The Stages of Production Scripting Pre-Production Production
Post-Production
Scripting Documents are created in order to communicate what
will happen in the production. The documents explain the five W's
and H of the video: What is being created? Who is creating it? When
is it being created? Where is it being created? Why is it being
created? How is it being created?
Scripting The documents include: An Outline of the Idea and the
Story The Script A Storyboard
The Outline of the Idea & the Story This is the process of
writing down on paper what the video is about. Is your piece a
comedy? A Drama? Are you interviewing someone? Are you documenting
an event? The outline should identify the main purpose/idea of your
video. It can be as brief as a single sentence or even a few pages
long; depending on the length of your film.
The Script The script is a blueprint for producing a motion
picture. The major components of a script are action and dialogue,
with the "action" being "what we see happening" and "dialogue"
being "what the characters say". The characters, when first
introduced in the script, may also be described visually. As well
the script identifies and explains the location and setting of each
shot in the film.
Script Format
Scripting Activity 5-10 minutes Script a short scene or part of
a scene. Make sure to include: Scene Heading Actions Characters
Dialog Ideas: Playing a game(video/sports), cooking something,
Scene at a party etc.
The Storyboard Storyboarding is the process of producing
sketches of the shots from your script. The end result looks like
comic book of your film (without the speech bubbles).
The Storyboard Why do it? It helps you think about how your
film is going to look. You can work faster on set, and as pictures
communicate better than words it will allow your camera crew to
move their camera and lights, the producers to foresee problems,
the art department to know which parts of the location are going to
be in shot, and so on. Even the actors will get a feel of what they
are going to be shooting!
The Storyboard The following are some things you should always
include in your storyboards: Graphic description of what takes
place in the shot The direction which the camera should pan or zoom
(use arrows) A list (below the sketch) describing what props will
be needed
Blank Storyboard Activity
5-10 minutes to draw a basic storyboard of an event being
filmed. Included on the storyboard can only be the drawing, the
directional arrows for panning and zooming and a brief list of he
props for that scene.
Documentation The amount of documents you create will depend on
the production. In news, simple outlines and scripts are used
because the production needs to get done before the 6 o'clock
broadcast. Movies use all of the documents in order to have the
production go a smooth as possible.
Preproduction Once the script is written, it is used to prepare
for the production of the video. This process is called
Preproduction. The producer uses the script to set up all the
elements involved in shooting the video. These elements may include
the Budget and the Timeline. Also, the producer conducts a Site
Survey and lines up the players, calls the interviewees, reservers
the location and makes sure all the Equipment is ready.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TH-qMGvU0k&feature=channel
Production/Filming Lights, Camera, Action. The Production stage
is where the filming takes place.
Before You Start Shooting Prior to taking your first shot you
must address the following issues in The Production stage: The
Camera The Shot Camera Moves Lighting Audio
The Camera Get to know your camera. Read the manual! Also, the
best way to set up for the shot is to get into a routine. Try to
set up the camera the same way every time. Most home cameras have
automatic settings so you can start to shoot as soon as possible.
Most operators like to have complete control over the shot and so
they turn off the automatic settings. You need to make a choice on
what you want to control and what you want to leave to the
automatic setting.
The Camera Before you start filming you should make sure all of
the below issues are addressed: Lens: Is the lens cap off? Focus:
Are you on manual, auto or infinity? Iris: Exposure; is there
enough light? Tape: Do you have tape in? ON/OFF Switch: Is the
camera on?
The Camera White Balance: This sets the camera to record either
indoor lighting (tungsten light) or outdoor lighting (sunlight).
Gain or AE: These will boost the image in the camera to help with
shooting in low light. Tip: Automatic Setting: Most cameras have a
switch that turns all or most of the controls over to the camera.
Most videographers turn this switch to manual so they have complete
control over the camera. However, you may want to use it when you
first start shooting. Before going out, remember to ask yourself
"Do I have batteries and tape?"
The Shot Below are a few common steps for video taping a scene.
Survey the room: Before you begin unpacking, look around the room.
