2 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

I read low-budget student scripts with lines like the four police cars come to a
screeching halt outside the burning house and the producer in me immediately
thinks, How are you going to film that with your $625 (500) budget?
Once I moved to writing features, I took a new approach to the craft. Writing
a much bigger story in a longer form meant I had to have the discipline to finish
and go a little more in depth with my story and characters. The first few scripts
we shot ourselves; then there were a lot of scripts that got written but never saw
the light of day. These were still great experiences and homework: working on my
craft, finessing my skills, learning to be a better writer.

SH O RT VERSUS FE ATU R E?

Are you writing a short or feature film? Short film scripts are different from
feature scripts in ways other than length, but they share a lot of the same elements.
Theres no harm in having a beginning, middle, and end in a short film script, as
well as ideas about form, character, and style. The layout and format are certainly
the same. In short films you have the opportunity to play a lot more with structure
than you do in a feature. You could write a narrative-based film about a character
trying to achieve something with a traditional three-act structure, or it could be a
quirky, ambiguous film with an open ending. Some short films end with a twist,
while others are basically shortened versions of a feature film.
A film can be any length you choose, but a short film is traditionally about
15 minutes or less. With a page of the script equaling roughly a minute of screen
time, a 1214 page script might give you a 15-minute film. Some film festivals
actually accept shorts of any length; others cap them at 40 minutes.
A good length for a feature film script is 90120 pages. Anything over 120
pages would yield a running time of over two hours.
Scriptwriting 3

STO RY

What story are you trying to tell? I personally like to find that emotional hook,
something that has heart and where I can see how any events or obstacles will
affect that. That normally is my in to the story.
Whats the theme of the story? Is it love, family, jealousy, revenge, fate, destiny,
loss? Most times with my work I discover the theme after Ive written something.
I have themes recur over and over again through the different stories I make. In
most cases, this theme turns out to be loss. I tend to gravitate toward that theme
more than others.
Starting late in the story is always a good idea. When does your story really
get going? Think about the way you tell stories to your friends. When telling
the story of how you ran out of gas on the way home from your vacation last
week, you dont start with buying the car three years ago. No, you start with what
happened just before the car stopped. Anything else is boring to the listener and
has no impact on the story. Also start each scene as late as you possibly can in the
story. Ask yourself: When do the story and the scene really start?
Whatever your story, it will probably involve the protagonist(s) or hero(es)
looking to achieve something or go somewhere to change their current situation.
What makes stories interesting is the conflict: obstacles arising on the journey
that prevent the subjects from getting what they want. It could be a man wanting
to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves, but the obstacles of distance,
marriage, fear, or relatives prevent him from doing so. It could be a hero cop trying
to stop a group of villains from robbing and taking over a building and finding
themselves subjected to gunfire and explosives. There are literally thousands of
possibilities, but it all comes down to those simple fundamentals. If your story is
about the character wanting something and they sit still until someone delivers it
to them without any fuss, the audience wont be very entertained.
What the audience wants is drama, and all drama is conflict, whether external
(physical) or internal (emotional). Having internal conflict that builds to external
conflict is good. And on the flipside, external conflict should cause internal
conflict. Having more conflict means that theres more stuff for the character(s)
to overcome. This gives you material for scenes, and allows for things to get set
4 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

up that must be resolved by the end of the story. Maybe one conflict / resolution
affects another?

R ESO LUTI O NS

The conclusion to your story is always a hard one. You have to tie up most if
not all of the things you have set up during the story and (and heres where the
good writing comes in) do it in a way that is satisfactory to the audience. If we
have Spider-Man fighting the Green Goblin and we know by the end of the film
Spider-Man has to defeat the villain, we want to see that and it has to be at the
hands of the hero. If it ended with Spider-Man watching TV where its reported
that the Green Goblin accidentally got run over by a taxi instead, that wouldnt
be satisfactory to the audience. The outcome is the same, but he wasnt defeated
by the hero, which is what we want to see.
Its worth noting that resolution doesnt necessarily mean a happy ending. You
can resolve the story and have a sad or melancholy conclusion to the events. What
sometimes makes a good story is when a character goes out to get something that
they need, but by the conclusion of the story gets what they want instead. There
is a difference between a want and a need. They need to find the hidden treasure,
but end up getting a closer family relationship. They need to win that big contest
theyve traveled halfway around the world for, but end up getting the girl. In order
for the audience to leave the cinema satisfactorily, they need to know that what-
ever has happened, the character is okay. Whether this is a new perspective on life,
or a coming-to-terms with what has happened, or some other sort of conclusion.

STR U CTU R E

The structure of your screenplay is perhaps one of the most important aspects.
For me, structure is akin to a steel rod down the back of a beautiful clay sculpture.
It is never seen or touched by the viewer, but without it the piece would fall to
the floor.
Scriptwriting 5

Traditionally, we have three-act plays. Three is a nice dramatic number: we


are able to tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some films in
Hollywood have worked off this formula for years. I think its important to be
aware of how films can be structured in order to go off and do your own thing, if
thats where you want to go. You could also have two acts, or five. It all depends
on the story youre telling.
Make no bones about it: structure is a killer. Its the part of the process where
most of the hard work is done, and it can be brutal. As I block out the scenes, Im
aware of how each one affects the tone, the pace, and what information is released
to the audience and when. Things need to unfold at just the right time to have
maximum effect. Its a jigsaw puzzle of massive proportions.
The first form of traditional structure I was introduced to was the Heros
Journey, through Christopher Voglers book The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure
for Writers. Voglers book is itself based on Joseph Campbells monomyth and The
Hero With a Thousand Faces.
Elements of the Heros Journey structure can be found in pretty much all
genres: comedies, thrillers, dramas, and horror films. Elements seldom appear
in the same order, but they are there to be found, and some films adhere to the
sequence more than others. Adventure films such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars,
Harry Potter, Back to the Future, and Lord of the Rings stick very closely to it, as
they are literally about a heros journey, whereas others come and go, touching on
some points and ignoring others. You dont have to use this, or adhere to it, but
story structure matters. It has been very useful to me over the years.
So what exactly is The Heros Journey? Its a 12-point list of events that take
the story from the beginning to the end, charting the character arc and creating
our hero. Lets take a look.
1. Ordinary World: This is when we see our hero in their natural environ-
ment. Their everyday life. We need to see this to establish a baseline of
events before the upcoming change. This is Frodo in the Shire, the cop
finishing up an old case, the lonely girls boring day-to-day life before
meeting the mysterious stranger.
2. Call to Adventure: This is when our hero gets asked to complete a task,
go on an adventure, take a new job, move out of his or her comfort zone,
6 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

solve a murder case, or join a team. A problem presents itself that the
hero must solve.
3. Refusal of the Call: Our hero will always refuse the call in its first
instance. They dont feel theyre up to the task, they lack confidence, and
theyll make any excuse they can find to try and get out of it. A cop
refuses the case since hes about to retire, the protagonist refuses to work
for the government, etc. Frodo, Indiana Jones, and Luke Skywalker all
refuse. Why refuse? Well, not only does the character not feel up to the
challenge, diving headfirst into the call will belie their subsequent claims
that they didnt want to be there in the first place! The audience cant be
thinking, Well, you asked for this...
4. Meeting With the Mentor: Our hero now meets someone who will
guide them through their journey. A spiritual guide of sorts who knows
the lay of the land and can answer any questions our hero might have. Its
Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the father figure. Normally associated with
step 8... but well get to that. This marks the end of Act 1.
5. Crossing the First Threshold: This is the start of Act 2, when the story
changes direction and the real adventure begins. The hero literally crosses
over the threshold from their ordinary world into uncharted territory.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: Our hero meets the faces inhabiting this new
world, a place that tests him or her. The heros new friends will help
complete the task and confront the villain.
7. Approach the Inmost Cave: The hero has to come face to face with the
enemy or something unknown. Theyre entering the dragons lair, the dark
cave where we dont know what lies ahead. They must summon the courage
to go to this place, physically, mentally, or both. They doubt their abilities,
and must use skills theyve always had but didnt know they possessed.
8. The Supreme Ordeal: What is the worst thing that can happen to our
hero, apart from death? That is the supreme ordeal. In most cases, the
guiding light of the mentor that has gotten them this far is taken from
them. A companion dies, they lose the funding, they lose the job, all is
lost. This is where the heart of the film lies, what the whole film is about.
This marks the end of Act 2.
Scriptwriting 7

9. Reward: The hero survives the battle with the enemy and is transformed
into a new person. It is here they find the reward or item they have sought
on their journey, whether it is physical or a new insight.
10. The Road Back: They escape the new world, heading home, most prob-
ably defined by some sort of chase or escape. This is the time to show the
new skills they have learned on the quest.
11. Resurrection or Rebirth: Maybe the villain isnt quite dead yet and
things arent quite finished for the hero. Here theyre reborn as the people
they have always wanted to be.
12. Return with Elixir: The hero returns to the old world and hands
the Elixir to the people that requested it, curing the original problem.
Anything left unanswered will be answered here. The journey is complete.