Decide on the location of the camera and subject. Find a power
source for the camera - or are you using batteries? Where are the
natural lights or are you using your own lights? Is there an echo
in this location? Are there any other noises such as refrigerators
or fans? Are the phones unplugged? Set Up: Place camera and
subject. Place the lights and prepare the mics. Turn the lights on
and have the mics in place. At the camera, make sure you turn it on
and consider the following: Is there tape? Have I White balanced?
Is my Exposure correct? Have I set the correct focus? Test the mics
and check the lights.
The Shot Begin Shooting: Usually the master scene or interview
is shot first. Then the close ups and cutaways are recorded.
Sometimes the close ups and cutaways are called "pickups" because
these are shots that are picked up as you are leaving. After the
shoot: Make sure all the equipment is put away and stored back in
its place. If objects were rearranged to make room for the camera
and equipment, make sure they are put back in their proper place.
And if doing an interview, thank the subject for helping out in the
production. The Producers Survey: At the end, do another survey of
the location to make sure nothing was left behind or
forgotten.
The Shot Composition: This term refers to the way the shot
looks. What images are placed in front of the camera? Where are the
images placed? What lights and colors are used? These questions all
go into making up the composition. The Director of Photography
called the DP, decides what images will be within the frame.
Camera Moves The difference between a still camera and a video
camera is movement. As you shoot footage, you are able to move the
camera. Below are definitions and examples of the different ways
you can move the camera. Zoom In - The lens of the camera moves in
such a way as to bring the image closer to the camera. Zoom Out -
The lens of the camera moves in such a way as to move the image
away from the camera.
Camera Moves Pan Right - The camera swivels to the right,
causing the image to move from right to left across the screen. Pan
Left - The camera swivels to the left, causing the image to move
from left to right across the screen. Action within the frame - The
subject moves within the frame and the camera DOES NOT move. Follow
the Action - The subject is moving yet stays within the frame
because the camera is MOVING with the subject.
Lighting Where is it coming from? Train yourself to look for
the light. When you enter the area of taping, look around to see
your light sources. Also, look at your subject(s) to see if there
are any contrasts (bright and dark colors). Remember that the
camera has a hard time with contrasts.
Lighting Source The light source should be behind the camera.
The two images on the right are of the same room but shot at
opposite angles. The top one was shot into the light and bottom one
is shot with the light behind the camera.
Lighting Subject What are they wearing? In a family gathering,
there is not much you can do. But if this was a shoot, we would try
to have the clothes be less contrasting. We would replace the stark
white clothes with more pastels. This will create a softer, less
contrasting, effect.
Audio Before the production, questions are asked and answered
in regards to the audio equipment. What sound do we need -
Interview, background, ambiance? What mic do we need to bring?
There are mics for each of these. Lav mic Lav is short for a
lavalier microphone. This is a tiny mic that hooks to the persons
shirt or collar. The mic is very directional and is used for
interviews. Handheld mics Handhelds are mostly used for news. They
are held in the hand and can be used during interviews or for stand
up comments by the newsperson.
Audio Boom or shotgun mics These are very directional
microphones used to pick up voices or noises. They sit on top of
the camera or are held by the audio person. Some people do not like
the look of the lav mic and so they will use a boom mic to record
interviews or sound bites. Wireless or Hardwire Each of the mics
above can be Wireless or Hardwired. The wireless mics use a VH or
UVH signal to transmit the audio back to the camera. Hardwires use
an audio cable to send the signal back to the camera. Wireless
allows for freedom of movement but may have crackles and the
batteries may run down. The hardwire ties the subject to the camera
but is the safest and cleanest sound.
Audio Below is a general list of items to consider for audio:
The Mic - What microphone to use? Mic placement - Where to put or
hold the mic? Cable or wireless - Does the person on camera need to
be mobile? If so, we use a wireless set up. if not, we use a cable
to go from camera to mic. Lav or shotgun - Do we use a lav or a
shotgun mic? Purpose - What is the sound going to be used for? How
is it going to help tell the story?
Post-Production
Distribution The editing is done and now it is time to show
your movie. There are several ways to show your movie. You can
record it to a video, a DVD, CD-Rom or put it on the web. But since
you are using a computer to edit the piece, you must decide on the
digital size of your file and that means compression. Compression:
If you are outputting to tape, then you will have very little
compression. If you are putting it on the web you will need to
compress the data. Format: Which medium do you want to use to show
your video?