So, as mentioned, some or all of these elements are found in 99% of stories.
Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, and Refusal of the Call come at the start of
most films, whatever the genre. The romantic comedies, the thrillers, the dramas.
This is all good character stuff, an opportunity to see a character before things
change, and witness their outlook and life philosophy.
Even short films can feature some of these elements. You dont have the
running time to play with all of them, but some of these elements can be found
in shorter films and they can make the characters and story stronger for it.

FO R MAT TI N G

There are different script-formatting templates depending on what type of show


you are making, whether it is a film screenplay, TV sitcom, stage play, or radio
program. If you want to write a sitcom for the BBC, for example, they have a
preferred format. For our purposes, Ill concentrate on a film script (feature or
short). All the elements of story, character, dialogue, etc., will be relevant, whatever
format youre writing for. However, these are industry guidelines, not rules. People
break these guidelines all the time as their material and styles dictate. However,
if 99% of the industry understands something to work best a certain way, theres
8 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

no harm in doing the same. Just to highlight the point that there are no rules,
a literary agent who represents many new writers once told me that while she
considered formatting important, shed once received a handwritten script with
none of the layout rules followed, but with writing that was so good and funny
that she took the new writer on. The official formatting of scripts can be taught
or learned later, but the talent here was in the writing.
The standard typeface is Courier, font size 12. There is also no bold high-
lighting in the scene headings or scene descriptions. No underlining or any
fancy special character graphics your computer can produce. Id also suggest not
doubling spaces between paragraphs or using a larger size font or any other tricks
to up the page count. It doesnt look good, and ultimately could be tricking you
and the crew into thinking there is more to shoot or plan than necessary.
A scene in your script has four elements to it:
Scene heading or slug line
Scene description / action
Character name
Dialogue

Scene headings, sometimes called a slug line, are displayed as follows:

INT/EXT. WAREHOUSE NIGHT

Scene headings are all in capitals, and the INT. tells the reader whether we
are inside (interior) or outside (EXT. for exterior). Then we see what time of day
it is: DAY, NIGHT, DUSK, SUNRISE. If we change the storys time or place,
we change the scene heading. If we move from one side of the room to another,
we dont need a new heading. But if characters move outside, or we stay in the
same location but time passes, we need a new scene heading since production will
treat it as a new scene. One script I reviewed was set at a single location and time
of day but somehow warranted six different scene headings! The writer, it turned
out, had confused scene headings with camera shots.
When a character speaks, their name is in CAPITALS with the dialogue
underneath. If a character speaks in a foreign language, write in English or your
Scriptwriting 9

chosen language and use parentheticals, i.e., (in French) to tell the reader. The
abbreviation (O.S.) is used to let the reader know that what is being said by a
character is OFFSCREEN. We can hear them, but we cant see them.
Take a look at this sample script page to see how it all comestogether.

1.1 Sample script page


10 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

SC EN E D ESC R I PTI O NS / ACTI O N

This is when your writing really shines, or you make it really hard for the reader
by doing a substandard job. The descriptions or action tell us what is happening
in the scene. It also tells about important objects, and what the characters are
doing. You tell this story by creating pictures in the audiences mind these are
motion pictures, not radio. Try to describe not how something looks, but how it
feels. Describe any motion occurring, not still objects or characters. Once we know
where we are, thanks to the scene heading, whats important is what happens. It is
also acceptable to use fragmented sentences when writing action. It makes things
a bit easier to read, and keeps the pace swift.

You are only looking to describe what is seen, heard, or moves. You cant
describe what a character feels or thinks; this isnt a novel. Writing John remem-
bers that the girl in the picture was the same girl he met at the party last year
cannot be displayed on screen; the camera cannot show it to the audience.
The reader would then have information that the viewer doesnt. This is called
embedded information. Sometimes you see a solitary character say to themselves,
Oh God, thats the girl from the party last year... Bad writing comes in many
forms, like this approach. Try to find a visual way to give the audience the infor-
mation it needs.

PO E TRY

Something I learned late in the game was to be a little more poetic with my
descriptions. The feeling I wanted to convey was in my head, but the descrip-
tions Id write were fairly standard and pedestrian. Reading my words induced the
desired feeling, but my language fell short. When others read my work, they didnt
feel it the same way I did. It didnt translate. A writer friend had a story about an
extroverted, party-going thirtysomething. Her scene started with the woman hung
over from a heavy night on the town. Her scene description read:
Scriptwriting 11

INT. EMMAS BEDROOM DAY

It is the morning after the night before.

What can we conclude from this? I would guess that Emma is asleep but still
dressed, sprawled over the bed, one leg hanging off the edge, hair and makeup
a mess, bottles everywhere. You want the descriptions to be fun to read, but not
too cutesy or ostentatious. Style is one thing, but trying too hard to be different
or entertaining is unappealing in the same way as fancy lighting or jazzy editing
might be. Lighting and editing are at their best when they are invisible; they
have the desired effect, but dont draw attention to themselves. It is the same
with writing.

C HAR ACTER S ACTI O NS

Most characters walk places or look at things. That is one way to describe
their actions, I suppose. Have a think about what they are really doing. Are they
glancing, staring, ogling? Maybe theyre not walking or running, but strutting,
jogging, sauntering? These descriptions help build a clearer picture, and most
importantly reflect character as well as action.
If you want to emphasize something, you could use capital letters. The car
SMASHES into the building and then EXPLODES into a fireball. Again, use
caps sparingly, or you might dilute impact.

C HAR ACTERS

What do your characters WANT? Nothing else matters. Actors may benefit from
talking about what their character had for breakfast or intricate details of props
or costumes, but what really matters (and is sometimes forgotten) is what their
character wants. Thats it. Thats the story.
12 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

Dramatic need is another way of talking about a characters want. Once


decided, it then becomes a matter of what obstacles can be placed in their way to
prevent them from achieving this. If they achieve their need, a new need imme-
diately replaces it. If this isnt set up early, the story cant really begin. We cant
identify with the heros struggle until we know what that struggle is and why they
are faced with it.
The protagonists entrance is always exciting for me to write. We need to know
when the hero or heroine just walked on the stage. Write for the star, and look after
the star at all times. We need a physical description, but also an extra element of
their personality and inner character. What description can you think of in a couple
of lines that can create a picture of that character in the readers mind?

Sarah, tall, confident, larger than life, 40s but


going on 21.

What could be assumed of her actions? How she holds herself? How she dresses?
So its not just the description you need to think about, but also their actions.
Whats the first thing we see them do? The best way to convey character is through
action. Is there something they can do physically, or better yet visually, that shows
us who they really are? Even in our everyday lives, if you want to understand who
a person is, look at what they do, not what they say.

BAC KSTO RY

Your characters backstory is what has happened to the character before the script
began. What has happened to them from when they were born to page one of the
script? You dont need to write or know their complete history, but you do need to
know anything relevant to the story. Is there something bad that still haunts them,
keeps them up at night? Did they make a mistake in a job or relationship that
they still need to rectify? Does everyone know their history, or is it a secret? Each
of the main three characters in Steven Spielbergs Jaws (1975) has a backstory
shaped by water. Al Pacinos character in Scent of a Woman (1992) is blind, bitter,
Scriptwriting 13

and angry, and we later find out he was in the army and had an accident juggling
live grenades! The opening of Alfred Hitchcocks Rear Window (1954) introduces
the main character in its opening frames AND gives us his backstory at the same
time. We see Jimmy Stewart sitting in a wheelchair looking out the rear window
of his apartment with his leg in a cast. The camera pans around the room and
we see a broken camera alongside pictures of race cars crashing and flying around
the track. So we now know who he is and what happened to him. Total lines of
dialogue spoken: zero.

D IALOG U E

Dialogue is the fun part, but can also be very hard to write. What do people say
to each other? Most dialogue is not needed and is overwritten. Leading actors
are famous for taking lines out of the script, not for adding more. They want
to be the people that know the information, not the ones who are going around
asking questions. The dialogue has to ring true for the character and situation, so
dialogue is driven by what the characters want. Once you know who the character
is and their backstory, and actively consider their identity while crafting dialogue,
you will know what the character should be saying.
Most scenes (and scripts) work best if you cut the top and the bottom off. We
usually like to embellish a little at either end when we simply dont need it. People
walk into rooms, have small talk, then talk about whats important and leave the
room with the good stuff in the middle. Certainly if someone storming out of the
room to leave another party in solitary reflection is part of the story, then keep it,
but the dialogue in the middle is the heart.
Parentheticals, or ( ), tell the reader of any additional action or details of the
characters attitude. They appear directly under the characters name and before
or during the dialogue. Try to not use too many, though. How someone is talking
should be evident from the scene. If you need to stress angry or sarcastic then
do it, but not above every line. You can also use parentheticals for small elements
of stage directions like puts paper down or closes eyes. A nice tool to help make
things clear, but only use it when you need to.
14 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

PL ANTS AN D PAYO FFS

A plant is an object, event, line, or action that is put in the script very early on that
is then called upon to help save the day or cause an issue later in the story. Weve
seen it all before: an insignificant character who has a certain skill, or the detective
who keeps a gun under the table, or those sharp, dangerous objects unearthed in
the heros house when decorating. Hope the villain doesnt fall on them when he
bursts in to the heros house at the end. The trick here is to plant this object, line,
or action as early as you can in the story, just enough for the audience to forget
about it. When it comes up again later to save the day, it is a surprise to them
and they didnt jump ahead and see it coming. If you plant it late and pay it off a
few scenes later, it might come across as a terrible coincidence, and you risk losing
your audience.
A good way to work this plant / payoff idea into your script is to find out
what you might need at the end of your story, then reverse-engineer it by sprin-
kling the objects / setups throughout the beginning and middle of your script.
An example of this is from the James Bond film Goldeneye (1995). Early on in
the film, Bond is given an array of gadgets by Q, one of which is an exploding
pen that is activated once clicked three times. Later on, Bond finds himself held
hostage next to a fidgety computer hacker who just happens to be using Bonds
pen. Explosions ensue...

1.2 Goldeneye
Scriptwriting 15

R E WR ITI N G

Its tough getting to the end of your script. Endings need a lot of work, but seeing
that last page coming at you like light at the end of a tunnel is exciting. The
rewrite is where the real work is done, so be ready. You want to transform it
from a stack of bound-together pages to something that sparkles and that people
cant put down.
Most work is 25% better if its 25% shorter. That goes for everything: movies,
essays, scripts, books... On the first pass of the script, you almost certainly
indulged in overly detailed scene descriptions, people spoke to each other for too
long, and five or six unnecessary scenes remained. We all do it. Go over each of
your scenes and find what is the latest possible point that you can come into them
so that they still makes sense. What happens if you chop off the start and the
end? What youre left with will probably be better.
Go through and adjust. Can the scene description be more poetic? Can you
add a sprinkle of character to the action? Will the audience assume certain things
so they neednt be described or shown? Read the script from the audiences point
of view. Whenever we subsequently view the film, we watch knowing what we
know and seeing everything through those glasses. When Im writing or editing,
I literally stop the edit or hold the page to ask, Do we know where we are and
what this person is doing? Is it clear what is happening here? You know as the
writer where the characters are going, but do we as the reader?
Now get writing!
CHAPTER 2

Producing
You need to be willing to take the heat... You need to
take responsibility for your actions in business.
Dawn Steel, producer / studio executive

Producers: the backbone of any project. They hire and they fire. They run the
show. Their job is to provide everything they can to the director, and give the
production what it needs to get the job done. Producers are the bosses. A good
way to describe a producer is:

Theyre the first person on a project and the last one to leave.

TH E D I FFER ENT T YPES O F PRO D U C ERS

There are various types of producers. We have the following:

Producer Highest-ranking person involved on a project. They collect the


Oscar when Best Picture is announced.
Executive Producer This credit is normally given to someone who got a
project going and started its development, but then handed it over to the producer.
They also could be a financial investor in the film who never sets foot on set.
Co-Producer This role might involve taking on a little bit of the work from
the producer and someone who performs a key role in the film (but answers to
the producer).

16
Producing 17

Associate Producer A junior producer who might take on some of the func-
tions of the producer, but like the co-producer still answers to the producer.
Line Producer This is normally a role dealing with the film budget. Sometimes
the line producers duties come under the title production coordinator.

This book focuses on the role of the producer. For the work youd be most
likely to undertake, the producer role will be an amalgamation of all the above
descriptions. Im also going to mainly concentrate on the actual production aspects
of the film. Raising finance, distribution, and selling the end product would
cover a whole other book and would be primarily dealt with when producing
feature films.

TH E STAG ES O F PRO D U CTI O N

The production of a film happens in three phases:

Pre-production Scripting, castings, location recces, set building, planning, and


crewing.
Production The shooting of the film.
Post-production Editing, grading, sound mixing, visual effects, music, marketing,
and distribution.

These are the stages where certain roles or functions are performed, but they
can overlap and as a producer you should be thinking about all of them. Even
though editing and marketing traditionally take place in the post-production
phase, you should be planning and organizing during pre-production. You
also need to know your formats and post-production workflow before you
begin shooting. You might need to deliver the film on time in order to make
a film-festival or tax-break deadline, so having your post workflow established
is paramount.
Besides the director, the producer should also have a clear idea of the vision,
the tone, and the theme of the film. They are also party to decisions and need to
18 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

know things to keep the project on track. A film, like any business, is run in the
image of its leaders. As the producer or director, you are that leader. If you are
organized, pragmatic, and decisive, then the film, its operation, and the set floor
will reflect this.

MY START

When my friends and I started making short films, producing was something
we did automatically without realizing we were doing it. If we wanted to make
our own films, we had to organize and arrange their production simple stuff
like deciding when we could film and where, who would be in the production,
what props we needed, and who was going to pay for the rental or purchase of
that particular prop. Respect, manners, and professionalism all come into play
here and were all learnt in these early days. Some people still havent found these
skills yet, even as adults! As a producer shooting small student films, I had to
find ways to achieve what I wanted and think a little more laterally and outside
the box, like the time when I needed a helicopter to take off for the finale of a
particular project. At $565 (450) an hour to rent, it was my complete budget
back in 1996, but I suggested we film our cast climbing on board just before the
helicopter company had an actual booking, and then I shot them and their client
taking off. Editing did the rest.

APPLYI N G TH E BASI CS:

HOW DO YOU BECOME A PRODUCER?

So what do we have to think about when we produce? The script, camera /


lighting equipment, actors, locations, permissions, food, travel / accommodation,
post-production, marketing, insurance, budget, scheduling, health and safety,
contracts... the list goes on, but lets look at a few.
Producing 19

B U DG E T

First and foremost, before anything is booked or planned you need to know
your budget. This is perhaps the biggest thing the producer has to be on top of.
How much is this thing going to cost? Can it be done for the budget allotted?
Maybe the project is self-funded, in which case, do YOU have enough money?
Either way, money is the number-one issue. You cut your coat to suit the cloth.
The budget and scheduling go hand in hand; one affects the other. You want
more days to shoot, then itll cost more. More of everything: crew, food, accom-
modation, gear rental... but lets look at what goes in the budget first, then
examine scheduling.

B U DG E TI N G FO R C R E W

The crew list for a corporate video might be significantly smaller than what
is required for a drama. On a corporate, you might have a person on camera,
sound, and maybe a producer or director. For a drama, the camera department
might consist of a director of photography, camera operator, 1st camera assistant
(focus puller), and 2nd camera assistant (clapper / loader). For each of these
projects you might have to tweak the crew accordingly. Every crew member is
important, but sometimes the budget will make the decisions for you. Youll
find yourself asking: Can the actors do their own make-up? Can the camera
operator also manage the sound? Could the producer be the grip? The areas
in which youre cutting back on crew can and will have an effect on produc-
tion. Yes, in a coffee-shop drama, the actors could do their own make-up; but
in the zombie film, you cant afford to cut the make-up team from the budget!
As the producer it is your job to make these decisions. Sometimes its hard to
cut people out or say no to them. If every department got what they wanted,
this would add more time and more money. Then youd be out of a job, and so
would they.
20 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

B U DG E TI N G FO R G E AR R ENTAL

One decision that will have a large knock-on effect on many other departments
is what camera you shoot on. The director of photography and the director will
have a discussion with the producer and decide what format best suits the project
at hand. If you are all these people, then that decision is yours.
What lights are required is also a large budgetary consideration. Ask the
director of photography for their lighting-gear list. This will almost always be
quite a large wish list that will have to be cut down. Ask the lighting-rental
company what arrangements can be made. Transportation of this camera and
lighting gear will also have to factor into your budget. Maybe the rental company
can supply a small van, or you might have to pursue a separate, external van rental.
Then ask yourself: Which crew member is happy to drive it? Maybe the project
size means that the small lighting units can all fit in the trunk of your car? Just
make sure to check with your insurance company that it is all covered.

B U DG E TI N G FO R FOO D / TR AVEL /
ACCO M M O DATI O N

Depending on where your shoot takes place, you may be looking at having to
transport your cast and crew to locations miles from your home base. This would
mean sorting their travel, putting them up in local accommodation, and feeding
them. This can really put a hole in your budget if youre not careful. If people are
working for next to nothing or exactly nothing, the least you can do is feed them
and feed them well. Pizzas every night will simply not suffice either!
So the questions to ask are: How much are you going to spend on each
person per head and over how many days? What food will you be buying and
from where? Are the cast and crew all staying in hotels or bed and breakfasts?
Who will require travel costs? Will it be a train, bus, or taxi? If theyre driving
themselves, are gas costs being covered, and at what rate? At a base cost, or at 55
cents (45 pence) a mile?
Producing 21

SC H ED U LE

Does the project have to be delivered by a certain time? This will affect your
choices on settings, crews, and cameras. If the answer is yes, then work back from
that date.
After producing a few short films you start to get a feel of how long things
take to shoot. A short drama with minimal locations and a running time of
anywhere between 2030 minutes might take roughly four days to shoot. If this
short film had numerous exterior night scenes involving lots of extras and visual
effects, this might grow to 68 days. In the past Ive not scheduled enough time,
thinking, Oh, its only a small scene, we can bang that out in a couple of hours...
But you fail to allow for the late arrivals, the setup time, the technical issues that
come up, and any discussions with actors...
For shoots involving lots of extras / supporting actors, visual effects, or
exciting bits of grip equipment, schedule double or triple the amount of time
you think scenes might take, as these elements will always slow your shooting
day down. Problems arise, like time issues from resetting background artists for
another take, and rigging that nice, expensive hothead crane! They all add up.

PAPERWO R K , R EC EI PTS, AN D M O N E Y

It is your responsibility to manage the books. Balancing the checkbook and


making sure the creditors arent calling are part of your job. A good producer has
excellent organizational skills too, and is able to put their hands on any docu-
ment or piece of information at a moments notice. The amount of paperwork
that even a small production can incur is surprising. Extras must sign release
forms, location owners need permissions, and there may be plentiful contracts
with distribution companies or TV stations. Keep all email correspondence too
as its legally binding.
There is a money trail when you rent gear, pay for insurance, and settle
invoices with your crew. Heres a good tip, and it puzzles me why its not a more
popular one: If the money is in the bank and you have the cash available, pay
22 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

the rental companies, the crews, everyone straight away. Its very good business
practice. A months worth of negligible interest on your payroll is small reward
in light of the massive amount of benefits, goodwill, and personal favors you may
earn for the remainder of the shoot (and onto the next one) for paying promptly.
Next time you rent from the camera-equipment company, theyll remember you
paid quickly, so its in their best interest to look after you. Besides, its a job done!
You dont have to worry about still making payment, or worse, receiving that
email reminding you youre overdue. Ive had those, and believe me, its not a
nice feeling.
Keep all your receipts and invoices so there are records of everything. Every
time you purchase stationery or camera cards or even pay for drinks at that
production meeting, the receipt gets kept and stored away safely.

CALL SH EE TS

A call sheet is a document every member of the cast and crew gets issued every
day of a shoot. It has all the important and relevant information on it: the day,
location, and contact information; whats being filmed, who is involved, and what
the call times are; and any other details you require. It also lists where the nearest
hospital is in the event of an accident, what time the sun sets at the location,
and who is responsible for bringing any pieces of specialized gear. Some even
have an advanced schedule of what is being planned for the following few days
shooting. On the following page you can find a call sheet example with the main
information listed.
In the table listing what is being filmed that day, the column titled page
refers to the amount of the script that particular scene involves. A script is broken
into 1/8ths of a page, so if a scene took up half a page, it would be listed on the
call sheet as 4/8ths of a page. A single line of stage directions might only be 1/8.
Filming on any given day could vary between multiple scenes shot at various
locations, all lasting an eighth of a page, or just one scene in one location lasting
four and three-eighths of a page. D/N refers to whether the scene is set during
the day or at night.
Producing 23

HANOVER PICTURES

We May Be Shadows
CALL SHEET #1 SHOOT DAY: 1 of 3
DIRECTOR Paul Dudbridge DATE : Saturday 9th January 2010
PRODUCERS Paul Dudbridge WEATHER: Chance of rain 45%
DOP Roger Pearce UNIT CALL : 8am WRAP : 7pm
approx
1st AD David Canelo SUNRISE: 08.12 SUNSET: 16.22

Location 1:
Vision Studios Parking: On site.
Old Mill Road
Portishead
Bristol, BS20 7BX

SCENE SYNOPSIS D/N PAGE CAST ID LOCATION


1 INT. BEDROOM: N 3 4/8 1,2 1
Ed moves to bathroom/comes back
1B INT. BATHROOM: N 4/8 1 1
Ed splashes cold water on his face
1C INT. LIVING ROOM: N 2/8 1 1
Ed sits on sofa, head in hands
1D INT. HALLWAY: N 2/8 1 1
Ed leaves flat
4 EXT. NOWHERELAND: N 1 1 1
GREENSCREEN
Ed opens his eyes
TOTAL 5 4/8
PAGES

NO ARTIST CHARACTER TRAVEL P/UP CALL M-UP/HAIR SET


1 Pete Townsend Ed Bracken CAR 07:30:00 08:00:00 08:15:00 08:45:00
2 Margaret Desallais Alice Bracken CAR 07:30:00 08:00:00 08:15:00 08:45:00

Notes:
No filming or photographs to be taken on set please. Unless permission has been given by the Producer. This
applies to EVERYONE including visitors.
Lunch provided. Drinks and snacks available throughout the day.
FIRST AIDER: Paul Dudbridge
ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY:
Bristol Royal Infirmary tel - 0117 923 0000 POLICE:
Marlborough Street Trinity Road Police Station tel - 101
Bristol Trinity Road
BS2 8HW St Phillips
Bristol BS2 0NW

2.1 Sample call sheet


24 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

On a larger-scale film or television drama, the 2nd assistant director will draw
up the call sheet, but on smaller-scale projects from short dramas to features with
smaller crews, this would fall to the producer. I have a blank template that I can
fill in where necessary. I can then export the file as a PDF or Word document
and send it out to all the cast and crew. A little tip: Make sure you go over the
call sheet with a fine-toothed comb and triple-check all details. There is a lot of
important information listed on it, and Ive received (and sent out) call sheets with
old dates, wrong times, and missing data. This does not reflect well on production.
The amount of organization that has to take place before the call sheet can be
drawn up is quite immense.

AR R AN G I N G LOCATI O NS

When dealing with locations you wish to shoot on, whether owned by a company
or privately, there are a few considerations you should take into account. It all
starts with your communication. How you first approach them will set the tone
and represent the professional level at which you intend to work. Its very easy
for people to say no to you. Dont give them a reason to by the manner in which
you conduct yourself. I find an email works better than a telephone call; you can
plan what you want to say and give all the relevant information needed to make
a decision. That email can be forwarded up the management chain of command
without having to reiterate the same information to someone else. It also acts as
something they can come back and refer to themselves at a later date. Give them
the information they need before their imagination takes over, making it as easy
as possible for them to say yes.
If you get the all-clear from the person youre dealing with, make sure you ask
if there is anyone else in their company that needs to sign off. Ive been ambushed
by this myself when a day before the shoot my contact has rung to say that theyve
mentioned it to the boss and received a no. So ask: Who has the authority to
sign off on the shoot? In addition, send them a location permission form to get
something in writing.
Producing 25

LI M ITI N G TH E VAR IAB LES

Throughout any production of any size you will encounter what I call variables.
Variables are unknown quantities that have the power to hinder or cause problems
for the production. Variables could include an unfamiliar new camera, shooting at
a higher resolution, using visual effects, working with children or animals, building
sets for the first time, shooting underwater, or filming in a strange location. Any
situation with which you lack experience can be problematic. The best advice is
to limit as many of these variables as possible. The wrong cluster of variables can
doom a shoot. For example, maybe youve made a few small short films and a
music video, and youre about to embark on your first feature film. Your previous
shorts may have been small one-location dramas, but for your feature you embark
on a futuristic action film, shooting on a new camera filming at 4K resolution that
will feature heavy visual effects, large sets, and child actors. Too many variables!

B EI N G R ESO U RC EFU L

When scheduling your location days, be as resourceful as you can and ask what
can be shot at the same time. Shooting all of your scenes at a single location, or all
of a certain actors scenes in succession, will save you a great deal of trouble. This
of course will require you to be well organized since that last scene at the location
might involve a big make-up effect or costume change, the origins of which you
havent shot yet.
Try and be mindful of scale and ambition. Not to hinder or crush big ideas
or aspirations, but it is possible to be overly ambitious and not pull off what
you intended. This is a sure sign to audiences that theyre watching a student /
low-budget film! If your script calls for a setting and you dont have the budget
or resources to pull it off, think creatively and laterally about another setting that
does fulfill what the script calls for but wont look like a pale imitation. Its far
better to film at a smaller location or shoot a sequence and have it be the best
that it can be than to aim for loftier, more ambitious sights. It is then evident to
all you obviously didnt have the resources to make it work. An amazing looking
26 Shooting Better Movies | Dudbridge

plan B is better than a shoddy, poorly staged plan A. It is here that your film does
come off looking cheap. The audience wont remember or know what location
you originally had in mind. However, they will notice the cheap staging and the
attempt to pull the wool over their eyes when they see that on screen.

TH E PERC EPTI O N O F A PRO D U C ER

Its also worth noting: Beware of the perception of what a producer is. Some
people believe that in order to get stuff done you somehow need to be bullish,
hard, rude, and confrontational. Ive witnessed this from other producers; its
not very becoming or helpful for the job. Address any serious issues, of course,
using a firm, decisive approach as required, but dont make a pre-emptive strike
or flex your power to let people know you are in charge. Dont come down hard
on people in person, on set, or via email when the situation hasnt reached that
threshold yet just because you like the feeling your position gives you. This is poor
management and a misuse of the position, whatever industry youre in. Ive seen
producers make decisive decisions without all the facts being available, but they
think not acting appears weak. Do not be this person. Adopt and practice the
skills of listening, being assertive, being polite, and losing the ego, and itll make
everyones filming experience a much more enjoyable one.

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